Trick-or-Treating in Minnesota

Isaac was so excited for Halloween this year. He chose his costume early on--an "airplane man," or pilot--and talked constantly about trick-or-treating. Even though we were traveling over Halloween weekend, I knew we had to find somewhere to trick-or-treat so Isaac wouldn't be disappointed.

The Summit Hill neighborhood was suggested to us, so at dusk we drove over to St. Paul and picked a random street near Summit Ave to start our Halloween adventure. In my opinion, we picked the best street in the whole neighborhood! Everyone was so friendly--Minnesota-nice, as my mother-in-law put it--and the houses were so festive. Practically the entire row of homes up and down the street we chose were alight with jack-o-lanterns, Halloween lights and decorations, and one house even had a campfire to warm up near along the way. Most people sat out on their porches, even in the cold, waiting to give candy to the kids, happy if you decided to sit and chat with them a while. It was a really fun experience!

Isaac the World War I pilot.

We only went to a handful of homes on the street. By this point, Isaac had been awake for fourteen hours. He was too excited to nap in the hotel, much to his exhausted parents' dismay, and he wasn't up for much walking tonight. 

He was able to muster a cheerful, "Trick-or-Treat!" at every house, though!

Happy Halloween!

Como Conservatory

We're in Minnesota this weekend for my old teammate and college roommate Jenna's wedding. Jenna and I have managed to stay in touch since college, despite sometimes thousands of miles between us (Jenna was in the Peace Corps for a couple of years, stationed in Malawi). She visits Colorado every couple of years and always makes a point to make sure we can see each other, whether or not she's here to visit me. She is a dear friend. So this summer, when she broke the news that she was getting married this fall, I knew I had to try and make it to her wedding, even if I'd be very pregnant.

Ben and I decided to make the weekend a bit of a babymoon, since it will be the last trip we take before our baby girl joins the family, and the last chance to spend away together without kids for a very long time. Grandma Cheri and Grandpa Todd were happy to take Isaac off our hands for the weekend, and we arranged for them to pick him up in St. Paul after trick-or-treating.

We arrived in the cities this morning, and it was blustery and cold, thwarting our plans of checking out some of the outdoor attractions in the area. Instead, we enjoyed warm brunch in a cozy restaurant and bakery with Miss Kristen, who recently left Colorado to take a position with the Star Tribune, and then headed to the Como Conservatory, where it was sure to be warm.

Isaac's Harvest

This evening, Isaac was playing with the gourd he brought home from his school's Halloween party, and at one point told me he was going to put his "pumpkin" in the garden so it could "grow really big," then wandered out in the fading light, by himself, to the garden. He came back in a few minutes later, hands and pockets filled with tomatoes. I was completely caught off guard--and totally love struck by his sweetness--when I realized he took it upon himself to bring in the ripe tomatoes. He then took his toy pot back out for more. Oh, little boy, you have your mama's whole heart.

Carving Pumpkins

 

While setting up for carving, I asked Isaac to draw a picture of the jack-o-lantern he wanted to make, and this is what he came up with. I was impressed; it sure is creepy!

Bringing the pumpkins inside, with a little help from the Cozy Coupe!

 Pulling out the pumpkin guts!

 The scary face that Isaac drew on his actual pumpkin.

Daddy and Isaac doing their best to carve out the face Isaac drew.

Isaac and his jack-o-lantern!

Daddy's recreation of Isaac's drawing. Love it!

The finished jack-o-lanterns all aglow!

32 Weeks

32 weeks, scared by a fierce dinosaur!

Pumpkin Picking at Cottonwood Farms

While last year's pumpkin picking excursion to Cottonwood ended with us throwing the nearest pumpkin into a wagon for Isaac and calling it good, this year was quite a different story. This year, Isaac had very specific criteria for the perfect pumpkin, and as it turned out, not one of the pumpkins in Cottonwood's pumpkin fields seemed to fulfill his requirements. Every pumpkin was either too big, too "ouchie" (the stem, that is) or ruined by "squirrels". Also, Isaac really wanted to be able to carry the pumpkin on his own, which did prove to be problematic since I'm pretty sure a couple of pounds of pumpkin is his limit. We followed Isaac around the pumpkin patch for an eternity as he inspected each pumpkin (with a fine tooth comb). Finally, Isaac found one suitable, but not without a bit of convincing on Ben's and my part. Quickly Ben grabbed the pumpkin and scurried off to pay for it and get it in the car before Isaac could change his mind. So funny the difference a year can make!