Pumpkin Carving

Even though we didn't get to go to a pumpkin patch this year (with our 2 weekend getaways in October, we just ran out of time.), M and I were still able to get a pumpkin to carve. I helped M get all the seeds out and then I posed with it on the front steps.

On Friday for work M tried to look like our pumpkin. When she asked me how she looked, I just laughed at her and said, "Outside." I thought she looked good enough to be our new jack-o-lantern for our front steps!!!!

Here's me helping M get all the seeds out of the pumpkin and then posing with the jack-o-lantern.

October Snow

Wednesday last week, winter descended upon us. When M left for work there was maybe 2 or 3 inches on the ground. When she got home that night, D had just finished shoveling off about 10 inches of wet, heavy snow from our driveway. We then took D's ATV up the street to help his brother with his driveway. I enjoyed riding the ATV through the snow.While D shoveled and M helped "clean" up the driveway, I buried myself in the snow.
The snow was very deep and in some places come up to my waist!!!

D had to shovel again as soon as we got back to our house, then again before bed. He shoveled when he woke up in the morning and then M did again before she went to work. Each of those 4 times there was probably only an inch or so on the driveway, but that means overall we got about 17-19 inches of snow in a 36 hour timeframe (Tuesday night about 8pm to Thursday mid-morning).
However, by Saturday (Halloween) it was again 50 degrees out and you could see our front lawn again!! I even trick or treated during the day in just my short sleevees.

Daddy having lots of fun on his ATV!! He claimed he was helping knock down the snow in the street, so Uncle S's cars could get up the driveway.

I took notes from D and I tried to ride my trike through the snow also Friday afternoon.

I even tried perfecting my snow angels. G got a really funny video of me on Friday afternoon at her house (M says she has to figure out how to post it, so for now you get this snow angel video!!). G's videos shows me in the hottub with G&P and a few of my cousins and I run out into the snow (in my swimsuit) to make snow angels and then ran back into P's arms and the hot tub. When M saw it she said it reminded her of the races her family used to have to the bridge and back (about a block away) during the middle of winter when they were hot-tubbing!!!

Big Girl Bed

M&D decided that I was ready for a big girl bed. They wanted to make sure that I adjusted before Baby Sister comes along and needs my crib. Since I had slept on the floor near their bed while on vacation, D figured now was as good as time as any to make the switch.

Not my very last night in my crib, but within 2 weeks of it. I was very excited about the new bed when I went into my room after D moved the crib out.
M even let me pick out the sheets. She was surprised when I picked out Dora, since as far as she knows I have never seen the show and only have one book. But D pointed out that Dora has a "pet" monkey and I might be confused between Boots and Curious George. Whenever I point out the monkey, M&D just say "Dora is a little girl with a monkey friend, just like you."

Sleeping soundly the first night.

There have been some struggles as I adjust to the new freedom of mobility I have. Yes, I could get out of my crib, but I chose not to during the night and every morning. I would always wait patiently for M to come get me. However, M is getting used to me coming in to wake her up in the morning. If I come in the middle of the night, M just takes me right back to bed.

Last night M checked on me when she used the restroom (those pregnant women and their weak bladders!!!) and she found me lengthwise in bed with my forehead right at the edge. She debated whether to move me, but decided that I needed to learn how to pick myself up and re-cover myself up if I did fall off the mattress (all 4 inches of it). Anyhow, when D got up to go to work, M checked on me again and found me in the middle of my room on the floor. My feet were touching the mattress, my head almost touching the rocking chair and I was sprawled next to my dresser. M doesn't know how I got there. Whether I crawled in my sleep or did fall off the mattress and just rolled there. Either way she didn't hear me and I slept soundly all night!!!

Disneyland!!!!

On Monday, M&D along with G&G took me to Disneyland. They told me it was the perfect day to go. Just 70 degrees, so not too hot plus it was a Monday in October so the crowds weren't very long at all. We got 4 rides done in the first hour!! The longest wait for any ride was when I was napping in my stroller with M sitting on the bench with me and D, G&G went on the Indiana Jones ride. It had techinical difficulties and was shut down for about 15 minutes and the wait+ride still took just under an hour!!

I got to go meet Minnie and Mickey. I gave Minnie a kiss on the cheek and Mickey gave me a nose rub!!
The teacups were our 2nd ride to go on. That was just after the Alice in Wonderland ride that only had 3 people ahead of us!!
G&G on "It's a Small World" ride. I really enjoyed that one with all the singing and dancing.

I always remembered that you have to hold on tight on every ride.

M and me on the Jungle Cruise.

Better watch out, I'm steering this ship!

D and I on the rocket ship ride.

In the afternoon, M's Cousin and his family joined us for a couple hours. We took them on the Winnie the Pooh ride, since I had fallen asleep in line earlier and so missed the first time I went on it.

Getting tired near the end of the day. G and I are standing in line for Peter Pan's flight. I was at Disneyland for 10 hours and pretty much went on every ride that I was able to.

I even found a restroom that was just my size--I was very excited when I saw it!! M&D said it was lucky we didn't know this restroom was here earlier, otherwise we would have spent all day there!

I also got Minnie ears with my own name put on it. I was intent on watching the sewing machine as it was working. As soon as it stopped, I started yelling, "hat done, hat done" and pointing to my head. I wanted that hat back NOW!

Cinderella's castle at night.

Getting ready to watch the parade down Main Street.

The theme was Celebrate, a Street Party.

I even got to help by dancing in it.

Hanging out in the cabin

I was in the mood to pose for pictures!!

My Cousin A. and I playing with her Disney Princess dolls. I didn't know who any of them were, but I still like playing with dolls so we had fun. When we actually went to Disneyland on Monday, we stood in line for about 5 minutes for the Princess Faire Fantasy "ride" until M&D realized it was just a meet & greet with the Disney Princesses. Since I don't know them, we got out of line to go on real rides!!

For supper, we got a really big pizza for everyone. Notice that the box takes up half the table. M couldn't remember the actual size but she thought Uncle W said 42 inch.

M being silly with the pizza.

Uncle W with the almost empty box. We were a hungry group!

The box was almost bigger than me, when I laid on it diagonally.

G and Aunt R just hanging out and relaxing.

Ocean Fun!!

Saturday afternoon after the Mud Run and the BBQ picnic, D and Aunt R took me down to the beach to put my feet in the ocean. We weren't techinally staying on the beach, we were overlooking it so we did have to walk down some steps, but we were pretty close!Waiting for the next wave to come get us.


For my first time in the ocean, I had lots of fun even if it was a little chilly. But that didn't stop D, Aunt R or Uncle W from getting all the way in.Aunt M also went in the ocean for a little while and then came over near the fire that we had on the beach with G.

I was so excited when I first saw the water. I love swimming, so D had to be careful that I didn't run too far in because the undertow was pretty strong. We were staying at one of the best Surf spots in California, but since it is military property only a very few get to surf it.



D, Aunt R and Uncle W are crazy!

Mud Run

I'll ruin the punch line first....my Aunt R got 3rd in her age category!!!!!

Saturday morning we headed a little inland to watch G, Aunt R, Uncle W and 2 cousins run the Camp Pendleton 10K Mud Run. Here's all the contestants at the start---4000 of them!!There were numerous obstacles around the course, but the grand finale was the mud pit!!


Here's G "running" through the mud!

Aunt R. got injured in the mud pit--rocks and sticks being stirred up by all the runners.

Aunt R and Uncle W at the finish line!! Everyone finished within 20 minutes of each other. Quite a good race!
Aunt R. and G.

Four of the Five finishers!! M's 2 cousins, G and Aunt R. Only Uncle W is missing from the photo.

After the race, we invited everyone back to the beachside cabin we were staying in for a BBQ lunch. It was 94 degrees when we left the race site, but when we got back to the beach (20 miles away) it was 73 degrees due to the ocean breeze and cloud cover.

M's family.

The whole gang--runners and spectators!

SeaWorld

We started off our trip to California by heading to SeaWorld Friday afternoon. D and I played all morning at Ludington's house in their pool and then we met M and her family at SeaWorld. Before we arrived G&G, Aunt M and Uncle W went on the water ride.
Near the end of the day, D and I and Liz&Eddie all went on the Elmo Flying Fish ride.


D and I were in the Elmo pig!

We also went on a Gondola ride across one harbor near SeaWorld before heading to see Shamu.

I missed the whole ride though because I fell asleep in G's arms. It had been a short night and a long day already.

Sleeping girl in line for the Gondola.

Uncle W helped carry me some in SeaWorld (when I wasn't riding in the stroller).

We saw lots of animals. Here's G and I in front of the Buluga whale tank.

Eddie and I are making faces at the Walrus, which swam right up to us.

M's family waiting for the Shamu show to start.

D and Ludington's also sitting waiting.

Watch those whales jump.

I slept through some of the show and only saw about half of it. But I was a little too sleepy to truly appreciate the whales.Whale with the trainer.

Here's 2 videos that show just a little bit of the action we were able to see.