We enjoyed another fun-filled Fall weekend that began with a return trip to the "apple core". This time our mission was to get pumpkins. After Matt and Jillian dominated the corn maze once again, we piled onto the wagon for a tractor-led tour of the farm.
Upon our return, we hit the snack bar for a fresh, hot, homemade doughnut. What could be better on a cool Fall morning??
Jillian enjoyed climbing and jumping across the tall hay bales. She insisted she didn't need any help, but Matt stayed close.
Hmm.....where'd Jillian go?
Checking out the beautiful mums
Finally, it was time for the pumpkin hunt. We grabbed a wagon and headed toward the "patch"
Jillian carefully selected 4 pumpkins that represented each member of our family.
Today, we embarked on a spontaneous family day trip adventure. Matt proposed we pile in the car and head to the Twin Cities to see what kind of trouble we could find--30 minutes later, we were on our way! We made our first stop in Dinkytown near the U of M for a yummy lunch at Kafe 421. I have no pictures of this because I spent the entire lunch either nursing Adrienne, or in the bathroom changing one of two poopy diapers she managed to make during the 45 minutes we were there. We then intended to shop a bit and let Jillian run wild on the campus, but rain pushed us away. We grabbed some coffee and made our way to Richfield to check out some winter gear at REI. No pictures of this, either. It took all our energy to carry A in the Bjorn and chase J through the store. Finally, we jetted across town to St Paul for a look at the Como Zoo. After both children were settled appropriately in the double stroller, we headed toward the entrance gate to discover a sign telling us that the zoo would be closing at 3 p.m. for a special event (unadvertised on the website according to Matt). It was exactly 2:42 p.m. Trying to make the most of the day and stay positive, we ran toward the back of the zoo and attempted to work our way forward in the mere 18 minutes we had to enjoy. It was an odd little zoo--kind of run-down and eerie feeling like something out of a movie (think the amusement park in the movie Big), and some of the animals were in some depressing environments, but they were so close that it was fantastic for small children to get an up close and personal view. I am amazed at the number of animals we saw in such a short period of time....orangutans, gorillas, monkeys, giraffes, zebra, lions, tigers, and Jillian's favorite, the "pink amigos" (pink flamingos!)...more than we saw in an entire day at the Minnesota Zoo last summer!
Greeting an orangutan
A look of astonishment as an enormous gorilla came up close to say hello
Up close and personal with giraffes and zebra
After the zoo closed, we enjoyed some time in the park that included Jillian's first carousel ride. Matt got a little touch of motion sickness....
A quick pose on a horse before hopping in the car to return home.
It was a great family day, and both girls were so great in the car and at each and every stop. We came home to whip up some homemade pizza and hit the hay!
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