Nates Butt Farm...I mean, Bates Nut Farm

My excellent friend Barbara called me up early on an October Saturday morning and invited us to meet them at Bates Nut Farm. I had never heard of it but apparently it is very well known pumpkin patch, and is visited by many San Diegans. It took a good 40 minutes to get there but it was well worth the drive. There were lots of booths set up, like a street fair, with food trucks and live music. There was a petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy houses, and hay rides. The kids did some jumping and I ate a delicious chicken pesto crepe. Lance, Barb's husband, took Afton through a hay maze. Since Lance only has girls, I think he had fun hanging out with a boy. We finished up with a hay ride and picking out our pumpkins. Afton insisted we get one white (a ghost pumpkin, as he calls them) and one orange pumpkin. Actually, he wanted 8 white and 8 orange. I don't know where he got that number but it was turned down. The only thing that was a little annoying (other than Barbara's family being turned around on the drive to the pumpkin patch because of a car accident) was the wind. It was very windy at first but eventually calmed down. We had a fabulous time and hope to go back again next year!

Zoobilee Zoo

It's so nice having annual passes to the zoo. Whenever we are bored, or can't think of something fun to do, we head there. It's funny how it seems like we end up spending the most time at the play area instead of checking out the animals. 

We did take the bus tour since Afton had a free pass, so some animals were seen. For once we actually got there early enough that we spotted quite a few animals that are usually sleeping. We saw the tiger which I hadn't seen in several visits. Apparently I was too excited about this fact and didn't snap a picture. Or any animal for that matter. Unless you consider the kids. Which I do. Ha!

Afton always asks to get our pictures taken in the booth but we've never done it. I told him that today we would finally do it. Funny thing is it took some coaxing to get him in the booth since it was, in his words, "too dark in there!" Once we sat down he was super excited about it and announce what poses we should strike for each picture...cheese, silly faces, kisses, love.

Here's a random shot of hydrangeas. They were insanely huge, and gorgeous.

It's always fun going to the zoo with these cuties.

Fun with the Girl

Here's some pics of my Rooey Pooey. She makes me so very happy....and sometimes drives me nuts. But who could resist that face!?

She loves playing peek-a-boo with the scarfs Oma gave her. Cuteness overload!

Arizona Friends

 A few weeks back we were lucky enough to get a visit from our fabulous Arizona friends, the Barsetti's. They may be luckier ones, since they stayed at a beach house in La Jolla! We met up with them for some beach fun, smores, and pizza. It was nice catching up and watching the kids play together. We had never built a bonfire on the beach before and it was even cooler than I expected. Something about sitting around a fire makes everything more fun. To top it off there was an amazing sunset. My camera didn't even come close to capturing it's beauty.

Bummer

My poor lil boy got his first cold sore. He's just like his momma, and both his grandmas. I had to talk to him about not picking his lips and making sure he puts chapstick on. Hopefully he doesn't get them often. So sad.

Bed

Afton has been bedless for almost a year now. When Rowan was kicked out of my room, we converted his toddler bed back into a crib so she could use it. Afton then began sleeping with me. I think he was quite happy with the arrangement but it was getting time. We looked at several different furniture store, check online, browsed Craigslist, and even went to some thrift stores. We decided on IKEA since we liked the simple design and could get the bed and the mattress for around $200. He is so proud that he is a big boy, sleeping in his very own bed. Though he does tend to sneak into my bed in the early morning hours. And that's okay with me.

A Day Away

My friend Barbara invited me to attend her sister Rachel's bridal shower. We all grew up in the same small town, graduated from the same school, and are now living in San Diego. I had originally planned to take Rowan with me but Nippon said that he would watch the kids.  ?!?!?!?!?!?!  What he didn't realize was that this meant I was going to take full advantage of this freedom. Bwahahaha!

The shower was held in El Cajon which is about a 45 min drive from my house. It was nice turning  up the music and driving in peace. I like going to new places, and it was fun seeing parts of San Diego that I had never seen before. The shower turned out super cute, with yummy food, and silly games. It was nice to chat with adults and not have a baby to chase around or hold. Rachel is a sweetheart and I'm very excited for her and her new life.

After the shower Barbara and I were not ready to go back to being "mommy" just yet. We decided to go to Old Town for some margaritas but followed some wrong directions and ended up in Little Italy. This was a happy mistake because I hadn't been down there before. I've driven passed it yes, but never have stopped and enjoyed how lovely it is. There were so many cute shops, whimsical building designs, delicious looking restaurants, and lots of public art.We picked a spot to get a drink and chatted and chatted and chatted, until Nippon called with a desperate plea to come home. As we strolled back to the car we stopped at Filippi's Pizza Grotto because they have a little grocery store in the front where they sell fresh mozzarella. It was divine! I could eat it like an apple. I squishy, salty, cheesy, apple. Ha! Thanks again Barbara, for inviting me for a much needed time away.