Pumpkin Patch

Avinash is an October baby but I don't think we made it to an actual pumpkin patch until he was two or three probably.  We took pictures of him in front of the big pile of pumpkins at Central Market for years.  I love that memory.  

I love taking all three now to buy pumpkins at the grocery store and out to the pumpkin farm for even more fun. We visited Barton Hills Farm just outside of Austin.

We got there early for once and the weather was perfect until it warmed up around noon.  I asked the kids to indulge me with the pictures first before running off to the bouncy place, rides and corn maze.  I got lucky too because it was perfectly outcast while we were taking pictures.   Score!

 All the pumpkin shirts are old but the sunglasses are new.

His idea to jump, so much fun.    

Nandini's jump.  She almost got air. 

We had a crew with us on the maze this year. We (wisely) choose the easy route. 

And look at them 2 years ago. Wow!!

I don't think I ever noticed how Lakshman was snuggled up to me before, but now that would be heaven.

13+ Great Costume Ideas for Halloween

I was just bursting with costume ideas this year.  Then we had another round of torrential downpours and a lot of plans got cancelled.  That's okay, we still got dressed up at home and had fun watching lots of movies and Elmo.

The kids aren't supposed to dress up at school (this basically happened at our preschool a few years ago, only in a more dramatic fashion) , but my friend and I decided to let the girls Disney Bound all week.



We even made them buttons with fun hipster sayings and everything.  Turns out, they all HATED the princesses wearing glasses.   We are raising some first class feminists indeed.

Glass slippers are so before midnight. 

I don't know why she didn't like them.  I found it funny.  She was pretty happy that I finally let her wear her glass slippers to school though.

We dressed up as Annie, Miss Hannigan, Daddy Warbucks and Punjab for the school party that got cancelled.  Really because I didn't leave the house all day, so the robe was more than appropriate.  I also was dying to dress Lakshman up as Punjab.  I mean, we might as well own the absurd depictions of Indians in popular culture - especially given how few we have to choose from.  Plus, Nandini totally has the hair for Annie.

I'm the Before to Nandini's After Holly Golightly.  One can't go to Sing Sing with a green face after all. 

 Lakshman is Fred of course and Avinash is Sally Tomato(?).  It's possible he refused to change from the day before.

His real Halloween outfit was Harry Potter.  I love this picture because when Lakshman saw what we were doing, he got himself up the stairs and started jumping too.  Only, not quite as high.

Speaking of Harry Potter, I am on SheKnows/BlogHer today with an article all about butterbeer recipes!!  So delicious.  Click over and let me know what you think.

Pumpkin Painting Ideas

After our little pumpkin harvest at the farm, I feel like I better start decorating them soon.  Nandini especially is anxious to get the house decorated for Halloween and the party.  Anything Avinash doesn't like she tells him is not for his birthday, just Halloween.  I can't seem to make things scary enough for her.  She even made me buy her a pack of skeleton hands the other day *shudder*.

Last year we painted pumpkins and we might do the same this year to avoid the mess and sharp objects involved in carving pumpkins.  It's not really a great toddler activity.  Or even six year old activity. 

I love how Nandini's pumpkin turned out.  A little bit of creative direction in color selection can go a long way.  

I painted a white design on a ghost pumpkin.  

It's my favorite along with that little spider web pumpkin.  I think I need another one of those this year for sure. 

I even tried silkscreening a pumpkin.  It didn't turn out half bad. 

Glitter pumpkins are always a favorite around here too.  

I did get my teal pumpkin from whole foods this year and I definitely want to put yellow stars on it. We also got a few jacks, a 'golden' pumpkin (it's really yellow but man did it stand out in the sea of orange) and a bunch of minis.  The teal one is a cinderella pumpkin I think.  I still think it's so cute that those exist.  Yay botany.  And fairies ;)

Pumpkin pickin' at Sweet Berry Farms, then & now

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  I can't help but get so excited about fall and the start of pumpkin season.  Maybe it's because Halloween is coming up and I basically treat it as an excuse to dress my kids up every day of the month. 

We went back to the same pumpkin patch that we visited last year and I thought it was fun to look back at the old pictures too. 

Then ...

And, now ....

Same pumpkin patch, same kids, same wardrobe mostly.  But oh my, what a difference a year makes.  My tiny baby looks so grown up now!  And he certainly acts it.  Charging around the place like he has a lot of plans to get to.  Though his baby face belies some deep thoughts behind those two little teeth. 

The light was a lot harsher than last year but I do like being able to see blue sky in the photos.

This truck bed was a fun photo spot.  They were all quite happy to perch up there and get photographed.   Even Lakshman, though he doesn't wear his hat anymore like he used to.

They are doing their best cowboy and cowgirl impressions here.  Heehee.

And, the closest thing to a group shot we are going to get.  At least Nandini looks good. 
We went back to the farm in November last year when the weather (and lighting!) is a lot milder and I'm thinking we have to do the same thing again this year. 

The best was still when he picked up a baby pumpkin, tried to take a bite out of it and said "Apple??"

I still remember Avinash's first "pumpkin patch" experience.  He was a chubby little one year old and we were completely smitten with him.  Of course we had no clue about going to real pumpkin patches or anything yet, but it the obsession was starting.  And, yes, it is the same hat.  See? I'm nothing if not economical.