Our Own Private Zoo

We have our own private zoo!

The zoo is all ours from 9 to 11:30 on Tuesday mornings, but we'll share it with you if you want to join us!

No one over here!

Usually this tunnel is completely packed with people and the noise level is deafening.  Today all you can hear are goof balls pretending to be fish.  You can see there is a fish hanging out with Grace behind the glass.

Here are some people!  They're cleaning the tank.  This place is always immaculately clean and this is why!

Usually there are so many people around this octopus tank that it is hard to see him.  Today he was moving all over the glass and he was really active!

I didn't get a picture of the penguins, but the girls were racing them back and forth.  Who do you think can move faster, a penguin or a Gracie?  It was pretty hilarious and there were no people obstacles.  Grace said, "I love making friends with the animals!"

No one sitting on these logs, so of course we can count and climb all over them!

Taking in a pond filled with beautiful spotted sting rays.  It is so quiet and peaceful there when we're by ourselves.

This picture is from our zoo trip last week but it was the same story.  No lines for the tree swings, no antsy kids waiting in the wings for their turn.  Go ahead and hog them girls!

The new giraffe indoor facility.  There were four more staring at us off to the right that I couldn't fit in the picture!

The most amazing place to be here in town and we get it all to ourselves.  Lucky us!!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch for the first time!

THE family activity of the season is during a very busy time of the season for us.  Luckily, we carved out (haha) a morning to go and see what all the hubbub is all about!

That pumpkin is heavy!

Grace greets her chosen pumpkin with a hug.

We went for a hay rack ride.  Grace thought all the scary monsters and zombies were hilarious.

It was a beautiful day!

Grace LOVED the zip line swing!

She climbed up to a really tall slide.

They saw some animals.

They made a friend.

We rode a pirate ship.

Grace had a couple bouncy things to herself.  (The beauty of going on a weekday.)

We made them pose.  The girls had a blast and Grace said it was the "best place ever"!

Climbing a Tree

Grace had a playdate this morning and her friend climbed up our tree!  She watched her friend and gathered up the gumption to try it herself.

Now she's been hanging out up there ever since!

She is quite proud of herself, and I only had to rescue her once.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today so I didn't mind the excuse to do nothing but lay in the grass and watch her.

I used to hang out in trees too.  I approve!

Pumpkin Carving

We carved pumpkins today!

Clara is super excited!  Her pupils look really big here because she just came home from the eye surgeon and they dilated her eyes.  Good news, her eyes are great!  The doctor said her vision is "like a hawk."  We sensed that that was the case; she can point out a digger or a plane from any distance!

Here she is proving to me that she is touching the pumpkin guts.  Sorry, doesn't count missy! 

 I ended up cleaning her pumpkin for her.

Grace on the other hand did a great job cleaning her pumpkin and was all business.  She wanted to carve it herself of course, so we let her try with the knife.  She picked an unusually thick skinned pumpkin, so she just ended up poking holes in it.  She really enjoying herself though, and that is what counts!

Completed pumpkins!

I tried to get a posed picture of the girls and the pumpkins but they weren't cooperating one bit.

Clara enjoys her pumpkin!