Happy Halloween!

Our little social butterfly dragonfly had a fun Halloween Eve today. This morning we attended her preschool's Halloween party and parade. The two year old classes get to walk around the building and trick or treat and the three and four year olds walk around the neighborhood. So fun! I found a really fancy Cinderella dress at a consignment store several months ago and Abby was excited to be a princess, but earlier this week I also stumbled across a great sale at Gymboree. It took some thought this morning, but she finally settled on being a dragonfly for preschool and Cinderella later. 

This is not the greatest picture of the girls, but here's Abby's favorite friend at preschool: Addy. Abby and Addy! I'm sure that never causes any confusion at all. ;)

Mrs. Parker is the director of the preschool. Ha, Abby! That look is priceless.

All of the boys sat at one table while Abby and Addy sat at another. Abby's teacher Miss Camille says Abby will only sit next to Addy and she's even cried when she tries to seat her next to a boy. Abigail! I guess it's been getting better but we had a talk on the way home about how boys can be our friends, too. She told me that Will is a "nice boy" so hopefully we're making progress. I actually think it's pretty funny.

Her little cubby for her backpack each day.

I like how the kids have so much time to play outside at this preschool. Addy is very strong and can make it all the way across the monkey bars. Abby is too tall and her feet touch the ground. :)

 

She spun and spun in this tire swing. I don't understand how this little girl never gets dizzy.

After a long afternoon nap, she was ready for Trunk or Treat with her friends Emma and Briella. Here's our sweet little Cinderella. She was a trooper and wore her plastic dress up heels all night!

Abby wasn't sure what to think of all the costumes, especially the men. Her bff Emma dressed up as a "pink princess" this year.

 Ohio State pumpkin!

O-H! (I-O!)

I guess Abby has her hand protectively on Emma's shoulder?

They're the cutest.

Their friend Briella joined a little later. Her little diner waitress costume is sooo darling, isn't it?

What a full, fun day! I think we're meeting a few other friends tomorrow for a quick trick or treat through the neighborhood. Halloween: check!

pumpkin patch: year 3

Thank you, Hyde Park Village Pumpkin Patch for three years of sweet photos with my little girl!

2013

2014

2015

If you'd like to take a walk down memory lane you can view pictures from the previous two years HERE and HERE. Sadly, our moms group is getting smaller and smaller these days and only Haleigh and Lacy were able to meet me at the pumpkin patch this year. Everyone keeps moving away! My dear friend Helenka (Maya's mom) moved to Washington, DC last week. Telling her goodbye broke my heart. Other friends have moved to Denver, Raleigh and Australia.

So this year Abby got to hang out with the boys: Axel and Connor. We tried to get a posed picture of the three of them together but this was the best we got.

Abby proudly wore her sparkly Wichita State Shockers shirt from Grandma and "Grumpy" Zajkowski. A little later at the park I had fun a conversation with a mom whose daughter was wearing a purple Kansas State shirt. They lived in Lawrence, KS for several years and their extended family owns and runs Whistle Stop -- my favorite coffee shop back home in Lee's Summit. If my dad looks out his office window at the bank, Whistle Stop is right across the train tracks. What a small world!

Here's Caroline, Lacy's baby girl.

Abby and Axel, together yet again.

As determined as I was to avoid princess costumes, Abby insists on being Cinderella for Halloween this year and there was no talking her out of it. She has a parade and party at her preschool on Friday so I will try to get some pictures of the kids then. So fun!

princess bike

Abby has had about two weeks of birthday fun because yesterday we finally picked up and put together the bike Nana and Papa bought for her. She's very excited about her pink and purple princess bike!

She loves the little bell. I'll be honest...I do, too.

What a big girl.

There was actually much more frustration than fun this first time out, so don't be deceived by these pictures. Abby will push down on one pedal and then stop. She doesn't understand that you have to keep circling your feet around and around. We also kept her in the driveway so she didn't have much room to maneuver around.

Even just sitting on a pretty princess bike is fun, though!

Happy girl! Thanks, Nana and Papa!

HorsePower Fall Festival

Aren't you?

December still has my heart but I've really grown to love October, too. I love celebrating Abby's birthday. I love all of our outings to fall festivals and pumpkin patches. I love the cooler temperatures!

We visited HorsePower farm last year and had the best time so we decided to return again this year. It was fun to see how much Abby has changed. Last year she wanted nothing to do with either face painting or horse riding and this year she was enthusiastic about both.

Meet Dundee! Aunt Bethany would have enjoyed seeing this. She and her 3 kids spend several days a week at the horse barn and Abby's cousin Cadence is becoming quite skilled at riding. 

She also braved the bounce house for the first time!

Isn't she so sweet and pretty?

Abby's friend Axel joined us like last year, too.

I'm not sure what the story is with HorsePower, but they have the strangest mix of animals. Llamas, deer, a 600 (?) pound Hereford hog, ducks, chickens, wolves, alligators, lemurs, prairie dogs, cows, snakes. And kangaroos.

Wishing you well next month, turkey!

Doesn't Abby look so big?

I got lucky with the random woman I asked to take our picture. It's beautiful!

Abby wanted to ride on the tire swing, too.

     

Happy fall! Be on the lookout for more pumpkin pictures soon!