Kansas City Community Garden

One not-too-hot day a couple of weeks ago I dragged my swollen feet and my cute boys to the Kansas City Community Garden’s Beanstalk Garden for Children. We met Allison’s clan and another playgroup family there and it was such a great experience!

My big-boy ham.

The three musketeers in the gourd house. Can you see the gourds hanging down? I’m pretty sure they would have spent the entire time in here if there hadn’t been a school group there waiting their turn!

These two rode in style for much of the morning. Don’t worry, I did eventually let Charlie explore, but chasing an almost 2 year-old around can get a little difficult in a large pregnant state.

Charlie sampling blackberries, which he loved! This garden was so neat because they actually encourage the kids to touch, taste, look, etc. We sampled berries, cantaloupe, yellow watermelon (brilliant, I tell you!), carrots, peppers… and I’m sure other things that I’m forgetting. I should have written this post right after going!

Love this blurry pic of my boy saying something!

Kennison and Jack explored the cotton that had been picked and all the kids played with the wire cotton brush thingies…

Jack thought he might just knit up a sweater for winter.

We’ll definitely go back in early Fall to see the crops that weren’t quite ripe!

The Zoo… you know, two months ago.

I was syncing my itunes to my phone, and thought I’d look to see if there were any pictures I wanted to upload to the computer. There I found the zoo pictures I took in June.

Jack on a rock. He insisted on wearing his dinosaur shirt, even though I tried to explain that we would not, in fact, be seeing any dinosaurs.

Charlie rode in the wagon. Try to ignore his sweaty hair. Ew.

Charlie rode on a carousel seal all by himself!

Jack loves the carousel too!

Swing Set!

Last fall, the grandparents got together to purchase a swing set for the boys. It has been an amazing gift that I can tell (especially with another boy on the way) we’ll be enjoying for MANY years.

A HUGE thanks to Daddy, Meemaw and Papa for building it- no small task. There are still a couple of parts to get up- the awning over the tower and a little picnic table that goes underneath. Then, once we get mulch underneath we’ll be ready to go!

We’ve already enjoyed lots of outside cousin playdates.

Gee, what’s that on your face, Charlie?

I had Charlie out in his cute, newly made outfit to snap some pictures of him in it…

until he found the dirt pile.

(This would be his reaction to me removing him from the dirt pile.)

Ah, boys… whatcha gonna do?

Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch!

One of the best online deal sites, Groupon, had a family pass to Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch as it's daily deal. We were there in 2008 and 2009 (oh my goodness, look at those babies!), and knew we wanted to go this year as well, so I bought it. (Side note, if you don't "do" Groupon, you should check it out! Just enter your city and they'll email you a deal every day. Most don't apply to me, but I've gotten 3 or 4 amazing deals!) When I logged on to Groupon I found out I had a $10 credit from someone using my link to buy a deal, so the pass ended up costing us $5 for our whole family! Then, when I read the fine print, I realized we could bring grandparents, too. Awesome!

We went with Allison and Kenny and crew. Here are all the kids in age order...

What a crew!

Charlie wasn't happy in the stroller for long. He loved the wooden train.

I took advantage of (the boys') still being in church clothes to snap a few great pics!

Hams.

Daddy, Mama and our silly boys.

We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, and let Jack choose a pumpkin to take home. The rule was, he had to be able to carry it! :)

Charlie, on the ride back. It was another wonderful year of family fun at the pumpkin patch!

Powell Gardens

Last week I decided the boys and I needed a field trip with just the three of us, so early that morning I packed a lunch, slathered on sunscreen, and we hit Powell Gardens for the morning. I took the double stroller, but next time I think I'll stick with the single, as the amount of time both boys were in the stroller was few and far between.

It was a perfect, quiet, hot, fun retreat!

Jack loved this butterfly bench...

and hopping in the Hummingbird Garden.

They are getting ready for a bug exhibit, and many HUGE bugs were already set up. We"ll have to  go back to see it, as Jack loved the ones we saw.

Here Jack's excited that I finally let him pick a "flower"- this yellow dandelion. Check out that goofy face!

We spent about an hour on the water garden island,

 

then headed back to the "mainland" to check out the vegetable garden and head to the barn for samples of strawberries, blackberries, snap peas, radishes, broccoli, and carrots.

 

By early afternoon we were all hot and tired! Thanks Kansas City Groupon  for the great deal on a year-long family pass! I have a feeling we'll be going back often!

Jack's Garden Spot

We've been busy digging a garden space on the side of our house for Spring and Summer, and Jack has been eager to help. He's so excited to dig we blocked off a little patch of dirt (or SOIL, so says my soil scientist husband :) for him to dig, rake, and run his cars in.

And this is what Charlie does while we work...

 

And, yep, he waves now! (We think on purpose. :)

Pumpkin Patch- take 1

We visited Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch this weekend with A&K and clan. It was a COLD day, so we bundled up!

Jack on the train- which he called the "dinosaur train." He yelled "all aboard!" several times.

 

This is what Charlie did on the train (and the entire rest of the time we were there. :-) We're both wearing our Gator orange and blue!

 

Playing on a big wooden ship

"I driv-een" say Jack and Colton!

LOVE this picture

 

Say cheese, Daddy (on the hayless hay ride)

 

Mama, Jack and Charlie (can you find him?) on the "hay ride"

 

In the Pumpkin Patch

Hanging with Charlie Brown & Co. in the Pumpkin Patch

Look at those cold, red noses! Time to go home!

Charlie had to be fed in the car before we could head home

Jack was exhausted when we got home! He just hung out in his pj's the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Even though it was cold, we had a great time. It was much too cold to take Charlie out of the wrap, so I didn't get pictures of the boys in the pumpkin patch like I wanted. Oh well! We're headed to a different patch Thursday with Parents as Teachers, and hoping for sunnier weather!