Pumpkin Patch

A couple weekends ago, we had a fortuitous break in the rainy weather.  We couldn't have planned it better because we were going to meet family at the local pumpkin patch (or "pumkim patch" as Eliana calls it).  We got there in the morning and the first thing we did is go on a hay ride to head out to the pumpkin fields. 

There were thousands of pumpkins to choose from. 

So pushing wheelbarrows, we head on out.

Eliana's girl cousins decide to strike a pose. Eliana LOOOOVES her cousins and the feeling is mutual.  She looks up to them and copies things that they say.  Eliana's cousin, Lena (2nd from the right), lives in Seattle and has been taking Chinese language classes for a while.  Later on when hanging out, the two girls counted from 1 to 10 in Chinese together just for fun.

Eliana obediently smiles for the camera. 

Karina is less sure about posing for the camera.  Although Karina is walking very well now, she needed to hold someone's hand while walking on the uneven terrain.

We were allowed to bring home one pumpkin per person.  With Grandma's help, Eliana picked out the one that she wanted.

We brought the pumpkins back to the main area and cleaned them up at the washing station.  Eliana helped to pump the water.

There was another station where you can launch softball sized pumpkins into the air.  If your pumpkin makes it into the white 55-gallon drums in the distance, you win a prize.  Despite many close calls, we didn't actually make it in.

There was a section where one can feed and pet farm animals.  Eliana liked the bunnies the best.  Not sure if they liked her.

You can also climb the pyramid of hay (pictured in the background) or ride on the tractor/bicycle.  Eliana's still learning about steering, so Elvin had to help her along so that she wouldn't run into unsuspecting bystanders.

We put Karina onto the hay stack.  But she didn't like it at all--too prickly I guess.

 And for $3, kids could ride a pony.  Eliana spotted this as soon as we walked onto the farm grounds.

And that was our 2011 pumpkin patch experience!  We'll be carving the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns pretty soon.  For Halloween, at first Eliana wanted to be a princess.  Then she wanted to be Emily Elizabeth (from the book Clifford the Big Red Dog).  Then when Emily brought out some costumes from out of storage, Eliana wanted to wear a Tigger costume she found.  But now she's back to the princess,  or maybe a fairy princess, or a ballerina princess.