Field Trip to the Apple Barn

On Friday Melissa's preschool class went on a field trip to the Apple Barn. The weather was nothing short of a spectacular fall day!

The kids watching a demonstration of a machine sorting apples...

Visiting the goats...

On the hayride through the orchard with friends Nayimah & Autumn...

A trip down the long tunnel slide...

The highlight of the trip was this huge bouncy pillow!

Garden Harvest

Back in May, we planted a simple garden at my parent's house (see post). The time had come to harvest it to make way for a new crop of cedar shrubs.

Here is the fully grown corn patch...

and our happy pumpkin patch...

Papa pulled out the relic little red wagon from my childhood, and Melissa was happy to get a ride in it!

Loading in some pumpkins...

Digging up the potatoes... Melissa was impressed to see so many had come from one seed potato!

We kept finding crazy shaped potatoes, the kind that never make it to the supermarket... and this potato Melissa said looked like a rubber ducky :)

Picking an appropriate sized pumpkin...

The parade of pumpkins...

Lastly Melissa joined Papa on the tractor (a brave first!) to chop down the plants before tilling them under...

This was such a great learning experience... and what is more fun than eating your own grown veggies! Hopefully there will be an opportunity like this again next year!

Lantern Festival

This weekend we went to the Lantern Festival, put on by Spirit of BC,

at Mill Lake. Melissa showing her lantern...

She decided to get her face painted...

(some venues she will, some she won't!)

Once dark enough the walk commenced...

and it was followed by a rather impressive fireworks display.

I haven't ever experienced fireworks up this close!

Ballet Class

Melissa has been very consistent in asking to be in a ballet class again after she had her first taste of it last year. So today was a very exciting day for her as it was her first class. Later in the year she will learn tap & jazz dance as well.

All the little ballerinas in a circle...

Checking herself out in the mirrors behind her...

First Day of Preschool (4/5 year)

Yesterday was Melissa's much anticipated first day back to preschool after having the summer off. Melissa was eager as can be... I thought I was too, but felt emotional dropping her off. Nevertheless I got over it and she had a great time. This year she has one new teacher to get to know, as well as a few new students. The class ratio is 14 boys to 7 girls!