Getting Psyched for Halloween!

The kids are so excited for Halloween. This past week, we had the annual Halloween Party at Hopkins Early Learning Center, which was our 5th and last Halloween party at HELC. Presley dressed up as Darth Vader (sans the mask which is not allowed because it might scare the younger kids). And Canyon dressed up as a Rock Star, and loved his new role. The kids had a blast playing games, getting faces painted, and doing arts and crafts.





On Friday, Mom and the kids enjoyed learning about the origins of Halloween, roasting marshmallows, and carving pumpkins at the Pumpkin Event at Staring Lake Outdoor Center with our friends the Allemans. It was our first visit to the center. Canyon scooped out the guts of his pumpkin all by himself. And the kids both "poked" out their own designs. Now they are proudly displaying their carved pumpkins in their bedrooms at home and counting down the days to October 31st.

Silly Hair Day and Pizza Parties

Presley had silly hair day at school this week. Mom did her best to have it look like a "mohawk" and then we painted it red, yellow, and blue for a silly, silly day. We also had a blast at our friends the Holjes for a pizza party and bonfire. We all made our own Pizzas, from spreading out the dough, putting on the sauce, and picking our favorite toppings. It was a totally fun night for kids and adults!

Visiting the Neighborhood Pumpkin Patch

Everytime we drive by the neighborhood pumpkin patch, the kids ask "When can we pick out our pumpkins?" So last weekend we ventured out to Severs Farm Pumpkin Patch. Presley and Canyon had a blast picking out the "perfect" pumpkin, still out in the fields and on the vines. We also had fun picking out some gourds and decorations for our house. Now the kids are asking "When can we carve them?" Maybe that will be on next week's blog.

Soccer Ends & Eden Praire Open House

This past weekend, Canyon ended his fall soccer season on the Extreme Green team. After his last game, we headed to the Eden Prairie City Open House.

We started the day with a visit to the Maintenance Facility, a little gem in the City. Presley and Canyon got their Knight balloons and they got to climb up in every type of vehicle possible. Dad spent most of his time talking with the lawn maintenance guy to figure out how we could improve our lawn. And Mom was excited to actually DRIVE a snow plow and move all the blades back and forth. I didn't hit anything so it was a success! After the Maintenance facility, we got a ride on the City Trolley to the Firehouse for hotdogs, rootbeer, popcorn, cookies, fire demonstrations, and visits with our neighbor fireman Mike. It was a fun day.

The Fall Colors are Here!

Enjoyed a fun fall weekend in Minnesota. We headed out to the Landscape Arboretum as a family to enjoy the fall colors and check out the "Living Maze" exhibit. The kids enjoyed the adventure and also got to make some cool arts and crafts. On Saturday night, Mom and Dad had a great date night with a chef hosted dinner at our friends' Kate and Tom's house. And on Sunday, we also cheered on the Twin Cities marathoners in the pouring rain. Trisha thinks she might have convinced Ron to run the New York marathon next November 2009. Let's all keep asking him about the race!

Fun September Weekend

The Pergandes had a fun family weekend. We enjoyed bonfires, kids sports (soccer and hockey), date night for Mom and Dad, and fall festivals. Here are a couple of pics from the fall festival at St. David's school. The kids enjoyed the playground, nature walks, miniature golf, and sticking their heads in an alligator's head.

End of "Summer" Updates

Today is officially the last day of summer. Here are some of end of summer updates. It took us all summer but we finally made it to a Twins game. The Twins played and beat the Kansas City Royals. The kids enjoyed keeping score and purchased their very first Twins shirts (with their own money!).



Mom had a business trip to Napa Valley. Before heading up to Napa, she visited with her college friend, Elaine, in San Francisco, walking along the beach, enjoying beach burritos, and seeing a special Indian art exhibit. In Napa, she stayed at the beautiful Carneros Inn enjoying wine, olive oil, fresh figs, and showers outside (and talking about innovation)!



On Friday, Mom and the kids headed to an afternoon of apple picking at Minnesota Harvest. The kids did a great job of picking and eating Harrelson and Courtland apples. We also made Apple Cinnamon muffins this weekend. Cheers to a great summer!