Halloween 2015

     After months of planning for Halloween, it has already come and gone {tear}. You're probably wondering why I started planning for it months ago, but it's because I had to make sure everything I ordered online arrived in time. Plus I didn't want to wait until the last minute to build Connor's prop, a 1930's era biplane. Last Halloween we waited until the night before to build Connor's gondola and it wasn't as nice as we wanted for it to look, so this year we knew we didn't want to rush.

    This year Connor was an aviator flying around in a cardboard biplane, and Aaron and I were both clouds with a little sunshine. When I picked our theme, I quickly created a secret Pinterest board to collect ideas.

Touring Padova & An Antique Market In Between

    We had quite an exciting and busy weekend spent almost entirely with our friends Matt and Kelsey. On Saturday we explored/went shopping in Padova. We went once before when Chrissy and Ryan came to visit, but we didn't see much. We planned on seeing a whole lot more this time, but we chose to have a long lunch and ended up shopping instead. ;)

Tot School: Letter E & Color Purple

    After taking a week off from tot school at home, we were back at it this week. Connor was very much into learning this week and even asked to do tot school a couple times. This week we focused on the Letter E and the Color Purple. I haven't been really good at doing it in the past, but each day I tried to focus on a theme. Some Letter E foods that we ate this week were eggs, enchiladas, and edimame. Some toys we played with were play eggs, toy elephant, googly eyes, and envelopes (I put a lot of the activity pieces in them for Connor to take out). 

Pumpkin Patch {Italian Style}

     What signifies fall? Fall is when the leaves change colors, cooler temperatures arrive, we celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, warm coffee and cider trump anything cold, the scent of apple pumpkin candles fill my house, and the time to visit pumpkin patches with my family. Fall is my favorite season of the year!

     To get in the fall spirit, I have been lighting my fall candles daily! They smell soooo good, but that won't cut it. We needed to do something more. I had been hearing a lot about a "pumpkin patch" not too far from where we live. Since we didn't take Connor last year, we had to go this year even though I heard it wasn't like the traditional American pumpkin patch. You know, with all the fun games, yummy food, corn mazes, hayrides, and a field full of pumpkins.

     When we drove up to the address, I was impressed. No, they didn't have all those things I was used to seeing at a pumpkin patch in America, but they did have a ton of pumpkins! And a great variety at that.

Let the pumpkin picking begin.

Pappy & Omi's Visit {Plus My Birthday Dinner}

     Last Friday Pappy and Omi came to visit us. They didn't have anywhere or anything specific that they wanted to do during their visit besides spend time with Connor... and us. That made for a very relaxed few days with them. 

      As soon as they got in on Friday morning, they took a nap. Traveling overseas and getting used to the time change is hard! Connor wasn't home from school, so it was perfect. When Aaron got home with him, he was asleep too. Pappy, Omi, and Connor napped for a couple hours. When they  woke up Connor was so excited to have company. Pappy gave him a toy plane he bought him, and it quickly became his favorite toy.

 Playing with his new loud and obnoxious airplane!