Hay ride through Valley Junction at the Pumpkin Walk
Aaahhh, weekends. I love them. I especially love fall weekends. We had initially planned to be on an Iowa Day Trip on Saturday, but Max insisted on going to one of his best friend's birthday party. So, we stayed in town, taking in the sites and sounds of Des Moines in the fall. Sunday we did our first Pumpkin Walk in Valley Junction and visited grandparents in costumes. The real highlight of the weekend was the fact that I got a start on packing for our upcoming road trip! Five days out! So this is what it feels like being accomplished?? I impressed myself with this one!
Friday night we put on costumes and went to the Des Moines Children's Museum Halloween Party. This is THE EVENT I have been working on for a few months. I took a later shift due to daycare hours. When I arrived with my crew, I was shocked to hear how incredibly successful the event was and how much people were enjoying themselves. It makes all of the hard work worth it! I love seeing my ideas (games that I've played within the walls of my daycare, crafts, activities we've done) and the ideas of our programming committee being enjoyed by members of our community. I'm used to seeing how these things benefit a few kids at a time, but to see it on a bigger (hundreds and thousands of people) scale is incredibly rewarding.
We have Waldo, a box of crayons, and Evie from Descendants 3.
Someone really liked the bubble machine!
After my crazy event, I changed and went to a Celebration of Life for my cousin's step dad. It was a wonderful night and a perfect reminder to hold those we love close.
Saturday was pretty chill with grocery shopping, laundry, packing for vacay, lunch at Tasty Taco's, a birthday party, and the highlight of the day: a drive through MacRae Park. We hadn't been to the Overlook since it opened and we went just as the sun was setting over Des Moines. It was absolutely perfect!
Sunday morning wasn't exactly quiet....it was a frenzy of playing, getting ready, getting chili in the slow cooker, and getting out of the house on time for a few hours of play at the Pumpkin Walk and visiting grandparents.
This was our first time at the Valley Junction Pumpkin Walk. For a free event, it was great! I can't believe we have never done this one before. We'll definitely be doing it again!
The main reason for going was so Elizabeth could see "the big girls" from her dance studio dancing.
Not only did they get a good amount of candy from the Pumpkin Walk, but then we went to grandparents to show off costumes and ended up with even more candy and treats.
The minis were ready for hot showers and chili when we got home from being out in the cold. Of course, Elizabeth can't simply eat her chili. She separated the onions and tomatoes from the beef and beans and ate them both at different times.