Ventures with the Valenti: Pumpkinville at the Myriad Gardens

One of my favorite fall traditions that we have started with our little family is going to Pumpkinville at the Myriad Gardens, and the past two years specifically on opening day. And if you know me, you know how much I love fall AND the Myriad Gardens!

We went today, of course, and were greeted by friendly faces (many of whom are volunteers) and the most pumpkins of every shape and size I have ever seen in one place. For a person who loves fall, there is certainly is magic here in every way.

What: The Children's Garden at the Myriad Gardens is transformed seemingly overnight, into a magical fall wonderland with paths and parks lined with over 11, 000 pumpkins, not to mention everything else there is to see! Each element of the garden becomes almost a work of art, with local organizations and businesses contributing their own creations and displays.

And the activities! Oh the fun activities that are fun and educational for kids of all ages! Our Ellie got to play and enjoy each one today, and she ran from one to another excited to explore and learn something new.

They pumpkin corn hole, pumpkin tic-tac-toe, and even pumpkin bowling!

 

Ellie also loved the music tent with several instruments to choose from...

They had a post office for kiddos to write letters and stamp envelopes...

this was probably Ellie's favorite!

A take home craft area that we loved with fingerprint pumpkins 

for the littles and paper pumpkin making for the bigger kiddos!

And who doesn't love chalkboards?

A library full of fall-themed books, and story time too!

A cauldron to fish for turtles in...

And pumpkin painting too for a small extra charge!

Who: Pumpkinville is created in the Children's Garden at the Myriad Gardens, but is built for kids of all ages! There is something for everyone to enjoy and have activities that are fun "kids" 0-100!

Where: Southwest corner of the Myraid Gardens at 301 W. Reno, Oklahoma City 73102. Lots of available parking around the gardens and in the area just south of the gardens too!

When: Open October 9-25,  daily from 10am-5pm. Closed at 3:00pm Saturday, October 24th for Annual Monster Bash

As you walk into the Children's Garden, this is your view to your left...

And to your right...

And straight ahead is this magical vine-covered tunnel full of spooky and fun surprises!

Our favorite part: 

Can I say EVERYTHING!?! I looooove the explosion of color at every turn with all of the pumpkins, mums, and creativity through local volunteers and artists. It's like a culmination of the bests of our city into one place that is created for kids. I really really love that.

Each year there are new elements and ideas added to make Pumpkinville special, but my favorite thing this year was a beautiful tree created with painted burlap leaves, and from those leaves hang ribbons with ideas for good deeds and random acts of kindness to do around our city. I LOVE this idea and try to think of ways to show my gratitude more this time of year, and I think this is a wonderful way to encourage kids to do the same and do something for others.

Things we would do differently next time:
NOTHING! Honest to goodness, nothing. From the minute we arrived to the minute we left, we enjoyed every part. We love going on the first day too, which adds to the magic, since everything is fresh and new, and today that was no exception. I would recommend going on a weekday, if you can, and when it first opens or later in the afternoon, so it's not quite as busy. Today was perfect though! Lots of friends to play without getting overrun, and the weather was simply gorgeous. We just enjoyed being there together as a family today and got to take our time explore the entire Children's Garden.

And I SO wish we could go to their Monster Bash this year, which the Facebook event this year features our own little monster, Ellie, from last year as Boo from "Monsters Inc."! It is such a great Halloween party because it's only a little spooky and mostly fun for kiddos, and like I said, adds some of that fall-like magic to an evening focused on family fun. You can get candy at stops along the park's paths, but it's much more than just getting candy, there's activities, crafts, games, and contests, and that's what I love about it so much. In my opinion, it's the best Halloween party in the city!

As you can see, I highly recommend Pumpkinville as a place to go with your whole family this fall! Hope to see you there with your family, whether it's your first time or you are loyal returning guests like myself. You won't be disappointed and chances are you'll see me there too...You know this wasn't my last visit this fall! :)

A few more pictures of the details of Pumpkinville...

Love the attention to every detail!

Two of my favorite sweet treat places features...Cuppie & Joe and Roxy's! YUM!

From our family to yours...Happy Fall Friends!!!

Waiting for Baby Valentas #2

Welllllll to say I've been "behind" on blogging is an understatement, but maybe I should just accept the inevitable? I do things late. And life continues to happen even if I'm not writing/posting/sharing it. I really do enjoy blogging, like journaling, and I often find myself wishing I could write more, but the ol' to do list/child rearing/little business running/sleeping thing really gets in the way. And once again, a resounding..."WHAT DID I THINK I'D BE DOING AS A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM???" I was disillusioned to say the least, but now I'm beginning to feel like I'm doing a decent job on some days, and I've heard that's pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to parenting. :) 

As many of you know, we are expecting again, due March 22nd, and I was really trying to be an avid, regular writer when I was pregnant with Ellie, as well as her first year and a half or so, but I also think that's why I've avoided writing about other things along the way: I was too overwhelmed with the task of writing those weekly and monthly updates. I've been trying to think of a way to document this little baby throughout the pregnancy and it's first year, and I think I've come up with a decent and not-too-overwhelming plan: a picture-a-day (ish). So if you follow me on Instagram, beware of the 60ish pics that will surfacing over the next few days, because I'd like to start with the day we found out we were pregnant. 

And because I think I might enjoy this at least once (and I think some of these questions are kinda silly now), I'll do this like I did each week for Ellie. 

Here's what's new with preggo me at 16 weeks..

1. Total weight gain: +10

2. Maternity clothes?: Yes sirree! And have been since about 8 weeks. Darn those pants! Had to buy a few summery things to get me through September even, since this baby is a few weeks ahead of Eloise.  

3. Stretch marks?: Stupid question. None new, but I've got plenty to go around! 

4. Sleep?: Sleeping and feeling a lot better these days than those first 12 weeks...Hallelujah!

5. Best moment this week?: How about best moments right now??? Just feeling like myself again, after being SO tired, SO nauseous, and SO unmotivated to accomplish anything. 

6. Miss anything?: Wine. ALL THE WINE. And my cute fall pants and shirts. Waahhh.

7. Movement?: Yes! I felt flutters early on...probably even around 8-10 weeks?

8. Food cravings?: Comfort and warm foods, and baked goods. Cereal and ICEEs are a new craving this pregnancy, with Mexican being the yuckiest sounding food ever.

9. Anything make you queasy or sick?: Mexican food or strange food of different cultures. Weird, I know. And the thought of cleaning up dog barf after a barf-a-thon here last week. 

10. Gender?: Hopefully we'll be able to find out AND share our news at our Fall Festival!

11. Labor signs?: No. DUH. And thankful there's none.

12. Symptoms?: Wearing maternity clothes. Not having as much energy as I used to. Dirtier house and more meals out than usual.

13. Belly button in or out?: In, and I think will forever be. I also think this question is dumb. Who cares? And isn't it a little TMI? But I guess I did just answer it too. Silly me!

14. Wedding rings on or off?: On...Another stupid one. 

15. Happy or moody most of the time?: Pretty happy overall still! Mostly because it's FALL! OMG! 

16. Looking forward to most?: Finding out what this little baby is so we can start planning the nursery! I think it will feel much more real when we know too. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant!

Thanks for reading friends! And look Instagram! ;)

Twenty-One Months with Eloise Marie

Super late, but I MUST FINISH. I can do it! I can do it! P.S. I am NOT doing this with our next children...Love each of you but NOPE! Once again....WHAT DID I THINK I WOULD BE DOING AS A STAY-AT-HOME MOMMA!?! WHY DID I THINK I WOULD HAVE TIME TO BLOG EVERYOTHER DAY?!?!?! I did not have a grasp on the reality of motherhood. I'm getting better though. ;) Anyways...Here you go! Almost a year late. Now onto 24-months and getting my stuff together for baby #2!

21 Months Old! 

Weight: 32 lbs

Length: 36 inches

1. Eating?
This girl loves to eat, just like her parents! Her favorite thing seems to be mac n' cheese and sweets, and she is learning how to use a fork and spoon. She still nurses at night, and it is a special time for each night together.

2. Sleeping?
Oh what a good sleeper still...Thank you Lord! She snuggles in a sleep sack, but won't need it for much longer I'm thinking. She's so cute though, isn't she?

3. Milestones?
Ellie has learned how to have some sass and has a hard time sharing most of the time, which has led to her first timeouts in the recent months. She sits there usually, so we are glad about that part at least!
Her little posture is so cute it almost makes you want to scoop her up and snuggle her instead though!

First time-out for hitting Cash, and all he wants to do is be closer to her. HAH!

She has also had an increasing interest in stickers and coloring, which is FABULOUS for restaurant outings. But she's also started screaming without notice if she doesn't get her way, so this stinker sometimes gives us a run for our money!

Annnnnd another example of her sassy attitude...
I think that's a teenager look she's giving me? Oh dear...

Now that the girl's got walking down to an art, she's loving running and dancing! We've had some great times watching her use her new skills...you can tell by the look on her face she's having a great time too. 

Dancing with Dad is THE BEST!

And let me tell you...her sassiness and attitude has also brought big laughs and great joy. She's becoming quite the ham with her silly faces and "CHEESE!" smiles. My goodness girl...

I said "Go stand by the tree and say cheese!" and this is the hilarity I got!

We have enjoyed seeing her play pretend a lot more lately, which is why we decided to get her a kitchen for Christmas. She loves her shopping cart, her babies, and blocks too!

A strange and somewhat gross new thing she does is just like me...picking sock fuzz from her toes! When I was a little girl, I'd take off my socks for bath time, get all the fuzz out, and then I'd try to put my socks back on to "make more fuzz". What a goofy kid I was too!

And the last but certainly sweetest milestone these past months has been learning to show affection for not just the momma and the dadda, but for her buddy, Cash and even Lucy sometimes. Sweet girl!

Kisses with eyes closed even! So silly. 

4. Activities and adventures?
Since it's taken me almost a year to post this and I should just get it finished, I'll highlight our activities with pics! :)

Last Full Moon Bike Ride

All things fall...pumpkin patching, leaf picking, walks to the park, and lots of time outside!

An adventurous day in babysitting! 

Pride activities and Alumni Band...We love the Pride and think Ellie does too!

Our sweet little Boo for Halloween...A silly little dream of ours for over 10 years. Our first date was to see Monsters Inc! Doesn't she make a perfect little Boo? We helped by dressing up as Sulley and Mike. 

We love hosting backyard parties, and of course, our annual Fall Festival!

Our anniversary weekend is one of my favorites of the whole year...it's when we usually host the Fall Festival, and then we've started the tradition of picnicking at OU under our favorite big tree! And this year, we got some really great pictures of our girl running around there too. Love these!

One of my favorite pictures of 2014!

And of course...professional pics too! It started rough with a grumpy toddler but ended well with gorgeous shots!

Ellie's first OU Game...Heavy rain was in the forecast so we bought three tickets super cheap and braved the rain to see the restored Pride! Exciting adventures for the Valentas family as always. 

Thanksgiving! Ellie with the leaves we'd picked alllll fall! We didn't take many pics because we were so tired, but still had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

O' Christmas Tree...Picked our second real tree from the same family run business. We got one a little big for our living room, but loved it all the same!

All decorated finally!

LOOK AT IT! LOOOOOVE!

We celebrated many important birthdays in December, but the biggest one for us was Dadda's 30th.

Lots of sweetness for Dadda's birthday lunch!

We also threw him a fun surprise birthday at Upper Crust with LOTS of friends and family...and it was LEGO themed! What a fun day.

We visited Santa a few times this year, and Ellie was not a fan at any point, but the pictures are priceless!

Devon Tower/Myriad Gardens 

Penn Square Mall

Christmas shopping with the Valenti! A really fun and special tradition!

Since Tess and Ashley would be gone to the Phillipines for Christmas, we celebrated early and got to be host for the evening! Our house is small, but it was snuggly and warm for the night.

We did our holiday trip to Nebraska a little different this year, since my Dad retired from Morris Press after 30 years. So we visited his work on his last day, and had our Christmas celebrations early!

Lots of plaid and Grampa Larry love!

We prepared and shopped for everything before we left, which was good because Chris got the flu in Nebraska! We got back on Christmas Eve Eve, but it was nice to not have to travel after the busy-ness of the holidays.

Ohhh Christmas...You are so so so magical!

This year was full of unusual circumstances for Christmas...and to add to it, much of the Daniel family was sick and couldn't attend the celebrations! So we hosted everyone at our house again on Christmas Day! It was special to share our home with both our families on our most favorite holiday.

Lazy Christmas break days....Ahhhhh....They were oh so good to us, and included just enjoying time together. Many days of pjs, snow falling, fires in the fireplace, and eating good food.

Before we took the tree down, we told Ellie to hug the tree. Her affection is so sweet!

5. Favorite item? 

Probably her new Christmas toys...her kitchen with dishes and play food, her table and chairs, her shopping cart, her babies...She is a great independent player now! YAY!!! She is so cute to watch pretend play.

6. Favorite moment these past months?
I can't pick just one or even a few, because fall and Christmas are simply my favorites, and we certainly enjoyed them. Both seemed extra "magical" this year, as Ellie was able to do and enjoy more of it, and I loved seeing the wonder in her eyes during this time. What a sweetie.

7. Looking forward to these next months?
Slowing down after a busy holiday season. Working on ideas and projects. Warmer weather for more time outside, and of course, Ellie's Monsters Inc. birthday coming up soon!

8. Visitors?
None new for us, but met Brandon Berardi on a quick trip to Dallas! What a cutie Kim and Matt!

9. One thing I've learned:
Again, with the second time around for events and holidays, we've learned better how to let go and relax. Every moment doesn't have to be captured and documented but enjoyed. Would I have done the first year any different still? Probably not, but so glad to be here now.

10. My message to Ellie:
Your spunk and spirit has certainly begun to shine these past few months, and though some days it makes being a parent the toughest job in the world, I love these things about you too. You are so much fun to be with, and I wish I could remember every little thing about you at this age...the way your little body feels in my arms, the way you say "momma" and "dadda", the frustrated look you get when you don't get your way, and the silly first "cheesin'" smiles you have given us. This fall and holiday season has been magical in so many ways...we survived your firsts and now we get to relax a little and enjoy these seconds with you. Love you beautiful girl! Can't believe how soon you'll be TWO!

And a few more favorites that didn't fit in any other categories...

18-months old and a day of fun with just momma

Swinging in our front yard in December!

Sometimes Oklahoma can't make up it's mind between seasons...
but fall and winter together sure are beautiful! Especially with this gorgeous girl!

The first snow of 2014 also meant the first snow for Ellie to really enjoy and play in! Loved the few minutes outside enjoying it and Lucy did too!

Big beautiful snowflakes to match the big beautiful smile!