pumpkins and cakes and bones, oh my!

Juniper walks and reads en route to Linden's bus stop.  She only crashed into a pole once.

This week went by in a bit of a blur, culminating in a weekend that left everyone pretty exhausted, but fulfilled.  The main events:

1. My parents were here for a couple days early in the week, on the tail end of a road trip. This meant that I finally made Linden his real birthday cake, and we sang to him AGAIN, but... I forgot to make him his yearly crown.  I don't even think he noticed, but it is stupidly still bothering me.  Ah well.  I can blame most things these days on my broken foot, I suppose.

This cake took me way too long to make, but look at that face! I think it was appreciated.

2. We went to this awesome event that the Nature Museum hosts once a year, where they open up their Research and Collections facility (in the Natural Heritage Campus in Gatineau) to the general public.  This is where they store all of their specimens not currently on display, and where the scientists and other museum staff work behind the scenes.  They had rooms and rooms of amazing things to look at, a small blow-up planetarium, activities and crafts, and so many helpful volunteers letting us know about everything.  It was a totally worth-while adventure.

One scene worth sharing:

A palaeontologist shows Juniper a skull, in the dinosaur section.

Palaeontologist:  So, do you know what this is?

Juniper: A skull.

Palaeontologist: Do you think it's from a dinosaur?

Juniper: Nope.

Palaeontologist: Then what kind of animal?

Juniper: A pterosaur.

Palaeontologist: Whoa.  What kind?

Juniper: A pteranodon.

Palaeontologist: Do you know what it ate?

Juniper: Fish.

Palaeontologist: I think that maybe you should be behind this table.

*this is where Juniper should have dropped the mic and strode confidently away. Instead*:

Juniper:  Yeah. Me and my brother watch Dinosaur Train.

Busted.

Looking through a pretty cool telescope, just outside the planetarium

Some of the many, many bones and skeletons in the "large animals" room

So. Many. Beetles.

3. We found an elusive pumpkin patch!  There are plenty of places to buy pumpkins around here, but we specifically wanted ... I don't know ...  the whole experience, I guess.  We found some places online that boasted attractions such as pumpkin patches, petting zoos, hay rides and the like, but they all charged by the head to get in.  We were not interested in spending $40 on a couple of pumpkins.  Then - we just stumbled across this perfect place.  Loads of pumpkins to choose from, some of which they specifically left in the field.  Add in some hay bales to jump from, and a little play house, and it was exactly what we were looking for.

Mandatory pumpkin shot.  Linden is cleverly disguised as produce.

Proudly towing their chosen pumpkins from the patch.  

King of the hay bales

One happy guy, leaving with his spoils: a surprise lollipop.  

I may be out for the count again this week, as I'm going for my second root canal retreatment tomorrow.  But there are some pretty huge preparations that will have to take place for the big Hallowe'en festivities on the weekend, so there will surely be some photos to share regardless.  See you then!