Halloween at the Oakland Zoo

Trick or Treats!

Oakland Zoo carousel Lola's so happy!

The famous Zoo Lion

Everyone passed by and kept commenting on Lola here and how cute she looked.

My Model Edie.

Here's Eden rolling down the hill at the zoo just as we were leaving.

It was finally Halloween and Eden was coming down with I thought was a cold. We decided to stick with our plans and go to The Oakland Zoo for Boo at the Zoo. We had such a fun time inspite of Eden not feeling so well. She really enjoys the zoo which is why she goes to the Zoo camps. She had so much to tell us about all the animals and she especially enjoyed the enclosed amphibian exhibit. Lola was in such high spirits this day. She kept smiling and talking and laughing. This, she would say, was probably her best day ever!

It was a perfect day. Not too hot and not too cool. The animals were all out and about and we got to witness feedings and some really innate behaviors up close. After getting on a few rides (the girls love love love the Tiger roller coaster! We got on four times!) we went to the Zoo shop and got a few toys. Eden bought a rainbow scratch and sketch book. She enjoyed sitting at the Lion's exhibit and just drew away. We also got a moment to sit next to the elephants, and she doodled away some more.

After the zoo, we went to Benihana's for a special dinner, per Eden's request. She ate sushi and steak and Lola had a kids shrimp meal. They enjoy this place so much because it is entertaining. They entertain you while cooking the food right in front of you. It was at dinner Eden started to feel worse. So we quickly went home for trick or treating. We met up with a few friends from school and after an hour, Eden couldn't go any further. We ended the night with a few treats and trip to target for cold medicines and a humidifier.

She came down with a terrible flu and later Lola, too. There was something going through Eden's classroom and within the next week nearly half had been out of school. A girl was diagnosed with Swine flu and so I am sure this is what they had. However, we were pretty fortunate because the girls were well within 4 days whereas some kids were out a week. I think the girls had this already last year when we got back from Disneyland. It was the beginning of the whole scare. In spite of all this, the girls still had a fantastic Halloween. They got quite a bit of candies and were quite happy. Now we can't stop thinking about Thanksgiving and our usual after Thanksgiving shopping!

Eden's Halloween Parties at school and home

trick or treats downtown walnut creek

Twister with Eden's friends and sis

Halloween party at school

Crafts time at the school party

Halloween parade

The day before Halloween Eden had a parade at her school. All the kids dress up and march around the school field three times. It's really quite exciting and she couldn't wait for the day to begin. After the parade Enrique had to drive Lola off to school (they don't celebrate Halloween for religious reasons which made it much easier with Eden's school schedule) and Nana and I stayed to help out at Eden's classroom Halloween party.

The kids did Halloween arts and crafts, decorated cookies, and then ended with a snack. It was nice because there were three classrooms celebrating together and though one would think it would be chaotic, it really was well organized and pleasant. It was nice getting a chance to talk with some of the other moms and grandma's from the other classrooms.

After school Eden had a Halloween party at our place. She invited 6 of her closest friends and let's just say they had a great time! It was so incredibly loud in here! They loved the games we had planned one of which was a last minute thing. It was a treasure hunt with clues that eventually lead to the "booty". This was such a success we had to make up another treasure hunt game on the spot. We also played Twister and they decorated pumpkins and did little arts and crafts. Lastly the girls decorated cupcakes. They all had such a great time! They didn't want to go. So we packed everyone up in our new car (which thankfully can fit this many girls now) and we went downtown for some trick or treating. The parents met us there and we stayed out for a couple of hours. We all had a great time! Afterward, the parents had nothing but good things to say about the party. They had a great time to say the least. Eden was so proud of this. After trick or treats we briefly gutted pumpkins and made Jack O Lanterns and roasted pumpkin seeds.
The next day was Halloween...

Fairyland Halloween Jamboree

Fairyland Jack O lantern Jamboree

Lola is a cat so she's spraying her Nana

Eden and friend Rose at the school festival

The Saturday before Halloween was all about FUN! First Enrique and I volunteered to help out at one of the game booths at Eden's school. While we did that the girls walked around in costume and played games and won tickets so they could trade them in for prizes.

It was such a beautiful morning! The sun was shining, the morning went rather smoothly considering we had to get in costume and open the prize booth in time as well.

We had a brownie walk game which was a lot like musical chairs. All of us parents had to bake and donate brownies and some of us volunteered at the game booth as well.

We had such a great time! We even got our finger nails painted! A mom friend of mine did my nails in black and orange for the occasion.

Afterward, Nana picked us girls up for a day of traditional fun at children's fairyland.

As you can tell by the pictures the girls went in costume. Eden was a geisha and Lola a little black kitty.

The weather couldn't have been any nicer and it was such a treat walking by Lake Merrit.

Children's fairyland was so much fun as usual! The girls got on rides, made crafts, and the best and most fun for them was collecting treats at designated stations. This year the treats were more health conscious, which is really nice for a change. This is sort of off subject, but we have been making an effort to eat healthier. We've been ordering our produce from a local farm and try to buy more organic foods. So, it was nice to see Fairyland with a more health conscious event. Even their food court has a big variety of healthy foods and treats.

The girls really enjoy this event and always look forward to it.

They especially love the pirate ship and pretend play there. This year the kids found treasure in a chest which was a real thrill for them. They also enjoyed sliding down the giant dragon slide.

We always have such a great time!

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Patch with Nanars

The girls horsing around at Half Moon Bay

A giant slide ride

Eden, Lola, Nana, and me the Good Ol' Girls

Eden and Lola petting goats

Didn't I tell you we are nerds when it comes to Fall and having such a fun time! As if one festival weren't enough we had to go and have some fun at another farm! This time Nana took us to Half Moon bay at the Lemos Farm. We haven't been there for a couple of years just because traffic gets so bad there and also with Eden being in school and ballet rehearsals it's kind of difficult
working around her busy schedule.

We had a blast as usual! There's haunted houses, jumping houses, friendly ghost train rides, pony rides, gift shops, and pumpkin pie! And more pumpkin pie! Okay, I think Nana and mom enjoyed that more than the wee ones this year, but their pie is worth mentioning!

The girls so enjoyed themselves especially petting the goats (one little one was eating Lola's shirt and then hair!) and feeding them. But their greatest fun was going to the neighboring farm and getting on their giant slide over and over again and also eating snow cones there as well.

We decided to take a peek at the Haunted House and we even asked for the not so scarey version. I am sure Nana will agree we will not do that one again. The girls were absolutely terrified! It's all they could talk about afterward. They got over it though once we rode the train ride which is so cleverly decorated, and then the Pony Rides. I am so glad Eden was able to get on a pony this year. It won't be the case next year. Actually, I am afraid Eden is growing out of this play farm as well. It's happening so suddenly. It's sad, but reality. She had a good time, but was ready to go after a couple of hours. Also, she hated the bugs and bees...such a city girl, huh? Over all we had a great time just being together and enjoying the day and looking forward to the season ahead.

Harvest Festival here come the Herrera's

My Pumpkin sitting on a pimpkin

How much they grow in one year!

Eden is almost 5 feet tall at 7 3/4 years old!

Pumping water from the well on the farm

Lola pets a bunny rabbit...we want one so badly!

Eden makes a corn husk doll

Lola is so excited about her corn harvesting

On top of the world on the Farm Haystack

Eden posing near a farm tractor...love the cowboyboots. Goes so well with the theme. She dressed herself, by the way.

Oh, the smell of the farm, the churning of homemade ice cream, the pumping of water from the well, petting farm animals, and picking corn and pumpkins from the farm, tells me it's Fall again!

We just love this place and we go every year to the Ardenwood farm in Fremont. There is so much to do and everything is centered around families and spending good old fashioned quality time with the family.

The girls really enjoying harvesting the corn and getting a chance to take some home. We no longer buy popcorn from the store because each year we get just enough to make real popcorn from the cob. It tastes so delicious and it's healther for us too (well, as long as we don't put too much butter and salt on it). The girls enjoy putting the cob in paper bags, sticking it in the microwave and waiting for the familiar Pop! Pop! The smell is incredible!

They also love making corn husk dolls, visiting the animals at the farm, buying organic honey from the local farms, making homemade ice cream and churning it, and riding the horse pulled train ride. I enjoy every bit of it. Then we visit the pumpkin patch right across the way and climb the hay stack, play in the corn maze and pick our pumpkins for Halloween. We always have such a great time there. For us it means Halloween is almost here.

Eden's Poetry Reading

Just before Columbus day Eden's classroom had a poetry reading party. They each got a chance to read their poetry to family and friends. It was such a special event.

Eden enjoys writing especially poetry. Her teacher informed us that they would be writing and submitting poetry for a contest. It was titled Beauty is... The teacher just told me her piece along with two others from the school was chosen to go to the state level! Out of all the classrooms and all the poetry pieces submitted from grades K-5 Eden's and two others were chosen by the school PTA to go on to a State Level contest! I am so proud of her! She is quite proud of herself, too. I don't want to brag, but the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I too enjoyed poetry and won a few contests and scholarships and had my writings submitted. I can say from experience it is a true passion and so enjoyable. I am so proud of her. She's got great talent. But then again I remember her being in preschool and writing her first books. REALLY! Books. She'd draw pictures and write scribble words because she didn't know how to write much back then and she'd stapple everything together and read her stories to us. She even got to do a show and tell for 4's preschool with one of her books. While others brought in toys and stuffies, in comes my little Eden with her book about "The Blue Jewel." The stories were always dramatic and quite imaginative and impressive for a 4 year old. I still have that book. The next one was about Christmas and had elaborate drawings and feathers and glitter and sparkly things. It was like a pop-up book with a huge pop-up tree with a star on top at the end.

She's such a talented girl. We're all so very proud of her, already!