3 Year Portraits

A Little Catching Up to Do

It was a busy week last week, so Mom got a little behind with the blog. I went to a new park on Monday, I had my three year pictures taken on Friday, and I celebrated my birthday over the weekend.

Mom drove me to Lake Rebecca Park Reserve on Monday. I didn't get the chance to visit as many playgrounds this summer as last summer, and Mom wanted to take advantage of the nicer fall weather while we have it.

The play structures were built to look like they came from the woods, with tree trunks to crawl through, a cabin to play in, a tree house with slides, and a fire lookout with even bigger slides.

Lake Rebecca was a short walk from the playground, so after I finished playing, Mom and I walked over to take a closer look at the shore.

The fall colors were just beginning to get really pretty.

I saw a really big bird on the beach of the lake. Mom said it was a swan. She wouldn't let me get very close. The swan was sick, and Mom didn't want me to stress it out by trying to chase it.

As we walked back to the car, I enjoyed looking at more leaves that have already changed color. 

I wanted to take a longer walk, but Mom had to get us home so she could make dinner. Maybe some time we'll get another chance to visit this park.

An Orchard and a Boat

On Friday, I visited an apple orchard, then I took a boat cruise. It was a long, busy day for me, but I had a lot of fun.

The orchard we went to is called Minnetonka Orchards.

You can pick apples (or buy them already bagged at the store at the entrance to the orchard).

You can play on a fun, wooden train, located just past the apple trees.

You can take a hay ride through a small section of forest and past the apple trees.

And you can go visit farm animals. I didn't see the farm animals this time because I had to meet Dad at a dock on Lake Minnetonka, where we were going to go for a boat cruise.

I even got to drive the boat for a while. I was really good about listening to directions, and I turned the boat in the direction it needed to go without anyone helping me with the wheel. 

Fall Visit to the Arboretum

Whenever Mom and Dad ask if I want to go to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, I say, "Okay!"

Then when we get there, I have to ask, "Are we at the arboretum?" I just like saying that word. I think it's the biggest word I know.

Yesterday, we walked through the Scarecrows in the Garden exhibit.

Mom took an obligatory, "I was there!" photo of me. I was a little scared of the scarecrow, so I didn't want to get too close.

I did like the giant spider, though.

The owl was Mom's favorite.

I was having a hard time controlling my impulse to trample over the bushes and flowers in the gardens behind the visitor center. Mom and Dad promised to take me to another section of the arboretum where I could run mostly free. So, after viewing the scarecrows, we got back in the car, and drove to the shade tree exhibit.

We picnicked in a treehouse, where we were able to watch a chickadee call from a branch in a nearby tree, and where we caught site of this guy. 

My favorite part of the exhibit was a play house. There are two near to each other, but one sits continually in the sun, while the other is mostly shaded. (I chose the shaded one to play in.) Thermometers placed on the play houses show the difference in temperature between outside the play house and inside the play house, as well as show the difference in temperature between the house that sits in the sun versus the one that sits in the shade. 

I did my fair share of running as Mom and Dad walked around. I didn't have to worry about delicate plants or staying on the pathway. 

I collected pine cones in a big leaf and made a "treat."

Before leaving, I sat in a few of the Adirondack chairs placed under a small collection of trees. They're there for people to get an idea of what it's like to sit under a tree with heavy (or darker) shade versus a tree with lighter shade. I think I liked the lighter shade. 

Birds and Flowers and Trees

While I played, wandered, and eventually slept in my stroller, Mom and Dad captured images of some flowers, trees, and hummingbirds.