Fabulous Fall Weekend

I just LOVE this time of year---the cooler temperatures, the changing leaves, the wonderful smells!! And this weekend our little family had a super fun-filled fall weekend! On Saturday we went to a local pumpkin patch and saw some farm animals, picked some pumpkins, and went on a hay-ride.

Hay ride #1

definitely the cutest pumpkin in the patch

"This one looks good, Mom"

"Ewwww, I think I've got a piece of hay stuck you know where!"

our pumpkins to take home

our attempt at a family photo

checking out the pigs

now on to the goats

riding the John Deer with Dad

our little bunny meeting a real bunny

"look how big I'm getting!"

"Ewwwww, more hay!!"

Then on Sunday the country club held their annual Fall Carnival.  There wasn't much that the smallest members could take part in but we managed to have a fun time regardless.

Savannah's first time on a carnival ride.

I don't think she was too impressed

yep, definitely not impressed.

Hay ride #2

 Back at home we enjoyed a little bubble time because isn't any time a good time for bubbles :)

Savannah's new LOVES!!

I forgot to mention in Savannah's 11 month update a few new things that she ABSOLUTELY LOVES:
1. Grapes: breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between.  They are definitely her new favorite food.  I've learned that I can't give them to her until she has finished all her other food first or else she only eats the grapes and then throws a fit if she doesn't get any more.  Also, don't even think about cutting them in half!  She will only eat them whole and she bites into them like an apple.

2. Reading all the time!!!  It's mostly just one book in particular--Where is Baby's Belly Button.  We read downstairs, upstairs, in the bath, in the car, in the stroller, on the plane.  That poor book has been all over the US and now it's even been overseas.  I've tried substituting it with over similar books but she always goes back to that one.  I guess I'm going to have to buy an identical replacement because this one won't last much longer.  

3. Sitting in the floor sharing her snacks with Max and Lil.  No, I do not encourage this but sometimes I just need a few minutes to finish dinner without her crawling up my leg so I just pretend like I don't see what's happening.  I just say to myself that she's working on sharing :)  It is kinda cute to watch though.  

4. Sitting in the shower with the water falling on her head.  Savannah has been taking baths/showers with me since she was about a month old but she's always just played with her toys and pretended like she wasn't in the water.  Recently she has started "hogging" all the water.  I now have to move to the side of the shower stream or else she pushes me over.  She loves to just sit and feel the water run down all over her face.  I guess I won't ever have to worry about her being afraid to go under the water to swim :)  
            ****sorry, no pictures for this one :)
5. Pointing at everything!  She still isn't talking so I assume that's her way of communicating.  She points when she wants something.  She points when she's "talking".  She points when she wants to go somewhere.  And she points just to be pointing.

I love being able to watch her learn and experience new and different things.  Every day she is growing more and more into such an amazing little person.  As much as I hate for her to get bigger I'm also so excited to watch her grow up!

The Alvarez' go British

Last Thursday Oscar, Savannah, and I took the red-eye flight from Raleigh to London.  Who knew you could take a direct flight from here to London?!  Anyways, our flight left around 6:15 pm and we landed in London at 7 am.  I think Savannah managed to get 5 hours of sleep at most and I got maybe 3.  Poor Oscar never managed to fall asleep which is so unlike him.  He usually falls asleep on any flight before the plane ever takes off.  

Pre flight

Post flight

Thankfully we were able to get into our hotel room by 9 am so he got a quick 2 hour nap before his work lunch.  Savannah and I on the other hand, got another 5 hour nap.  Then she and I ventured out to walk around the city until Oscar finished with work.  Once we finally met up with him, we went and experienced English tea time at one of the area hotels.  Only in London do you pay $150 for one pot of tea and a few pastries.  Oh, and Oscar had a glass of champagne but still....seriously?!  

yummy pastries

After tea we walked around the city and did the tourist thing.  Because London is 5 hours ahead of our time, Savannah was able to stay up way past her bedtime and even went to have dinner out in a local pub.  I must admit that I was a little hesitant to take my 11 month old into a bar for dinner but when in London.....

this is how Savannah did most of her sightseeing

We finally went to bed around 10 pm London time and after about an hour of Savannah protesting having to sleep in the crib she managed to pass out ON TOP OF ME in the bed.  I don't think I've ever experienced a worse bed partner.  She squirmed ON TOP OF ME all night long!!!  And of course the same thing happened the following night.  Needless to say, Mom got no rest during this trip.

We all woke up around 10 am on Saturday and set out for a day of sightseeing.  Oh a side note---we had 2 groups of tourists come up to us at different times to ask Oscar for directions.  We couldn't help but laugh since we were tourists ourselves.  I guess we must have looked British :)  And this was the prefect opportunity for Oscar to use his fake accent and he totally forgot.  Oh well, maybe on the next trip.  Anyways, pictures of the day follow:   

breakfast in a cafe

Watching the drummers go by after the changing of the guards.  

visiting the Queen

Touring the Tower of London

Meeting a Beefeater

Such a happy tourist

Globe Theatre

Enjoying his ale at a pub

Having fun waiting for our lunch

Walking through a park

Savannah loved the cabs--no carseat!!

After shopping at Harrods, she's a little grumpy--way too many crowds.

check out the pics at the top of the phone booth---nice choice for a photo, Oscar!

Strolling through a park

Enjoying the "Englishness" of our hotel.

being silly in the room

Dad put her in jail because she was running amuck!

"Isn't there anything good to eat in this town?!" (and fyi, no there isn't!)

checking out the sights at Piccadilly Circus

She loved the tiny bath at the hotel. 

Our return flight home left at 11 am London time, and 8 and a half hours later we landed in Raleigh.  Surprisingly Savannah did wonderfully considering that she never took a nap.  Even after we got home she stayed up until about 7 pm and then she CRASHED.  I didn't even hear a peep out of her until 7:15 am on Monday.  I can't believe she didn't experience any jet-lag during the whole trip.  She is quite the world traveler now.  With one stamp on her passport she's already wanting to add more.  Lucky for her she'll get the chance to do just that in June :)

Fun times on the flight home

Thank you Dad for letting us tag along with you on a "work" trip!  We had so much fun and hopefully since we all behaved he'll let us go again sometime ;)