Picking Apples and Pumpkins

A few items from Raina's youth were retired this week: her mobile and her tissue box. The mobile, a gift from Andrew McDiarmid, featured all types of birth control methods, and was certainly a conversation starter for everyone that encountered it. Raina loved to jump up and try to reach the pointing fingers (when she was shorter) and has over the past few months just batted at it playfully when she was bored. Unfortunately, the mobile is rather fragile and it ripped apart the other day. We took pictures to recognize, forever, what a great mobile it was.

The tissue box also has great sentimental attachment, and it deeply saddened Eric and I to see it go. When Raina was teething (roughly 4-12 months old) she would become very fussy and upset and very few things made her feel better. Looking at the world map shower curtain AND at the Simba tissue box did. She would stare adoringly at Simba and all her pain would be forgotten. (For the longest time, if Raina was crying, we'd immediately take her to the bathroom. It was a strange but effective parenting technique.) To preserve the Simba tissue box, we just stopped taking tissues from it, and put two boxes of tissues in that bathroom. Inevitably, though, all its tissues would be used, and that happened this week as well. We debated keeping the box -- maybe when she's teething at age 6 she'll want it again??? -- but we realized that our ridiculousness should have limits. Instead, we took pictures of it. If Raina wants to see it again, she can check out the digital copy :)
Raina has stayed home all week with a fever, which topped out at 103.5 degrees Farenheit. She was a very pathetic looking little girl, who only desired cuddling with her cow and the Winnie the Pooh blanket. The fever finally broke Friday, and developed into a strange and all-encompassing rash. To celebrate her recovery AND the beginnings of autumn, the Whomptons headed to Eckerts. Eckerts is the nation's largest you-pick-em establishment; you can pick just about anything there, depending on the season. Today we acquired pumpkins, gourds, and excellent Fuji apples. We're all overjoyed to see the end of summer!

Samantha, Raina, and Eric on the hayride to the pumpkin patch

Raina checking out the potential pumpkins

We really liked this one -- it's a beauty! -- but we eventually ditched it.

Raina's first personal pumpkin. She sorta chose it herself.

These pumpkins are REAL! We had to put humans next to them to get the scale right. Only $30 each.

The latest Whompton family photo

Here Samantha and Raina eat all the free Fujis that they can. This may be one of the first times Raina ate an apple by herself, without an adult cutting it up for her. She tried really hard and made a huge mess. All her bites were teeny-tiny. Luckily, we gave her the teeny-tiny apples to match.

All Whomptons were worn out by the end of today: big kids playground, flag football, and Eckerts. Raina was all tuckered out.