Halloween Costume

Madison is going to be TIGGER this year.

Minnesota Zoo

Today Madison and Daddy went to the Minnesota Zoo. Madison got up close and personal with one of the Brown Bears that was swimming.

This animal is a Tapir, in case Madison ever tells you about them. They kind of look like a cross between a pig and cow with a long nose. They are a South American animal.

Waiting to go into the bear exhibit.

The aquarium was really neat, lots of fish and a shark too!

Madison liked to watch the River Otters playing in the water.

Backyard Visitor

This afternoon we had a special backyard visitor....a redtail hawk. I first spotted him on the other side of the fence on the ground eating a tasty morsel of something. He then flew up onto the fence and then moved over to Madison's playground fort to scan the yard for more snacks. Yesterday, Madison and I saw a demonstration at the library from the Raptor Center. The guy had a kestrel, redtail hawk, great horned owl, and a bald eagle, so Madison was able to see these birds up close then, and now see one in her backyard (she wasn't quite asleep for her nap yet so I went up and she looked down from her bedroom window).

The Apple Orchard

Today we went to Afton Apple Orchard to pick some apples. It was a gorgeous day with no coat needed. Madison helped pick the apples right off the tree that we are going to use to make apple pie and apple crisp with. She had to really tug on some of them to get them off (see video). They also had a pumpkin patch so she picked out a nice pumpkin and then we also got to pick and eat raspberries (we didn't buy any, just ate them :)

I like my pumpkin!

Mmmmm raspberries.

Picking Apples, Pumpkins and Raspberries just tires me right out!

Cooking and Painting

Madison has been quite the little Martha Stewart lately. She helped Mommy make cupcake ice cream cones one night, and she helped make a pizza for dinner tonight. She liked eating the pepperoni as much as putting it on the pizza. Of course the part she really likes best is EATING whatever we make!

This weekend we decided to paint the "blue room" in the house. This is the third bedroom upstairs that we don't really use right now and we thought brown was a little nicer color for it, plus it had some patches on the walls that needed to be covered and we didn't have any of the original blue to cover them with.

Daddy and Madison went to the Como Zoo this week and saw lions, tigers and giraffes. One of the lions was really roaring while we were there and Madison likes to imitate it. Inside the other male lion was standing right up to the glass looking outside to where the other lion was, it was a little intimidating to be inches from his face when we were the only ones in the building at the time. At home now when we talk to Madison about something and have to ask her if she is lying about it she says she is "lion" about it. We are still working on this concept of truth and lying.