It's Fall!

Today, we planned to go and pick apples and pumpkins at a working farm/store/orchard that's pretty close to where we live. I had heard about it, but none of us had been before. The weather guy said this weekend was going to be nice and cool, and that translates into me being willing to go and remain outside while also being pleasant, something that can be...difficult...for me in really hot weather.

I know, I'm high maintenance like that.

Sure enough, this morning was nice and crisp..it felt like fall. Aaaahhhhhhhhhh! And what's more fall oriented than apples and pumpkins? Nuthin!

I double checked the hours and directions before we left, we got the kids and ourselves ready and away we went. R was driving and I knew pretty much where we were going, but I programmed the GPS as a backup.

The GPS? Once again, it was so very, very wrong. It took us off the road we were actually supposed to be on, through an industrial park, and into a residential area. So unless we were planning to pick weeds (which would have been just fine with my kids, truth be told) or lawn decorations, R and I were pretty sure we were not even close to being at the right place. So, back we went and found it ourselves. Pretty easily. Take that, Garmin! HAH!

Somewhere between walking into the building and heading out to the orchard, T decided to get his undies in a twist. I missed the big trigger event since S and I were in the bathroom, but I'm pretty sure it was launched by the hearing of the word 'no' to something T wanted. I mean, seriously, you'd think he'd be used to hearing that word by now as much as we say it.

Sigh.

So as we walked through the store/nursery/garden center, T was all scowly and disagreeable. There were so many other families and kids there, I kind of felt badly for T that he was missing all the fun because he was so determined to be in a bad mood. But I also know that he needed to figure his way out of this mood bag himself. So, we waited in line for a tractor ride to the orchard and just let T 'be' within reason. About two minutes before it was our turn to catch a ride to the orchard, his bad mood lifted as quickly as it had shown up. R and I looked at each other, shrugged, and decided to roll with it. I mean, really, what else can you do? Demand that your child return to a bad mood so you can make it better? I don't think so!

The tractor ride was great! Seriously, sometimes it's the simple things. The apple trees were so full of fruit - oh my goodness! We had a bag full in under five minutes. They also had these huge bins of red delicious apples that they had already picked, too. That's my kind of apple picking. And, it was cool enough that I didn't have to worry about yellow jackets or other stinging bugs. Perfection!

After apples, it was off to the pumpkin patch. T was taking this whole pumpkin picking thing quite seriously and he looked and looked for the perfect pumpkin - not too big, not too small, round, but it didn't have to be perfect. S? She just didn't want to get dirty. At the suggestion that she actually walk into the pumpkin vines to find a pumpkin? She wrinkled up her nose and said, "Ewww. That's disgusting." heh.

Once we had our goodies, we headed back to pay. $39.00 even in apples and pumpkins. Totally worth every. single. penny. and I have the pictures to prove it. I'm pretty sure we'll be going back before fall ends.