Just like every other family in the area with young kids looking for something to do on the weekends, we went apple picking! I actually dislike apple picking, and never know what to do with all the apples you end up with, but it is a great activity for children. It’s outside, running around, a very unique activity they don’t get exposed to every day. Oh and there’s donuts.
I also love any practice of tradition. I think it adds a great rhythm to the year, and really cements memories for the kids. They remember that we did it last year, since they know what to expect it’s easier for them to look forward to leading up to it. It’s also a great moment as a parent to notice how much they’ve grown and changed over the past year. (cue sobs!)
Especially the past few years, the changes are in your face. Last year F was with us, just a few weeks old when we went apple picking. Life was chaos. I remember changing a diaper on a tree stump and being a bit overwhelmed. This year F was running around with actual shoes on, pretending to be a whole big kid! I was still probably a bit overwhelmed, but gosh the kids were all so cute to watch.
And just like everything we do, F was living her best life. I’m not sure what it is about her, but she finds joy in every situation she finds herself in - I certainly hope that’s a quality that stays with her. But looking over at her with her feet up in her stroller, sucking on an apple one of the big kids gave her, and a huge grin on her face… you couldn’t help but smile.
It seems like everyone is all about pumpkins and Halloween decorations lately, while I’ve still been in a summer mindset that’s slightly distracted by a new school year. I’m still not sure I’m ready to pull out the Halloween stuff, but this trip at least made me to start to think a bit about fall. Maybe the leaves will start changing colors soon and help too?
I think it’s finally starting to feel like fall here. The leaves have been changing and falling for a while, and pumpkins have been out, but when everyone’s still wearing shorts, it’s hard to get in the mood. But finally we looked at the calendar and said it was time. Saturday was our town’s 2nd annual fall fest. We’re still trying to get the hang of it, and always leave feeling like we were a bit confused and not sure we made the most of the day. We ate some food that was not as great as we were expecting, and tried the bounce houses but found them too crowded and aggressive, and waited in a line for far too long for a train ride (that at least everyone said was fun!) We saw a lot of people that we knew, but the whole thing was so crowded and frenzied, that it felt hard to actually hold a conversation. We rushed by booths and were constantly trying to get to one place or another.