Friends

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Leaning into Fall

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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!)

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Missing Friends

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Sometimes this staying home thing is easy. There’s no commute, there’s no annoying people, and I have pretty much everything I need here. I can rent movies on my TV, ship almost anything to my door, and I have a lot of crazy boys to keep things entertaining and interesting here.

Some days are really hard, though. Like when my three year old says “Mama, will you come here and play with me? I need a friend. I have no friends.” Or when he tries repeatedly to get his brother to play with him, which sometimes works, and sometimes ends with two very frustrated toddlers.

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Fall Fun

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Fall has something the rest of the year doesn’t have - these crazy big pumpkin/apple farms that open up for picking. Well that’s the general premise anyway, but they’ve become so much more than that. They’re comparable to amusement parks in their size and activities, and they’re only open for two-ish months in the fall where everyone flocks to them.

They’re so overwhelming that Tom and I are a bit afraid of them. We’ve been to all the big ones and have had bad experiences dealing with lines and traffic and getting lost, so we usually stick to the smaller and less intimidating ones. Of course that means they offer less to do while you’re there.

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"Are They Twins?"

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Yes it's easier to leave him home.  Let him stay with Tom while I go hang out with my two favorite ladies.  Two on one, big people to littles.  It's a lot less hectic, a lot less tiring.

But.

The look on their faces when they see each other?  When they realize that this wasn't just a normal outing, that they get to see their buddy?  Pure joy, happiness and excitement.

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E's Best Buddies

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I'm not sure if E will be an extrovert or an introvert yet.  I go back and forth all the time with what I think.  He's a Gemini like me, and usually needs a lot of time to recover from any outings we have (of course that could just be a baby thing).  On the flip side, he loves social interactions and is always wide eyed, taking it all in.

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Getting SO Close! (Part I)

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We're getting so close I can SEE it! (ha, Synesthesia joke there...)

I'm so overwhelmed, and for once it isn't because of things that need to be done.  Oh there's always more that can be done, but due to my insane necessity for planning I'm doing okay in that area now.  (Here's where I should just apologize to Tom, my entire family, all the bridesmaids, and probably the groomsmen - but seriously, thank you for putting up with my need to plan the bachelor(ette) a YEAR in advance...)