Friday, October 2, 2009

Thursday Thirteen - Apple Picking Pics

This past Monday we went to Anderson's Apple Orchard down in Mooresville. We met some friends there and had so much fun. I couldn't just choose a couple photos because it was such a perfectly lovely fall day, there were just too many. So, to limit it was hard.

1. Strolling. Chris and Sam in the stroller at the end of an aisle of apples. Chris kept wanting to ride, maybe he just doesn't have much stamina, but pushing all that stroller made Hard Work for the mommies. But at least they were cute.



2. Getting under. Chris was just the right height to work in under these short apple tree branches and find some yummy apples. He was just more interested in playing than picking for the most part.



3. Chilly boy. He said he needed a jacket, only I didn't pack one, but Elizabeth lent him hers which actually made him SO Much more happy than if I had packed one. It swam on him, and made Chris extra extra cute amongst the apple trees.



4. Boys go wild. They liked running up and down the paths between the trees more than picking the apples.



5. The business of picking. Until Audrey arrived, the boys were interested in playing, she prompted them to get down to the apple picking business!



6. Stretch! Look at that form. Such height, such gravitational force used in plucking that apple from the tree. So sweet. That's what it's all about!



7. Sam's sweet too. Even Sam was happy to be out amongst the trees. The winds were like 30 mph that day, and he didn't like to be out in the wind, but when shaded between the trees, he was happy.



8. Sticks. The boys found sticks to play with amongst the apple carnage. When we first got out of the car, you could smell the gentle hint of apples in the air: crisp, light, and pure. Once under the tree, the fallen apples that were gently squished gave off an apple cider scent that made me thirsty. Chris kept picking up fallens, and trying to put them in the bag. Those weren't what we wanted. But we were able to sample some Apple Cider Slush at the barn that was pretty darn scrumptious!



9. Sam tries picking. Sam was very interested in the trees. He was reaching vaguely for leaves when Elizabeth brought him right up to the tree. He reached out, not going for the apple, but it didn't last long before he got unhappy. Maybe next year he'll be interested in picking.



10. Monkey pants. Chris loves to swing on anything he can get his hands on lately. (But he freaks out on the bar in gymnastics always at first before warming up to it). He grabbed a tree branch and started swinging , he told me he wanted to swing like a monkey. He was doing a great job!



11. Sunshine boy. I do sing "You are my Sunshine" to Sam. And as the morning progressed he was making it pretty clear he didn't want to be in the stroller but instead wanted to cuddle. Yeah he was sweet. Is sweet.



12. Sampling. Gotta eat this Yummy apple! Once he saw Audrey take a bite, he and Micheal had to start sampling their apples. All picking stopped, and we realized it was 11 a.m. No wonder they were hungry! And for the next 3 days all Chris wanted to eat was applesauce or apples, he's calling them 'dry apples' to distinguish from applesauce.



13. Swinger. I told you he'd swing anywhere he could. By the barn there was a small playground. So the kids played while the parents swapped out shopping. Chris surprised Mommy by trying to get on the swing, but I was holding Sam and trying to keep him covered, and holding my cider slushee, and the camera. I couldn't get him up. He stepped up and stood on that swing. All by himself. That was HUGE! Doing so involves strength and balance, heretofore unknown by my boy.



Not sure which emotion won at that moment: fear for him falling or joy in his new abilities.

For sure Joy won out for the day overall. I can't wait to go back! I have serious canning aspirations...gotta make enough applesauce for Sam, Chris's newfound love of it this summer used up our stash. But home for the apples and making applesauce is another story.

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