Fall Fun

We sang a song at story time last week, to the tune of Frere Jacques, that goes, "Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.  Autumn leaves are falling down, we love autumn."  Each child has a colored piece of fabric that they can throw in the air and watch fall to the ground like leaves while we sing.  It's fun.  But mostly I like the song because I, too, love autumn!

It's my favorite season.  I love pulling out my coats and hoodies.  I love cuddling under my comforter.  I love the smell of the cinnamon broom that accosts you as you walk into the grocery store.  I love baking things with pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg and allspice.  And I love doing fall things.  Like apple picking!  Except the farm near us doesn't have an apple crop this year, sad.  So we bought apples instead and still made an apple pie (which, incidentally, is a million times better with vanilla ice cream, which I really need to not forget to buy next time I make apple pie!) 

We had an extended visit with Hubby T's parents last weekend, who came down to celebrate my birthday and Mom-Mom's birthday and Baby B's overall every day of the year awesomeness.  Being the rock star preschool teacher that she is, Mom-Mom brought all kinds of treats for the boys, including play-dough, animal shaped magnets for the doodle pad, and her apple peeler/slicer tool.  The boys have never been as helpful in helping me cook anything as they were by peeling and cutting up apples for the pie:)

On Saturday morning, after a stop at Starbucks for Mama P's birthday pumpkin spice latte (something else to love about fall), we explored a fall festival!  I walked Baby B through the hay maze, which he wasn't so sure about...

But then we let him sit on a tractor, which he was a bit more enthusiastic about...

He was also very enthusiastic about the two mini-pumpkins that Mom-Mom bought him (one for each hand, thanks for that little bit of spoiling Mom-Mom:)

 I'm loving this fall thing so much that I kept the fun rolling today, when we had even more pumpkin excitement at Pumpkinville!!

I love how this hay ride brought out both of their personalities.  Baby D sat perfectly still next to me almost the whole time, quietly taking in the unfamiliar but not unwelcome experience.  Baby B, on the other hand, wanted off as soon as we got on, and wouldn't stop wiggling until I pointed out the tractor that was pulling us.  From that point forward, he kept excitedly exclaiming, "I on tractor!!" and constantly moving around as far as my arm would let him go.  After the hay ride we ventured into the corn maze, and if you're wondering if having two little boys with four legs and only one of me with two legs in a maze was slightly nervewracking, you would be right.

I love fall.  I love activities that you can only do in the fall.  And I love sharing them with these two wonderful boys.  So keep bringing on the fun autumn!!