Apples, Cows & Goats, Oh My!

September 20, 2011

Apples, Cows & Goats, Oh My!

I feel really lucky to be able to stay home with Niall, so I try to put my all into filling every day with fun and learning for him. But some days, I wish I had it in me to say "No, there's just too much going on today. We can't do it all." I don't think I have that ability in my genetic makeup.

So despite our growing colds, my midwife appointment, work, and a desperate need to visit the grocery store, we trekked out to a farm/apple orchard almost an hour away.

I joined this mom's club in my area to make some new friends and have more to do with Niall-- and it's been the best thing I've ever signed up for. They do so much great stuff and they're all really down to earth and fun to be around. So how could I bail on the first fall trip to an apple picking farm with a hayride in the deal?

This is what I look like after catching a cold and getting 4 hours of sleep.

Yes, sometimes you need to learn to say no. Sometimes, you need to give yourself credit for getting all the other things on the to-do list done and call it a day. Sometimes, you need to realize that your kid is not going to fall behind just because he didn't "socialize" with another 2 year old one day out of the week. But then you'd miss out on things like this:

Really, Niall? Is that all it takes to get you to eat a fruit or vegetable? We just have to drive an hour into the boonies every day so you can pick it yourself? Consider it done ;)

Niall loved running up to the rotten apples on the ground that were being ambushed by flies and bees, yelling "YUCK!!!"... and then picking them up and throwing them at me.

But the best was feeding the goats. They would peep their little heads through the fence as far as they could and gobble the pellets right out of Niall's hand like they've never eaten a day in their lives. It felt funny because they don't really have teeth, so it's mostly lips and tongue just inhaling your hand. Niall got a big kick out of it.