Yes, I had Aiden and Seth out working again this morning! They have to earn their keep somehow, right? How is it that all the fun things to do in the autumn could be considered chores if you had to do them all the time, but seem like a special treat if they're not mandatory? Hopefully it'll be years still before the boys realize that what we sometimes call "fun" is actually work! This morning, a friend of mine from church, Jessica (whom I've known for at least a dozen years from camp and college, but have just been in contact with again now that we live in the same area), and her 3-year-old daughter, Olivia brought Aiden, Seth and I up to an apple farm in Watkins Glen called Reisinger's Apple Country. Most of the apples were gone already, but there were Crispins still left on the trees, which are one of my favorites.
Both of the boys did a good job of helping when I had my eye on them. But when I was trying to pick apples, I kept noticing that most of the ones Aiden brought me were dirty and bug-eaten since he'd picked them off the ground. I just thanked him for being such a good helper and discreetly tossed them back under the trees when he went to get more. Seth did a good job picking from the trees with the help of Jess and I, but kept throwing them in the bag on top of the others despite my instructions for him to be gentle.
Olivia was a good helper for her mom and they filled two bags of apples in the time it took me to fill one.
The farm had wagons similar to the ones that had been at the pumpkin patch, and both the boys remembered how to operate them and probably would have been happy if I'd just let them pull the wagons around the entire time we were there.
They sat in the wagon only long enough for me to take a picture once we were done picking and then decided they wanted to get out and run since that's what Olivia was doing. I guess it's no fun to ride with your mom when the big kids don't have to!
Jessica and I took turns paying for our apples inside the country store at the farm, while the kids played outside at a special area they had set up for children. It worked out great since I didn't have to worry about four hands grabbing apples, candles, decorations and glass jars of maple syrup off the shelves while I was inside!
Next to the kids' play area was a huge Adirondack chair. Olivia loved it and couldn't stop smiling and giggling while we got pictures of the three kids.
Seth wasn't sure about the chair at first, and Aiden was distracted most of the time he was sitting there by a few kernels of popcorn that someone before him had spilled, but I did manage to get one decent picture of the two of them.
Sadly, it was what will probably be the last really warm day of the fall with temperatures in the mid-70's. But what a great way to spend it!
Both of the boys did a good job of helping when I had my eye on them. But when I was trying to pick apples, I kept noticing that most of the ones Aiden brought me were dirty and bug-eaten since he'd picked them off the ground. I just thanked him for being such a good helper and discreetly tossed them back under the trees when he went to get more. Seth did a good job picking from the trees with the help of Jess and I, but kept throwing them in the bag on top of the others despite my instructions for him to be gentle. 
Olivia was a good helper for her mom and they filled two bags of apples in the time it took me to fill one.
The farm had wagons similar to the ones that had been at the pumpkin patch, and both the boys remembered how to operate them and probably would have been happy if I'd just let them pull the wagons around the entire time we were there.
They sat in the wagon only long enough for me to take a picture once we were done picking and then decided they wanted to get out and run since that's what Olivia was doing. I guess it's no fun to ride with your mom when the big kids don't have to!
Jessica and I took turns paying for our apples inside the country store at the farm, while the kids played outside at a special area they had set up for children. It worked out great since I didn't have to worry about four hands grabbing apples, candles, decorations and glass jars of maple syrup off the shelves while I was inside!
Next to the kids' play area was a huge Adirondack chair. Olivia loved it and couldn't stop smiling and giggling while we got pictures of the three kids.
Seth wasn't sure about the chair at first, and Aiden was distracted most of the time he was sitting there by a few kernels of popcorn that someone before him had spilled, but I did manage to get one decent picture of the two of them. 
Sadly, it was what will probably be the last really warm day of the fall with temperatures in the mid-70's. But what a great way to spend it!
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