The Apple Orchard

A few weeks before Halloween I decided that I wanted to take the kids to an apple orchard.  It was our first time going together so I wanted to make sure we picked a good one and decided on Pine Tree Orchard in Dellwood.  I set aside a day to bring the kids for something fun to do in the Fall on one of the last nice weekends before winter. 

 

I wasn't sure what to expect when we got there and was a little nervous because it ended up being colder than I had hoped.  It had just rained a lot in the days before as well so it was cold and damp and really muddy.  That normally wouldn't have been an issue but I had Luke with, and he was just abut 5 weeks old and a stroller...more on that later.

 

We started out in front of the main building where they had a store and restaurant.  They had  alot of fun cut outs for the kids to climb on and pose next to.

 

 

 

I even got a chance to pose with the kids!

 

 

 

Next, we went on a hayride through the apple orchard, it was beautiful!!!!  The kids were disappointed that it was just a ride to look at apples and not a haunted hayride.  I really enjoyed it, it was getting warmer out and the view was gorgeous!

 

 

 

After the hayride the kids wanted to go in the corn maze.  I was a little hesitant but figured it would be okay.  The first problem though was finding it.  We ended up walking all over, up and down different gravel paths and roads all before we even found the entrance AND while pushing a newborn in a stroller.  Poor little guy bounced all over and we had to go very very slow.  I should have turned back then....but I didn't. 

 

Finally we found it!  The kids were excited to go in and explore!  See how excited they were?

 

 

This was the first real corn maze I had ever been in and it was huge!!!  Within five minutes we were completely buried with no clue which way was out.  And I was not prepared and also clearly crazy since I had a newborn baby in a stroller. What was I thinking?!?!  Looking back, everyone must have been shaking their heads. Luke didn't seem to mind, slept the whole time in fact. 

 

 

But...it did make it a little hard to actually move throughout the maze.   I know....completely insane.  Looking at the photo now, I am not sure how I moved at all.

 

 

 The kids were annoyed with how slow I had to go through.  So a few times I let them run ahead but that ended abruptly when I lost both of them. And the were not together. Which way do I go? If I go after one the other could get further away? So...I just stayed put and told a few families passing through to please direct my kids back this way if they saw them.   Then I waited..and waited.  I watched my phone for Paige, she knows my number and to call it if she is ever lost. I think about 10 minutes went by, I wasn't panicking yet. It was a safe place, it was just that I knew Quinn was probably pretty scared. It was good for him though, just to help him realize how important it is to keep me in his sight.

 

Anyway, a few moments later a Dad came up to me and told me where Quinn was and that he had instructed him to wait for me, he was close. But...it still took an eternity to get to him with my stroller bouncing slowly over all of the husks. Just as I thought, he was scared, and relieved to have found me.   Just as I reached him, my phone rang, it was Paige...rather a woman who was with Paige.   She also told Paige to stay put and told me where she was. The boys and I went and found her and got out of there. Next time I will carry Luke...and we will stick together. Thank goodness it wasn't getting dark or anything!  I bet we were in there for at least an hour.  This was what the kids looked like after.

 

 

Quinn's legs hurt (like usual) and Paige was a total trooper (like usual).  They did humor me with a smile.

 

 

We stopped once more on the way out to pose with the witch...I guess it was a little bright in this spot. 

 

 

The kids were wiped out after our fun and exhausting day at the apple orchard.

 

 

Paige was able to gather enough energy to attempt climbing this gigantic tree.

 

 

On our way out we decided to go into the store to see what kinds of things they made from all of the apples and discovered a fun area where the kids could watch the apple cleaning and inspecting process.

 

 

We bought a package of delicious apple cinnamon and sugar donuts to bring home,

Luke helped carry them.

 

 

It was a fun experience, I am glad we went and next year we will do it all over again, but I will leave the stroller in the car and carry Luke.  It has to be easier no matter how heavy he may be!!!

The Cabin: Fishing With Papa

In October I had the chance to go to my parents cabin for the first time in a couple years while I was home on maternity leave.  When my Mom and Dad asked me to come I was hesitant at first because I would have to come alone with all 3 kids since Jeff was traveling.  It didn't sound like much of a vacation and the baby was just 4 weeks old.  The cabin is in Lake of the Woods, about 5 1/2 hours from home.  The kids love it there and had been begging to go again for some time but we just hadn't made it as it isn't really a "weekend getaway" kind of place.  After some planning my Mom decided that she would ride with us, along with their dog Logan.  We would have a full load for sure, but at least I would have some company..and help!

Getting there turned out to be a breeze, the kids were great and the only mishap was that we took a little detour and would up on the wrong side of Leech Lake, on the Indian reservation, and added close to an hour to our drive.  When we finally made it we were so glad to be there and excited that we didn't have to get in the car for 6 more days.

The cabin next to my parents is owned by my Uncle Sean and my sister and her husband have a cabin three doors down too.  We found ourselves floating between the three cabins for meals and just in general.  My kids love Sean's cabin in particular because of some of the fun stuff he has there...one being a bear rug.  The kids were pretty funny "playing bear". 

Luke had his own baby bear disguise!

Paige and Quinn took a more realistic approach.

Our third day there was a cold and rainy one, everyone went a little stir crazy after being cooped up inside.  Paige decided it was a good time to practice her rapping skills and even convinced another person who shall remain nameless to protect their identity to join in.  You will also note that I have removed this persons eyes so they may remain anonymous.

Paige was excited to help Uncle Sean make breakfast and was in charge of the pancakes, she did a great job!

We were able to go out on the boat one day as well.  My Dad has been waiting for the day that he can get the kids to share in his love of fishing and this year Paige seemed to finally get it.  It was chilly and pretty windy most days so we only got out once but it was a lot of fun.

I had to snap a few pictures of Paige, she looked so pretty staring out on the water, it didn't take long before she caught me.

My Dad loved teaching Paige how to fish, you can see her concentrating on everything he is telling her.

And then he showed Quinn how to bait the hook with a minnow.  The minnows were enough to occupy Quinn the rest of the time, he liked to play with them, even though they were dead.  He liked to squeeze them so their mouths would make kiss-y lips.

 Paige was the first to get a fish on but unfortunately it broke the line.  She was pretty bummed, but it was exciting anyway!!!!

Shortly after Papa got a fish on and let Paige reel it in.

Here is Quinn posing with the only catch of the day!

Paige couldn't wait to help clean the fish.  I was pretty surprised how involved she was in the process, Quinn too.  Their favorite part was checking out what was in the stomach.

It was a fun trip, so nice to get away for a few days.  And the kids can't wait until this summer so they can do it all over again.

Easy Bake Letdown

Going into the holiday season, the Easy Bake Oven was a popular commercial.  Very popular.  Between every cartoon.  Every single day.  Well this little boy bought into the Easy Bake Oven, hook, line and sinker just as we all have for decades.  I mean, whats better than your own personal oven? 

 

When I was little, I too had an Easy Bake oven and it was great!  I remember making little cakes and they were good!  Over the years I think that they had to tighten up the design of the oven a bit too much.  It just isn't the same anymore, too small of an opening to get anything good in there and it doesn't get hot enough.  We didn't realize it until it was too late.

 

Quinn, the lucky boy, got his wish for his birthday and couldn't wait to make some cookies.  He loves to bake, and mix and taste.  He took everything out of the box and waited for my instruction.

 

 

He couldn't stop touching each piece in anticipation.  He was just..SO..EXCITED!!!! 

 

I took out the little packet that came with the oven to help Quinn make the chocolate chip cookies.  Right away I was a little concerned...the entire packet of dry ingredients required only 1 teaspoon of water.  Total.  Really?  We mixed it up and it looked like this.  Mmmm, yummy...maybe?

  

 

Then it was time to form the cookies and place them on the teeny tiny cookie sheet, literally about the size of a playing card.  Quinn couldn't help with this step at all because the cookies were so gooey, it was kind of like trying to form oatmeal into little balls. 

 

 

Now this cookie sheet is unusually small, even for a 4 year old. 

You can see the comparison below.

This is the picture on the front of the box.  A little misleading wouldn't you say? You can hardly tell by the picture that the cookies on the plate are each the size of a fingernail.

 

 

Ready to Bake!!!

 

Wait...maybe not...I  tried to put the tiny pan into the oven to bake the cookies. The miniature balls were too big to fit. What??? I had to then smash them as flat as a penny so that they would fit through the oven slot. Hmmm. It was getting even more ridiculous than I thought. Quinn didn't seem to mind though.

 

The package said to bake them for like 4 minutes or something...I can't quite remember.  What I do rememeber though is that I had to triple the bake time and even then...they didn't seem quite done.

 

The result: A dozen chocolate chip cookies fit on a small cake plate. Quinn and I each ate one and threw the rest away.  Now Quinn is anxious to make a pizza..I wonder how that can possibly turn out.

Happy 4th Birthday to Quinn!

So on November 3rd I wrote this, "The last month and a half has been a blur with a new baby at home! Because of that I am a month late with Quinn's birthday post. Sorry buddy." Clearly since that was as far as I got, the baby must have woke up and has been up ever since.  Not really, but having 3 kids is busy! There is always something that needs to be done so the blogging must wait.  This weekend I have set aside some time to add a few posts. Lots of pictures and not alot of words sums it up really.  But it is most important to me that I record these memories for my kids.  First up......Quinn's 4th Birthday!!!

This year Daddy has been traveling alot for work, like alot alot.  Since Luke was born he has been in Iowa Monday thru Thursday and home only on the weekends.  It makes for some long weeks!  Lucky for me I was on maternity leave for alot of it so it wasn't too hectic at home.  Because of this Jeff was gone on Quinn's actual birthday (October 2nd) which fell in the middle of the week.  Since Paige was at school, Quinn, Luke and I got to spend a special day together at Como Zoo! First we started out at Target where Quinn got to pick out a special toy, a monster truck and cupcakes for later!

Here we are at Como Zoo, we packed a picnic to eat outside, it was a beautiful day!!  Unfortunately the bees were so bad we had to eat inside.

We ended the day with some special birthday cupcakes to celebrate!!

What's a birthday without candles?!?

The following weekend we had Quinn's party with all of our family.  I had to take a few pictures of Luke and his cousin Brody, they are only 16 days apart.

Paige and Dakota

Time to open some presents!  The Hulk was a favorite this year!

And as requested, a Monster Truck Cake!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday sweet Quinny!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!  We love you sweet boy!!!