How Tall This Fall?

It's hard to believe it's fall again, since it seems not very long ago that we were roaming the pumpkin patch with our little guys, though this time last year, I was leading up the rear with Peter in a hipster carrier. Thank goodness those days are over -- no offense Peter. Two of these pictures are a little dated, from a month ago when we visited Hicks Apple Orchard in Granville, NY. That was a great outing, and unfortunately Peter missed it. He fell asleep on the way to the orchard, and we were able to pull so close to the apple trees that I left him in his car seat with the windows rolled down and could always keep him and his brothers in view. He did wake up just in time for donuts, as was the case today, when we took the boys for a hay ride and then followed up with a romp through the hay maze and apple cider donuts. At one point, as I was trying to keep track of Nicholas in the hay maze, Owen shouted out, "Hey Mom! Nicholas' brakes are broken!" I thought that was a great way of putting it. And it made me think of last month when we were up in the Adirondack Mountains with my sister and brother in-law and their children. One morning, the kids hiked down the mountain and back up again, and Nicholas was a good 20 yards ahead of the crew on the way back up. I suppose his brakes being broken is useful in some ways, like when it comes time to burn off the donuts...

Jason's new work situation has made us prioritize and value the time we share together as a family, and today was a great example of that. God has a great sense of humor. A year ago, I refused, on principle, to pay big bucks for a hay ride for my kids, who probably wouldn't remember it anyway. And why buy pumpkins just for sentimental value? Squirrels will be devouring them on our front porch in no time. Who could have possibly guessed that today, as the tractor pulled us out of the parking lot at DePiero's, that I would be getting misty-eyed at the merriment of my sons? And, as I write, rodents might very well be tearing right into the two fat pumpkins on our front steps, but it was great to see how excited Owen and Nicholas were to have their pick of the patch. Of course, Peter just blended right in with the pumpkins, and have I mentioned that he finally started walking? Owen walked at 15 months, Nicholas at 10 months, and Peter made it all the way to 17 months. It's cute to see him toddling about, and when he has his shoes on he really gets going. So now the house is even more active with the likes of three little boys on the move, and most of the time in three different directions. Sometimes, though, they all pile up on each other. Literally. Then they scream in glee. Or in terror. Or in pain. In some ways, I have had to baby-proof even more, and in others, less. They are all able to navigate the stairs now, which means no more gates, but once the gates come down, there's access to other rooms. To Peter, the latest fun game to play is to empty his entire bottom dresser drawer of all his clothes, then throw them around his room. This might seem cute if you are not the happy laundress of the family who cares not to see the dust bunnies on your child's freshly laundered pajamas. But that's just a hypothetical, because we know that NEVER happens in THIS house!