Pickin' time

Well it is finally my favorite time of the year...fall! And with that comes big mugs of hot apple cider, beautiful foliage, and numerous trips to the pumpkin patch. Luckily for me, Keith and Will are willing to go along with my fall-induced craziness! We have already made two trips to Hunt Club Farms in Virginia Beach with our two playgroups. I love it there! They have pony rides, a petting zoo, hayrack rides, and of course pumpkins! Will was overjoyed that the hayrack ride was pulled by a big tractor, as it feeds into his current fascination (bordering on obsession) with all things transportation. Will got to feed and pet the goats, puppies, and lambs. He tried in vain to pet the chickens and bunnies that run loose around the farm but they proved too skittish for him, which is probably good for the animals! Above we are ready for our first hayrack ride of the season! We enjoyed seeing all the animals on the farm, which even included some llamas and camels. Not your usual farm life.



Here Will enjoys his pony ride. We actually tried to get him on the pony several times but he was too scared. So we played in the pumpkin area for a while and decided to give it one last try. Success! He was definitely freaked out at first but quickly adapted and ended up enjoying himself.








Will also loved picking out his own pumpkin. There were plenty of big pumpkins but the kids got to go to a special area full of mini pumpkins, kind of Will-sized pumpkins! He roamed around looking for just the right one. He finally found it...along with an ear of Indian corn that he tried to eat! That couldn't have tasted very good. Luckily we left with all teeth intact.





Our second trip to Hunt Club Farms was with our Beautiful Babes playgroup. The moms took the kids for a morning outing in place of our usual playdate. It was great. Here will sits with his buddies, from left: Henry, Aria, Katie, Will and Devon. The kids are all around 2 and play really well together. We're lucky to be part of such a fun, supportive group.



Will's favorite part of Hunt Club was playing in the giant mountain of straw! It is great; the kids can climb, jump, roll, and throw straw in the air so that is rains down on everyone nearby. Definitely a good way to guarantee a long, peaceful nap. We already made one jack o' lantern but it didn't last in the strange hot/cold/rainy/dry weather we've been having. So we'll make more! I hope to visit another pumpkin patch this weekend so we can load up. Check back for pictures of Will in his firefighter costume for Halloween. He will be able to ride the motorized firetruck that Aunt Jill gave him. Hilarious!