Autumn 2012: Apple Picking, Pumpkin Carving, and Playing in the Leaves

The colors don't seem quite as vibrant as they have in past Maine autumns, but it still has been a beautiful season. We've been blessed with blue skies, colorful leaves, and sweater wearing temperatures. Mattimeo has enjoyed celebrating his first autumn as a walking dude by going apple picking, carving pumpkins and playing in the leaves. We even went to a scarecrow themed play date!

Apple Picking

For our second round of apple picking this fall we went with Grandma Robinson. We picked a whole bag of the northern spy variety, which are supposed to be excellent for cooking. Already I have made an apple pie and plan on making some apple sauce, apple butter, and trying baked apples with warm custard drizzled on top. Mattimeo was very helpful with picking apples this time. We gave him his very own bag and he collected [usually rotting] apples from the ground and put them in his bag all by himself! He also enjoyed munching on the apples and thought they were quite tasty.

I think he hurt his mouth on the apple

After we picked our fill of apples, we selected a few pumpkins and decorative gourds. We got one big pumpkin to make into a jack-o-lantern, and two small pie pumpkins with which I will soon be making pumpkin pies. Meo's favorite part about picking pumpkins was sitting in the cart with them and being pulled around.

Pumpkin Carving

As has become our family tradition, we carved our annual cat-o-lantern. I drew the picture, and Robbie gutted and carved the pumpkin. Mattimeo enjoyed carrying around the ice cream scoop we used to gut the pumpkin. He also thought it was SO FUNNY when Robbie gutted the pumpkin. Robbie was pretending (?) to be grossed out by the slimy guts and Meo was laughing hysterically. Me also liked climbing on Daddy's back while he was trying to carve the pumpkin. He's such a silly boy!

Playing in the Leaves

Love Island

Grandpa's Mums

We have been having fun raking up leaf piles to jump in and lay in, as well as throwing big handfuls of leaves in the air to shower down on top of us. It's messy business, but deserving of lots of laughter.  

Scarecrow Play Date

Our friend Sarah held a very fun Scarecrow themed play date last week. She had fun hats for the babies to try on, several scarecrow books which Meo liked carrying over to me to read, and a fun scarecrow art project. I was impressed with Meo's painting abilities this time; he seemed very aware of his ability to move and create with the paint. He enjoyed both slathering it around with his hands, and painting gingerly with his pointer finger. We may need to start doing more art projects at home because this was the first time he really was actively interested in the process, at least for a little while. Thanks for the fun times and yummy scarecrow cookies Sarah!

Tickle

Olivia, Meo and Conor

Olivia, Meo and Conor