Apple-picking!

Well, that title is a tad deceiving since no actual apple-picking took place but we did have a wonderful fall day at an apple orchard!  The whole Carter clan made the trip to Delano for lunch at the Peppermint Twist (what a great place!) and then on to Apple Jack Orchard. 

Zoe and Jackson dancing to the jukebox before lunch.

Peppermint Twist is such a great place for kids...and the food is really good too!  It's an old-fashioned drive-in style with lots of outdoor activities.  The kids loved the wishing well!

The playground had those crazy noodles that you find at the pool.  They were a hit with Jackson and Zoe!

Jackson and Grandma and Grandpa Carter playing in the train.

After a yummy lunch and a little playtime, it was off to Apple Jack Orchards.  Unfortunately, there were no apples to actually pick but they did have lots of pumpkins, a big hay pile for the kids to play on, a small petting zoo area, hay rides and an apple canon.

Jackson LOVED the pumpkins! He found the little one he has in his hand and carried it around most of the afternoon.

Mom, why do you put me in these crazy poses?  You know all I want to do is run around and play!

Finally, on to the animals!

Checking out the turkeys with Mom

...and the goats.

Looking at the chickens and roosters with Zachary.  Pretty cool!

Look Mom, the goat is right next to me!

Enough of this walking around.  I want to ride in style!

Family picture -- unhappy Jackson.  Oh well, you can't win them all!

Look at this cool chair!  Can we take it home?

More pumpkin time

It occurred to me that weekend, as it does frequently these days, that he is such a little boy.  He's not a baby anymore.  He charged into toddler-hood and hasn't looked back.  If given the option of walking or being carried, he wants to walk.  He absolutely won't let you feed him anything.  He wants to do it himself.  In the last couple of weeks he's decided that he doesn't need us to read him books.  He will sit down and "read" them himself.  On Saturday he even grabbed the wrapper from a granola bar he'd just eaten and promptly threw it in the garbage -- something I'd never seen him do before!  And he laughs like no other child I've met!  He cracks himself up (and his parents too) constantly.  I really can't wait until he starts talking so I know all of the funny things he's saying.  He has his temper tantrums too but while it's frustrating when he's in the middle of one, he really is a good-natured little boy and the odd tantrum is a small price to pay for all of his giggles, smiles and hugs.