Dave was off from work last Thursday so we decided to go apple picking when Solana got home from school. It was also the same day as Chloe's EUA and I was sort of a zombie in need of some cheering up. We wanted Chloe to have a quiet afternoon after anesthesia but decided it would be low key enough on a Thursday and we could keep Chloe in the wagon most of the time. It worked perfectly. The girls had a lovely time and some quality time with Mommy and Daddy. I got my pick-me-up and Chloe relaxed while we did all the work.
We were pretty much the only people there. I saw one lady with her son at one point but never saw them again so we felt like we were all alone. Dave got baskets and a wagon while the girls made fast friends with the animals. There seem to be petting zoos everywhere we go these days. They love it.
The girls and I went to the apple orchard with Angela and her girls last year and the apples had been hit by the big hail storm in the Spring. This year there wasn't a hail storm so the apples were big and round. They said that there weren't as many as there should be but we found plenty. Solana wouldn't stop eating apples. It's more difficult to pick apples when you're busy munching on one.
Chloe probably ate her weight in apples. Every time I turned around she was chomping into one.
The biggest apples were way up high. Good thing we had Dave's height. He had to do some heavy lifting when the apples were out of his reach.
And he had to do some REALLY heavy lifting when the apples were out of Solana's reach. I'm not gonna lie. I'm a wimp and was a little scared. He picked me up by my legs at one point and my terrified squeals were probably the funniest part of the afternoon. I'm glad Solana didn't get any pictures of that!
We picked tons of apples. Solana was pooped at the end and ready for a break. Chloe walked around just a little bit but was content to sit back and much for the most part.
Dave had sticker shock when he realized how much we spent on apples. They were only about $1.50/pound but $65 for apples was a bit of a shock for him. I say it was worth it. So far we've made two apple pies (one's in the freezer) and two crock pots full of apple sauce. I put most of it in jars in the deep freezer and we're set for quite a while. And it's just about the yummiest apple sauce ever. We're saving the small apples for snacking and I'll probably make one more apple pie and one batch of apple butter before the apples are gone.
Solana's an expert with the apple peeler/corer/slicer. I was able to leave her alone with it this year while I did all the rest of the pie/apple sauce prep. She even gave Chloe a lesson.
I love apple picking. That and the pumpkin patch are two of my favorite fall activities.
1 comment:
I love that apple slicer! I have been wanting one of those. I laughed (or actually LOLed) reading about the sticker shock of pick your own fruit! Had the same experience except we prepaid by the bag and I couldnt help but notice how much cheaper apples are at the grocery store. However ... I also couldn't help noticing that 1) the apples were WAY tastier from the local orchard and 2) they were way more fun to have an outside family activity together getting the fruit. A bonding experience. And we rarely have bonding experiences buying fruit at the grocery store mostly because I'm too busy shouting at my wayward kids to "SIT DOWN IN THE GROCERY CART OR IM TAKING YOU OUTSIDE". I pet that all in caps so you can see how loud I can be in the middle of the grocery store. I am an awesome mom!
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