Bittersweet Season

I have such a love/hate relationship with fall. I love pumpkin spice and the colors and the coziness of it all as much as the next guy. I even like getting to wear jeans and sweatshirts (for a few weeks anyway. Then I'm over it.) But I hate what it precedes. So its just a constant reminder that pool days and warm sun on my bare skin are over and the dreaded "W" word is coming soon. Ugh. I shiver just thinking about it.

But let's enjoy the moment, shall we? This weather is fantastic (although you need three outfit changes for one day). And all the apple orchards and pumpkin patches are so much fun. I've only been to a few different ones but Center Grove Orchard is definitely a favorite and well worth the 30 minute drive. We went there yesterday on a playdate. Sadly, this was the first big playdate we did without Bennett, who was in school :(  We'll definitely have to make another trip with him.

 

The Hay Maze (everything here is geared for young kids). He actually got lost in there the second time he went in alone and was getting quite distraught! Thankfully it was much easier to find him in here than in the cornfield he got lost in a couple weeks ago next to a park we were at with my mother-in-law. True story. So not cool. (It was only 10 minutes at the most. Thankfully no emergency services were contacted!)

 Such a beautiful place to take pictures. I've always had a huge thing for barns:

 The jumping pillow:

This isn't in focus but I just loved the look on his face. Pretending to not want his picture taken :)

 

 His profile just cracks me up. Chubby cheeks and his tiny nose and chin poking out:

 
 
A promised donut helped me get this shot:

 My lil punkin:

 
 

I don't know what it is about pumpkin patches that make the best picture spots. Had to share my favorite picture ever of baby Bennett and Piper:

I took a chance going on the playdate since Channing still requires two long naps a day. But I let him take about an hour morning nap before we left. He got pretty fussy after lunch in the stroller and he finally fell asleep in the sling. Not an easy feat to push the stroller around while carrying him but I promised Dawson I'd take him on the big slide before we left. Plus I knew Channing wouldn't stay asleep if I put him in the car to leave so I figured I'd just stay til he woke up on his own in the sling. Really wished I had an Ergo carrier for him! I've heard such great stuff about it and I've been carrying him way more than the other two. I have a baby Bjorn but he's so big in there now his head is hitting my chin. Not to mention there's no way he could sleep in it. Plus, I don't find those as comfortable as this (snapped with my phone):

We're taking a big family trip to Florida next week so he'll be in there a lot. Anyone have an Ergo I could borrow for a week???

 

I didn't know if Dawson would be ok on here by himself since he does get nervous up high but he did fine and went down four times!

 Getting tired:

 We picked an apple off a tree before we left, for the ride home (shhhh...don't tell):