On Saturday we did our "annual" gourd picking at Bartel's Farm.
It was a hot hot hot day. We lathered ourselves in sunscreen and sweated right through our shirts. I think it was a little over 80 degrees!
Sage was such a little shopper on this trip. He wanted everything he could get his hands on. If I didn't carefully guard the wagon, I would find all sorts of oddly shaped vegetables in there. He kept saying, "I picked this for mama." "I got a gourd for mama." How sweet of Sage. For this reason, I had to put them all back secretly when he wasn't looking.
I did find many cute gourds to buy....I was just a bit more selective than the three-year-old.
Kale had a different "pumpkin picking problem." If I didn't watch him closely, he would take small bites out of the gourds with his two giant front teeth. I kid you not. He probably got a good four or five bites of raw squash in him that day.
You can buy your pumpkins and gourds up front, from bins and rows of pre-picked stuff. Or, you can pick your own. We did both. We loaded one wagon full of the pre-picked stuff, paid for it, and hauled it to the car. Then we headed back out for the real thing. We walked out maybe half a mile into a thick field where we hit the jackpot. 100's of pumpkins. All shapes and sizes and colors. Still on the vine. The shrubbery and brush was so thick, poor Sage had a hard time making his way through it. And eventually asked his dad for "uppies." In other words, "Pick me up and get me out of here!"
I have fallen madly in love with those front teeth!
Then we headed home to inspect the goods, and wash them up.
Then we brought them inside for some Autumn decorating.
Then life resumed as normal.
Which for us means.....
A little bit of this....
And a little bit of that....
(Yes, he found three lollipops unbeknownst to me.)
Then Sage and I had a "first."
We took our first bike ride together - around the neighborhood - on real streets - and we each had our own bike.
This really opened my eyes to all the possibilities on the horizon. Sage isn't a baby any more. He's a little boy, which means we get to do all sorts of new things. This is a stage I think I'm going to enjoy quite a bit. Sage and I can actually do things together now. I no longer just have to be the facilitator. I can be an equal participant in the fun.
You never quite know where you'll find your afternoon entertainment, do ya?!?
Big update to share....
Kale is walking!
He's doing about 5 or 6 steps in a row. But he's doing them a lot. He's practicing. And it's obvious the crawling stage is quickly coming to a close. Sage started walking at 12 months of age on the dot. And Kale was just a hair behind him, at 13 months.
Love the contrast between the photo above, and the one below!
More refried beans, Kale?
My recipe for this week was a "Garden Tomato Soup." I've been trying to keep up with the tomato harvest, and decided it was time to make some soup. I was able to use up about 7 giant tomatoes in one shot.
This is my first attempt at the dish. And it came out beautifully - better than anything I could ever get in a can. Tons of basil, garlic, onion, carrot, and of course tomato - sauteed and pureed into a hearty creamy soup. With lots leftover for the freezer.
We topped off the week with yet another "first." Sage's first dentist appointment. It's funny what brings you joy when you are an adult. Ha! I was tickled to sit there and watch him get his teeth polished and flossed. He did great. He throws quite the battle at home. But he was very accommodating to the requests of the dental team.
Of course, they knew exactly what they were doing. They explained everything, and made it fun. Sage chose chocolate flavored toothpaste for the polishing. And got to choose two toys out of a treasure chest at the end. I think he liked his experience!
