This past weekend Andy went to Chicago for a wedding.  And the kids were bummed he was going out-of-town first thing Saturday morning because he’d just gotten back into town from a trip late Wednesday night.  September has been lacking daddy at our house.  But October looks MUCH better!  Anyway, to brighten up our day I thought I’d do some fall festivities with the kids.  They were BEGGING to go to a pumpkin patch.  And I thought I’d do one better and not only take them somewhere to pick out pumpkins…but also to pick APPLES.  An adventure we’ve not yet completed as a family.

I found a place about 35 minutes north of our house that was open for pumpkin, apple and even grapes U-pick on Saturday afternoon.  I confirmed the hours on their Facebook page (for up-to-the-minute postings), picked up my mom, and we headed to farm country.  The kids were so excited they were just giddy.  It had been “Apple” week for all of them at school.  Discussing apples, tasting apples, apple crafts.  I was almost appled-out.  What were we going to do with the apples we brought home?  Applesauce?  Apple pie?  They didn’t care.  They just thought it was the coolest thing (EVER) to go apple picking.  Oh the stories they would tell their classmates!!

We easily found the farm and it was hopping with people.  We meandered a minute, listened to a guitarist, caught a ride on the kiddie train for the kids.  Then we headed into the apple store to get the u-pick instructions.

Only to be told, “Oh! The u-pick apples just closed awhile ago.  We’ve been overwhelmed by pickers.”

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure who was devastated more…the kids or my mother.  So I tried to make both happy.  The kids got to pick out a baby pumpkin.  And when they asked for two, I caved out of guilt.  And my mom got to browse the apple store on her own and grab a bag of apples – although already picked {sigh}.

Could we have gone to the pumpkin patch still?  Yes.  Could we have paid for a wagon ride?  Yes.  Could we have paid for the barnyard tour and seen a bunch of animals? Yes.  Could we have listened to more music?  Yes.  Did we?  No.  I just didn’t have it in me.  And no one else seemed to either.  The kids were cranky, I was cranky, and I finally had to just say out loud to them, “Yes, this is a bummer.  Sometimes life just doesn’t happen as expected.  Let’s go.”

On the way home we were driving right past the outlet mall and Stella desperately needed shoes.  The kids were still a bit cranky since our fall “afternoon” was mainly spent in the car.  But I went against my better judgment and stopped at Stride Rite.  My kids were CRAZY.  We were THOSE PEOPLE.  My mom was helping the best she could, but even she finally became a traitor and said, “You better go find your mother” loudly when the Stride Rite worker gave her a look.  HA!  I would have too.  (I’m kidding mom…you were VERY HELPFUL and you didn’t pretend to be with another family.)

So we threw my mom out of the car at her house, headed home and still felt in a defeated Fall Festivities funk.  Nothing a couple of baths (for the kids), a few glasses of wine (for me) and some good TV couldn’t cure.  Little guy was the first to surrender.