Apple Picking

Yesterday we took our (mostly) annual trip to Lyman Orchards for apple picking. We had made it a tradition a couple years ago when Camden was a baby to go, but last year we missed our opportunity because of Will's screwy work schedule.

This year we went on the adventure with our good friends Steph and Dan, and their little girl Scarlett who just turned 6 months old, even though she is virtually the size of Addison. LOL!

Daddy and Addie before we headed into the Apple Orchard

Addison kept wanting to pick up the apples off the ground. ICK!

Ben ate probably a good 4 apples just while we were picking. It started to become a running joke because every time we saw him he had a new apple and our bag was getting lighter not heavier!

Addie shared an apple with Daddy. I love this picture of her!

The boys wanted to climb this tree. They were so cute the whole time we were there!
Very good listeners too!

Addie didn't really know what to make of Scarlett.

After she warmed up to her a bit she decided it would be fun to try and poke her in the eyes.
Yeah, that game ended extremely quick!

Oh ya know... Just Dan hanging out in a tree...
The men decided to spend most of the time at the orchard climbing to the top!

 Ben didn't want to really take many pictures so I had to sneak attack him.

Camden doted on Scarlett all day. It was really cute!

This was THE ONLY picture we were able to get of the two of them. Addie was already getting up to RUN when I snapped this.

Dan took Ben up into the tree, and I snuck up to snap this picture of them sharing apples.
Adorable!

The mass of kids!  Me, Steph and all the kids. Mostly mind. LOL

Ben wanted to take a picture in the tree. I was luckily able to crop out the adult standing next to him, although it didn't make me any more comfortable with the whole thing!

Oh another apple!
I love his blue eyes in this picture!

 Camden has turned into such a BIG KID!

I don't know when he grew up so much!

 Can you find Camden in the tree? 
Daddy hid really well in this picture too, but it still scared the living bejesus out of me!

Then it was time to try and take family pictures chaos started...

We did get a couple good pictures before they turned into this...

Then the photos turned into this...

 And then this...

We got ONE picture of the kids together before they jumped ship.

 And one of the boys together.
I wanted this to compare to them two years ago when we were there with them.

Steph snapped a couple of us when the boys were off playing in the trees.
Addie was done with pictures LOL!

There are only two words that can describe Addison besides Verruca Salt these days, and that is Daddy's girl.

Back to School!

The 2012-2013 school season has kept our house very busy in the past week. Camden started Kindergarten and of course also started riding the bus to school for the first time. Ben moved into the Pre-K 3 room (which we have never had a child in yet). It has been a lot of firsts.

Camden all ready for his first day!

Looking like such a big boy at the bus stop.

Where did my baby boy go?

Mr. Cheesy Smile

My boys this school year!

 

 Ben on his first day of Pre-K 3, he also erased half the sign by the time I got a good picture.

We are on week two, and going great. We had a little bump in the road with Ben & potty training and the Pre-K 3 room. Since Camden was in the Pre-K 4 room last year, I wasn't sure of what all the 3 room entailed. Apparently Ben needed to be potty trained. We are on day 5 with only a hand full of accidents, none of which were at school Friday or today. Two big thumbs up!

The Goshen Fair

Yesterday we headed to the 100th Goshen Fair, which was really cool!  Since Will works in Litchfield county, he has the opportunity to see all this beautiful landscape all the time. When he saw the fair starting to set up, he told me we had to go.

We all had so much fun! The kids loved seeing all the animals, playing the carnival games, and of course eating! But I think overall the eating portion of the evening was Will & I's favorite. Nothing beats fair food. NOTHING!

I didn't take a ton of pictures because it was in the back of my mind to all the fun we were having, but I snapped a couple...

 

 We had to park crazy far away because of the amount of people there!
I was really surprised at the size of the fair!

 

This baby calf was just having a drink from her mom...
We saw lots of breastfeeding animals, it was really neat!

 This little lady was only six months old!

"Thin Sliced Onion Rings"
ZOMG! My favorite!
They were so good!

 This was my deep fried snickers bar.
I took two bites, and Will ate the rest.
It was WAY too sweet!

 

 Momma Cow and her little calf settling in for the night.

Then we headed out...
I can't wait to go next year!

Bus Safety Day

Today was Bus Safety day at school for Camden. All the new Kindergarteners were invited to watch a bus safety video, and go for a ride around the neighborhood on the school bus.

It was very valuable for Camden since this will be his first year riding the school bus. I pray it all goes off without a hitch after our first bump in the road yesterday with the assigned bus stop.

Last night the boys crawled into their bunk beds, watched some Peppa Pig and knocked out nice and early per our new routine. They were having a blast so I just had to take a picture!

Camden sitting and waiting in the school cafeteria. We met some new friends, talked with some kids we already know, and when it was time to go to his classroom he was so independent and I was so proud. SO PROUD!

He did an awesome job getting on and off the bus. All the parents were running to the doors to take pictures of the students safety practicing getting on the bus. I cannot believe I will have a child in "real" school this year.

I am so proud of how well he did!

Family Photos

Today I set out on a mission to get a couple pictures of the children together as a "family". I need some new pictures for above our mantel, and since Will was home for the day I had the extra help.

I got a ton of pictures, but tonight I am only going to post a couple of them, the pictures of the kids together...

 This is the best picture that I got all day long.
All are looking. No one is crying. SCORE!
That is as good as it gets these days!

 No Addie! You can't go yet!

 With this pose, you would think they are both in their twenties already!
Oh Lord! Save me!

 This was probably the second best picture of the day.

 They were officially done, and ready to go to the playground.
(As promised)

Ben and Addie played on the playground today.

I snapped this when none of them were looking and it was priceless.

After I took this, and uploaded it... I came to the realization that Camden is SUCH a big kids

now. I can't even deal with it. It makes me want to cry for my baby boy back.
Next Tuesday, he will officially be in kindergarten!  Where has the past almost five years gone?

They all did awesome though. I thought we were going to have far more meltdowns than we did. Although the day started off with this...

I will post the individual pictures later on during the week!  Tomorrow is our trip to the zoo!

New York City!

This past weekend we took our first trip into New York City as a family and boy... did we have a blast! By the end of the day the kids were surprisingly still going strong, at nearly midnight when we got home. But alas, it was everyone's last hoorah before school starts next week.

The kids waiting for the train!

 

The boys on the train. They had no desire to have their picture taken at all.
Like usual!
Seems like they are "growing out" of their photogenic nature!

Benny wanted to make silly faces

The next time I turned around, he was out like a light.
This kid could sleep anywhere!

 

The boys in Times Square

Cinderella's Pumpkin in the Times Square Disney Store

We met up with my friend Heiddi.
She was a life saver getting around the city, and we had a ton of fun!

 I also wore Ben on my back for most of the day because Addison napped in the stroller.
He enjoyed it. Four days later, my back is still recovering!

 

Camden and Daddy waiting for the Subway

Addison on her first Subway ride.
She had just woken up... Can you tell?

We visited the 9/11 Memorial.
It was really moving.
We also stopped by Ladder 10 which is the closest Fire House to

Ground Zero.
They are also one of the companies that lost the most FD members.

 I snapped this one while none of them were looking.
I absolutely love this picture!

 A family picture!

The boys at the wall outside of Ladder 10.
There is the most beautiful mural there.

Ben and I at the South Tower Reflection Pool

The boys on the train for the ride home.
All smiles at 10:30 at night.
Only these kids!