"Help mama"

 You know what I love?  An ideal afternoon for my two year old is helping me.  It's his most uttered request.  "Help mama".

 And so we spent the afternoon using apples from apple picking by making daddy's favorite apple crisp.

While our sweet girl snoozed (in the mama made hammock).
 
 Of course the sampling was frequent.

The conversation was grand.

We were enjoying ourselves so much that we didn't notice how much we made.

A happy mama, a happy boy, delicious dessert and a freezer full.

 

I just love his idea of a perfect afternoon.



Because his vision of a perfect afternoon matches my thoughts exactly.

Coffee Creamer

I'm hooked.  Not only on Carpe Diem coffee (which is roasted 2 miles from our house), but on making my own creamer.

My husband loves flavored cream for his coffee.  I have always hated how I didn't know the words on the ingredient list of store bought.  However, in the spirit of not being the controlling wife, I bought him the stuff he loved anyway.  Not anymore!  He loves it.  I do too.  I got the idea on pinterest here.  


Coffee Creamer

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
Regular milk (I use skim)
2-3 tsp vanilla

In 1 qt mason jar, empty the condensed milk.  Fill the condensed milk can with regular milk, dump contents in qt jar. Add vanilla. Shake.  Done.

Apple Picking 2012

When I was a kid, apple picking was piling in my dad's pickup truck.  He'd drive around the fields, stop at apple trees, we'd shake the tree.  Whatever ended up in bed of the pickup, we'd make into apple treats.  I had never been apple picking at an orchard until I met my husband.  Although we have apple trees in our yard, picking a few from an orchard is now a fall must. Here's 2011.

Here's the view on the way to the orchard. 


And here's the orchard.  Stunning, isn't it?! 

Watching our 2 year old have the time of his life picking with his daddy, having a baby snuggled close to my chest, apples snapping and squirting with each bite, breathing crisp fall air, and enjoying the warm sun.  Perfection.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siblings...

I went to the other room to grab a tissue.  I came back to find a few toys strategically placed.

 
Someone was right there.

Explaining.

 Helping.
 
Showing.

Teaching.

 

While a miniature watched intently.

 

Sure I had an extensive to-do list that I was in the midst of.  But, this was one of those times when I just stopped.  Grabbed the camera.  Smiled.  Appreciated.  The to do list waited, as it should.

Quilt 68

Quilt 68, Twin size, 2002

Spotlight on my Dad: Dumptruck

  A birthday package arrived for our 2 year old.  Inside was a dumptruck.



It joins these other homemade toys from the BOG:
trains,
trucks, 
car, 
airplane 
and barn.

And my little guy is elated. "Wow BOG!  Thank you BOG", again and again.

 It's been a great mode of transportation for his "Roos".  He does love his roos.

For a reference, look at the size!

It just so happened that she's sporting a gift from the BOG too.  "Got Milk?"  Plus a sweater set that was mine as a kid. And you can see in the next few shots how blurry her hands and legs are.  She's just going. Not sure where, but she's going.

 

Our two goofy kids...

 

Love their BOG and the new dumptruck.