A day in the autumn life...

Our first official fall weekend with fall weekend activities for 2010 and we are milking it for all we can! Mother nature even managed to bless our efforts with some real live thunder and a light shower to help cozy up our morning. We loaded up and headed out to see what adventures we could find...

Peanut was still a little sleepy...But Mack was rarin' to go, so to the Farmer's Market we went!

It was kind of hit or miss as we are technically between seasons agriculturally speaking. But it was good to see all our market friends and pick up a few things. And I do love the color and energy of the place. Sooooo much more fun than "grocery shopping".

And, of course, the boys had breakfast from all the stall samples and a delicious apple croissant split two ways...

And after a quick stop at the bank, which is always an adventure with the two of these guys in tow....we headed home for the real fun of the day....PUMPKIN BREAD BAKING TIME!

Now I must say, I have figured out the perfect system for us...we buy the sugar pumpkins and the boys paint them for halloween (we will be doing this tomorrow). They decorate our home and make me warm and fuzzy and they are so proud of their personal pumpkins...then, when the first weekend after Halloween hits, we see which ones survived and wash off the paint, bake them up and have our puree in the freezer for the rest of the year. And there is something oh so incredibly satisfying about whipping up your pumpkin delicacies from a real live pumpkin...rather than a can. Anyway, I digress...

This year, thanks to an idea from another mommy, Mack got his very own bowl to whip up his own concoction (about a cup of flour and misc spices from the cabinet).

I should have done this much much earlier. I have never seen him so enthralled and engaged in the kitchen. It was heaven for him to have free reign over a selection of yummy smelling spices and a whisk.

He was working so hard and LOVED this. And yes, there was mess, but oh so worth it! To see his little tongue sticking out which he only does when he is really focused...

Radley on the other hand was perhaps a bit still too young. In about 30 seconds flat he had emptied his bowl of his flour...

...decided he was done...

....Munched an apple for another 30 seconds...

....decided he was done with that...

and ditched us (and the apple) and toddled off to find something more enjoyable for him...

But this guy???

Little dude was so focused and was so blessedly precious that I see this becoming a regular thing with us...(don't tell him that I was able to get mommy's bowl mixed and in the oven with ease while he was so busy with his own "bread")

See the tongue again???? Now Rad came back and tried to do a little clean up

But ultimately this went the way of the cooking bowl and soon nothing was making him happy...so he got a nap...which turned into 3 hours and everyone, mommy included, was so much happier for it!

Meanwhile, Mack-a-doo was so proud of his "punkin bwead" that he seasoned with careful 2.8 year old precision

poured in the pan...

and handed it over for baking....

Look how great it turned out! (wink wink)...

and it declared "de-wish-uss"!

Then we threw up some decorations around the house...

(My circa-1970-something trick or treat pumpkin...still holding on after all these years...)

We ended our fabulous fall day with a long awaited decoration on the front lawn, another piece of pumpkin bread for Mack and a few stories tucked in under the covers.. Radley was not having any of it which is why he is not in any of the photos....Mack sort of felt the same way, but came around eventually....I think there may have been a lollipop involved.

It was glorious and perfect October day, as it should be. And tomorrow will be filled with good friends and pumpkin painting and just enjoying being together, which ultimately is what we do best.

I love you so much my lovies...I hope you had a ball. I am looking forward to tomorrow's adventures...