Cider Mills and Samaritans

I love this time of year!  School, cool weather, soccer, cider mills, leaves.  Can wear jeans and finally stop shaving my legs every day. :)  It's the little things.  First order of business - visit my favorite cider mill on their opening day.  It was a perfect day and I was in such a good mood that I even promised the kids cider and donuts - something I've never done before because I'm a nazi like that.  They were flipping out with joy.  Then I saw the sign - Cash or Check Only.  I had neither.  "There's an ATM right over there," the lady informed me.  Did't have an ATM card either.  Just had my credit card.  Why are there still places that don't accept credit cards??  So I stood there with my change-for-parking-meters bag counting out nickels and dimes trying to scrape together the exorbitant price for a couple measly donuts and some juice while my kids looked on with tear-filled eyes at the thought that they weren't going to get their treat after all.  I ended up $1 short of the price to get them each something, so I started to negotiate, "Who wants to share a cup or who doesn't really need cider and just wants a donut?"  Just then a woman came over to me.  "I have three kids and they would flip out if they didn't get their cider and donuts when we come here.  Take this."  She handed me a five and 2 ones.  "O thank you!!," I said, "I actually even just need one dollar."  "Really!? That's all?" she said, "Then really, please take it," and she left me her dollar and walked away.  So nice!!  Everyone got their donut and cider and called it the highlight of their day.  May heaven smile upon that good Samaritan.

The corn box.  Since it was opening day, the corn was still all in the box, not scattered on the ground, and it was still fresh and sweet smelling.  So much fun.  Even I played in it for a while.  I couldn't resist.  How often do you get to be buried in corn?

The obligatory hay bale jumping photo.  See here and here for previous year's photos.   I take a picture of Benjamin jumping on these bales every year.  Fun to see the progression.

Even Christian wanted to get into the action.  It was at this age that Benjamin jumped from one to the other for the first time, but Christian is a very different boy and there is no way in the world he'd have made it, so I encouraged him to just try jumping to the ground by himself.  He thought he was hot stuff that he could do that.

With the beginning of a new school year, I encouraged the kids to set some goals.  I read "The Entitlement Trap" by the Eyres and they talk about this concept a lot in there.  Having kids set goals in various aspects of their lives at the beginning of the school year, even starting at a very young age.  Bella decided to set a goal to learn to ride her bike without training wheels.  Benjamin started riding without them at age 3 and was standing up on his seat and trick riding at 4, so when Bella hit 5 and still had no interest at all in learning how to ride without them, I was a bit discouraged.  I try not to compare, but I guess I was a little.  However, once she decided she was going to learn, she was gung-ho.  Not sure what changed, but she set that goal and she went out and practiced non-stop.  In one day she was doing it.  I was floored.  It just took her wanting to do it and she could.  She was able to ride past 2-3 houses before toppling.  On day two she rode from our house to the park two streets over and back without trouble.  On day three she did it again and on day four, to a different park, even farther away.  It's official, she rides without training wheels and she's good!  We are very proud of her.  Check out her grin in this video from the first day.  She is so happy!  I love that.  I love seeing my kids work hard and achieve something and find happiness in it.  Now we need to find a new goal!

Just had to post this.  Christian loves Mumbo ("I miss Mumbo whenever we are not home") but the feeling is not mutual.  Mumbo tolerates Christian.  Tolerates the screeching and the backwards brushing.  He tolerates the stuffed animals riding his back and the cars rolling over his head and the blankets being wrapped around him.  Chrisitan just can't get enough of Mumbo and bless Mumbo for being a good sport.