Happy First Birthday MiniM.E.!

Sunday we had a party for MiniM.E.  

This is why I haven't written a blog post in forever.

the cake

MiniM.E. got to open a few presents early... 

the bow was the best part

 MiniM.E. seemed to have a good time, though she really didn't have a clue what was going on.  The whole cake thing?  She didn't have a clue.

"seriously? what is going on?"

"you really wanted me to wear this?"

"am I done?"

blowing out the candle

 I was hoping for a baby smashing her face into a cake.  Instead I got this:

daintily "smashing" the cake

feeding Mommy

feeding Daddy

 Typical MiniM.E.  She didn't even TASTE the cake.

at least WE liked opening presents

"that's right I'm one.  and don't you forget it!"

MiniM.E.'s favorite part of the party was the balloons.  A huge thank you to my parents, who, despite the helium shortage and the extreme difficulty of finding a place to buy helium without remortgaging their house, managed to find us enough helium to inflate more balloons than any one-year-old needs at a party (I needed them though-all of them).  THANK YOU!!

 

...Okay, it might have been a tie between helium balloons and Daddy juggling

Oh, did I forget to mention it was also Bob's birthday?  Lucky him: from now on his birthday is all about MiniM.E.  But  birthdays aren't important when you're old anyway, right?  Still, he got a present. No, not MiniM.E., though she does look cute in a bow... A wheelbarrow.  Which, actually... is more of a present for MiniM.E. since it's purpose is obviously giving her rides...

Monday was actually MiniM.E.'s birthday and my mom and I took her to...

BOWMAN ORCHARDS!  Again!  Because she really loves it.  She rocked the teeter totter.

and the tractor

and the slides

Until it started raining and we had to move our mini-party to the Tiny Tots Tea Room... which, if you live near Clifton Park and have a child under the age of 6 is a fantastic place to go.

I was a little worried about MiniM.E. turning one.  I've only been dreading it for months.  BUT... as it turns out, she's even awesomer today than she was yesterday.  And today she was one.  All day.  So... I guess it will be alright.  I just have to get used to the fact that she's not a baby anymore.  Officially.  She'll always be my baby...

Apple Picking

Sunday morning we went to an apple orchard with my parents and C. & H.

Remember H.?

isn't he a cutie? no wonder MiniM.E. has a crush on him

We went to Meadow Ledge Farm, and this time, we actually picked apples.

But first, we picked through some pumpkins

Then we got on the haytractor ride to the orchard

Ate some apples

Picked some apples (or at least looked like we were)

Rode the tractor back (while the babies ate more apples)

And played a while...

Before heading home.

The babies had a blast eating apples, picking flowers and riding the tractors.

And might I add that they have THE BEST apple cider donuts?  Seriously... any cider donut you've ever had can not compare to these ones.  They make them hot right in front of you on one of those old-fashioned donut machines and they're hot and greasy and super tasty.  mmmm... donuts....

Is it sad that the thing I write the most about is donuts??  But really... they are sooo good.

More Orchard Fun

I've noticed that having a baby toddler means finding something your child likes to do and repeating it multiple times.  Not that I don't love feeding the ducks at the pond, riding the carousel, and going for wagon rides.  I do those things are awesome to do with MiniM.E.  Things I don't love quite as much include standing in the spider-infested-shed pointing at and naming things, reading my least favorite children's books hundreds of times, continuously making my cell phone "play music", and climbing up and down the stairs searching for invisible pieces of dirt.

In the case of things fall-related, I'm in repetitive-toddler-activity-heaven.  Never would have I convinced myself it was necessary to visit an apple orchard (the same apple orchard) twice in less than a week just because it's a cool place and happens to have apple cider and donuts.

But NOW, I have an excuse.  MiniM.E. really likes the playground and the animals and the pumpkin patch.  (And really, without a toddler, it might be just a bit strange for me to be hanging out feeding the goats.)

Yesterday we went back to Bowman Orchards with one of our playgroup friends T. and her daughter, H. and our other friend, M.  They hadn't been yet... so what a great excuse for us to go again- we had to show them how awesome it was!

We decided against apple picking (because when there's a playground and animals, who has time for that?) and headed straight for the playground.

MiniM.E. loved it just as much the second time.  In fact, I think this time was even better because unlike last week when the playground was full of school groups on field trips, we were the ONLY ones there.

We had the playground all to ourselves.

And since there were no kids lining up to feed them, the animals were extra friendly (and extra hungry!).

We spent some time playing in the pumpkins.

And I may have given in to my love of obsession with all-things-fall-flavored obsession with some cider and donuts.