Apple Picking

Last Saturday we headed out to the Wisconsin border to The Royal Oak Farm Orchard to pick some apples. The weather wasn't promising, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. We ate a yummy and filling lunch at the restaurant (including an apple dumpling) before we headed out to the orchard, wondering if we would be able to try any apples while we were picking since our bellies were so full, but we needn't have worried. :)

The tractor was a little scary, but Catie soon loosened up and enjoyed the ride.

Nick, on the other hand, wouldn't sit on my lap because he was too excited about sitting on his own on the bench. (He's behind my dad in this picture.)

Yum! What's better than an apple that you picked yourself?

Catie likes to take little bites all over the apple. :)

Grandpa and Aunt Jenny entertained the kids while we were waiting for the tractor.

You might have noticed that Wesley was crying in the tractor picture. He soon took a little nap in the fresh air.

We had to rent a wagon to carry all those apples.

Then we picked out a few pumpkins.

The farm also had a petting zoo, a playground, train rides, an orchard tour, and a carousel.

Here's Catie telling the goats to "get down!" just like Grandma and Grandpa Herzog's puppies.

Nick loved feeding the little goats.

They both ran around singing, "Old Mc farmer had a farm. EIEIO!" What a fun day!

I can't resist posting this video

I promise I'll get around to posting more about what we're up to when it doesn't include sentences like "We're still at my parents' house" and "No new news."

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Under the Big Top

On Friday night we went to the circus with the twins for the first time. It was one of those small travelling circuses. (The juggler was also our ticket taker, and the Roly Boly guy sold us a program.) We had "box seats" meaning that we had a sectioned off spot right next to the ring. It was trouble right away when the clowns came out. Catie and Nick started shaking like I've never seen before. Mom and I scooped them up onto our laps and tried to distract them with food and drinks. Then the tigers came out. They were the laziest tigers I've ever seen. It took them 10 minutes to do the act and the highlight was when one tiger jumped over the backs of three other tigers. But, the kids liked it and calmed down. The juggler was excellent, the dog trainer was even more pathetic than the tigers, and the other performers wouldn't have made it on America's Got Talent. We decided to leave during intermission because we had company. As we were leaving, Catie said, "The circus is fun!" She could have fooled me while we were sitting there, but I tried to encourage her good feelings so that we would be able to enjoy it more some other time. They both talked about all the things that they remembered (which was more than we thought) the whole way home.