The boys and I took a field trip over the weekend to visit a local farm that was celebrating fall with a “Harvest Festival” for the month of October. I was really looking forward to it, because I had taken them to the Hunt Club Farm once before and they loved interacting with all the animals, so I figured this would be another fun outing. Among the activities for the fall harvest were music and dancing, bounce houses and carnival rides…most of that works better for older children, but they both did brave a bounce house filled with toddlers for some jumpy good times. We also took a hayride around the farm, which was surprisingly fun and the kids really loved it. We sat on hay bales in “open air” seating and got the true vibe of being on a farm, as we spotted horses, scarecrows and ducks along the way.

I love that this farm has a great petting area for kids of all ages to enjoy. Last time we visited Raef was really into the chickens, but this time, he was happy to make friends with the goats. First the boys fed them from the outside of their pen, letting the goats eat right out of the palms of their hands….then we went inside the goat area where they got up close to the animals. Raef was quick to grab a brush to “groom” the baby goat’s coat, while Isaiah was over it after a while and just wanted to sit in his stroller and wave hi to the goats!

Now the main reason I wanted to take them to the harvest fair was to find some pumpkins!! It’s always fun to watch and observe children at this age because they experience so many things for the first time, as they try to figure out what’s in front of them. When we initially walked into the pumpkin area, Raef took the initiative to start picking up pumpkins and proceeded to line them up, as if to create a barrier of pumpkins! So of course, little brother Isaiah followed suit, grabbing each one by the stem, then trying to reattach the stems that got pulled off…it was CUTE! At one point I did have to tell Raef that these were not basketballs, when he attempted to shoot them, and then again that they were not soccer balls, when he tried to kick them! Ay yi yi… 🙂

You know, sometimes as a parent you sit back and think… am I doing this for them or for me? As a Mom, I know I am always doing my best to teach them about occasions and expose them to different things, even at their very young age. It often takes more work on my part, especially as I constantly try to capture all these moments in photos or make sure they get the full experience, but it’s worth it. Seeing my child sit and play in hay for the first time, picking up straw and throwing it around, the excited squeals when they can point at a horse or pet a goat…they might not remember it, but I will. All that being said…operation “Goats, Pumpkins and a Hayride,” was a success!