field trip

we were all able to go on madelyn's class field trip to an apple orchard (we later learned that they also grow peaches).  it was huge and right in the middle of a regular (under a half acre lot size), established neighborhood.  i kept thinking that i was going the wrong way, but then there it was.

first the kids played with their sign that has a little door that folds down so that you can stick your face through.  imagine 10-15 four-year-olds (and mason) playing on both sides.  guess who got their finger pinched - madelyn.  sometimes it feels like she just looks for ways to injure herself...  mason liked it because it was a little like playing peek-a-boo with the little trap door.

once it was our turn, we all piled up in the wagon for a hayride out into the orchard.  it was beautiful.  and huge!  i couldn't believe that we were in a neighborhood!

madelyn wrapped her arm around mason the whole time so that he wouldn't fall (i didn't get a picture).

after a few minutes of riding, they let us off to walk around and pick an apple each.  having never seen an apple tree, madelyn and mason kept going for the apples on the ground.  i had to explain that they only wanted ones off the trees.  mason still didn't get it and kept putting his down and would need to pick another. 

the grower told us that they only spray when they are blossoms so the fruit was fine to eat in the field (it has also rained a lot the day and night before so they were fresh 'washed').  i didn't eat mine because i was carrying maddux and it would have been too tricky.  mason ate the entire apple - the entire apple - seeds and all.  he and madelyn both said that they were delicious.  we had fiji apples because that was the only variety they hadn't finished picking.  and the apples are hand picked.  we were all surprised by this and got to watch them working on the neighboring row.

madelyn and some of her classmates (with mason)

isn't it pretty?

after the orchard, we were taken back to their 'factory' where they make cider and clean and bag apples.  did you know that all of the apples go through a little computer that weighs each one and sorts them into bags so that each bag weighs exactly the same?  or that apples don't freeze until 27 degrees because of their high sugar content? (at least i think i heard that right - i should google it before i post, but you can...) on the way out they gave each child an apple stamp on their hand and a little bag with an apple farm coloring book and an apple juice in an apple shaped container.

it was a nice field trip and i love that mason can participate too.  love.