The Apple Festival and Forest Preserve

The weekend was a little off for me.  Saturday was a hard day.  It was cold and rainy and I lost my car in a parking lot.  I was walking around and around clicking the car lock to try and hear it, but that wasn't working.  Naturally I was running late too so I was about ready to cry by the time I found it.  Thankfully, I didn't have Silas with me.  A few other things happened but I won't rehash it all.  Sunday was better!  In the afternoon we headed to the Heirloom Apple Festival that I've been looking forward to.  It was at the Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve.  I've never been to this particular forest preserve before.  There is a little farm house on the premises, the Durant House Museum.  It was so cool to walk through the house.  There were people in period clothing giving tours and slicing up heirloom apples.  They had about 10 apples to try and most of them I've never heard of before.  They also have a one room school house on the property.  You can go in and ring the big school bell, write on a slate "chalk board" with a piece of soap stone and try on the dunce cap.  I really love this kind of thing.  I didn't get so many great pictures, I had Silas in the sling and it's hard to take pictures like that but here's a few. 

The table of apples.

This is the table in the "modern kitchen." I loved the stove. 

Inside the school house. 

 

The dunce cap!!

Monday we went to the gym.  I didn't make it last week so I'm glad to be back at it this week.  Silas loves to go play with all the kids.  He couldn't get in the door to the play room fast enough.  

Today we went to a state park, this one is about 5 minutes from the house and I love it.  It's James Pate Philip State Park.  They have a cool nature center and lovely trails.  I haven't seen much of the trails, one time the creek was flooded over the bridge and today I was letting Silas walk around so we didn't make it far.  I thought we would be there for a couple hours, but he didn't last long.  He walked well for a while, but he keep tripping.  I was trying to teach him how to dust off his hands by brushing them on his pants.  I was demonstrating by brushing my hands on my pants and he walked over and dusted his hands off on my pants.  I cracked up.   

I'm trying to squeeze as much fun things as I can in the last few moments of my time with Silas as an "only" child.  Winter is coming and so is the new baby.  I'm afraid we will be cooped up and exhausted.  I know things will be changing dramatically, so I'm trying to treasure these last moments. 

I'm hoping to share a couple easy make-ahead breakfast ideas this week.  I love when I can get up and not think about frying eggs for the masses. 

How are you enjoying your last few moments before winter?