Cox Farms Fun

We bit the bullet over the weekend and decided to be one of the many to visit Cox Farms this fall season.  We hadn't been to a pumpkin patch yet and heard that this was the "mother of all farms" so we packed up the kid and headed to the farm.  And what a farm it was!  When we arrived, the parking lot resembled that of an amusement park - rows and rows of mini vans with attendants telling us where to go while we dodged many a stroller.

We headed to the mega line, paid the mega entrance fee and walked into the mega farm.  What a place ~ we didn't know where to look first!  From the 42 pound watermelon that took first prize at the state fair, to the variety of slides, to the many kettle corn stands, we were in awe.

We decided to check things out and made our way into the farm.  Along the way were all kinds of photo opps that we just HAD to take advantage of.  James was a big fan of the bales of hay that were scattered around the place.  He was so busy checking it out that he could not raise his head for a photo. I mean, come on people ~ it's HAY!

We made our way over the Milk'n Parlor and caught the final minutes of Farmer Joe milking good ole' Bessie. Okay, so I made up both their names but you get the idea.  :)  It was a cute show and got the bigger kids involved in the milking process.  James decided to pass on assisting and just watched with us from the side lines.  

After the show, we decided to check out some of the farm animals.  James has never really been around any animals other than Lucy (and we don't even consider her an animal!).  He was in awe - did lots of staring and actually reached out on a few instances to touch the cages.  My personal favorites were the piggies, but I think James really liked the bunnies.

In the end, we were able to pick out some pumpkins to bring home and get that always important "baby with a pumpkin" photo.  James was really more interested in mouthing on the pumpkin, but we managed to get a few pictures.

So there you have it.  Our time at the farm was fun, but I think that next year will be much better when the little man can take advantage of more of the offerings.  Happy Fall Festival!!!

Fall Festival 2012

It has become a tradition in the Mangiaracina household to attend the annual Fall Festival in Fairfax City. We kind of stumbled onto it the first year after we spent the day apple picking.  Last year, we made a point of going and brought Lucy to join in on the fun. This year was extra special because we were able to share it with James (who was outside my belly this time!) and Grandma Q.

It was a perfect fall day with a shining sun and a cool breeze.  We dressed James in his new outfit that we think was quite appropriate for the outing.  I mean, doesn't every baby need a fleece vest to match his fleece pants? :)

We met Grandma by the fire station and started browsing through the many vendors' booths.  There was everything from photography to jewelry to homemade dog biscuits to crocheted hats.  The 2 political campaigns were out in full force along with a slew of local organizations.  We made our way through the crowd searching for our favorite vendor: Jack's Pup Stuff.  This is where we go each year to buy Lucy's collars.  Last year we got 2 adorable collars (bumble bees and doggy fire hydrants).  This year, we decided to get 3 - lady bugs (which she is wearing now, more bumble bees and a holiday collar with  mittens).

Another great thing about the festival is the people you run into.  This year's list included the Paynes - parents to one Miss Katie Payne and Mary Malloy - one of Aunt Suzy's good friends from elementary school along with her family.  

After catching up with some peeps and checking out the crazy hydraulic-induced cars at the mini car show, it was time to eat. Off we went to get our traditional noodles and chicken on a stick meal, kettle corn and ice cream.  :)

As per usual, James slept through most of the day and pretty much missed it all.  But you know what?  We'll take a sleep baby over a crying baby any day of the week.  Lucy was in all her glory checking out all of the smells and eating some chicken on a stick.  :)  Happy Fall everyone!

Who Needs Toys...

Did I really say that?  The girl that has an office FILLED with toys and who works for the Toy Industry Association?  Well, it seems that my son has not quite inherited my love for toys just yet.  I mean, who needs toys when you have the Sunday advertisements from the Washington Post?!

This was the scene last Sunday morning.  James was rolling around on the floor playing with his actual toys.  His favorites as of late are this puzzle that Grandma Q. bought him:

...and his See and Say that I picked up from the consignment sale a few weeks back.

I sat down next to him armed with a delicious cup of coffee and the Sunday newspaper complete with the advertisements.  I like to sit on the floor on him not only to keep an eye on him, but to join in on the fun he always seems to be having.  On this day, the pretty, shiny, colorful advertisements caught his eye.  So much so that no toy could distract him.  This is what unfolded:

He had a ball rolling around in them, crumpling them, shaking them and trying to eat them (Mommy put a stop to this as much as she could!).  He was particular to the Target ad which made me very proud. :)

Now I know that toys will play a very important role in James' life as he grows up, but it's nice to see that in a bind, we can always give him a Sunday ad to keep him occupied.  :)

True Love

For some reason, we never seem to have a camera around when the perfect moments occur.  Or if we do, we miss it by half a second.  But sometimes, we get lucky and are able to capture moments like this:

Nothing melts my heart more than seeing my son laughing like this with his sister, Lucy.  I think they are going to be best friends for life.  :)