An apple a day

After Jack used his cold, wet fingers to pry open my eyelid this morning at 6:30, it was kind of difficult to get back to sleep.  So I pondered the question he had asked upon my waking.  What are we going to do today?  Jordan and I decided that a trip to Apple Annie's was in order, and off we went.  I've been wanting to try my hand at apple butter, so we went to the orchard side of the complex and had a fantastic time picking our own apples.  Jack was all about riding in the wagon as long as we were willing to pull it, while Mitch used the apple picker as a lacrosse stick.  He'd pick up an old, rotten apple from the ground and put it into the basket, then turn and hurl it onto Jack, who would put it in the bucket.  Then Jordan or I would take it out of the bucket when they weren't looking.  Teamwork.  The morning went by so quickly but obviously we worked up an appetite, because guess who ate his very first apple today?  Jack picked a Rome Beauty right off the tree and ate it without me begging, bribing or coercing him!  This is the first time he has ate fruit willingly and with full knowledge.  I've been pureeing fruit and sneaking it into foods for over a year now just so he can get the vitamins, and I had almost given up on his ever coming around.  I took a thousand pictures, thinking that it was probably a one time deal and we'd never see this moment again but he surprised me by asking Jordan if he could have another to eat in the car for the drive home.  Mitch also discovered how great apples were, and after Jordan gave him a ripe apple and took the brown, squishy one away (Jord gagged the entire time), he was a very happy kid and he ate the entire apple.  Do you understand that I mean he ate the core, seeds and stem?  The entire apple.  Down the hatch.  And another one in the car on the way home.  I looked back in time to see him push the last bite of core into his mouth and when I told Jordan, he gagged again.  Sometimes it's fun to see how many times the kids can gross their dad out in a single outing.  Speaking of which, here's a friendly tip to those of you thinking of getting your kids to eat apples for the first time:  Do not give them carte blanche with a bushel of apples before a long car ride.  And for heaven's sake, don't feed them cheese curds during said car ride.  Not unless you like riding with the windows down. I think Jack started to get a belly ache, because he didn't finish one of his apples, and after I threw it out the window he tried to spit the bite he had in his mouth out the window too.  He realized immediately that Jim Croce knew what he was talking about when it came right back into his face and all over the inside of the door.   He's heard the song, but some things you just have to find out for yourself.  He hadn't spit all of it into the wind however, so I had the distinct pleasure of having chewed up apple drooled into my hand.   When I showed it to Jordan, you'll never guess what he did.

I know now that I am not cut out for a life of crime.  I just don't have the physical endurance it takes to live on that kind of edge.  I made a snake wreath the other day, using spray paint for the finishing touch and my pointer finger hasn't been the same since.  I've got tagger's finger (I think it's a cousin to tennis elbow).  If my finger can't handle a single can of spray paint, there's no way I could work my way down the side of a train in a night.  How do they do it?

Because I am currently engaged in an activity that makes watching the children turn into just keeping an eye on the children, Mitch has recognized an opportunity and has stolen another apple.  He's standing here next to me with obvious and extreme gas, and lets everyone know to hold their breath by yelling "EEWWWWWW!"  There are no words for this moment in motherhood.  I was so happy they were eating fruit...