Fall extravaganza

[rivka]

I took the kids to a farm up north of the city this afternoon. They've got a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, farm animals on display, a hay bale mini-maze for little kids, a dried-corn sandbox, apples and cider, and every other feature of wholesome harvest Americana imaginable.

When I could get past the self-conscious awareness that "I am having an iconic family experience!" I enjoyed myself.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day:



I had been kind of dubious about whether it would be wise to enter the corn maze when I had both kids by myself. (Look at that thing!) But Alex was really, really excited and we decided to go for it. Because we've had torrential rains recently, areas of the maze - especially near the entrance - were unbelievably muddy. They'd put down sheets of plywood which were now only covered in a couple of inches of mud, but if you stepped off the plywood you could easily find yourself in sucking, oozing mud up over your shoe tops.



Fortunately it was much drier and less terrifyingly slippery as you got further in.

I loved the way the maze was designed. If you wanted an intense challenge, you could search the maze for twelve way stations that had irregularly-shaped hole punches attached. If you punched your ticket with all twelve, you "won." But if you just wanted the experience of wandering around in a maze, it wasn't that difficult to figure out which direction would bring you back out. Alex loved it. She led the way, directing us at every intersection with great authority. (There weren't many dead ends, just paths that led into other paths.)



And of course we bought a pumpkin, and rode the hayride, and admired the livestock, and had a snack of hot cider and pumpkin bread. Colin slept almost the whole time, which is exactly what one hopes from a baby in such an environment.

It was a lovely afternoon.

Comments

[rivka.livejournal.com]

It's called a Maya Wrap (http://www.mayawrap.com/). I love it. In that picture, Colin is lying down sleeping, but you can also ride an older baby or toddler in a range of upright positions. The material is loosely woven cotton so it's breathable and not too hot in the summer.

Don't buy a sling from Target or Babies R Us. You don't necessarily have to choose a Maya Wrap, but do a web search on "babywearing" and look for something that's made by people who are really committed to slings.

Hotsling (http://www.hotslings.com/) is another brand you might consider - their patterns are less crunchy-granola than Maya Wrap. They have a new "adjustable" version that's supposedly "one size fits most," but their original sizing goes up to a 3X.

Hotslings don't adjust with rings like the Maya Wrap - it's a pouch that you slip the baby into and go. Some people prefer that; Michael did. I prefer to be able to way loosen up the Maya Wrap so I can nurse holding the baby on my lap and then tighten it up in for carrying once he falls asleep.

[lizzibabe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your help!