Family Fun at Soergel's

Yesterday looked to be a gorgeous one, and since Daddy was free from work responsibilities, we took advantage of spending time together as a family of four. (Is it wrong to say that I'm hoping there won't be too many more days left for me to say that?!?) We decided to head up to Wexford to visit Soergel's, an orchard/family farm/market that we've heard about, oh, for the past four years, but managed never to visit. 

As I'm sure you can imagine, at this time of year it is all about the APPLES. I tried to get the guys to pose with the huge one at the entrance, but that didn't go over so well.

Moving on...

Soergel's has a couple of awesome "everyday play" areas for the kiddos. First was the pirate ship. Kaiser, Porter, and Daddy spent quite some time climbing up and down and all around this impressive wooden structure. 

"Arrrrrgh! Shiver me timbers!"

All aboard!

Boys below deck.

Peeking out the porthole.

Got quite a workout on the gangplank.

Sliding down the firepole (with some assistance from Mommy).

"It's a pirate's life for me!"

Next up was visiting the farm animals. In the barn we got to see two goats, a donkey, a calf, two sheep, and this monstrosity:

That is one massive slice of bacon!

They had machines available that dispensed handfuls of food for 25 cents, so we dropped about a dollar on pellets for the boys to feed the donkey and goats (all of which were very hungry). They couldn't get enough of it!

Once we were out of food (and after we'd sanitized our hands, of course), we ventured over to "Tiny Town". There was a pint-sized general store, a hotel, a doctor's office, and a jail for the kids to explore, as well as an adorable wooden train and a gigantic wooden monster truck.

"Let's see what this is all about."

Tiny Town & the choo-choo train.

"Am I crazy, or did the world just get smaller?"

Lock 'em up and throw away the key!

Look, my hubby's 6 feet tall. ;)

Feelin' like a stud behind the wheel of a monster truck.

Taking his parents for a spin.

"Where to, Folks?"

By that point, we'd worked up a bit of an appetite, so we headed back into the market to see what they had available in terms of a snack.

Porter gets the best rides these days.

It should come as no surprise that upon entering, the Bralys immediately gravitated toward the left side of the market -- the bakery side. What can I say? We love us some sweets! And, ohmyword, did their selection look divine. I was drooling over anything and everything pumpkin they had on display -- pumpkin cookies, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cream cheese bars. Not to mention every other non-seasonal baked good available! Amazingly, though, this preggo resisted. Though I'd originally envisioned the boys eating an apple or something healthy for a snack, the girl behind the counter at the deli (we were also checking out lunch options), asked if Kaiser and Porter could have a complimentary train cookie. Well, sure, why not?

About to bite into his "too-too-wane".

Declared that it "tasted like a train". (Yum?)

While we were sitting at our table, some young girls sat down beside us and started sorting through bags of colorful rocks. While in Tiny Town, we'd seen the sluice where kiddos could pan for gems, but didn't know the bags were for sale in the market. We quickly determined that would be our next activity. I took the boys back outside, while Daddy purchased a large bag of gems packed in dirt. Then he showed them how to empty the dirt into the mining pans and use the water running down the sluice to reveal the special rocks.

Searching for treasure together.

 Kaiser panning solo and gathering up his goods.

Porter needed a helping hand, and was protective of his "wocks".

From there, we went to browse in the gift barn, which boasts a third floor with a selection of over 400 Melissa & Doug toys. Great in theory; not as great when your kids are asked not to touch or play with anything! So obviously, our time spent in the shop was somewhat limited. We did enjoy watching live bees mill about in a glass-encased hive, which was on a turntable in the corner of the store.

Sad to hear the colony has a virus and is not thriving. :(

"RAWR!"

Soon the clock (and our tummies) were telling us that it was time for lunch. Brett went into the market to grab two of their signature sandwiches (turkey, cheese, apple slices, and honey mustard or balsamic on a pretzel bun -- delish!), and the boys and I got settled at a picnic table under a covered porch area. We enjoyed our meal, then I asked my guys to pose for a photo by a pretty water fountain.

Only slightly better than my first attempt by the apple statue.

Throughout our morning at Soergel's, we had been walking back and forth by huge bins of pumpkins and gourds. I knew that before we left, selecting a handful to bring home with us was a must.

Lining up our choices.

Praying our precious punkin will come out soon!

After we made one last stop in the market to purchase our fall decorations (and a couple of cookies for the road), we said goodbye to Soergel's. Though it took us 4 years to finally get there, we're hoping to at least pay it one more visit before we say goodbye to Pittsburgh next summer. We were instructed by Nat (who, many moons ago, resided in this part of the world -- sniff sniff!) to also check out Shenot Farm & Market just down the road. They had an open barn with hay bales set up along the outer edge, and inside was a slide. We took advantage of this perfect spot to eat our cookies and, of course, let the boys take a few trips down the slide. 

Mr. Rebellious going up the wrong way.

Pickin' up speed.

King of the world!

Daddy had to keep him from flying right off the bottom!

Wouldn't stand still long enough to get his height...surprise, surprise. 

It was clear the munchkins were feeling pretty worn out, so we went inside for a quick look around. Amazingly, we managed to leave without dropping a load of money on their fancy fudge and delicious-looking loaves of bread. (I just may have to return in a month or so, when I'm ready to cook hearty fall soups and in need of something to dip in them.)

While I stood in line to purchase a couple more cute gourds to display at home, Brett put the boys in the car, and we hit the road to get home to rest. As it turns out, Mommy and Daddy needed naps, too; he passed out for a couple of hours, and I lay down and dozed for about 40 minutes. The four of us had a quiet night at home -- I made dinner, the boys played in the back yard, the hubs and I stayed up far too late watching season 2 of Mad Men. 

I'm so thankful for a full day of making special memories with my trio of guys. Now, my mission for the week: Dive into life and stay busy enough to remain distracted from the fact that I'd really like to add a certain girl to all the memory-making! :)