The leaves are slowly falling

More fairs, museums, weekends away, and many walks in the woods. This is how our fall is shaping up. Halloween is right around the corner and before we know it we will have snow on the ground and a slew of new things to experience. Part of me is dreading the cold weather as we won't be outside as much (aka a boxer and toddler bouncing off the walls) but another part of me is purusing Amazon for snowball makers and dreaming of snow angels and building snowmen! One of the best things about having a child is being able to act like a child with no judgement. Casey and I have never really grown up and Boden gives us the opportunity to embrace that!

We made it to the Cumberland Fair again this year. It's become a yearly tradition to go with my sister, Kristin (Auntie Kiki) and my brother, Nate (Uncle Na-Na). Boden loved the petting zoo though it made me nervous. I had the sense that the goats were just staring at Boden, plotting their chance to eat his shirt off. Luckily, he made it out with all clothes intact.

 

Fall weather is the best. There's just something about the cool air and the lack of humidity after a muggy hot summer that is so refreshing. Add in the vibrant, changing leaves and it's kind of perfect. It's arguably the best hiking weather of the year and we've been taking full advantage!

 

 

We spent Columbus Day weekend with my whole family at a cozy camp in the woods in Western Maine. This was our second year renting the house and we've always had the most amazing time. We all napped multiple times a day which made it the perfect getaway in my book.

Scattergories by the fire

What a difference a year makes

The weekend was a perfect mix of fun and play and rest and relaxation. B woke up at 5am every morning which was rough for everyone. Casey, Kale, B and I set out for a moonlit walk every morning to delay the inevitable of the entire house being woken up. Luckily, Boden is in high demand so everyone was happy to see him, even if it was before the sun came up.

 

-Nicole

 

Fair season is here!

Fridays have unofficially become our family fun day. Casey usually only works for a few hours in the morning or not at all so we've been getting out of the house and enjoying the beautiful autumn weather that we've been having!

Two Fridays ago we packed up and made the hour and a half drive to Unity, ME to visit the Common Ground Fair. I've always loved the Common Ground. It doesn't have the rides and the typical midway that you'll find at the other fairs in the state. We hadn't been since I was pregnant with Boden so we were excited to let him run around and see everything the fair has to offer.

It was a perfect fall, sunny day and Boden loved it! He played in the hay and with hula hoops in the kids area and ran around everywhere. We ate fresh tacos and french fries and looked at all the animals. We arrived at the fair at 1:30 and didn't get home until almost 7! We had fresh blueberries and fresh apple cider and brought home a bunch of veggies from the different farm stands. Towards the end of our visit B lounged back in his stroller and kicked his feet up (literally). He was a tired little guy and was content with looking around from his comfy little chariot.

The rest of the weekend we played, ate and the boys watched football on Sunday. Casey made a mega meal from all of our fresh goodies from the fair and all three of us ate to our hearts content!

 

The change of seasons has us all out of whack so I've been off my game getting things posted. Sleep schedules are off, molars are still coming through and it's wreaking havoc! There's also lots of good stuff amidst the chaos and there's definitely more to come; stay tuned!

-Nicole

 

 

Fall is in the air. And so is dessert.

We've been moving a little slower than normal this past week. Chalk it up to the seasons changing, but we've definitely been dragging a bit! The windows are all closed, the L.L. Bean slippers are on and the throw blankets are back in rotation. I've honed in on the cozy little chaise part of our sectional and have utilized it during many of B's naps this week. I've hit up the library and am diving head first into a few different books. The Leopin household is slowly starting to hunker down.

This past week we celebrated my dad's 66th birthday. Nine of us enjoyed a great dinner at Byrnes' Irish Pub in Brunswick and then hit up the Brunswick Mall for some football. (The Town Mall is a park that runs alongside part of Maine street.) Dinner was fun and eventful, which it always is with a toddler, and the fun in the park was much needed to help digest the copious amounts of food we all ate.

 

We played at home a lot but did manage to look at some trucks, get to the playground and a hike and also went to a wonderful dinner at Casey's parents house. Our Aunt Patty was heading home to South Dakota and our Uncle Mickey was heading to a new job in Arizona. So...we ate (what else?) to all connect before they both headed out on their cross country travels.

 

We also took Boden apple picking which was so much fun. It was a beautiful day with the hint of Fall in the air. We picked out pumpkins and apples and ate homemade donuts, straight out of the oven. It's been just a few days and the apple pie Casey made is almost polished off. Oops! (And I apologize in advance for the plaid overload. He was just too sweet that day. I could eat him up.)

 

 

We capped off the week with a last minute date night, courtesy of Auntie Kiki. She offered to come and put the big B to bed so we could have a night out. It was a much needed, pleasant surprise. Thanks Kiki!! We got drinks at Joshua's Tavern and had dinner at one of our favorite places, Little Tokyo. We obviously had to get Gelato afterwards. I mean, come on. It's next door for crying out loud. Oops again! And note to self: never go on a date during football season to a place with a television.

Busted watching football.

 

Fall is in the air and football season is officially upon us. I joke about football season and how I lose my husband for those six months, but it actually forces us to slow down and relax and has come to be something we all enjoy. Fall Sundays have always been a "thing" with Casey and I for as long as I can remember. We've always stayed in our sweats and slippers, made a big meal, cuddled on the couch and puttered around. Boden has his Patriots gear ready to go! I pulled out the crock pot this week and made my mouth watering chili and also some chocolate chip cookies. Casey just whipped up a hearty vegetable lasagna and an apple pie from our freshly picked apples. We gotta eat, right?!

-Nicole