Month: October 2015

Fall fun at the corn maze + pumpkin patch

On By alliegardnerIn Everyday LifeLeave a comment

I’m just a giant kid masquerading as an adult, so, naturally, Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it: pumpkin patches, corn mazes, scary movies, (pretty sure I’ve seen every single one ever made), caramel apples, jack-o-lanterns, dressing up, trick-or-treating, and, of course, candy (bring on the Snickers and the Nerds!). One of the best things about having a little kid now is that I can do all of that fun little-kid stuff without people thinking I’m a total weirdo. 
 IMG_8262I could never drag my husband to a pumpkin patch when it was just him and I, but now he has no excuse. I wanted to go big this year, seeing as it was Miles’ first real Halloween. (He was so little last year that it didn’t really count.) So, I was excited to discover a farm called Liberty Mills, home to the biggest corn maze in Virginia. It’s on 25 acres (25!) and this year it had an Alice in Wonderland theme.

There are actually four mazes of escalating difficulty, but we only made it through two–that backpack is heavier than it looks. And Miles wasn’t quite ready to enjoy it as I had imagined he would… you know, running through the corn stalks with a huge smile on his face having the best time ever. Really, he just looked confused the entire time: Where the heck are we and what are we doing? But I still had fun!

IMG_8243Jamie was much better at navigating the maze than I was. Miles would probably have been better at it than I was. I got us totally lost. And it started getting pretty hot in there without any shade. Good thing we had a map!
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The mini corn maze for kids was more Miles’ speed. It was more of a corn tunnel, but he l-o-v-e-d it. I think he may have loved playing in the huge pile of straw even more, though.
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Driving the tractor was a huge hit, too. What a little farmer–ear of corn in one hand, steering wheel in the other. IMG_8340

When it was time to pick our pumpkins, we had to stop and check out each and every one. Hmmm, which one shall I choose? Big decision!IMG_8344

It took awhile, but we finally found three perfect ones. I know Miles will probably never remember this day, but I always will! IMG_8352

What should I write about now?

On By alliegardnerIn Our Adoption Story19 Comments

IMG_8068I’ve been doing a lot of writerly soul searching lately… what should I be writing about? Is it OK to blog about my son? How much of our story is mine to tell? Now that our adoption is finalized, is Adopting Charlie’s journey over or should I write about our lives together? We’re talking about starting the process for a second child soon – should I blog about that?

I *think* people are still finding this site useful. I get a few new readers now and then and I love reading comments when they come in. But I’m having a bit of writer’s block when it comes to Adopting Charlie. I’m not sure where to take it next, if anywhere. So, I thought I’d ask you all.

What do you want from this site? What would be helpful to you in your own journeys?

Please leave a comment with any ideas or inspiration. I’d love to hear what you’d like to see me cover and/or if you think I’ve said all I should say.

Thank you so much!

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