Nothing goes together better than the country and children. Here’s a list I’ve compiled of the top ten perks of living on the orchard with our boys, and the adventures that come with it!
1. Your four-year-old’s number one diversion is no longer TV but to “chase the chickens” all over the orchard– this effectively wears him out, making bedtimes much easier!
2. Your 18-month-old’s favorite footwear are mud boots, which are easy enough for him to put on himself– unfortunately like any good farm boy, he believes, mud boots should be worn to all places– you never know when you might encounter a mud puddle that needs exploring!
3. Bath time gives mom a sense of accomplishment seeing that dark muddy water swirling down the drain, reminds her of hot cocoa– a nice treat to enjoy when the kiddos are asleep.
4. Your boys know where their food comes from and they thoroughly enjoy disusing in great detail how their meat gets on the table to any unsuspecting listener.
5. You find your child pretend playing that he’s pruning trees like his daddy, which is really cute until you realize he has a real pruners. So you give him an old table knife to use instead. And then he ends up cutting his finger on that (a mom can never win).
6. Your 18-month-old prefers raw cucumbers to cookies– No Lie!
7. All your boys want for Christmas is a real live skid loader, or tractor, or you name the piece of equipment (which is really no sweat, because we keep them all in stock in the back yard– just add the bow).
8. Your four-year-old wakes up before dawn to go fishing in the puddle outside your house with his flashlight before preschool. His famous excuse for waking you, ” but Daddy’s already out working!”
9. If you ever lose sight of your boys they are easily found– just look for mud or chickens and they’ll most likely be nearby.
10. They become true apple snobs, they know most apples by name and request specific verities wherever they go. The fun part is that they encourage their friends to try them and their friends learn to eat healthier too!