Nate's Butt Farm

My kids in the country

(disclaimer: Chloë dressed herself, as usual)

Or "Bates Nut Farm" as it's actually called.  For some reason I have been switching the first letters or words around lately.  Confusion caused by early onset dementia?  Myke asked me where I was planning to take the kids today and I said, "Nate's Butt Farm"...realized right away that it didn't sound quite right...so at least I have that going for me, right?  The realization that it's incorrect?  So it can't be dementia-related.  Right?

Anyways, I hadn't been out to this farm, BATES NUT Farm, since Fall 2008 when Myke and I went with friends to go get pumpkins.  It's HUGE at Halloween time.  Packed to the brim.  I've been wanting to go out there with the kids during that time of year, but it's always SO hot out east in October.  So you're elbow to elbow with the rest of the population of San Diego on a not-so-big farm all trying to get the best over-priced pumpkin.  All while sweating.  Maybe it would be better on a weekday in October.  At least it would have smaller crowds.  

So, I decided to just go up there today.  It's April so they don't have any of the Autumn festivities going on, obviously, but they still have the farm animals and the out-in-the-country feel thing going on.  A little adventure.  I like to go on adventures.  I'm not one to sit around the house.  In fact, I have to make a very conscientious effort to have HOME DAYS with my kids.  I know they need those once in awhile.  I just always would rather go out and about.  My adventures used to be a lot more exciting than 45-minute drives to farms to feed animals corn kernels, but I'll take what I can get.  Hey, I do it for the kids.  At least that's what I say :)

Impossible to get a good picture of 4 children at one time.

Impossible.

Owen feeding the llama

Creepy mechanical man (on the left!) in the store on the farm.

No one else would go near him.  Owen would only get this close.

Goats galore!

Ella 

Love these two shots (below) of Owen & Ella.  He just ADORES his baby sister.  It's so sweet to witness.  He has always been such a kind and gentle soul.  He seems to have been born with great empathy, as he would always be sad when anyone else around him was sad.  So concerned about why they were crying or just frowning.  Very in touch with other's emotions.  He is always so excited to see Ella when they wake up in the morning, loves to hug her, pat her back, hold her, etc.  He has never done anything to harm her or bother her (not that the other two really have, but Eli will occasionally try to poke her in the eye or ear....and Chloë always tries to pick her up, which Ella does not like and she lets everyone know by screeching a screech that stops all conversations and puts all eyes right on her...wth was that noise?!)

Overall, the trip to the farm was a lot of fun.  We saw miniature donkeys, sheep, goats, llamas, a turkey, chickens, a rooster, a peacock, a giant tortious (didn't know that was a farm animal), and two giant potbelly pigs.  Oh, and two Emu's that hissed at us.  The boys were also excited to see a tractor plowing the fields and getting it ready for pumpkins.  We fed and admired the animals, had a picnic lunch, checked out the store, checked out the animals some more, and then headed home.  Fun day!