We went apple picking last weekend. This year, we went to a town called Blue Ridge (about 1/2 an hour north of where we went before in Ellijay). Previously, we went to a small orchard that had a few varieties of apples available for picking. This year, our visit to Mercier Orchards was quite a bit different -- good and bad. - good: lots of apples to choose from + beautiful grounds + extensive store with apple-related products, toys, and kitchen accessories.
- bad: inside the store, it felt as if 1,000 people were bustling through there -- it was hectic and crazy.
Here's a "souvenir photo" of the visit with our friends Mike, Sara, Aaron, and Alex. Alex is 4 and any time we hang out with these friends, Mercer talks about Alex for days and days.
The variety of apples was broad. We rode in a trailer pulled by a tractor through the orchard and they talk about the varieties of fruit that they have and the various seasons in which you can pick strawberries or blueberries. They also described the different flavors and varieties of apples that are were currently in season. The farm is large (200 acres) and boasts to have 100,000 trees. There were probably a dozen different varieties available for the picking while we were there. Each family picked a couple of different types that we were interested in and set out for lots of tasting and picking. Mercer - in seeing others pick from the tops of trees - wanted to try to climb on Todd's shoulders and pick the apples high on the branches. 
We had hoped to spend more time in the north Georgia mountains this year - but after apple picking and grabbing lunch in the cafe on site was about the limit with a 3 year old (and for us as well).
Mercer is saying a lot of things now like "excuse me" when he interrupts mine / Todd's conversations. Of course - we have to stop! He says "bless you" when we sneeze. He does that thing where he repeats what you say right after you say it so that he's sort of talking over you. He gargles now and will talk or sing while doing it. So far, he's learned to swallow what he's gargling when he bursts out laughing (thankfully) but I'm sure the day will come when he can't control his laughter and he'll send the liquid spewing! He also thinks it's funny to burp (but thankfully he'll say "excuse me" afterwards).
He's becoming a big, big boy...
.... riding his tricycle all by himself
.... dressing himself (when he wants to)
.... and even starting to entertain himself by pulling out his toys and playing or even coloring pictures on his own.
We'll end the post on a funny note (sort of). About a year ago we posted a picture of Mercer "sneaking" a juice box and crawling under a table to drink it. He's doing this again with some regularity now -- so we'll have to watch it!
He sneaks his potty treats / fruit snacks (which we've pretty much stopped giving him as he's growing out of it). He has also snuck some candy from a bag that he got at a recent church event. He hides under a different table now while he's savoring his "forbidden" treat. Sometimes we think he wants to get caught... he'll come into the room, cock his head to one side and look at us with a big grin on his face. We ask - what he's doing and he says "nuff-ing" and runs away with his hands behind his back. Most of the time it's something random that he's picked up - but sometimes it's something that he knows he's not supposed to have. This changes some things... can't just leave stuff laying around the house & "trust" that he won't get it without our help. He's figured out how to get what he wants (within reason) by himself~
This is going to be an intersesting phase!
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