While most of the brain is blank when we are born, boys, it seems, are born with a part of the brain that understands one fundamental truth: lightsabers are awesome. Here is my proof:

Isaac has never seen a lightsaber before, not on the screen or in person in the toy store (or the Jedi Temple). But instantly he knew: a) it was cool, b) how to make it make noise, and c) how to turn it on. Proof that boys have an innate love of lightsabers.

Now the video:

As usual we took our annual trip out to Red Apple Farm for some apple picking. This is probably our 8th or 9th year in a row and our second with Isaac Anthony. This time we persuaded my friend Sarah and her family to come with us. They have two boys, Jacob, who is probably around 4 and Zachary (aka Zacharoo) who is six weeks old. So it was Mom, Dad, Isaac, Sarah, Jacob, Kevin, and Zachary at Red Apple. Things were a little different this year from last year.  Here is last year's pumpkin picture:

and here is this year's pic:

We picked a metric TON of apples.  We got there at 9:30 thinking that there would be very few people there other than us and the Amorins (Sarah's family), but to my surprise there were dozens of families all with very little kids.  It seems that everyone Isaac's age wakes up at 6:00 AM. 

We had a great time playing with the farm animals.  They had pen with goats, sheep, a cow, and a donkey in it.  They had another pen with bunch of pigs, another with rabbits, and a fourth with chickens and roosters.  All of this absolutely delighted Isaac.  What he liked the best though was watching Dad FEED the animals.  We bought a thing of feed and all of the four legged creatures would eat from my hand.  The cow's thick, heavy, wet tongue felt like sandpaper dipped in snot, but Isaac hooted and howled the entire time so I hung in there, animal-hating germaphobe that I am. 

He was an especially relaxed kid the whole time hanging out in his wagon and eating an apple just like a big kid with skin on and everything:

Not sure what is more American than that.  Kevin is a tall guy, but combined with Jacob they could reach the very highest apples.  Isaac sat and watched their towering talents.  Sarah, Bianca, and I all watched like Zachary who cooed and gurgled with glee.  It is hard to remember little Johnny Appleseed at that stage now that he walking around and eating raw apples with his six teeth.

We all had a great time and now Bianca has apples for Isaac from now until the end of 2014.   

We have been all radio silent for a week, but we did so for good reason.  We have been weaning Isaac and changing the sacred night time routine.  It started when, Wednesday night, he just didn't want to nurse.  And then Thursday, same thing.  Friday, you guessed it.  It has been three days in a row now with no boobie milk whatsoever.  We read him his stories and Mom snuggles with him and then he goes to bed.  Thus far, no problems, other than the fact that both parents can't deal with the change.  Isaac, of course, is fine.  He is an amazing kid and gets more amazing everyday.