Yesterday was one of those perfect days as a parent. I forgot about chores and to-do lists at home and focused only on having fun with my kids. We set out on an adventure to Baa Moo Farm with the local Mothers of Multiples organization. The country escape was just what we needed on a beautiful fall day.

Baa Moo Farm is by far one of my favorites places that I’ve visited with my kids. It’s a small place, so it’s not such an overwhelming destination to tackle with small kids. However, we did leave Siler behind (with adult supervision of course) since he’s now walking just well enough to be dangerous when on the loose.

We began the morning with a hayride tour. We all piled onto a trailer and a tractor pulled us around the farm. It was little boy heaven for Eli. To him, there’s nothing more amazing than riding on a giant tractor. The highlight of the outing was having his picture taken while sitting atop a red tractor. This kid began lobbying for a photo on the red tractor as soon as he eyed it, and I was happy to help my three year old boy’s dream come true. It’s too bad all dreams can’t be this easy to fulfill.

Mila, our resident animal whisperer, was excited about feeding and petting the animals. Out of all of the farm animals there (cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens), a cat mesmerized her the most. Go figure. I pay for her to see animals she wouldn’t ordinarily see, and she gets more excited about a house cat. I wonder how much time I can buy before she’s begging for a family pet. That’s all I need is yet another family member for which I’d be responsible for their pee and poop!

For me, the great joy of the day was watching Mila and Eli as they fed a bottle to a calf, milked a cow, grabbed an egg from the chicken coup and ran through the pumpkin patch. I loved watching them explore new territory and hearing the excitement in their voices as they made new discoveries. Of course, I also got a little camera happy and snapped about 100 photos to permanently document a three-hour time period. I know. I have a serious problem.

When we arrived back home, Mark asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Mila said, “Eating lunch with Mommy outside.” It was one of those incredibly sweet moments that make all the crappy ones as a parent all worthwhile. It also reminded me that it doesn’t matter so much what I do with my children as long as I’m spending quality time with them. Apparently, a simple picnic lunch with Mom ranks high up there. Now I have even another reason to love peanut butter and jelly.

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