What represents the transition from Summer to Autumn better than rain boots, apples and harvesting? I know you're thinking Pumpkin Spiced Lattes but this is a parenting blog and I'm hiding under the table just thinking about Clayton on a caffeine high, so we'll stick with the former. We wrapped up on a windy day last week and headed to a farm not too far from where we live. Malt Kilm Farm has a fantastic pick your own site and after our sensory success with that activity during the summer, we knew we couldn't go wrong by spending some time playing hunter gatherers again. The crops on offer here are more varied than most places depending on the time of year you visit and even at the end of the pick your own season we had plenty to choose from. We admired the flowers and foliage growing around the string beans, squash and courgette plots before making our way to the forests of sweetcorn plants. Clayton loved carrying the picked cobs around and the crops must have seemed ginormous to him... like a real adventure in his first pair of wellington boots. He is so confident on his feet now and he loved running around in the mud picking up whatever he could get his hands on and helping out with the picking activity. His personality is shining through and taking shape more and more every day.

We picked fresh autumn raspberries and gathered juicy apples from inside the farm shop before warming up with a pot of tea and sandwiches. But in truth, as nice as the farm shop and cafe was we couldn't wait to get home and put those apples to use! After a morning on the farm and a forecast of rain for the afternoon we used our time wisely and filled our house with the yummy scents of fall. We baked fresh batches of granola and stewed those apples ready to bake in a rustic, flavoursome apple and ginger pie! Summer might be over, but I think Autumn is my favourite time of year anyway...

Everythings better with pie right?