Ahhh.....Apple Picking Time!

Well, one of my favorite things about living in St. Louis is fall! I never really got ot experience fall when I lived in Texas, and now I really appreciate it as an adult with a child! SInce I met Dan (13 years agg) we have been going apple picking at Eckerts...as everyone in the area does! He went very unwillingly each year in college and before Cole. Having a child to take makes it 1000 times more worth the trek! We have made it our 3 yr tradition with the Hudsons to take the families in the fall. We ride the ferry over, eat apples off the trees as we pick them, have lunch at the Finn Inn and then head back across the river. This year Kristy and Karl also joined us with the kids and we all had a wonderful time! This was Kristy and the kids first time! Can you believe that...and she grew up here! We took a new route...this year 2 ferries! It was freezing this year! THe boys ran through the orchard like maniacs and had a blast eating apples. Cole totally enjoyed the pumpkin cannon that shoots pumpkins like bombs at the truck! He even got picked to load one and it hit the truck! He was so excited! The kids also rode horses...Coles all time favorite thing to do!
Well, its never a Bertino trip without something crazy right...no, Dan posing with the soggy apples at his crotch with Karl egging him on was not the craziest! On our way back, the line to the ferry was LONG! We were in our cars roped off so you cant go anywhere once you are in line. After about 25 minutes of waiting, and the ferry coming back across the river to get us, Cole tells us he needs to poop "berry bad." Dan and I tell him there are no restrooms (we arent lying)and no way to get out of line. We told him to sit still and maybe he could will the poop away. He got more and more antsy as the ferry was approaching. We told him just please try to hold it until we get across the river and we maybe we would see a port-o-potty...as we are in the middle of nowhere on the other side. He continues to tell us, and his eyes fill with tears becuase it is starting to hurt and he can hold it. I grab an empty mcdonalds cup and tell him hes gonna have to poop in the cup beucase there is nothing more we can do. The SECOND he pulls his pants down and I reach around with the cup, it comes out! By the grace of GOD it ALL goes INTO the cup! We are now on the ferry with all the windows down and Dan gagging. IM holding a cup full of poop and COle needs to be wiped, and we have nowhere to go on this ferry with a cup of poop! Heather was in the car ahead of us, so she gave us wet wipes to wipe him with. Dan continues to gag as we drive off of the ferry and off we go! This child is a direct product of Dan. He has now pooped off the side of a boat, in water, in the woods and now in a cup!