This title has probably already evoked adorable images in your mind. To be fair, in the 5 hours we were gone, there were a few adorable moments. After all, that is why we take pictures so we can remember the snaps of time that are what we expected or hoped for.

I am in Brooklyn for a few days visiting my middle daughter Christie, her husband Josh, and their twin daughters Molly and Edie. It’s beautiful September weather, and we thought what could be better than apple picking and pumpkin choosing with the darlings?

We actually got out the door on time, since all plans have to be made keeping in mind the ticking time bomb that is “need a nap”. The first glitch was that everyone in the Brooklyn, Manhattan and surrounding areas seemed to be heading for the same apple farm. Though it was a weekend morning, we were in gridlock traffic for 1 and 1/2 hours to travel 20 miles. This wasn’t so bad for Josh and me in our comfy front seats, but poor Christie was squashed between two fully armored toddler car seats, filled with squirming, vocalizing (though so cute) toddlers.

On arrival, we noticed the teeming masses of nostalgia hungry New Yorkers. We parked quite a ways down the street, then Josh stood in line to purchase two net bags for the apples we would pick, the price of which he would not divulge. Christie and I went to take care of certain matters with the girls and a line of port-a-potties. Then all of us stood in line again to take a hayride up into the actual orchards. Once up there, it began to feel more like being out in the country, and there was enough space to absorb all the people.

The girls spent some happy time among the pumpkins and haystacks, and the adorable moments began.

I wanted a picture of me with the girls in the pumpkin patch, but by then they were refusing pictures. I had to sneak up behind them to get all of us in a picture!

Then we headed down the rows of apple trees, huge by California standards, with a dozen or more varieties of apples. We sampled the Fuji, Empire, Rome, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, and Gala, and the girls did have a blast picking the ones they could reach.

We had a bit of trouble keeping them from eating apples that other pickers had tasted and discarded!

At one point, Molly sat down, made herself comfortable, and refused to go any further, just munching on her apple.

When we had stuffed the bags with as many apples as we could, we walked back through the orchards, using the apple picker to help carry them.

That was an adorable moment, and I am a thankful Nana.

Need for a nap was quickly approaching! Thanks to Frozen on the iPad, we made it home without anyone falling asleep in the 1 and 1/2 hour drive home (every mom knows that falling asleep in the car for a few minutes is death to naptime). Back home while the girls slept, Josh watched football, and Christie and I went for a well earned Chinese massage.