Our Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend, on a whim, after stepping outside under gloomy skies and into the crisp air (which is rare this time of year in Abilene)- I decided that it was the absolute best day for the pumpkin patch.

Christopher crinkled up his forehead, and let out a "really?", after I pitched my idea. What he meant to say though, was "are you freakin' kidding me, Tia? We've got a weekend to-do list 4 pages long, and you're wanting to go play around and spend money on gourds?".

Well. Yes. I do. And we are. So get the diaper bag ready. And get a dang jacket, because you're the only one wearing short sleeves, that it will throw off all of the pictures. And you know I'm going to take a lot of pictures.

After the firetruck parade that danced down our street, we grabbed the kids, which isn't nearly as quick as it sounds, and away we went. Christopher scowls and all.



This is our second year going to the patch. The first year we were here, we couldn't find it. We drove around for hours, which was both frustrating and embarrassing, trying to hit the jackpot in the pumpkin department, but we failed.

The second year we were stationed here at Dyess, we just didn't really care.

Last year, we had upgraded from one kid to two, so we decided to put a little bit more effort in, and with the combined power of determination and the internet (which was new to us, because we're late bloomers), we discovered a buried treasure just off of Clack street.

You can read about last year's adventures, by clicking on this link right here.

I think it goes without saying, that when we told the kids where we were going, even though Charlie was too young to hold onto his memories from last year- they had little-kid excitement induced heart attacks.



As soon as the seat belts were off, they went running.

I think Charlie had replaced his binky with a pumpkin stem before I even had a chance to close the car door. Gross, kid.

Eleanore took off so fast I couldn't even find her with my camera lens.

The baby slept.

Well- let the pumpkin huntin' begin!



Oh, theres Eleanore.
Sitting on a giant pumpkin.

You know we're not taking that home with us, right?

"I found one!! I found one!"

But... we're not-

"Look at this one Mommy! I found one!"

...ok but,

"I foooooooooooooound oooooonnnnnnnnneeeeeeee!"

Dangit.



I peeked around a corner, to spy on the adventures that the boys were having.

Charlie wanted every pumpkin. This one, that one, all of them, all at once.

Daddy had to explain to him that it didn't exactly work like that.

And get the dang things out of your mouth, child!



While the kids were climbing up on bails of hay, and the ladybug was resting quietly in the car seat with her very first pumpkin...

Christopher and I snuck away for some kisses.
A five minute kid-free romance over by the scarecrow.



It didn't last long though, since out of the corner of my eye I could see the kids literally tearing the displays apart. I'm pretty sure I even saw Charlie trying to eat the cardboard background, at one point.

So, moving on...

Evelyn and took a little walk past some of the not-so-nice pumpkins, and had a seat in the middle of some medium sizers that looked to be good for carving.



Charlie and Eleanore weren't far behind, both bending over and picking out round ones just their size.

But wait-

The mother of all distractions.

Pumpkins down, feet hit the ground, run run run!

To the tractor!!!



Drive, drive, drive, drive, drive.

"Tah-ckter!", Charlie shouted over and over again.

Eleanore never fights for the steering wheel.
She knows she'll lose.

Drive, drive, drive, drive, drive.

Until another family came along, and wanted to play with and take pictures on the big green machine.

Uh oh. Meltdown.

Dear Family that my children terrorized: I apologize for any arms, legs, or thrown-at-you piles of hay that may or may not have ended up in your family photos. I'm sorry for the screaming that interrupted your quiet family adventure- my kids thought we were picking the tractor and bring it home. Forgive us? And hopefully we won't see you next year, so that y'all can actually enjoy your adventures at the pumpkin patch? Heh.

Ok, now seriously. Can we pick some pumpkins, already?



Eleanore found hers.



Charlie found his.

Alright, lets carry these up to the front, so that we can buy them!



Charlie, we have to pay for it.

*screaming*

Stop trying to climb up Daddy's leg.
We have to buy the pumpkin first.
Daddy has to carry it.

*more screaming*

Alright kids, this isn't going to work.
Lets get a wagon to put these in, shall we?



Much better.

But oh no! What about that big one? The one that we were going to hollow out and put the baby in? For a picture, of course. And yes, we're really doing it.

Put those guns to work, Daddy!



Day bow bow. chick- chickah chickaaahhh.



After the pumpkins were picked and payed for, we headed over to yet another tractor, this time for a hay ride!
In which Eleanore was queen.



Christopher babysat the ladybug.

She slept, more, rolling her face into her antenna to block out the sun.
Didn't know ladybugs were nocturnal, did you?



I hugged Charlie tight, as the excitement started to wear him down, and the movements of the hay ride pulled down on his eyelids like weights.

Ok, so he never sits still in my lap like this anymore.
I was eating it up.



The hay ride was awesome. Our favorite part of the patch by far.

But um, again...
Dear other family's on the hayride with us: I apologize for-
Oh whatever. They were all lame and boring anyways, and probably needed a dose of our obnoxiousness :)



By the time we sat down to try to get a picture of all five of us (I just realized this is our first family portrait since the baby was born!), 2 out of 3 kids were screaming.

Alright, its time to go home.

Bye bye, pumpkin patch. See ya next year!