Pumpkin Patch

Today we made a family field trip to the Black Creek Pumpkin Patch here in Decatur. I'm usually solo on these kinds of activities, leaving Todd at work. Since both big kids are in school these days, I have guilt doing all the fun stuff with just Grady. So-I've started moving some things like this to the weekends, and we go as a big clan. Todd is overjoyed! I knew deep down he felt a little left out of all the preschool fun. Everyone loves a jumphouse!

We started going to pumpkin patches when Madison was just a baby. We lived right by the official Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch, and the sea of pumpkins was just too fun. Sometimes I would misjudge the weather and dress the kids in winter clothes, only to sweat profusely once we got there. Sometimes we froze when I didn't put on enough winter clothes. October is like that around here. Sometimes we went in our halloween costumes. Sometimes we went with our playgroup friends. Many times it was just me and the kids, and I always had my camera in tow. Something about a mountain of orange is perfect for a kodak moment or two....getting that perfect kodak moment can be a challenge with my hoodlums....but I have these to look back on.

I have a few pre-digital-era pics in scrapbooks, but these were easily accessible. :)

The kids are so big now compared to then. (sigh)

Today we made new memories at a new pumpkin patch-part of the big move. The kids love a good petting zoo.... They fed a baby goat and some chickens. I always wonder if those animals ever get full...

There was a "corn maze"-really of Johnson Grass, but I guess only nerds like me notice that kind of thing. Grady and I tried to win the race, but of course, Todd turned on the nascar heat and won instead...bonus of having him along for the ride.

After a quick pumpkin, bat, and football painted on the little faces, we all hopped on the hay ride to finish out the pumpkin patch experience. It might have been the first time I didn't have to wrestle a small child into "enjoying" the ride. We all sat back and watched the Decatur Countryside...something of a tourist attraction I would guess.



Finally, with perfectly picked 'baby pumpkins', we said goodbye to the baby goats and headed home. Grady crashed about halfway here; Madison asked if the rest of the day could be a 'lazy Sunday', and Tanner (of course) begged to play Guitar Hero for the rest of the day. I'm guessing the exhaustion was a good sign of a successful Family Field Trip, and I'm also guessing next year when I'm deciding between sweaters or t-shirts, I'll look back on these pics and remember how little the kids were 'then'...