getting pumpkins

Last Friday Kate and I picked Jack up at school. It was overcast and seemed like it might rain, so I gave them a choice. Do you want to go home, or do you want to go and get pumpkins? "Get pumpkins!" they shouted. So we did.

As we drove into Sam Bridge Greenery (or whatever it's called, Davy Crockett Motor Lodge or something), they saw the pumpkin patch. "Yay! Pumpkin!" We parked, grabbed a wagon, grabbed a big golfing umbrella from the back of the car. Passed a mom and child near the parking lot at a little stand of pumpkins. She said to us, Are you going all the way down to the big patch? She looked at the sky doubtfully. I said, Sure! And indeed, we were.

On the way there were scary decorations hanging from trees. Bats, skeletons, ghosts. The kids pointed and properly appreciated them, it was nice. If it had been dark and scary, they'd have been freaking out, but instead it was just an overcast Friday afternoon. With occasional raindrops.

At the patch, they jumped out of the wagon. First they ran around the pumpkins. Then a hay maze. Like your Minotaurus game, I should have said to Jack, but I forgot. Then over to this huge bear made out of hay bales, and a huge spider or something made out of hay bales. I wanted them to pose for pictures, but Kate was wary. She agreed ultimately, but didn't stand as close to the thing as Jack did. In fairness, it was very big and imposing. But it had a goofy smile.

We picked our pumpkins. And then picked some more. And then found better ones. And then they went back to the hay bales. And then they got their little pumpkins. And then it rained, and we loaded the pumpkins in one wagon, but they of course both wanted to ride too. I said it couldn't be done, and Jack pulled Kate in one wagon for about two minutes.

Then I with no small exertion pulled both wagons back to the parking lot.

We paid for our pumpkins. Near the registers, they had a smoke machine. One of the staffers turned it on to startle us. Then showed Jack and Kate how to turn it on. Then they filled the store with fake smoke. I said to them, well, I could have told you this would happen.

A guy gave Jack and Kate each a hardened ear of red, Halloween-y corn. They thought it was pretty great.

We piled into the car. I don't remember what we talked about, but everyone was happy.

At home, I read Jack a story. Jack said, "Can Corn read with us, too?" I said, corn? He held up his ear of corn which he had named "Corn."

Good time.