October

Went to Sam Bridge Greenhouse last week with the kids. We go on the eve of October every year, and have since I think 2009. There is a big pumpkin patch, hay stacks to jump around on, scarecrows resembling movie and Disney characters, and all sorts of classic Halloween fare.

We park, get a red wagon, and head through the various scarecrow exhibits to the pumpkin patch. We stop for pictures at all of them. Jack pulls Kate in the wagon, as he did three years ago. I pull them both, for a few seconds, until we stop, because Jack says he's going to fall out. He is too big, they're too big.

But they're laughing, and we continue on. At each exhibit, they pose, and I'm impressed by their ideas. At the Curious George scarecrow, they strike thoughtful, inquisitive poses. At the Frozen display, they make goofy faces like the reindeer, happy ones like Olaf. They mimic the sisters. On and on, until we finally reach the pumpkin patch.

I choose the pumpkins, walking around and around until I find good ones. They climb on the tractor, the hay bale maze, the various cutout displays where you poke your head through a cutout. We do this for a good half hour before heading back, our wagon loaded with pumpkins.

We pick out small pumpkins, gourds, Halloween decorations and toys. Spend way too much money. Kate is determined to find a small enough pumpkin to be the student in some classroom play she has invented in her mind. Jack looks for scary things, but not too scary.

We pay, load up the car, and are about to leave, but then they see the swings they went on years ago. And go on again. I watch them, look at my pictures, think how much I love the place.

Am I already nostalgic for stuff I can still do with them? Maybe. I know there will be years when maybe we don't make it, or they don't care as much, or it's not the same. But I hope those are far in the future.

Tonight we unpacked all the Halloween stuff. Lots of oohs and Aahs, mostly from Kate, but one or two from Jack. Kate is thrilled to see Halloween stuffed toys and books. Jack likes the decorations, and enjoys the Halloween music I put on. (Sort of; I mean, some of it is pushing it. Thriller sure, but Abracadabra? The song from Beetlejuice?)

Anyway. It's October again, Halloween again. I hope to celebrate until we are all too old. But that we never are.