PUMPKIN PATCH FIELD TRIP

Being such big kids now, this was not their first field trip to a pumpkin patch. It was Cora's second (her first was last year to a local farm) and James' third (his first was in 2010, to that same local farm). This year, being at a new school (we moved to AMCA last October, but it was after the pumpkin patch field trips), we took a longer trip to a bigger farm (Nichols-Boyd, which we visited with James back in 2009 as his very first pumpkin patch trip). Again, I have MANY photos from our pumpkin patch adventure, so I'll try to keep the captions to a minimum...

To start the day, Sophie and I loaded all 4 kiddos in the van, which brought on major excitement from everyone (except Leo, perhaps).

Upon our arrival, we went to check out all the cool animals.

Is your Mama a Llama?

 

Then we loaded the entire preK group into a giant tractor wagon for a hay ride tour of the farm.

Yes, the kids and I were all dressed in red. I told you I'm one of those moms that likes to match (or at least coordinate) with her kids. I picked red for today so that I could find my babies in the crowd more easily (a very smart idea, by the way, since once again I lost sight of James a few times - the kid has REALLY got to learn not to run off and quick!)

Checking out more animals (including the Zedonk) from the wagon

I caught Manu petting Cora... It was so sweet and so cute, but definitely makes me wonder about her teenage years! Just a tiny bit of upper back skin exposed and Manu couldn't help himself. You should have seen the smile on his face!

See what I mean about "giant wagon"? Here the kids were calling the catfish up in the pond for a snack, saying "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" as instructed by our farmer.

This was my attempt at getting a sweet photo of James leaning on the wagon railing while passing the beautiful sunflower patch.

 When the wagon stopped, we all piled out to pick out pre-picked, toddler-sized pumpkins, play in the mini corn bins and hay bale mazes, and swing from potato sacks.

Cora couldn't lift the pumpkin she wanted...

...but James was able to pick up any pumpkin he chose...

...so Cora recruited her big bro to get one for her too.

I tried SO HARD to get a pretty picture of my babies in front of the sunflowers, but it didn't work out. I'll spare you the dozen attempts, since this one pretty much sums it up anyway... Cora picked a flower while James was trying desperately to hold her hand and pose nicely for mama so that mama would let him go back to playing and he was extremely concerned (that Cora destroyed the flower, and also that mama was going to make him stand there forever trying to get a good portrait). Don't worry, I gave up immediately after seeing this look on his face!

Cora's turn for a sour face. She literally COULD NOT WAIT for her turn on one of the potato sack swings. She was pacing and fussing, and completely ridiculous...

...and once she snagged one, she refused to get off and share. I had to pry her hands and legs off. And then she ran to another one way far at the end of the row where none of the other kids were playing, so she could get another turn right away. Completely obsessed with swinging!

 After the hay ride, we took group portraits. They look like they REALLY like each other, right?

 Bringing the 3 preK teachers in helped reign the kids in closer though. Here they're all yelling "Pumpkin Patch!" Except for my kids. Cora is scowling because she's totally over portrait taking and just wants to go run and play. James was looking for Manu.

 Next up? Picnic time!

 I could easily have sat there snacking under that huge oak for an hour or more, but this pumpkin patch is extremely commercialized, and since they had 800 kids visiting today, they moved each school group through the motions pretty quickly. We had a 30 minute slot for lunch.

Oh well, the kids were pooped anyway.

 Always a sign of a good day well spent!

And P.S., since I know some of you will ask, yes, we turned James forward facing just for the trip. It's SUPER hard to hear anything he says when he's in the back row rear-facing. It's amazing the things we've taken for granted having him rear-facing for so long... the first minute and a half of the trip he basically sat there with a dumbfounded expression, mouth hanging open, not sure at all what to think of his new situation. I started to worry he was going to be mad/upset. THEN he realized he could see everything that I was seeing, as I was seeing it (or perhaps he thought he was seeing things BEFORE me), because he spent the rest of the trip pointing out every little thing as soon as he spotted it (and he's more observant than I am, so we had a very loud and chatty drive). He also started acting as a backseat driver part way into the trip... "Hey mom, that's a stop sign. You have to wait your turn!" He goes back to rear-facing in the Jetta tomorrow, and will stay that way until his birthday. Or at least through our Christmas travel, and after we buy him a new car seat.