Pumpkin Patch Fun

I'm finally getting a chance to blog about one of my favorite events of this past month: The pumpkin patch!

I'd been pining to take Caleb to pick out his very first pumpkin ever since a friend posted pictures of her toddler at playing at a local farm's pumpkin patch event a week or two ago.

Last year, we were in the process of moving 1300 miles with a recovering colicky babe who was still waking every hour all night long. Even without the move, I doubt I would have had the mental focus to spell the word "pumpkin" much less think about going to pick one out.

Now that the bliss that is toddlerhood has arrived (year 2 is way more fun than year 1!) I'm feeling much braver about having outings and making memories. Not only that, but we had reinforcements for this field trip! David's dad and stepmom came to stay with us for the week and I was so excited to make them a part of this adventure.

Sunday afternoon looked like the perfect weather for pumpkin picking, sunny with highs in the low 60's. Despite starting the day with a minor scare that caused us to miss church and make a panicked call to the pediatrician (Caleb bit his inner cheek in the night and there were several saucer-sized splotches of blood in his crib) we got everything sorted out and were on our way around 3pm.

I was amazed by the number of people there. Everywhere I looked kids were playing- clamoring over hay bales, crawling through tubes, feeding goats, emerging from corn and grass mazes and playing in the dirt. Not to mention the continuous hayrides dropping families off in the pumpkin patch.

Where I grew up, the pumpkin patch is a big lot (usually a grassy space next to a church) full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Here in Southern PA farm country, it's literally a field full of pumpkins that have been cut from the vine where they sat growing all summer. Now, based on the number of people there, I have a suspicion that some pumpkins were non-natives, placed in the field by cover of darkness : )

Here's the photo recap of our day:

Hay Maze!

Fun in the Straw

Corn and Grass Mazes. We were not brave enough to try these with a toddler!

Giant Slide with Dad

Tunnel Time

We'd had a cardboard box tunnel set up in our livingroom for about a week before going on this adventure. I doubt he would have been brave enough to try it if he hadn't had some practice before hand. As it was, he went through twice!

Dare I enter?

Dove right in!

Trying to stand up

Finally emerging. Check out how long that tunnel was!

Swing

Of all the fun things to do, the sandbox was still his favorite : )

After sandbox time, we noticed Caleb was starting to get sleepy so we lined up for the hayride to the pumpkin patch.

Group Photo! Poor Caleb just wants to get down and explore the hay bales.

David and Caleb looking astonished at the size of the pumpkins in the field ; )

Time to Pick a Pumpkin

This one?

Or maybe this one...Be different, go with a green pumpkin!

No, the one I can ride is definitely it! (Notice my "this is so cute, I'm going to be a total sucker and buy you this huge pumpkin" face?)

Papa carrying Caleb's pumpkin (I'm not the only sucker in this family!). It weighed in at 37lbs! That would be almost twice Caleb's weight, for those keeping score at home : )

It really was magical to see Caleb going from pumpkin to pumpkin. I didn't expect him to really "pick out" his own, but he was instantly attracted to that one and clamored right on top of it. It was such a beautiful day to spend with family. Afterward, we drove home, put Caleb to bed and drank hot apple cider together. A wonderful ending to a wonderful day.