Friday, October 10, 2008

Lookin for pumpkins

We made our way to the local pumpkin patch today. This also happens to be the apple orchard that I have spoken of in previous posts. The kids are always anxious to go and search for the perfect pumpkin so that we have them ready for our annual pumpkin carving party. Friends and family come over and we spend all night eating, visiting, and carving pumpkins....doesnt get much better than that!

This trip began like every other. J is always excited to pull the wagon.


Then he ditches it just upon first sight of an orange orb. See him? Im pretty sure this is where the wagon got dropped.



There is a lot of walking and looking...looking and walking. If you put your foot on a pumpkin, its a sure sign that it may be THE one. Im not sure what that means, exactly, but it never fails...they find a prospective pumpkin...and BAM. The foot gets set upon it. Then they have to call out to each other for inspection and possible approval.



These? Just thought they looked nice. Made me think back to the days before I had 3 kids.... when things were much more full and symmetrical.



Here we go...a man on a mission. Look at that determination. The importance of each step.


Doh! Im okay. Im good. Did anybody see that? Just pick yourself up and keep on walking. Like it never even happened.



Looks like hes found a good one.


He lifts it up and gets it in the wagon. Perfect. One down. Two to go.



Now, let me tell you the rules of the perfect pumpkin. 1. You must detach the pumpkin from the vine by yourself. 2. You must be able to carry the pumpkin from its resting spot to the wagon(wherever that may be) totally on your own. 3. You then must decide if you will be able to carve and decorate said pum
pkin without the help of mom and dad. (That answer is always yes and then later, at the party, it seems to quickly turn to no)

Foot on the pumpkin. Assessing.....




Going in for the lift.



She has it! And into the wagon.



Now see here....hes trying to be a little tricky. He has his foot on a pumpkin, but not the one that he ends up choosing. Is that a legal move?



Here we are discussing if that move has now just disqualified that pumpkin all together ....this is very serious business.



Its been decide that its all good. The pumpkin is still in the race. But we are laughing so hard at this point...we are unsure if it will make it to the wagon.



Here we go....moving...moving...tongue hanging out is required for extra ooommpphh.



Into the wagon it goes. Now we have 3!



This is where we said to show us how much you all love your pumpkin......G took that quite literally. And began to kiss the dirty squash. A little dirt never hurt anyone.



Rolling back to the counter to pay. She says she wonders how she got to pull it when it was all full....



All tuckered out...needs a little boost from dad. Keeps losing
his boots, tho. Cousin Becca is there to help. She's a pretty good boot keeper.

11 comments:

D.L. Verzosa said...

what happened to picture number 3...?

12!9!26 said...

looks fun!

Country Girl said...

Looks like lots of fun, quite a patch. And your kiddos are cute.

Anonymous said...

Awww...LOVED this post! and good rules too, mom! Glad to hear you had a good time despite the absolute seriousness of the business ay hand! ;)

Lori Stewart Weidert said...

Ahhh, this post made me all wishy for my kid, when he was little. I have so many pix of him at this same patch.

Great post, great pictures, great memories.

(I'm dying to also know of the grand total for those pumpkins were something like $3,000 range...)

sugarcreekstuff said...

That pic with G kissing his pumpkin and the other two giving him the look of "Crazy?" What a crack up.
I like how your kids mark their territory with their foot. Way better than how dogs do it, and way more sanitary.

GreyWolf said...

And not 1 broken pumpkin. Thats amazing. What kind of rule do you have if that happens?

Danni said...

Well, now, there goes Sugarcreekstuff talking about all the pee-pee stuff again. We just can't take her ANYWHERE.
Although, the foot marking IS hilarious and, t'is true, it is way more sanitary than the other kind of marking. You've raised your children well. :-)
This was such a fun post to read..great pics, too. To grey wolf's comment, it does seem like there are an awful lot of rules to this pumpkin-gettin' game. I think I'd be disqualified quickly if I tried to get a pumpkin with you....

Adventure girl said...

What a great day and great pics. Thanks for sharing:)

Carla said...

AAhhhh! Headless girl in picture #3! Perfect for Halloween.

I must admit a terrible motherly error in your post. My youngest son had a writing assignment the other day entitled "A trip to a pumpkin patch" He was supposed to write down memories (sights, sounds, colors, etc). He doesn't have any! The last time we went to a pumpkin patch, it was really just a bunch of pumpkins in a church yard. That was 6 (he was just 4) years ago. Now I just pick a couple up at the grocery store. My poor baby had to write about how he'd never been to pumpkin patch and had no idea what they were like.
Is he gonna need therapy when he's 30 because we only had grocery store pumpkins?

frugalmom said...

aiLee920: Thanks for coming by. Im not sure what you mean, but the third picture there just looked kinda funny due to the way K was bending over.

12!9!26: It was fun.

Country Girl: Thank you. It is a pretty good sized patch. It just didnt seem like they had a bumper crop this year.

farm mom: See? You gotta have rules, right?

Gnightgirl: Thanks. S and I actually had a little competition going on as to how much the pumpkins would be in total.....he lost. Too bad that meant he didnt get any apple donuts.

sugarcreekstuff: They were looking at him like he was nuts! I think they even said...Moooommm....he even kissed the pumpkin...did you see that? And yes, I am very thankful that they only mark their territory with a foot...it could have been way, way worse.

GreyWolf: I dont have a rule in place for a broken pumpkin....very good observation. I must think on this and get back to you.

Danni: Im pretty sure you would be either on a timeout or have your electronics taken from you before we even made it onto the patch. Big, big rule breaker, you are.

Adventure girl wanna be: Thanks!

CeeCee: I am sad to say that yes, he will be in need of pumpkin therapy. The good news....its not too late....heck, grow some in your backyard and then you dont even have to the go to the grocery!