Pumpkin Patch

After spending the morning at the airport and park, I thought, "Eh, it's Wednesday and it's gorgeous. Why not push my luck and go to the pumpkin patch?" Off we went!

By this time last year, I think I had already visited three different pumpkin patches. The pumpkin patch somehow slipped my mind this year until a friend texted that she was taking her daughters to the pumpkin patch this morning. The kids were especially playful and it was a gorgeous day--72 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. After the airport, then park, I told Jackson we were going on "one more adventure". When I pulled into the farm and he saw a sea of orange blobs, he got so excited!

There were multiple school buses at the farm with hundreds of children eating their lunch. Thankfully the fields were clear and the kids were able to run around freely. Everyone checked out the different pumpkins. Maddie meticulously inspected pumpkins and said, "yucky" with an expression of disgust at every speck of dirt, bruise, hole, etc. James kept pointing and shouting, "apple!" at every pumpkin he saw. Amelia determined if the pumpkin was good based on whether or not she could sit comfortably on it. 

Jackson ran ahead and eagerly looked for decent pumpkins.

Of course I wanted a cute sibling photo. Most of the time when I try to do group photos, one toddler strays away. I've been asking them to hold hands so they'll all be close together. I snapped this photo really quickly...

before James took off running, causing everyone to chase after him. They all fell down in hysterical laughter, myself included. It was a silly, sweet moment where I felt so grateful to be a stay at home mom.

After a lot of walking, the kids rehdyrated and rested in the wagon. Their chance to relax was my grueling workout of pulling 100+ lbs through uneven terrain.

I can't reiterate what a beautiful day it was out on the farm. I love that where we live is equal distance from uptown Charlotte and rural areas. I didn't take any pictures inside the barn because it was dark and Maddie was stressed out, but you could see the farm animals inside. There were pigs, sheep, chickens, goats, rabbits, and horses. Amelia was so happy. The boys were curious but losing interest.

In addition to pumpkin picking and farm animals, there were also plenty of kid friendly activities such as corn hole, ball toss, hay maze, and pretending to drive tractors. With every ball Jackson tossed through the hole, Amelia retrieved it and sang, "Clean up. Clean up."

After the stress of the animals and tractors, Maddie resumed her level of happiness.

Jackson and Amelia ran through the hay maze. I went overboard with picture taking and unintentionally upset Jackson.  I put the camera down and playfully chased him through the maze, tackling and tickling him. It's so easy for me to observe rather than participate. I struggle between capturing the moment vs living in it. Thankfully, the kids are very forgiving.

Our whole family is dressing up as Wizard of Oz this year. When Jackson saw the scarecrow he started singing "We're off to see the wizard", then pretended he was scared. Silly boy!

The tractor was an unexpected highlight for the kids.

James kept saying, "wheels" and making car sounds as he moved the steering wheel.

Maddie refused to get off and repeated, "No! I want drive. My wheels."

There were also some old buggies and a stagecoach wagon on display where the kids could climb and sit.

When the triplets are tired, they are apathetic. When Jackson is tired, he whines. When I'm tired, I get very short with the kids. Signs of exhaustion were becoming more evident for all of us, so I paid for the pumpkin and loaded everyone in the van before meltdowns began. Thankfully we all left just as happy as we arrived.

Jackson has a preschool field trip to another farm in a few weeks that we will attend. Otherwise, this is it for the 2015 trip to the pumpkin patch. I consider it a success!