Pumpkin Patch

Clara, John Michael & I got to spend Wednesday morning at Country Critters, or "Crunchy" Critters if Clara tells the tale! Clara & Gracie had gone last year and had a good time, so Clara got to go this year while Gracie got to have an extra long day at school & go to "stay & play" (which she loves!) Clara keeps referring to it as our "field trip" because Gracie had a field trip with her class to a different pumpkin patch a few weeks ago.

On our "field trip" we got to do lots of fun things - pet goats and sheep, ride a "train" (cars pulled behind a lawn mower, have a hay ride (no hay - good for me - just a large wagon pulled by a John Deere tractor), play in several bounce houses, get a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, go through a maze and listen to a Halloween story while enjoying cookies and juice. And all the while, John Michael stayed awake. Okay, he did try to sleep, but it was rather windy and there was just sooo much going on!

For some reason, the kids thought the maze was just a blast. I think they spent longer going in and out of there then they did in the bounce houses. They would all run in together and then be so proud when they came out the other end. And if someone got lost, they would run back and get them.

Clara says her favorite part was the pumpkin patch. She loved picking her pumpkin and then really loved holding JM for pictures. I think she would have taken pictures all afternoon! But alas, the cold front was moving in. We actually saw it coming up the hill toward the farm, bringing a big cloud of white dust from the drilling pad site that was just down the road. The temperature must have dropped about 20 degress once the wind blew through. A friend and I were standing near our cars (with our kids) when we saw a big cloud. We screamed to the kids to get in the car and just all made it in before the white cloud & cold overtook us.

It was a fun day! With Gracie at school, it is fun to have a chance to be out with just Clara. She is a much calmer, more cautious little girl (who actually gets in less trouble and listens better) when she doesn't have her big sister around. It's amazing to see how grown-up she can be on her own!