Our Family: Pumpkin Patch

We did our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. Brad was out of town at a retreat so I had another crazy mom moment and thought we should go anyway. It was fun, until it wasn't. Isn't that the story of my life. We got up early, skipped church and thought we will be the first ones there, go through the whole thing, get pumpkins and be home by lunch. Apparently we were not the only people thinking this was a good plan. The line to get in was wrapped around the parking lot. I had Issie in the backpack (too muddy for the stroller) and I thought we were all dressed warm enough as it was supposed to be in the 60's . It never got about 45 while we were there. Jack and Kadie did great, played on the hay stacks and the hay maze, went through the petting zoo, got yummy hot chocolate and fresh squeezed cider and even reluctantly agreed to not do the corn maze (Issie was starting to loose it and my back was aching at this point). So this is when we jump on the tracker and head out to find the best (or easiest to carry) pumpkins. Issie is freezing, starving and sleepy by now. We get to the field and find that most of the pumpkins (at least the close ones) are rotten. I finally figure out we will need a wheelbarrow and find one, we head at least 500yards into the patch with the baby on the back and the wheel barrow. The kids finally find 2 for themselves (they are well trained and pick small ones, since they know they will have to carry them but also have learned it is easier to clean small ones when it comes time to carve). I however, find this funky shaped gigantic weird looking pumpkin that I have to have. I find some other dad to put it in our wheel barrow, I can barely push the thing back up the hill to the tracker. At this point Issie is passed out in the backpack and leaning over the edge. I irritate the entire group at the hill by just by passing the line and asking the tracker driver to help me. It takes several men to get my pumpkin on and off the hay ride and then we need to find another wheel barrow and another man to get this thing in the car. The kids are DONE, I am exhausted and aching and we still have a huge somewhat ugly pumpkin in the back of the minivan that I have yet to convince Brad to get and bring into the house. I really think I have moments of temporary insanity. It was however a good day, I love pumpkins, I love fall, I love watching my kids run around having fun.