Pumpkin Patch in the Pacific Northwest!

Today was Kadie's first field trip in Kindergarten. We went to the Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately it was awful. It was pouring today, not sprinkling, not raining, but pouring. On top of that it was only 44 degrees and on top of that there was an awful wind that made the rain go sideways, the temperature drop another 10 degrees and turned our umbrellas inside out. But in the northwest we go rain or shine. We all bundled up. I had Kadie and 2 other little girls assigned to me. We got there and ran from the bus to a covered area then went from there to another covered area for the kids to do the bail maze. At this point, the kids were cold but still having fun. Thus, this is when I took my pictures.

Kadie still happy to be at the pumpkin patch.
Kadie and her friend Abby.

Kadie and my other 2 girls, the beginning of the end....

At this point they are still trying to keep it together. We have done the maze, and the petting zoo and thank God they had warm water to wash their hands with. But as you can see they are starting to look pretty wet.

By now the wind is blustery, no one thought to bring gloves so all of their hands and mine for the matter were frozen. The umbrellas were doing very little to help. But for some crazy reason we continue on and climbed on to the hay ride where we all sit down to snuggle and realize the hay bails are soaking wet. Now we all have wet butts too. The wind continues to pick up and I have to put up my umbrella at an angle and hide all of the girls behind it. That is when the crying starts. Whining for most, but full on crying for my Kadie Girl. She is so cold and wet and I think most of all disappointed that this was not the fun she thought it was going to be. We still have to get off the hayride, into a pile of mud and search the hillside for 3 reasonably sized pumpkins for these girls.

So here I am 3 crying 5 year old girls, soaked, cold and miserable trying to keep a happy attitude. Of course every pumpkin we come across is rotten or broken, so we have to walk. Then the girls start being picky about what pumpkin they want, and crying because I suggest one that has some green still on it. At this point, I tell them, we have to just pick the first pumpkin you see that you can fit in your grocery bag and carry back to the tractor. These poor little girls, all picked pumpkins that were just too heavy beacuae they wanted to be done and we had little other options. Now I am dragging these girls back up the muddy cold hill, in the rain, carrying 2 umbrellas and 3 bags of pumpkins. Kadie is crying hard now, bawling and saying she never wants to go the pumpkin patch again. "Why did we ever come here Mommy?"

We made it back to the farm soaked, crying and miserable. Me still trying to have a sunny attitude and trying the be the voice of encouragement, when inside I am miserable and searioulsy wondering why did we come here on a day like today. We finally piled back on to the bus, which was warm and back to the school. Kadie sat on my lap wrapped in my fluffy teddy bear jacket. Her friend finally says, Kadie are you still crying, ugh! I carried all the pumpkins.

Kadie and I went home for hot chocolate and a hot shower and a long nap. At the end of the day, Kadie says "mom, I hope all of our field trips are not like that".

My question is this... when is enough enough? We could have easily after the petting zoo, walked the kids over to the crates of mini pumpkins, handed them each one and got back on the bus. I hate to give up, I know it was now or never, but really? I am sure we will always remember this trip to the pumpkin patch. It will be fun to see how the kids remember this in their writing this week.