Pumpkin Patch

It's just not the same as living in the country and going to pick your own, but my kids won't know any difference at this point in their lives I guess. Getting off of a freeway exit and entering into a 1/2 acre of slides, a petting zoo, and games with a smattering of pumpkins artfully arranged in heaps on the concrete doesn't scream "pumpkin patch" to me but what can I expect in Southern California? We finally made our way to the "patch" and Ethan was beyond excited. He'd seen the lights for days off the freeway, and begged to go there and ride the horses. Of course that excitement wore off when the horses were "resting," (I'd have to too if I had kids constantly on my back) but we managed to find something else that got him excited. These really nice people just handed me 4 tickets that they weren't going to use (it's hard for me to thank people enough when they do acts of kindness like that) so we let Ethan go on a colossal slide...yes, folks...all by himself!!!

Here he is coming down the slide (I know, it's blurry, but you get the idea). Now what you DON'T see in pictures is yours truly going down WITH him. Ok I didn't see the sign plastered all over the front of the entrance that adults are not allowed to go on the inflatable "rides." Neither, I guess, did the teenage worker. He took my ticket and ALLOWED me to go up the slide with Ethan. It was so steep that my knees just about touched my nose as I walked up. I got to the top and put Ethan between my legs. Then I came down. What I THOUGHT was plastic burn (you know....the slip and slide??) was really a gash that went about 5 inches long on my rear end and thigh. I don't know what I hit, but there was something sticking up on that slide and I was wearing shorts. It didn't break skin, but it took several layers off. Could it have been the weight, perhaps? No adults on the slides because they come down too hard and fast? Bryan did take a video so it's burned forever in my memory. All Ethan did was laugh. Probably because I was laughing in pain.

My youngest....eating (or trying to) again. He tried to bite into every small pumpkin he picked up. No, Austin, it's not an apple. **sigh** This kid has to taste everything....and still puts things in his mouth. Just yesterday he destroyed two of my magnets (that I made in A Mother's Place) by chewing on them. Thankfully he didn't swallow the magnets, but he did ruin them and sucked all the glue off. I didn't realize that Tacky Glue breaks down with saliva. Good to know.

Actually a family picture??? Bryan took this with his long arms. Quite a talent!

I had to post this one because it made me laugh. It took several tries to get this, but by the end, you can tell that Bryan is annoyed with Austin since he wouldn't sit still and look at me (and he was acting two), and Ethan just has this deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. Didn't we just LOVE the pumpkin patch?? All I can say is toddlers equal drama. Every day of my life.