10.25.2010

Pumpkin Patching 2010

Time for one of my favorite annual excursions with the kids:
The Pumpkin Patch!

Here is a boy who loves the pumpkin patch,
and has since he was teeny.
His sisters are fans as well.
Here are some ways to enjoy a pumpkin patch.


Pumpkins have a good weight and shape.
It feels nice to pick them up and hold them.
At our local patch, you can search around
until you find one that is just right --
rather like finding the right rock.


Pumpkins are good for working on balance.
Who needs fancy adaptive equipment!


Pumpkin patch dirt has an excellent texture,
especially after a rainy weekend.
It feels good to rub it all over your hands.


It feels less good -- on your ears -- 
when you put your dirt-loving hands in your mouth
and your mom shrieks "hands down!"
 (Keep holding on to your pumpkin, though.)

Pumpkin patch-goers live by their own code,
which does not require making nice for the camera, 
and allows for multi-sensory pumpkin interactions.


Jumping off hay bale pyramids is not mandated, 
plus it may lead to exhilaration
as well as post-jump displays of bravado.

If you are a child who excels at lining up and following other kids, 
especially in activities that require neither physical nor verbal interaction,
and you are nimble and fearless,
hay-bale-pyramid jumping is highly encouraged. 
Please repeat as many times as you like, 
or for as long as you can tolerate your mother's mother-henning.

Nothing beats an afternoon at the pumpkin patch*.


*I recommend click-zooming in on this pic. It's pretty cool.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:28 PM

    Love this picture story. Makes me smiley. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The photo with your 3 mugging among the pumpkins---love love!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:42 AM

    so fabulous! my girl is a big fan too ... running fingernails across pumpkin skin is a huge draw.

    that last picture is ethereal.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pumpkin patching is a yearly mandate. I wish y'all weren't spread all over North America, we could go together some time. Half Moon Bay has at least ten pumpkin patches to choose from!

    ReplyDelete

Respectful disagreement encouraged.