The Pumpkin Patch

     Going to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins is a family tradition.  Usually Hon doesn't get to partake in it with us because there's usually a day off school when we go, and this year was no exception.  Well, it wasn't really a day off school, but we weren't playing hookie, either.  There was a homeschooling group going, so we decided to join in on the fun.  Since moving here to Ohio we usually go to a place up near Grove City, but this year we decided to be daring...exciting...live on the edge...  We went to Weber Farms in Jackson.  It was so worth the trip!
     Our day started here with the daily grind of chores.  As we were doing that the clouds covered the sky and it looked like rain any second.  Cold, too.  Even so, we piled in the van and off we went.  Surprise!  I stopped at McDonald's to have coffee with some friends on our way.  I hadn't done that in the five weeks since starting homeschooling everyone, so I felt I deserved 30 minutes of coffee and gossiping with friends.  I even bought the kids something to drink so they weren't completely wigged out at what we women can talk about in one 30 minute stretch.  As we sat there the clouds took over the sky and it looked like rain any second.
     On our way to Weber Farm we noticed something.  The clouds stayed back and there were blue sunny skies.  The weather was warm, too.  So warm, in fact, when we got to Weber's we took our jackets off.  We met some wonderful families while we were there.  The Weber's gave us an awesome hayride tour of their farm and then dropped us off at the pumpkin patch to pick out the pumpkin of our choice.  This year I decided since Young'un had gotten some more growth on, everyone would be carrying their own pumpkin.  Sharon's rule was, "You want it, you carry it."  I don't want to rehash past excursions of me carrying five mondo-size pumpkins in plastic Wal-Mart bags, struggling to get them back to the hayride guy, let alone the van.  Let's just say it wasn't a pretty sight...and I notice I'm rehashing...but all the pumpkins made it unscathed.  Hulk I am not, but I went to great lengths for those pumpkins that would be rotting soon after carving their guts out.  I will say, I felt sorry for this woman.  She had three kids with her, too.  The youngest picked out a little bitty gourd (she got off easy on that one).  The middle boy picked out a middle-sized pumpkin (just right for his size).  The girl, on the other hand, picked herself a bohemoth gargantuan (as in something of monstrous size) pumpkin.  She had struggled and struggled with it.  Everyone else was on the hay trailer to head back.  Honestly, I would have volunteered to go wrangle that pumpkin in, but then I thought, "Naw, been there done that."  I know, bad Sharon.  I did, however, watch her kids while she went to wrestle that monster pumpkin through the field and into the hay trailer.  And she did a good job of it, too.  Afterwards we made the nice trek back to our starting point where I treated the boys to an apple cider slushy.  Y-U-M!
     While we were enjoying the slushies, Mrs. Weber told us about their corn maze and said we could take a walk through it.  Thank goodness it was daytime because at night when it's up and running there would have been a real person hanging, one on a coffin, and loads of other creepy sights, sounds, and lights.  I'm a horror wuss. Young'un has inherited my wussy-ness.  The two of us would be no good to anyone if we were there in the dark, but in the daytime we had a grand time tripping (er, walking) through the corn maze.
     Afterwards, on our way home Hon called to see how it had gone.  We told him all about the fun we had and the gorgeous weather.  He told us he was not only still working, but it had been cold and rainy all day.  Wow, what a difference an hour and a bit east can make!  I decided to make the trip totally worthwhile by stopping at a yarn and fiber shop in Jackson (Wise Man Woolens) on the way out.  Yup, the kids suuuuure were excited about that!  Ok, so they weren't but I met a fantastic woman, bought some fantastic sock yarn, and more fiber to add to my ever growing collection.
     So, there you have it folks.  We drove, we rode, we ate, and we had a wonderful day!  Couldn't have asked for a better pumpkin wrangling day!  Now to get them carved up before Halloween...  Smiling & Waving, Sharon 

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