The weather was absolutely perfect - sun shining, the cool, crisp morning giving way to a toasty fall day, leaves changing to searing colors in their final hurrah before succumbing to winter. We took a short hayride to the patch, after gazing for a few moments at the farm animals (all of which had huge signs proclaiming that the animals BITE!, which to me made little sense to include them at such a kiddie-fueled attraction, but hey, whatever works, right?). Although the patches were getting a bit sparse, there were still enough of the oversized orange gourds to entertain our wee ones. There were also some teeny specimens perfect for little hands, although our little hands were more entertained by grass and decaying chunks of pumpkin flesh than the pretty, intact, non-rancid pumpkins scattered about them. (For the record, Tilden was the grass gobbler, Hayden was most interested in the rotten rinds. As Jenni put it, only my daughter! The first of many proud moments, no doubt, I will have in my life.)
After playing in the warm field for a few hours, our hunger got the best of us, so we fled the descending hordes of church-goers who were taking their turns with their fall-frocked youngsters in the patch and went in search of food. We enjoyed a delightful lunch in which there was no screaming, no food throwing, minimal food-dropping, and impeccable manners (at least on Hayden and Tilden's parts).
I am so looking forward to Halloween next week, especially after this wonderful initiation into fall! Tell me, did any of you brave a visit to a pumpkin patch this year? Was it the picture-perfect day ours was?
Happy Halloween!
Tilden stands up on his own for the first time, using this great pumpkin for support! Big milestone, and you can tell how pleased he is with himself for reaching it!
Hayden loves on a pumpkin while giving me a "what the heck are you doing, Mom" look that I'm sure I'll become all too familiar with over the years. In the meantime, this is my favorite picture from the day. Love that classic Padgett half-grin.
Hayden and Tilden having a blast rolling around the patch.
Apparently, I snapped this during a very serious discussion.
Tilden loved hanging out on his tummy like this. It made the grass-chomping so much easier. 
Jenni and Tilden playing in the patch. LOVE this picture!
This is a happy boy, here. Of course, who wouldn't be, surrounded by such lovely pumpkins?! I just wish you could see those amazing dimples. I swear, they're each a mile deep and make you want to just gobble those sweet little cheeks up in a single bite!
Hayden and Tilden inspecting the baby pumpkins for ripeness and quality. They are our number one inspectors - very thorough. Hayden squeezes each one to ensure it's just the right firmness and Tilden carefully wipes each one clean (and is happy to dispose of any grass that may be clinging to it). 
Hayden quickly showed her affection for Tilden by jumping up and hugging him several times around the neck. I'm afraid she's already a little boy crazy. Although he doesn't appear to pay much attention here, he confirmed his fond feelings for her later by snatching a handful of her hair and tugging it in the classic style of a smitten lad. Hayden, unfortunately, didn't take the news well, and responded with a rebuking wail. Moments later, all was forgiven, and she was back to her clingy ways. Again, I'm sure, previews of coming attractions! 
No comments:
Post a Comment