Ever since I saw the first photo of a pumpkin patch a few years ago, I have wanted to visit one with the children. We grew our own pumpkins this year, but when our friend mentioned it during a play date we decided to visit during half term.
Hectic mornings
Life with four littles never goes as expected and our morning is a good example. Our morning didn’t get off to the best start when we woke up late after a bad night with the children. After breakfast when Mr T left for work, only James was dressed. I had just over an hour to dress 3 children, make a picnic, find Halloween costumes, get myself ready and visit a cash machine.
I drove away feeling like my head was spinning.
Memories
On the way, I remembered I hadn’t packed nappies or wipes so had to call at a shop. I ended up calling at two shops as the first (typically!) didn’t stock Ava’s size. The second shop I called into was my local shop when I was growing up, on a little one-way street surrounded by other mostly independent retailers . Its near the street where I lived with my grandparents as my Grandma brought me up, she died almost 6 years ago and its that long since I last visited.
It’s amazing how one street can instantly transport you back to being 13 years old, and bring back so many memories. I used to walk down the street on my way to primary school, and occasionally in high school I would go to the bakery or chip shop for my lunch. The newspaper shop where I had a paper round still looks exactly the same, and even the staff in the little shop havent changed.
I walked back to the car feeling nostalgic and a bit sad that my little ones have no recollection of this little street. Thinking about it later I realised that everything we do is creating memories for our little ones, like visiting the pumpkin patch, growing pumpkins and all our little traditions we have made or will make in the future.
A pumpkin patch.
We had a fab day at the pumpkin patch, it was much busier than expected but had lots of things to do including fairground rides & hay bale jumping. The children listened to a Halloween story in a teepee sat on hay bales. We painted ceramic pumpkins, and enjoyed our (unhealthy, as I had forgotten the fruit!) picnic. We took a little wheelbarrow into the pumpkin field to choose our pumpkins, I was amazed at how big the field was, but next year I would love to come when it first opens to see the fields full of pumpkins.
Ava spent most of the day in our Tula carrier on my back, mostly because she hadn’t slept the night before and her wellies are a little big and a slower walker in a big crowd isn’t a good thing, it’s a shame though because it wasn’t until the end of the day that I realized I hadn’t taken any photos of her. She was dressed dressed up as a little witch and looked pretty cute in her costume. James wore a skeleton costume in the car but decided to take his costume off in the car when we arrived and he didn’t see many other children wearing costumes.
My favourite part of the day was the hay bale jumping! Although I think that I might be a bad influence, after loudly encouraging my little ones to jump I heard another mum asking her children not to jump, oops!
Lily jumping from an haybale
James mid jump. – I feel awful for blurring faces on this photo but don’t know the children and didn’t want to add their faces online!
A lost child
Just before we left as we headed towards the exit, my friend asked where Amy was, neither of us could see her. I though she was by my side and when I realised she wasn’t I could feel the panic rising inside me. I remember telling myself to stay calm which was working externally but I could feel the panic taking over when I couldn’t see her. She was only lost for about a minute but it felt like forever, and when I saw a tear-stained Amy walking towards me clutching her candy floss in her hand I was so relieved to see her, and the look in her eyes told me that she felt the same.
Going anywhere with the four children can be really exhausting, keeping track of four little people when they head in different directions, listening to four voices when they all want to be heard at once. I think it depends on my mindset too, and because of my bad nights sleep, rushed start and my walk down memory lane I was feeling more on edge than usual.
Despite that frightening moment, we made some amazing memories, and will definitely be visiting again next year.
Lily loved the teacups
And the goats
Amy with the pumpkins, before our frightening moment.
Lily pretending to be a cat
I am linking up with Katie at MummyDaddyMe for #TheOrdinaryMoments
which this week is hosted by Donna at Whattheredheadsaid
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