Pumpkin Patching

by kayleebaughman on October 21, 2014

We’ve just returned from a lovely weekend spent with Nene and Papa in Nashville. We have a fantastic tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch with Nene and Papa that started back when Reese was just months old and toured the farm in a sling. I personally love every minute of it and if it is left up to me, we will continue this tradition for forever. We visited a new farm this year, and I think it was a big hit. My children are creatures of habit and I half expected them to turn their noses up just because….but they seemed to welcome the new farm with open arms. Plus, this one was free to get in and you just had to pay for the activities…..and they had an on-site blacksmith, which captivated Papa. *Side note – when Papa becomes elderly, Brandi, you and I need to find him a nurse who also dabbles in smithing or a facility that keeps one on staff. Maybe an assisted living center in Kentucky near a horse farm……

Something else about our annual trips to the pumpkin patch, I never do get the weather report right. It’s either too hot and I have packed long sleeves or it ends up being colder. Our second year going, I had to stop at Target on the way to Nene and Papa’s and pick up some jeans for Reese because as we were traveling. When the outside temperature dropped about 15 degrees in 80 miles, I knew I hadn’t packed correctly.

I checked the weather twice on Thursday and then again a couple or ten times Friday as I was packing. Saturday in Hendersonville, Tennessee was supposed to be sunny and a high of 71. However, I had neglected to check the forecast for Smyrna, which is an additional hour east. I do not know the exacts, but it was NOT sunny and high of 71. And I had Not packed or dressed my children accordingly. Or myself for that matter, thankfully, my husband had an extra jacket but by wearing it, I looked like a giant grey tick. I had packed slightly coordinating, festive fall colored outfits that would be darling in photos. Instead, I looked like a parasite and there are no Baughman family pictures taken from the day because I was being vain. Reese wore his sisters extra cardigan, which gave him a real hipster look, and then he sported it as a scarf which really made me smile. Visiting the pumpkin patch with his skinny jeans and navy cardigan scarf….very classic Reese.

We did remember the can opener though this year, and that’s saying a lot. We also enjoyed a nice little car picnic, which normally doesn’t happen because we have to hike in and out of the farm and stand in line to buy tickets. Then we would have to try to snag a table, which was kinda hard because there was always a birthday party or 5 going on at the other pumpkin patch. A car picnic, with a can opener and then walking in without any lines was a trade I was defintely willing to make.

There were goats

There were pumpkins still on the vine……

“I’ll take the……..corn!”

Though somehow my child managed to find an ear of corn amongst the vined pumpkins

There were the real-life, 3 little pigs

Lila kept saying, “Sooiieee” to this little piglets

And sheep

And Papa

Getting a little worn out after his day and taking a break on his favorite chair

And a huge industrial size pipe slide, which is really all my child need in life anyway

Sliding

There were tires to jump on and large stacks of hay

There was also a bunch of leaping…because we don’t have giant tractor tires at our house to leap from

Tire riding

Hay Standing

I also forgot to turn my phone off and took about 50 pictures of the interior of my pocket and this woman/ man’s wine colored purse. I’m glad that part of my day in documented.

Inside of my jeans back pocket

1 of 27 pictures I have of this purse

There was yet another lawn mower powered train, that my girls loved and Reese acted like it pained him to ride. But we all know that if he hadn’t wanted to be there, no force other than God himself could have got him in that wagon.