Pumpkin Farm

We made what is looking to be our annual visit to the local Pumpkin Farm.  Ainsley was actually a bit apprehensive about going.  She even started crying when she found out we were going.  You see, after the last Pumpkin Farm trip with Mom and the school bus, Mom had to go back to work.  Mom had to leave Ainsley at daycare instead of spending the whole day with Ainsley.  The Daycare people informed me that she cried nearly all afternoon, at one point, nearly hyperventilating.  

Drama.  Queen.  I felt bad, but I have to work.  She will simply have to figure this out the hard way, I guess.  

So, on the way to the Pumpkin Farm with the family, she began to cry, thinking we would make her go to school by herself afterward.  We promised that we would be a family all day.  No school today.  

The tears immediately stopped.  

In fact, she was pretty excited and happy about it.  

 There are many activities at this Pumpkin Farm.  We started by feeding the animals.  We were one of the first people in for the day, hoping to beat the crowds on a beautiful Saturday in October.  We don't get many 78 degree Saturdays around these parts.  And waiting in line for anything doesn't work well with our brood.  So we got there at 9 am.

Which is apparently before they fill up the coin containers of food for the petting zoo.  We were a bit bummed until the little tractor of high school girls pulled up to refill the containers.

They let Ainsley take a handful of food for free.

She fed the animals until one "bit" her.  I was watching.  It licked her.  Drama.  Queen.

 After the petting zoo fun, we moved on to the large animal photo opportunities.  There was a Clifford, a personal favorite of Ainsley's right now.

But there was also a Smurf in the distance.  Look at Mom for a picture or the Smurf?

Mom began to dance and sing to get her to look.  LOOK OVER AT MAMA!!

This is as good as it gets.  Oy.  

 Well, this might not be my year for cute, photographer-quality pics.  Who am I kidding myself?

So I made Durham stare into the sun for a picture while Ainsley ran to see the Smurf.  

 And guess what?  By the Smurf were...MORE ANIMALS.  Get out your quarters, Mom!

This one is hungry, Mama.  

 After failed pics by the Thomas display, the Tee-pee, Winnie the Pooh, and Scooby, we headed to see SpongeBob and Patrick.

And I managed to catch this before she ran away.

 Then I had a stroke of genius.  Would she hold still if I gave her an important job...like holding Durham?  Of course!  (Or she could drop him off the stump.)

Perfection!  What cute, adorable, and obedient children!  

 So excited over the success of the last picture, I decided to venture into the actual Pumpkin Patch.  Away from the cartoon displays and animals and trains.  What was I thinking?!

Look at Mommy!  Why are you both looking the opposite direction?

 At this point, Daddy makes it known that they are looking into the sun and sitting in mud.  He's obviously not invested in this picture opportunity.  Looks like I'm going solo for this one.

No, no, no.  Sit down and look at Mommy!  

 I pluck a weed from the ground and shake it, doing a dance.  I begin to drum on a large pumpkin in a musical way.  Look at Mom!

And this is what I got.  Punks.  

 I needed to up my game.  Who wants to get a fresh doughnut?

We are destined to be an obese family.  

 So we walked to the pole barn/concession stand.  We ordered six fresh doughnuts.  Two with sprinkles for our little lady.

This is Durham with his first taste of the dough-nutty goodness.  

She took one bite out of each of the two doughnuts with sprinkles.
She then began to rip them apart into pieces.  

Did I mention that he liked the doughnuts?

 We then moved on to the train.  For a mere $2 she got to ride in this little barrel of fun.  She was the only child even in line for the trains.  Soon a high school girl came out to drive the train around with her tractor.  She reminded Ainsley to stay seated (good luck, sister) and pulled off into the distance.

Seriously, DISTANCE.  I couldn't even see where they went.  She stole my two year old.  Hopefully we don't have another "DON'T LEAVE ME MOMMY" incident ala everyday at Daycare.

I could hear the tractor in the distance, but no screaming.  I hoped she was having fun.

I waited.  Still no screaming.  Perhaps this was going well, even?

It was.  She loved it.  The tractor driver didn't even give me a bad report.
Do Pumpkin Farm tractor drivers feel obligated to report bad behavior to parents?  They should.  

 Everyone had had their fill of Pumpkin Farming, so we bought our two pumpkins and headed out.

But not before snapping one more shot of my handsome little drooler.