One of my favorite things is our Fall tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch. Great thing is, when I took M to the pumpkin patch for the first time when he was 18 months old and it was my first time to a pumpkin patch too, it's kind of fun to experience firsts with your kids, you have an excuse to be as excited as they are.
M at 18 months old - 2009
For his first time, we went to Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicott City. We had an awesome time. The farm has all the usual staples like the hayride, petting farm, and cider, but one thing that stands out about Clark's is their decor. There used to be a children's attraction called Enchanted Forest which was based on nursery rhymes. Well, Clark's farm took all of the old decor, so the kids get to run around looking at depictions of their favorite nursery rhymes.
M 18 months old
M - 18 months old
This year, it was J-dilla's turn to sit on Humptey Dumptey's wall, and try to jump in the murky waters trying to get to the 3 men in the tub.
It was just as fun for M too, because we didn't have to tell him what he was looking at. He was able to point out his favorite rhymes.
It was a very different experience though, visiting the pumpkin patch with a preschooler. M wanted hot dogs and cider, and had his own ideas on where to go and what to see. I definitely learned a few things about going to the pumpkin patch that I didn't know before.
1. Bring extra sippy cups or canteens/bottles with tops because bees suck. Seriously, they have their purpose and all but really? I could do without them. We but cider and before we could even sit down to eat, they had swarmed us and the drink. Having a few empty containers to poor the cider into would have been helpful. Scratch that, it's down right necessary, none of us had any cider.
2. Know when it's time to leave. Like when your children start throwing pumpkins. Yes! Throwing pumpkins. There were even sound effects involved. Obviously, it was time to leave.
3. Honey sticks. They seem like a good idea at the time, but you should probably stay away from them. It's like liquid crack for kids. When it's done, they will go nuts and try to claw your eyes out for more.
What are some of your Fall traditions?