Her Very Own Pumpkin

I ended up with a weekday off a couple of weeks ago, so I took the opportunity to take Blair out to the pumpkin patch. Last year we went to Calhoun Produce, which was fun, but this year we went to another place I had heard good things about – Mark’s Melons. Last year Blair and I meandered around at Calhoun Produce looking at pumpkins and animals, and we were practically the only ones there. Mark’s Melons was a whole different experience – like 12 school buses different. I thought a weekday would be perfect because Mark’s Melons has big events on the weekends in October, but it did not even occur to me that every school within 100 miles would be going on a field trip there! Oh my gosh – it was SO crowded – at 10:30am!

And instead of a few pumpkins sitting around, Mark’s Melons is a real pumpkin patch. How ‘bout that?!

Here’s one! Sweet girl!We’re glad Gigi came! Blair is always glad to be with Gigi, and Mommy would not have had too much fun if she had been by herself trying to keep Blair away from everyone, take pictures, keep her from running off, and keep her hands clean.

I really love the fairly new tradition (It seems new to me at least – we never did this when I was little!) of taking kids to the pumpkin patch. The pictures are great, the kids have a blast, and you can always find the perfect pumpkin to accompany your fall decor (that would be decor that I do not have this year because that would require time, which is something else that is not very abundant).

Blair loved everything!

And speaking of great pictures. This is what happens when I try to get a great picture with Blair.

Silly.Eyes closed.

 

Cheesy smile or more silly. And that’s about it.

Mark’s Melons is a really cool place. They have old buildings spread out on the property, sunflowers, zinnias, a hay ride, a jumping pumpkin, and lots more cool stuff. We basically let Blair look at all the pumpkins and watch all the kids playing on everything. She had a ball. 

“Uh oh. Off.” (It’s dirty!)

So we chose another display set up on straw instead of sand.

She wanted to pick up the pumpkins!

 

Lots of pumpkins. Lots of pictures!

Blair heard and spotted an airplane, “AH ah AH ah AH ah….” (Anyone who has been to speech probably heard this.)

 

She rode a tractor. This was not a new experience. Obviously.

The place is enormous. They had picnic tables for kids to eat lunch.

And lots of decorations!

Plenty of old equipment and plenty of pumpkins, of course!

And they had piles of green peanuts and a woman hand-picking them. 

They have a store with all sorts of southern foods, watermelon, cotton by the bunch (really?!), boiled peanuts, pumpkins….

“Dada watermelon.”

Playing in the store.

I don’t know what she’s doing with her eyes!   

Boiled peanuts!

She found a piece of string and thought it was hilarious.

And she had to get a “taste” of ice cream!

Folks were loading up! I really don’t know what I would do with that many pumpkins.

She enjoyed watching the kids jump in the blow up pumpkin.

And we put our faces in for each animal – twice!

She really had a ball.

Another attempt with mommy…

More silly and hiding her underarms in case someone were to try to tickle her.

Get all the silly out!

Then we went to see sunflowers….

And pick a pumpkin!

 

And she sacked out on the way home, pumpkin in hand.