Dramatic Rescue In The Pumpkin Patch

Okay, it wasn't so much dramatic as it was TRAUMATIC (at least for me!) but we survived a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Since I've moved back home to the place where I grew up - I've tried very hard to recapture that part of me that was the mother I was the first time around.

The girls had loved our tradition of visiting local pumpkin patch where hundreds of new pumpkins in all shapes and sizes spread all around the farm stand with cool scare crows and antique tractors tucked here and there. The farm store filled with cool halloween displays. I knew it wouldn't be the same kind of trip with the boys but I didn't want to jinx it.

Instead, I pretended it was my first time there at the farm...

The sun had come out, the wind blew wildly but warming us. The trees are already a mixture of red, orange and yellow with leaves swirling all around us. I love the smooth feel of the bright orange pumpkins and try to get the boys to touch them just for a moment. They won't.

Josiah has his hands over his ears and he is darting around, telling me "let's go" while Caleb is running to the store front looking for candy. There is none. Now, there are shiny new apples all bagged up and ready to go but I can't get an answer out of either of them on the apple decision.

I'm grappling with Josiah because he wants to get back in the car. Caleb won't come over where we are and Josiah has now plopped himself down on the ground, yelling something I don't understand.

Somehow I get the pumpkins we picked out over to the vegetable stand but it's inside to pay. Josiah is still yelling "the car" over and over so I decide to let the whole thing go. I tell Caleb to come over to us - We are going home.

Of course, Caleb is just as focused on "Where is my halloween stuff and how come we can't get the pumpkins??" I have both boys now over by the bales of hay and dried corn stalks but we are no where near the storefront.

What to do... as much as I want to be an independent mom to these boys of mine, outings like this calls for more than one person.

The Rescue

An angel in disguise... she steps up to Josiah and says sweetly, "Do you want me to stand with you while Mom pays for the pumpkins? That way you don't have to go in the store and Mom can hurry up so you can get in the car..."

Ahhhhhhhhhh - I am rescued from the trauma of going home empty handed and frustrated with the whole situation. Josiah is rescued from his cranky mom that just wanted him to have fun at the pumpkin patch. Caleb is rescued from being pumpkinless.

She was a godsend! Without her, I might still be there trying to get one or the other to cooperate.

Dramatic? You Betcha! Traumatic? Not to the boys and I'm reslient :-)

Fun? Yep! Actually once we were piled into the car with our treasures in the trunk of the car - I was happy. A beautiful fall day in Maine with my boys.

Tam