Pumpkin Patch

For the past couple of years I have been taking my kids to Walmart or Harris Teeter to get a pumpkin. I know, it isn't a pumpkin patch. But they all come from the same place, right? Besides, it is much cheaper to buy one from the store.

But this year I was shamed into taking my kids to the pumpkin patch. One of the moms at preschool was working at the church pumpkin patch where Harrison goes to school. She asked me if we were coming to get a pumpkin. I just couldn't tell her I shopped at the grocery store for mine. GASP! So, I said I would come when all the kids could come with me.

Today was the first opportunity that we have had to all go and pick out a pumpkin. So David, the kids and I piled into the minivan and headed across town to find the perfect pumpkin. To keep the peace in our household, we allow each child to pick one small pumpkin to put Mr. Pumpkin Head parts on (yes, it's like Mr. Potato Head just with a pumpkin) and together they pick one large pumpkin to carve.

About 20 minutes into the whole pumpkin picking escapade I remembered the real reason why I do not like to take my children to the pumpkin patch. They cannot make up their minds. One pumpkin is too fat, one is too tall, one has bumps on it, one doesn't have a stem and stems are a must. They pick up and poke and turn over every pumpkin they can reach until finally we blow the whistle and tell them times up.

We headed up to the checkout with our four pumpkins. The man at the register was apparently trying to be funny because he had the nerve to suggest that since we had five people in our family we needed one more pumpkin. Yeah, just what we need - another half an hour searching the patch for one more perfect pumpkin. No four will be fine thank you.

An hour later and $25 poorer, we headed home. Maybe next year we can get away with the Harris Teeter pumpkins.