A Mommy Blog About Raising Men, Not Boys.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

And Just Like That, It's Pumpkin Time

The temperatures dropped right on time, declaring that once again it's time for our annual pilgrimage to Burt's Farm to gather the bounty of the earth etc. It's everyone's favorite thing to do once the leaves change, and DESPITE what Matt Bellassai says FALL IS AWESOME. He's funny he's just wrong about fall. That's all.

There was a slight tragedy yesterday, and we can say it's my fault and let it go at that but I have blue hair. No need to talk about it. Let's pretend it's intentional and I'm having some sort of midlife crisis and think I'm a rocker. We don't need to acknowledge that I don't know how to use chemicals correctly. Nope.
Everyone chose a pumpkin as always, and we'll either carve (I will carve) or they will paint them up to their heart's delight in about a week. I picked a moonshine pumpkin that glows sort of green or yellow. Not sure I want to know HOW they got that effect but it's neat. Julia picked hers first and could barely lift it. She's in that "I CAN DO IT" phase of being a big girl. It's kind of adorable.
I almost always pick out a blue pumpkin but skipped it this year because those things are a BITCH to carve, they are super dense and just ugh, a pain. So we got one for decoration anyway - we chose this deformed one. It's ok, you can live with us on the islands of misfits. I shouldn't say deformed. I should say "DIFFERENTLY FORMED" amirite?
There is something about this place that is peaceful, despite the throngs of people, the children running, laughing, crying, sitting on pumpkins (which is NOT allowed), etc. There is something about it that's just perfect in a way I can't describe. The air is fresh, cool and crisp and the smell of baking pumpkin pie fills the air - I don't like pumpkin pie much but the warm smell of it is intoxicating.
We paused in our pumpkin revelry and obtained hot apple cider and pumpkin spice rolls, I don't even like them much and I had a bite.

This is a place where I always wish my entire family was there, having this experience with us. My brother and his family, my parents, everyone. That is unlikely to ever happen but it's idyllic to me, in that way. Or maybe it's just me wanting everyone with me always, I'm not sure.
There has to be something perfect about a place that makes a five year old run while shrieking "DADDY JUST FOUND THE BEST THING EVER!" as our differently formed pumpkin joins the group.
We picked a smaller family pumpkin this year because I'm weary of carving GIGANTOR THE PUMPKIN every year. Plus it's hard on the husband to pick up 80 pound pumpkins and lug them onto the porch. I have no idea what that goofy face is she's making.
We carve out "family time" every day and usually watch TV snuggled up together. But it's our days at places like Burt's Farm that are the best family time when they happen. It's one of the best things we ever discovered.

We were talking yesterday about how our first year here, we tried SO hard not to be sad about being here. We didn't want to live here really, we missed Tampa. So we tried to do ALL THE THINGS locally, embrace this place and everything there was to do and enjoy. We tried to make it our home.
So from there to here, it's fair to say we did make this place our home. I love living here, I can't imagine living anywhere else at least not for a long while.

Our first trip to Burt's looked like this...
It's been a lot of years and not all of them were awesome, including this one, but in some way I guess they really were. We're all together, we went to Burt's and there were pumpkins and treats and a hayride and joy. It doesn't get much better than that, I certainly can't ask for any more.

It's easy to forget how lucky you are when things are going to shit. But I am so very lucky, and Burt's helped me remember that yesterday.