Family Traditions

I had a few family traditions around the holidays growing up, things that made those special times that much more special. When I had kids I knew I wanted to come up with things that were new to all of us that the kids would look forward to, love and remember.

One such thing is the pumpkin patch. I’d always wanted to go to a pumpkin patch as a kid, but we always got our pumpkins at the store. I went to my first one in my 20s and swore I’d make this a tradition when I had kids.

When Sweetness was just a month old I took her to a pumpkin patch just to get her photo with the pumpkins. The next year was the special one where she could start building memories. I searched the Internet for places near home. There are several farms that charge and entrance fee and have lots of events like corn mazes, haunted houses and the like. But I really thought for young ones a simple ride on a tractor-pulled wagon to the patch where we pick our own pumpkin would be great.

I was in luck. I found Jubilee Farms, an organic family farm that didn’t charge a penny for the hay ride to the patch. You only paid for the pumpkins and gourds you cut from the vine yourself. They also had fresh cider, tasty food, farm animals, pony rides and even a trebuchet used for flinging a pumpkin to a very explosive death (much to the glee of tons of kids of all ages who then ran down to pick up the pieces and feed them to the pigs). I took my terribly morning sick self, hubby and 13-month-old Sweetness there in 2008 and it has been the family tradition ever since.

This year was the first year the kids started asking me about it when they saw the Halloween decorations come out. Both of them remembered past trips and talked animatedly about the tractor rides to get pumpkins.

We were a little late this year to the patch. Usually I like to go the second weekend of October, but my sore hip kept me away until last weekend. But much to everyone’s glee, my brother and his new wife decided to join us this year. It was kind of cool to share it with my baby brother. As the kids giggled and tromped around picking the perfect pumpkin, my brother and I would exchange smiles and glimmers of our kid selves.

We had a great time, spent about $12 on two pumpkins, and made memories for a lifetime. I know one day the kids will be too old and will roll their eyes at the prospect of the pumpkin patch, so until then, I’m going to milk this for all it’s worth.

Sweetness has taken to not smiling for pictures lately, but she was having fun, really. Mr. Man, with his new skater boy hat he insisted he had to have even though it was big enough for a tween, was pleased as punch to smile away.

Hanging with Uncle and Daddy, waiting to watch the pumpkin fly to its death.

Choosing a pumpkin. The one his uncle is pointing at was actually the one he took home.