Pumpkins

Due to the fact that we live in subtropical Houston, it is often difficult to tell when the fall season truly begins.  Is it with day light savings time?  Is it when Starbucks releases their spiced pumpkin and salted caramel lattes? Well, for me it is when the pumpkins arrive in all of their orange glory.  So when I saw this pumpkin patch as I was driving to see my parents, I knew we would be making a visit. 

It was fun to see Michael and Ava run around.  Michael quickly grabbed a wagon and began to put whatever pumpkin he could lift inside.  He was so cute when he strained to lift them.  Ava just had fun trying to climb on top of them...until she spotted this cute little boy.  I have never seen her do this, but she chased him down and hugged him.  The poor boy, he never stood a chance.  I guess that he was the closest to her size she had ever seen, so she instantly thought he must need a hug!

Then there is my darling little Austin.  He just stayed in my arms and was oblivious to the entire experience except when Michael discovered that the hay comes out of the hay bales and proceeded to throw it in the air.

When we made it back home, I thought the kids could paint their pumpkins and we could carve one big one as a family.  It started out nice enough, pretty colors and all. However, things turned when Michael and Ava realized that they could just mix all the paint together into one icky mess and slap it on the pumpkin.  Thank goodness the paint was washable.  The end result was an orange pumpkin with blackish purple blobs of paint.  Of course I couldn't resist dipping Austin's foot in the paint and putting it on his baby pumpkin.  And once again, he slept through the entire thing.

When Derin made it home, we were able to carve the pumpkin as a family.  That was interesting too, since I have a son that doesn't truly like to get dirty and a daughter that likes to go all in, all the time.  Nonetheless, our Jack-O-Lantern face revealed itself to my artist husband and the magical moment of lighting the candle commenced.  It was fun for about two mintues and then the kiddos were off to something else but I will take what I can get. So while I wait for the cooler weather to make its way to me, I will sip a soy spiced pumpkin latte and and look at my three little pumpkins.