Halloween has always been my favorite. But now that Cecile is older, the holiday is proving to be even more fun than ever, as I can use my daughter as an excuse to drag the family miles and miles away from the city for a day spent at the farm.
The other weekend we did just that. Our pumpkin patch of choice: Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly, Virginia. There we met two of her pint-sized friends Cavan and Lucas. Our day was full of fun. There was sunshine and cider, a super-fast slide, a petting zoo and teepees, tunnels to climb through and steel canisters to bang on ... oh, and lots and lots of pumpkins. Other than a little nibble taken by a baby goat (my bad), it was a pretty good day.
The day started under the pavilion with a little hot cider and small talk, and quickly moved to the brightly painted concrete tunnels and dozens of pumpkins scattered about. Cavan and Lucas are mighty little men. They were hulling pumpkins from one side of the park to the other, sometimes two at a time! The pumpkins were a little too big for our Cecile, but she learned the value of a good push and roll.
Next stop: The slide. Honestly, at first I thought there was little chance Jon or I would take Cecile down the slide. It seemed too huge! Then Lucas went down with his parents and, lo, soon we were all taking turns. Oh my goodness ... so glad we did.
^^Check out Lucas' easy stride as he walks off the slide. He was the master of the mountain.^^
Cecile will not pose for pictures with me these days. She's much too busy wanting to get to the next adventure. Cavan's family, on the other hand, certainly knows how to rock a good face cut-out ;) ;)
Ticonderoga Farms had all sorts of fun things for the kiddos to explore. One favorite: a cluster of empty propane tanks. Sound like garbage to you? Well, after a quick search for a good stick, it was music to their little ears.
Eventually we began to walk to the pumpkin patch. On our way we stopped to visit with some baby goats. They looked so cute and harmless, and Cavan and Cecile wanted to get a closer look. Well, I was busy trying to get a good photo when one of the goats decided Cecile's finger looked like a yummy snack. Stupid, silly mama. The nibble didn't seem to harm Cecile too much, but it certainly spooked both baby and mommy. And when I swooped in to grab baby girl's finger from the goat, my camera swung off my shoulder and clocked C square in the forehead. Double bad. I felt terrible.
^^The nibble ... oy.^^
^^Speaking of nibbling, you can't eat the gourds, Cavan!^^
Thank goodness kids don't remember anything until the age of three year or greater, right?? Anyway, after Cecile calmed down, it was time to get a pumpkin. At Ticonderoga, one small pumpkin comes with each adult admission ticket, and there were plenty of pumpkins--big and small--from which to choose. And I might add Cecile is an expert pumpkin picker. She selected two nicely shaped, firm gourds.
Pumpkin? Check. Followed by a solid nap? Double check. All in all, it was a successful day. Thanks for joining us at the patch, Lucas and Cavan! We are looking forward to carving our baby pumpkins tonight, and to a great first go at trick-or-treating tomorrow :)
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