October in a pumpkin shell

Pumpkins were a BIG part of our October. This is a long, picture-filled post- feel free to skim.

Our first pumpkin patch attempt was a complete disaster. It was freezing cold, Adam screamed the whole time (thank heaven for my sweet friend Sarah, who has the ability to calm Adam down anywhere we go), and Leah had recently watched "Spookley the Sqaure Pumpkin". She was determined to find a square pumpkin. We went home with Spookley's cousin, Greenly the Green Pumpkin and a few of his friends.
A few weeks later we went to a different pumpkin patch and had success for the following reasons- we heavily layered our clothes, took turns with Adam in the car, and told Leah that Spookley was NOT at this pumpkin patch.
We did bring Adam out into the cold for a few pictures, and that was enough for him. It's not as fun switching off to keep him out of the cold, but it is totally worth it to preserve our sanity and his health.
Jason took Leah on the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, and they were able to find two big pumpkins. I'm not sure when Leah started sticking her toungue out in pictures... not my favorite.
This place was a lot of fun, with a petting barn, maze, pony rides, tractor rides and hay rides.
This picture screams "Midwest!" to me. This is where we live now... cornfields and oil barrel tractor-pulled trains driven by nice old farmers.
When the day finally came to carve our pumpkins, we decided to make Spookley and his antagonist Little Jack. Notice Spookley came complete with leaf hands. Leah is hugging Spookley in the lower left picture. She was so enamored by his presence. Jason and I had to lug the pumpkins throughout the house so Leah could show them her room, toys, and bed. We put them to bed in the garage that night, and Leah has been checking on them every day since. I'm not sure we'll be able to throw them away anytime soon. Oh yes, and we decorated Halloween cookies somewhere in the midst of all this pumpkin business, too. Phew! I think I'm ready for a holiday break. But Thanksgiving, here we come!