Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch and corn maze last week.  I really debated about going.  Jon couldn't go with us, so I wasn't sure if it was a wise place to go with two big kids and four little ones.  I really do try to do my best at keeping normal traditions for the sake of my older kids, even if it might be smarter at times to hole up at home for the next three years until all little kids are far from those terrible twos.  So, in the end, I decided that this is a tradition we should continue.  

We ventured out with our giant triple stroller AND a single umbrella stroller and three of us on our feet.  The nice thing about having four aged 2 and under, is that there are places where they eat free and other places where they get in free.  I loved it when the cashier at the pumpkin patch, said, "free, free, free, free," while pointing to my four little ones.  I can handle that.  

We started with the giant slides, but that was short-lived.  My toddlers run in different directions and don't always listen so well.  That doesn't work when there is more than one of them, they have a big trek to the top of the slide,s and there are thousands of people around.  They each had an older kid buddy, but they definitely choose their moments to listen to their buddy sparingly.  After one last climb up to the slides to take all four little ones down, we loaded them back up in the strollers and searched for our next adventure:  the port-a-potties.  I have a little girl who is very much potty-trianed, when SHE feels like it.  She can go days or weeks without an accident, but she can start having accidents left and right if that's her mood for the day.  This meant I insisted on visits to the port-a-potty often.  You have to be quite the tricky mom to have a toddler use one of those things without letting her see where her tinkle will be going.  I succeeded with much effort.

We then ventured into the corn maze.  You can't exactly take a trip to the corn maze and skip the maze, although maybe I'll do just that next year!  The maze was honoring New Mexico's 100th birthday this year, so there was a goal besides surviving and somehow finding our way back out.  They had a series of 20-some  themed punches to find.  That was a lot of fun, and I have a teen who would have LOVED to have had time to search for them all.  That didn't happen, though.  Don't judge.  Have you ever had to push a triple stroller through a corn maze in the heat of the day?  Have you ever had to have your tall teen push a short, rickety umbrella stroller through a corn maze, too?  It was fun for the first 3.5 minutes, and then we mostly just wanted to figure out how to get back out, which took us another 30 minutes.  The little kids actually enjoyed this part of the adventure because they got to sit and enjoy a bumpy ride while trying to grab corn stalks as often as possible.  I think mazes bring out a bit of my claustrophobia.  I cannot read a map to save my life, and it seems to be a useful skill when you actually need to read a map to save your life and get back to the airy open space.

After another port-a-potty stop (TMI, much?), we headed for the hay ride that would take us to the pumpkin patch.  It was pretty crowded, and the crowd was certainly staring at our little group.  I always wonder what they are thinking as they stare.  Who knows.  Everyone was seated nicely and ready for the ride to commence.  Only, then it actually commenced, scaring one of our girls majorly.  She leaped onto my lap, where I explained the mechanics of what was happening and why it was fun and not scary.  The others were wary at first but thought it was pretty fun after a while.  We got to the pumpkin patch, and they loved it!  The ran from pumpkin to pumpkin, picking them each up.  Miss Personality plopped herself down in with pumpkins all around her and felt at home.  We plopped Wee One down in a similar spot, but he thought it was mostly yucky, even if it was fun to lick the pumpkins.  

They each chose one tiny pumpkin since we'd already carved big ones the week before.  Wee one ate his, the toddlers are often seen driving theirs around in strollers.  We finished off the tour with the little maze (more my speed) and climbing the giant tires.

Did the kids have enough fun to make the trek worth it?  I'm not really sure.  The four littles were a bit young to explore the area, which is the most fun part of the place.  The older two didn't get to explore because of all the littles.  Oh, well.  We gave them all a new experience, kept up with our tradition, and rallied.  I'm pretty sure we'll be doing it again next year.   Traditions are important to keep in these crazy times and important to pass on to the new ones in the family.  Maybe we'll be more careful next year to pick a day when the papa can join us.  Then again, maybe most of these littles will have moved on, and we'll have some big 'uns.  You just never know.