Well it has been a while since I was able to post anything. I have been busy and it doesn't look like it will slow down too soon. It's just one of those things.
We went to a local pumpkin patch a couple weekends ago. We decided to beat the crowd and get our pumpkins a little early.
This is a really great Pumpkin Patch for little kids. They have a life size candy land game, jumping pillows, numerous slides, games, shows, food, a small train, hay-rack ride, and of course a plethora of pumpkins to choose from.
We visited the candy land game first and Carter is still learning his colors. He knows the words but has trouble associating them with the correct colors.
So he wandered around shouting out colors (red, blue, orange, purple) and pointing to the color blocks on the ground.
Next we visited King Arthur's Castle that has a large tube slide. Carter was not interested in going down so they came back out and we moved onto the next one.
This particular slide was made with about 20 feet of big conduit tubing that they cut in half, laid bowl up, and built a wood platform launch area. The bottom had a PVC platform to slow you down.
Very high tech.
We stood and watched a few kids go down and Carter seemed to be interested.
Peter said, "I'll go up with him."
Which left me doing camera duty at the bottom of the slide. I set myself up at the bottom well out of the way of the numerous children coming down multiple times. I had the video camera in one hand and the camera in the other, ready to take multiple shots as they descended the black chute.
Peter yells down, "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" I respond poised with both cameras at the ready. Unaware that at the next moment my husband would launch our son down the 20 foot slide by himself.
Peter let Carter go.
I watched in horror a second before jumping into action yelling "He doesn't like it! He doesn't like it! Why didn't you go down with him!" I ran at the slide and tried to get half way up it to catch Carter who at this point is freaking out. the look of terror on his face would make anyone come running. I scoop him up and he latches onto me tighter than the lid on a pickle jar. Both our hearts are racing.
I knew we had to get off the slide, so I turned to try to get us out of the way and wouldn't you know that the PVC platform at the bottom of the slide and my shoes do not like each other. In fact they repel each other in a way that my adrenalin rushed brain does not comprehend.
Seconds later Carter and I are air-born, cameras flying, me clutching Carter so I do not drop him. Sitting at the bottom of the slide I breath a painful, embarrassed, slightly angry breath to calm myself. I feel a small nudge on my back and Peter says "Baby are you OK?"
"NO." I breath through clenched teeth. We were both trying to get up from the bottom and I am hampered down with a child and not wanting to damage the cameras.
I feel another nudge on my back.
Yes that is right the kids keep coming down the slide.
Their parents said nothing.
This is my soap box. I will now get on it.
As a parent I am going to teach my child to try to be aware of his surroundings. This will not only benefit him but others. It will help him know when there is danger, when to help a friend do something , to clean up if he makes a mess, who to ask for help if he needs it and in the grand scheme of things he will learn to be polite. By knowing these things he will be a better person. My parents did this. I think it is important for all kids.
Stepping off my soap box.
Peter tried to help me up and get me off the slide so that the kids would stop running into me. When we finally extracted ourselves and got out of the way. I set Carter down to evaluate the damage to my body. He seemed to have calmed down and stood watching as more kids went down. Seemingly calmed and
un-phased by the experience. I ask, "Do you want to go down with Mommy?". He toddles over to me and I take that as a yes.
We make our way up the steps to the top of the chute and get ourselves situated to go down. I wrap my arms around his tummy and he latches onto them tightly. We scooted to the edge and were on our way. He giggled a little on the way down and we reached the bottom without trouble. He even went again with Peter.
Carter explored the hay bales, then we moved onto the jumping pillows next. Carter was not really a fan of them and I was with him the whole time.
Peter and Carter rode the train. Carter has been really into Thomas the Tank Engine lately so he enjoyed the train.
Carter and I played in the Corn Bus. He thought that was pretty cool. I had him laughing out loud pretty good and if you have ever heard him laugh, it is infectious. A few people in the bus joined in.
We went through the "Spook Coop". It housed scenes of cartoons with cosmic lighting.
We stopped and fed some of the animals. There was a large yak and his tongue was gross. I got closer than than I would have chosen.
This is Peter in a funnel cake coma. It only took 2 bites, that's how good it was.
We drummed on some giant pumpkins. They make the best drums out of all the gourds if you were wondering.
