The Pumpkin Patch

Traditions are what hold a family together. They make memories and create a tribal sense of unity because each family does something in a way that no other family does it. Sure, hundreds if not thousands of folks visit the pumpkin patch each year, but each tribe does it a little bit differently, with their own unique twist.

As our own family propels itself ever forward, faster and faster it seems, I find myself clinging to our traditions. Almost too much. I am one who hates change, generally. I like things to stay just the same, predictable forever and always.

But kids aren't like that. They embody everything that is wonderful and terrible about change. They are new people everyday, molded by their friends, their experiences and everything they are learning about the world around them.

I know that one day our family traditions, especially surrounding holiday events, will have to change, as our tribe will be changing. We will say goodbye to childhood fantasies, and hello to mature thought...and that umbilical cord that connects to my kids will become longer, and longer as they are allowed more and more freedoms (like trick-or-treating on their own!!).

I truly feel that this year, we are standing on the cusp of that change, and it's just about time for me to put on my hiking boots and get ready for that journey into the wilderness of having teenagers.

I will have a teenager in two months. This is him. I'm not sure what happened to the brightness in this picture, but I wanted to show it to you so you could see why I'm feeling a bit afraid. He is big. And tall. In this picture I am wearing boots with 3-inch heels. He can carry me like a baby. It kind of makes me want to cry like one.




But thankfully, he plunged into the corn maze with enthusiasm, matched only by his kid brother who beats him through every year.



Not this time! In a startling upset, big brother wins!


My daughter is not interested in racing the boys at all (can you blame her?), rather she likes to pose for a photo with each animal hidden throughout the maze. There were seven in all.




Then there are the requisite photo ops. Here in the pumpkin patch....



And later with their perfect pumpkins. They are already discussing their carving strategies, and what faces they will cut into their glorious gourds (by themselves...duh).








Don't forget the caramel apples. And please, for the love of the Great Pumpkin, do not show this picture to their orthodontist!



What are your fall traditions?