So, its half term again. Kids are off school, driving my other half mad with their need to be doing something. The thing is, this time of year, the weather starts to go a little downhill. Gone are those sunny days, replaced with wet and windy ones. Well, that's what has happened mostly this week.
Now, I do like to ease the pain a little; but I also like to do stuff with my family. So, whenever there is a half-term holiday or end of a term for that matter, I like to take a day or two off to give myself a long weekend. This gives us time to get out and do something. Today happened to be the first day of a 4-day long weekend.
So, we had a plan to go through today. It started with a SEN trampoline session. Short breaks have a number of things on and both our kids love the trampoline sessions. So, 9:30 am we were up, ready and there.
Once that was complete, in my head, I had this second activity planned. we were going to drive over to a farm where we could pick out a lovely pumpkin to be carved this weekend.
Now, at this point, I have to say that we have never gone pumpkin picking for Halloween. We tend to just get one from the supermarket, but I thought that this would be an experience, and a chance to do a great activity with the kids. In my head, I had this picture of us walking between rows of pumpkins. What I didn't see was all the mud and mushed up pumpkins, those that had seen better days and other stuff.
So, it's not the first time I have picked fruit and veg. As a kid we used to, on occasion, go and pick strawberries. We'd go to a local farm and pick them, as well as other fruit and veg such as apples, beans, carrots and so forth.
We'd walk through the fields, between the growing strawberries, pick one, eat one and so on. We would take our time and get our fill. I remember it all being, well, strawberries. A kind of cloud, fluffy, you get the idea. Just a lovely day out. I don't remember mud, and clambering over rows of plants. But that is the reality of picking up a pumpkin for Halloween. Especially when the weather has been so wet over this past week or two.
Now, that's not to say it wasn't a fun activity. The kids enjoyed it, my daughter was certainly getting into the mood of searching for a good pumpkin. Now, there were loads of them still about as you can see from the images I captured today. There were, most likely, more at some point - it was busy and presume had been for some time.
I believe my kids will look back on it with that same fluffy feeling I do of strawberry picking. I can also say that we will, most likely, do it again. I think next time it will be either earlier or try somewhere different.
Anyhow, back to today... So, as I was saying, my daughter definitely got into the search. She was rolling over the pumpkins, choosing one, then finding a better one and so on. This probably went on for an hour. luckily for them, we had put their wellies on, I had my walking shoes (well-walking trainer shoes) on and my wife had some, not so white, trainers - so we were being careful of the mud which may have limited us a little.
We did find a good one though. We found one that was medium round but long - so it's going to make a good long scary face I reckon.
So, forget about the mud. Forget about the weather. The day was a fun activity for the kids, and that was what it's about. This year they can say, well our daughter can say, that they picked that pumpkin themselves. The went along to a field, walked around, searching and picked a good one.
Success is sometimes found walking around in the mud.
Come the warmer months, the let water logged months, we will be going back again. We want to go and pick some lovely strawberries. Well, I say pick. We will be taking some home, though how many reaches there is a different subject.
The kids have the fruit picking bug now. I know we will be there again because if not we will be nagged. To be fair, its a lovely day out, well hour or two activity. Get out in the fresh air, spend some family time and also exercise as you walk. Add to that some sweet fruit and it's just perfect.
I have to say that if you are looking to picking the right pumpkin for Halloween and have thought about doing this, forget the mud, forget all that mucky stuff, just do it. The kids love it, we could tell with our as well as all the other kids wandering through the field, turning over each pumpkin. Just do it.
How do you pick your pumpkin for Halloween? Do you go to the supermarket or venture out the fields? Why not leave us a comment on how you get yours below.