Pumpkin Patch

Today was Gabe's first ever FIELD TRIP; the first of many he'll probably have. His preschool class went to the Judd Pumpkin Patch in Paragonah (and that is SUPER cute to hear Gabe say!) I had offered to help drive when we found out about it, but Gabe's teacher said they had enough helpers. However, she said if I wanted to go still I was more than welcome to join them. I sat back and thought about it, and asked Gabe what he wanted me to do and I just had to go with them. Gabe still wanted to drive in the car with the other kids, which was fine with me - but I was so glad he still wanted Hunter and I to tag along.

It was just a quick little trip to the pumpkin patch, and the pumpkins were a bit picked over this close to Halloween - but it was still fun. It was funny to watch the kids picking through the pumpkins and tripping through the dried up vines. Gabe and his little friend Jace just could not pick their pumpkins out - it was funny. They were so picky and kept picking out funky looking ones. Both of them kept finding TINY, rotten, mushy and green pumpkins. I suggested that Gabe look for a fun orange one. The next thing I heard was Gabe telling his teacher, "Teacher, I can't have that pumpkin - it has green on it and my mom told me I had to get an ORANGE pumpkin." Cute kids! It was fun to see the kids that Gabe has fun with every week in his class and to see him interact with his little friends.

When I was trying to decide whether or not I'd be going with Gabe it made me think about my kids growing up. I was just not ready to let my little guy go on a field trip without me! There are days when I feel like I need a break from my kids, but I also don't like the idea of them having fun experiences without me. The idea of them doing things on their own kind of scares me. Yes, I want them to learn and grow, and become their own person...but at the same time that kind of scares me. It scares me that there will be a point in time where they are completely on their own and won't need me at all. That makes me a little sad....ok - it makes me very sad! I'm not ready for them to grow up.