Monday, October 20, 2008

Pumpkin Junkies

We are totally in Halloween overdrive in these parts. I think it is a weird compulsion I am having due to missing two seasons of Halloween. In '06 I was newly pregnant and just felt like shit, unable to muster much energy to do anything, except put on some cat ears and fake eyelashes (?). In '07 I was fairly newly Mama'd with a healthy dose of PPD and two 6 month old boys just barely sleeping (and not through the night). I barely mustered the energy to stuff them into ready made costumes and take them out that evening for a few hours. But this year, I am raring.
Halloween Comes Homes
Decorations are up, house is quite Halloweeny, costumes are in planning stage and the pumpkins, well, we have the pumpkins.

We have been to the pumpkin patch four times since October 11th. Hence the title. In our defense, last week we were a week early. This weekend was the official Pumpkin Festival and it rocked. So, we went two days in a row.
Cal Poly Pumpkin Festival
It was perfect...we went post-nap so the crowds had thinned a bit. And we had scoped out the situation the week before, so I knew that I wanted a few specialty pumpkins. We picked the special ones up at the Farm Store, had a crazy ride in the wagon courtesy of Mama.
Cal Poly Pumpkin Festival
We ate 'Dr Bobs ice cream (rated second best in the world. The world), wandered through the nearly denuded pumpkin fields, petted some sheep, watched a cow pee, (Omg, almost on Owen's head...and it was a river of pee, people, so gross) watched a baby goat try to brawl with a much bigger goat, carried some pumpkins,
Pumpkin Carrying
took some pictures...all kinds of fun.
Cal Poly Pumpkin Festival


And today, we topped off the evening with a quick jaunt to our little city's Pumpkin Patch, where they have a barn and animals and there is a park over the tiny bridge and it is a few blocks from home. So, who can blame me for saturating us in the Halloween spirit. I have a lot to make up for.
Scary

Being at the Heritage Park patch today brought a vivid memory back. Last year, this very week, we brought the boys there for a few photos. I was having a really hard time at this point. Really hard. And we met parents of twins that were 18 months at the time. She must have seen something in my eyes (like, despair exuding out of their deeply shadowed depths) and told me a few times...."It gets better, really, it gets better". Which I absolutely could not believe at the time. I looked at her lovely kids and all I could see was a bigger version of my not-sleeping-not-easy babies. Today, I watched my boys in the exact same spot, running from chicken coop to bunny cage to piglet enclosure, laughing hilariously, tripping, babbling, trying to climb the rotting barn steps and I could have cried. Because it has not just gotten better. It is amazing. Amazingly fun, amazingly hard, but amazing. Tonight I watched Owen 'read' me the Edison bill and when I laid Mason in his crib, felt his little hands pull his blankie around himself, essentially tucking himself in for the night...and I thanked the gods. Thanked them that I am better, that they are happy, and that we have Halloween.

Regarding the Halloween costumes...they are actually quite simple, but it is all going to be in the hair. Stay tuned. The big reveal shall come.

6 comments:

Claroux said...

I seriously could have written that last paragraph. I didn't believe anyone when they told me it would get better and now I find myself handing out the same advice to new twin moms that I come across. Who would have thought this would BE so amazing, right? I get chills when I look at them now - they are little girls. Little PEOPLE. They are fun and beautiful and a miracle. In less than one year I went from planning how I could escape to never EVER wanting to leave their sides. Thanks for this post - it was PERFECT. Can't wait to see the costumes!

cinnamongirl said...

And now I'm crying. I think it's great how honest you are. You did it, and are doing it well. I look up to you in so many ways. You are a great wife, GREAT mama, and the best friend. I feel so proud to call you my friend! I love you, and your family. All of them.

Anonymous said...

Those little men are so loved!!!
Did you go to the insect fair too?

brook said...

i love how going to the pumpkin patch for us in so-cal means wearing flip-flops and shorts. :)

Pixiepurls said...

I can't wait to decorate for halloween, I decided not too this year as she would just pull everything down anyway. I haven't collected much decorations so I do look forward to picking a few things out each year!

The Adventures of Carrie, Brook, Finn and Reid said...

I can't wait for the big 'reveal'! I also can't wait to leave work so I can look at the fall photos!

I tried to email you at: senorayates@yahoo.com and it came back undeliverable...I triple checked the address with the one you left on our blog...are my eyes failing me?