Happy 400!

'Tis the season for pumpkin patches and hay rides! As we are blazing through fall once again, thanks to typical southern California weather of 95*, I am reminded that I have never taken my kids to the pumpkin patch. Never. We have been parents for 7 years and have yet to set foot on the hay laden floor of a pumpkin patch.

You see October is the end of the birthday season for our family and also our wedding anniversary. So as a gift to us every year my mother and step-father keep the kids overnight, spoil them rotten and then bring them home the next day sticky and sweaty with face paintings from the pumpkin patch. I am in no way complaining. In fact, it gives us a much needed break and is nice on our pocket book too. The kids have snow cones, Happy Meals, and popcorn. They climb the hay bales, go through the maze and ride ponies. Then they can pick out any pumpkin they want, provided they can carry it by themselves, and bring it home. I can only imagine how much that costs for 4 (soon to be 5) children.

In celebration of my 400th blog post I want to thank my mom and step-dad. Hubby and I truly appreciate a few hours of quiet, a meal alone, and a chance to get a word in edge-wise. But even more than all of that I know that the kids truly cherish having something special to do with their grandparents every year. Lainy Ann and Connor are older and they can remember past years visits to the pumpkin patch. They pass on the stories and the history to the younger ones who can't quite remember last years adventure, but get excited at the idea.