We had a fantastic day at Pumpkinville. It was so fun having Scott home in the middle of the week. The boys were particularly ecstatic to have their daddy home from school for a fun day. I think that taking a break from the stress of work did him a world of good as well!
The weather was gorgeous and, as anticipated, the crowds were nonexistent. We were able to enjoy all of the activities without fighting hoards of people and long lines. Robby and Timmy played together for hours, squealing and running throughout the haybales and inflatables. I even got into the action on a few slides, although I have to admit that it was nice to sit back and watch the boys play together.
Today we are back to reality, but my goodness it was nice to disconnect and break away for a few hours!
Our house is buzzing with excitement this morning. Scott decided that he needed to take a mental health day at work, and put in for personal leave for today. We surprised the boys last night by announcing we were going to be spending the day at Pumpkinville, one of their favorite fall adventures.
Our family has been going to Pumpkinville since Robby was two. Typically we have to go on the weekend, when Scott is home from work. Of course, everybody else is tends to go on the weekend as well, so it is sometimes frustratingly busy. Going during the week will (hopefully) mean less people and fewer lines.
Timmy is already decked out in his full Ghostbuster's costume, complete with newly upgraded proton gun, ready to fight his poltergeist foes at the farm. Even Robby, who is harder to please with family adventures, is excited about our plans. The weather looks beautiful, so it should be an awesome day!
Timmy is enthralled by all things that fly. From planes and rockets to sling shots and kites, if it soars through the air he wants to play with it. Aware of Timmy's aviation obsession, Scott surprised us on Monday with a set of stomp rockets. He was hoping that Timmy would be excited, but we were completely unprepared for the reaction he received.
Timmy was so excited when he saw the stomp rockets that all he could do was shriek for joy. He jumped up and down and and then ran in circles as I unboxed the new treasure. The boys headed outside to play, where they sent rockets soaring until dinner was ready.
Yesterday morning he woke up at dawn, anxious to go play with his new rockets. After convincing him to wait until the sun came up and I had enough coffee, we spent the majority of the day jumping on pillow pads to send rockets into the air. (I have to admit that I grew weary of the game after two hours, but he never seemed to tire.) In total, we spent six hours jumping and blasting rockets "to the purple space station."
I knew that Timmy would enjoy the stomp rockets, but I'm taken aback by his unbridled enthusiasm for the toy. I suspect that today will be spent at launch central, sending more rockets to space. It's safe to say that Scott made a wise purchase.
I love autumn. From the cooling temperatures to the shorter days, I adore all of the cozy aspects of the season. After the sweltering heat of summer, the cooler temperatures are especially welcome this year. I can't wait until we can light up the firepit and enjoy evenings outside again.
Perhaps my favorite part of autumn are the family activities, especially pumpkin farms and corn mazes. I adore throwing on a sweatshirt and heading to a farm with the boys. Being outside with the boys, unplugged from technology and just having fun, makes me the happiest mom in the world.
Pumpkin festivals are plentiful and they seem to increase every year. Although we definitely have our favorites, we try to visit as many as possible. Each farm offers a unique experience and no two days are ever the same. Because we visit so many pumpkin festivals, I have learned that each host offers a different level of accessibility.
I'm fortunate that I can adapt to most situations. My limb loss doesn't keep me from enjoying the activities with the kids, but sometimes the "luxury" of accommodations is definitely appreciated. For example, simply adding rope railing along the trek to the slide certainly helps me as I try to shlep up for yet another race down on a burlap bag.
Not every farm is accessible, and I have learned to prepare ahead of time for the unexpected. In this week's podcast, Dave and I discussed tackling less than ideal environments. I hope that some of our advice is beneficial!
It is always hard seeing him being prodded with needles, but Timmy handled his infusion like a champion! I am constantly amazed by his bravery and his strength. He has faced so many obstacles in his lifetime, but he continues to smile and look at the world with amazement and wonderment.
After our appointment I took him to a pumpkin patch, which immediately made all of the needles a distant memory. He ran, slid and climbed until it was time to go pick up Robby from school. I really wish I had his energy and his perspective on life, because both are wonderful traits to possess.
Although Timmy felt icky Friday evening and he had a rough night, we still had a fantastic weekend. The heat finally left, leaving us with cool fall temperatures. Saturday we played outside, riding bikes and catching ghosts through the neighborhood. We even had time to visit a local community festival, where my little Ghostbuster garnered smiles from everybody who walked by him.
On Sunday we caught some more ghosts and ran errands. It was nice to have a weekend at home with nothing pressing to accomplish. The next few weeks are going to be busy, so we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to relax and just have fun at home.
