a trip to the 'patch

***way picture heavy post ahead, no knitting content- you've been warned!****


The Dearest had the afternoon off today and I talked him into going with the boys and me to Tanaka Farms' Pumpkin Patch. I love Tanaka- they are the largest (might be the only) organic farm in the OC. They always have yummy fresh produce and lots of fun things to do with the kiddos.

So we headed down there and it was a huge hit with the boys. First there was the tractor ride, which just about made Monkey Boy's day. In fact we probably could have dispensed with everything else and just gone 'round and 'round the farm on that tractor! Check out MB's hair:

There was also a cool hay bale maze. LM is *really* into mazes lately. I print them off the Internet and he will sit at the kitchen table for an hour, working his way thru maze after maze. He thought it was "super cool" to be able to do a real maze.

Then there was all this:

( top left- LM picks carrots (and radishes and onions) at the "u-pick" veggie patch; top right- Monkey Boy found a ladybug; center- MB tries a fresh off the vine green bean; bottom left- the boys together; bottom right- LM at the top of the heap)

Little Man and I found three pumpkins in the "U-Pick'em" pumpkin patch. I had told him that he could have any pumpkins he wanted, but he needed to be able to pick them up himself:

And check him out, Mr. GQ (I swear I didn't pose him like this!) wearing the new hat he picked out at Old Navy:

After picking veggies & pumpkins, visiting the maze and the petting zoo and riding the tractor at least five times, we were DONE. So it was off to our favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. Yum.

A great day at the pumpkin patch!