Our Halloween Tradition – Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Carving

When kids are little, they are really fun to dress up in cute Halloween outfits and parade them around town for the week before Halloween. Everyone thinks it’s cute when they see a chunky 12 month old who is far too young to eat tons of candy dressed up as a watermelon, giraffe, dragon or one of the other immensely cute costumes I’ve dressed my kids up in. Fine. Maybe not everyone, but who cares about a few pretentious folks? When my kids were really little I used to take them to our local pumpkin patch, the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. A few years ago it was a complete disaster trying to drive out there because of the popularity of the place. Read traffic. But that problem was finally alleviated once the construction on the road was completed and they opened additional lanes on the road this year. But you have to be careful because a copycat opened their doors right next door. So go to the second pumpkin patch from Flower Mound, Texas or the one furthest west if you want to go to the same one as I did. Parking is $5 and all kids’ activities are FREE. Pumpkins are priced per pound.

All the other years I’ve been to the pumpkin patch, my kids were little and I had to keep a very close eye on them. So this year was nice with them being older and me being able to relax a little while they climbed, ran, and screamed yelled played on the bouncy houses, slides, and haystack maze. Albeit thirty minutes into us arriving I was beginning to wonder if someone had slipped them caffeine pills. Because seriously how can three boys have that much energy? I felt like one of my photography clients when I finally in exasperation told all my boys in my grumpy voice to sit still and SMILE or else we were leaving. This is what I got instead:

And we didn’t leave. Nope, because I really, really wanted to go on the hay ride. I’d show you the images of my boys on the hay ride (they were right next to me), but unfortunately I had my really long lens on my camera and couldn’t get them. But I did get the missionscaries! (We took them along with us.)

Then finally after an hour at the Flower Mound pumpkin patch, I said enough, and tried to help my kids find their way out of the haystack maze (I failed).

(you know why they had to put this sign up)

Then we went home and carved pumpkins. By “we” I mean my husband and boys.

In case you’re wondering, we don’t trust our kids with knives. Especially when they’re all in the same room together. Kids drew their desired faces on paper and Dad carved and roasted pumpkin seeds.

I vegged. Because folks the pumpkin patch was enough excitement for me for one day.