Pumpkin Patch, Part 2

The boys were so disappointed to miss out on all the pumpkin fun. We had an unseasonably warm week with temperatures into the 80s, so I decided it would be a good idea to take the kids to the corn maze at that same pumpkin patch the girls had been to. We went on Tuesday evening about an hour before sunset.

Sometimes I have terrible ideas.

About ten minutes into the maze, I realized that we might not have enough daylight to find the exit. And the only flashlight I had was the one on my cell phone. Sophie loved the maze so much that she kept running off and around corners with all of us yelling and running after her. She spent a short span in the umbrella stroller that I brought, but that proved a bumpy and unruly ride. There were tiny gnats everywhere, in our eyes, in our ears, in our mouths, in our noses. We alternated between watching where we were going, not losing Sophie, and swatting away the bugs. And then Phoebe announced, with some urgency, that she needed the bathroom.

I learned a few lessons during this evening. I am awful at reading corn maze maps, but it turns out Peter is pretty good at it. He was our leader and knew where we were even when I was totally turned around. 

I was the caboose of the group, making sure that we stayed together. I prefer to have eyes on everyone, which means maybe I don't trust these small people as much as I would like.

My claustrophobia didn't love some of those tight corn rows. I should have remembered that ailment before I plunked down $24 dollars to go through. I felt a huge sense of relief when we finally found our way out of the maze, with enough daylight left to take a few runs through the much shorter hay maze.

And, even if it felt stressful while we were there, the pictures make the whole night look idyllic. 

 
There were funny moments, it wasn't all bad. As we rounded a corner we heard Peter gasp and say, "You guys! Hurry! There's a peregrine falcon! Oh wait, that's just a pigeon."

And then, a few minutes later, "I know it sounds crazy Mom, but, do you think we should follow the pigeon?"

We did not follow the pigeon.