Pumpkin Pickin' and Festivities

Have I mentioned that I love me a pumpkin patch?  I do.  I’m not sure what it is, but there is just something about a pumpkin patch that makes me feel like a kid.  So, its only natural that we started Miss Ella’s Halloween festivities at the pumpkin patch.  And I knew just where to go…

Last year we found our family’s go-to patch, Tanaka Farms in Irvine.  This place has it all:  Pumpkin (and vegetable) picking from the vine, a corn maze, a hay maze, a pumpkin launch, three petting zoos and tons of other activities.

Rows Upon Rows of Pumpkins

This year, at [almost] two, Ella was all about the pumpkin pickin’.  It made me so proud.  She must have picked up at least half a dozen pumpkins.  After browsing the rows upon rows of pumpkins we narrowed it down to one and here is this year’s pick:

Miss Ella's Pumpkin Pick

Then it was off to the corn maze where Miss Ella and her cousins led Daddy and Uncle Garrett through the tall circles of corn.  They were such great little leaders and were out in no time.  After the corn maze we walked over to the petting zoo where the kiddos got to play with the goat and sheep.  They even got to pet an alpaca. 

The Cousin Corn Maze

The trip to Tanaka Farms was a success… and the perfect start to this year’s Halloween festivities.

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Fast forward a few days from pumpkin picking and it was time to decorate.  So, Miss Ella and I invited a few of our Mommy-and-Me friends over for some good ol’ fashion pumpkin decorating.  This was Ella’s first time decorating a pumpkin-- She painted and put stickers on her pumpkin, and ate gummy bears. 

The girls played and the mommies enjoyed hot cider and pumpkin muffins.  It was a pretty great combo.  I would say this was a success too, and a definite new tradition at the Daily’s.

My Pumpkin and Her Pumpkin