Princess Sweetie Pie Picks a Pumpkin

 

I know you already know this, but we went to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, California, the opening weekend of their pumpkin patch!  A San Diego County “institution,” Bates Nut Farm has been around for around 60 years and open to the public for about 40 years.  So, for San Diego County residents, it’s a “destination” for sure!  Especially during holiday times, starting with the pumpkin patch.

Throughout the holiday season, every weekend has something fun and exciting and on the day we went, they had a tractor show, pony rides, animal encounters, a straw maze and tractor hayride.  So, our day was jammed packed full!  You can read past posts here:

• Blue Pumpkins
• In Search of The Great Pumpkin
• Nuts at the Nut Farm
• Princess P Picks a Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Season

By the time we went to pick out pumpkins, we had already ridden ponies, petted animals, walked among the vintage tractors and watched the tractor parade, shopped in the country store, checked out the scarecrows and tackled the straw maze.  All we had left to do was go on the tractor hayride.  I suggested we get in line (it wasn’t a long line and only a short wait), but nooooo….. the princesses and their friend wanted to pick out their pumpkins.  Here’s how the conversation unfolded:

“Let’s go on the tractor hayride.  Then, we can pick out our pumpkins, take them to the car and head home.”

“No, we want to pick out pumpkins now!”

“But, you’ll have to carry them around for the rest of the afternoon!”

“That’s okay; we can carry them!”

Yes, in the mind of a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old, you can carry pumpkins around all day!  No biggy!  Pumpkins don’t weigh much!  Heck, the average, smallish pumpkin weighs what – 10 pounds?  No biggy!

Off we went to end the clamoring of little girls attesting that, yes, they’ll carry their pumpkins!

Here’s a pictorial of Princess Sweetie Pie’s pumpkin-picking endeavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. How about this one?
2. I got it! (leg leverage)
3. Gosh, it’s so heavy!
4. These other pumpkins are in the way!
5. I’ve got a good grip now!
6. Whew; almost to the wheelbarrow!

 

 

 

1. This one looks perfect!
2. I’ll just pick it up by its stem!
3. Gosh, it’s so heavy!  Picking it up by the stem isn’t going to work!
4. I’ll lift it!
5. Whew!  It’s a big one!
6. I got it!  I got it!  Wait a minute…I see a better one over there!

 

 

1. This one looks perfectly perfect!
2. I can do it!  I know I can’t pick it up by the stem!
3. Climbing over pumpkins…
4. Almost to the wheelbarrow…
5. Oh, I dropped it!  It’s so heavy!
6. I can pick it up!  I can do it!
7. I’ll try the stem this time…
8. No, I’ll have to use my hands…
9. I’ll give it another try…
10. I’ll use my knee to help!
11. I got it!

 

 

A side note from me (Auntie Carole):  I love this child’s hair!  95% of the time, it’s a mess!  Tiffany will do something to it and Princess Sweetie Pie pulls and tugs at it until it’s the way she wants it!  I love her messy hair and free-spirit personality!  She’s such a hoot!

So, what did we do with all those pumpkins the princesses picked and couldn’t carry?  Graciously, Uncle Charlie (my husband and the Princesses great-uncle) said he would “guard the wheelbarrow” while we went on the tractor hayride.  Good thing we had good-natured Uncle Charlie with us!

Stay tuned for more posts about our wonderful day at Bates Nut Farm!

Tootles,

 

Related Posts:

(other posts about the pumpkin patch)

• Blue Pumpkins
• In Search of The Great Pumpkin
• Nuts at the Nut Farm
• Princess P Picks a Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Season