Frankie freaked me out!

 I took my students on a field trip to the pumpkin patch this morning on a (too warm) 80 degree, sunny day. It was so crowded, there were busloads of children of all ages and abilities. Frazzled teachers tried to keep up with their classes as the children ran through a corn maze, a spooky maze, a tunnel, onto the playground, up and down slides, and into the sand box.

The barn yard animals are such an attraction for city kids who've never seen a real pig, turkey or chicken up close and personal. The children were so excited when I "gobbled" at the turkey, and he spread his tail feathers and gobbled back. There were bunnies, and chicks, and ducks, and an old gray and black, overweight, slow moving dog named Buddy whose been around for a dozen years and still loves pats on his wiry head. All the kids had to stop and pat him.

The hayride out to the fields was bumpy and fun. The children saw how vegeatbles grow: corn on the cob, purple egg plant, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries, lettuce, cabbage and of course PUMPKINS! I asked if anyone liked tomaoteos and they alls aid, NO! I asked if they all likesd ketchup. Yes! I told them that before it's ketchup, it's a tomato. They didn't believe me.

There were all sorts of displays, from Disney movies, children's books and cartoons.
Everybody got a small pumpkin to bring home. Only one child refused to go into the inflatable fun house with balloon characters suspended inside. Oh the laughter and squeals as they came around a corner and saw  huge spider, or bumped into an inflated monster. As they exited, the cries rang out, "Can we do that again?"

So, of course, we did.

We walked through the covered garden center with all sorts of displays: gourds and squash in all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. There were purple pumpkins, warty green pumpkins, smooth yellow pumpkins in all sizes, orange ones, of course, most too big to lift.

Most parents accompanied us. I held the hands of two new students whose moms were a bit apprehensive to send their little boys alone on their first field trip. They trusted me to watch their children as if they were my own. Nothing will hurt them, I promised. So I held their hands most of the time.

Then it happened. We walked past one of the motion activated life-size monsters. When Franekenstein opened his mechanical mouth and shouted, Happy Halloween! the two little boys, one from Nepal and one from Bosnia, (so I am sure this was a first experience) nearly jumped into my arms. We were stumbling over each other, screeching, and finally laughing, especially when Frank started singing old time rock and roll songs.

My treat: the afternoon off and I bought three oatmeal butterscotch cookies, two for me and one for my honey. Shh! Don't tell.