It’s October. Temps have dropped. Leaves are changing. You’re social media is full of Mamas and their little ones in matching plaid shirts at a pumpkin patch. It’s Fall Y’all!
I know what you’re thinking. “I am a cool city Mama. Is it worth it for me to pack my kids up, drive an hour away AND pay an entrance fee just to go to a pumpkin patch? The answer is YES! Like 1,000 times yes.
I didn’t grow up going to pumpkin patches. I am sure they had to exist…right? I didn’t get introduced to this phenomenon until I started dating my husband. Every year his family heads to the apple orchard. The first year, I didn’t “get it”. Why were we driving 60 miles to pick apples when they sell apples at the grocery store? *However I was so smitten with my husband I was happy to go along!* The experience was cool but nothing to write home about. Then I had ObieQ. Nothing became more important than taking him there. It has become so much of a tradition that we had his 2nd birthday party there.
We became so obsessed that I wrote an entire blog ranking apple orchards and pumpkin patches in the city AND I included donut ratings!
This year it is no different. We have been at a pumpkin patch every week and we have no plans of slowing down. If seeing pictures of baby ObieQ eating an apple isn’t enough (how is that not enough?…
Let me tell you why you should take your city kids to a pumpkin patch
Gives you a chance to “Be Basic”
Being cool all the time is hard work. Even with my cool mom uniform of leather jacket, relaxed T-shirt, ankle skinny jeans, and booties. I am always striving to look cool enough to hang with my non mom friends but functional enough to beat ObieQ in a spontaneous foot race. I challenge you to throw all of that out the window for a day. Grab some denim and flannel. Order yourself a Pumpkin Spice Latte for the road. Get crazy and wear your uggs or hunter boots. All these things can be described as “basic” but I LOVE it. Hold an apple in front of your face and switch your camera to portrait mode…that’s some fall magic right there. This is a time to shed your cool mom shell and enjoy the simple things in life…and capture them for the ‘gram!
Say YES to your child for once
I can’t even count the amount of times in the day I tell ObieQ “NO” and “Don’t”.
No, don’t run. There could be a car coming.
Don’t sing at the top of your voice while you walk down the street.
No, don’t touch that…wait did you put it in your mouth?!?
In the city you have to constantly be aware of danger and commotion. This is why I cherish the outings where he can simply RUN. I love saying
“Yes you can climb on top of that.”
“Yes you can eat that”
“Yes you can go and explore”
It is really important our kids get that break where they can simply be. We went to a pumpkin patch where there was a display of tires stacked for the kids to climb. ObieQ loved it. There was a corn pit full of corn kernels, he stayed in for over 20 mins. It was so simple but it was exactly what that city kid needed. 
Apple and Pumpkin Picking
Apples grow on trees not shelves at Whole Foods. Pumpkins come from a farm, not Home Depot. These realizations will blow your city kid’s mind. Now that ObieQ is 3, he has his own bag. He chooses apples. He eats about as many as he packs. There are no farms is Bronzeville, so up until now farmers markets have been our learning grounds. Visiting apple orchards and pumpkins allow our kids to get a visual understanding about where our food comes from. How does it make it way to your table.
The Pictures
You can not resist taking the stereotypical pictures while you are there. You shouldn’t even try.. pose at all of the photo opps. Take solo pics of your kids and send them to everyone. Take solo pics of yourself! This is all about making memories. In a few months when Chicago winters have us cozied in our homes, you will have the pics and videos to look back on. Enjoy some of my fav over the years:
