From The Knees Down

Working a Pumpkin Patch has been a real experience and we haven't even gotten started!  I gathered all my supplies for my very first Seed Planting Class, which was nine developmentally disabled children.  Basically I gave the class to the parents who accompanied the children.

It's sad and eye opening, to say the least.  Possibly two children knew what I was saying.  Most had to be held to keep them from running off, and one little boy cried the whole time.  It breaks your heart.  We planted the seeds, I gave my little spiel and I escorted them them to the goats.  Goats are MUCH more interesting than seeds.  The kids agreed.

After helping shuttle 450 students around the Patch from activity to activity and 18 tractor driving trips around the Corn Maze and the Time Machine, I finally got to sit for about fifteen minutes.  My legs were definitely talking to me.  Hush up ... I'm busy and I can't be bothered with trivial things like muscle spasms.  I ate my salty/sweet snack bar and they became quiet.  Just in time to help make 65 snow cone slushes for one class.

This is the water tank for the gold mining.  I'll try to get pictures of all the attractions.

After adding cookies to the sale basket, I kept watch on both tractor rides and the Bounce Pillow, running back and forth between them and keeping all the kids smiling.  Finally, as my feet began to holler my name, the next wave of teenagers showed up to help out.  Maybe eight more times helping people up and down the hay wagon stairs, not to mention climbing on to the tractor and my shins began to complain.  What's up with that?  The best part is I've already lost three pounds!!  YAY!!

Alright ... alright!!!  I'll sit for a bit and have a cookie.  I've no idea what the pink ones are, other than not very tasty, but I ate it anyway.  Sugar seemed to give me a burst of energy to set up my Seed Planting Class for 80 students at 8:45 today.  I hope they are late!!

Before I run off again, I have to tell you about the cutest little girl, all of three years old, who picked up one of the tiniest pumpkins on the place.  Off she ran to show her bestest little friend.  She dropped it and of course it broke.  She immediately turned around and ran back to me, grabbed my hand and told me "the pumpkin ... we need another one".  Well my dear ... you actually are supposed to pay for those.  I took her pumpkin and taped it back together, which made her give me the biggest smile I've ever seen.  

I found out later she is a foster child.  Sadly, she was rather ignored by the entire family she was with as they took photos of everyone but her.  I finally had to ask and discovered they are not allowed to take ANY pictures of her, nor can they post anything about her being with them.  I thought they could at least let her join in the activities, like the bounce pillow or the tractor ride, but what do I know.

The Pumpkin Patch provides lots of smiles and good times to lots of people, and every once in awhile one little girl will give you the biggest, cutest smile ever, even while being kept on the side.  It's just a little taste of what goes on in the world I suppose.  Maybe some day she will remember the lady who taped her pumpkin back together!!

So with shins screaming from the knees down, I hit the sack early with my bedfellow Advil.  It was all worth it ... and this is only day 3.  I'm thinking it may be a tennis shoe kind of day.