We awoke to what I thought I could pass off as a simple breakfast since yesterday we did the Halloween food. I had planned to make my "famous" ghost pancakes (blobs of pancake batter in any shape or form studded with 2 mini-chip eyes when cooked) but I happened upon 2 different Halloween cereals-one where the ghosts turn green-and consequently so does the milk- and another that had spooky marshmallow shapes. I know my daughter isn't fond of the kids eating sweetened cereals, but heck, this is Nana & Papa's house and it IS Halloween. So I sliced up some fresh strawberries, bananas and apples and we sat down to the feast. It took no time at all for Harrison to ask what our breakfast was. When I told him cereal and fruit-which I thought was fairly obvious as it was all sitting on the table in front of him- he said "no, I mean WHAT Halloween things are they?". I guess I have imprinted pretty strongly in their traditions. And so, we got to thinking. They were O.K. with the ghostly cereals but we had to switch to "witch tongues" (strawberry slices), "witch ears" (banana slices ) and "witch lips" (apple slices). It was really a hoot but they were happy and a good breakfast was had by all.
As I straightened up and the kids got their showers and got dressed, they also sat and colored some sun catchers. I found these kits years ago-nothing but a Halloween design on translucent parchment, a black mat and a hanger-and HL had the nerve to have them marked at $14.99. Needless to say, I didn't pay that much-in fact, that may have been when they were new to Ocala and the first time I realized they have almost everything priced too high and I NEVER buy anything there unless it is on sale or I have a coupon-but, I digress. I found them in a cart after Halloween at 90% off - any wonder-so I grabbed a bunch. Anyhow, it kept the kids busy until Mom and Dad arrived to take us to the patch.
The patch we went to this year is in Dunnellon and I have never been before. It is a REAL pumpkin patch-many acres planted with every kind of pumpkin or gourd you can grow in Florida as well as a field of corn stalks and sunflowers of all colors for cutting. They have a nominal entrance fee and then everything else is free-corn maze, hay fort, tractor hayride and tons of photo-ops. Let's just say there were TONS of happy grand parents there that day!
It was a perfect day (well, it could have actually been a few degrees cooler but whatever). It was so much fun to actually walk through the fields and lift the vines searching for that perfect pumpkin! I really would have loved one of those large, white ones, but they were $30 and even I couldn't quite justify that! Jen and Elton brought us a picnic lunch and we sat on hay bales eating and watching all of the families coming and going. It was a wonderful place to spend the day with family-wish everyone could have come but maybe now that we know how great this place is, we will work on it for next year! Stay tuned.
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