kids

Millers’ Farm’s iconic pumpkin shed

Gaia exploring the hay bale

Blooming mums

We’d visited Millers’ Farm and Market many times before, especially during the summer months to pick strawberries or buy produce in their market shed and visit their playground, but this was the first time we visited the farm during their annual fall festivities. My heart somersaulted, because friends, this place was an enchanting pumpkin oasis unlike any I’ve seen so far — it’s as if the farm itself wore the colour orange!

It was difficult upon arrival, though. Keaton was devilishly cranky and upset that we’d opened the package of his fruit bar the wrong way, and no matter how hard we tried to rectify the situation nothing worked. He kept crying and screaming the gates of hell open. At that point in time, which felt like an eternity, my heart and mind were in complete disarray.

Somehow, after hugs and reassurance and our clumsy attempt at bringing him to the car to calm down, he started settling down — somewhat. He accepted the fruit bar as is, and was even looking forward to using the camera tripod to take photos. The excitement of the wagon ride also saved us (thank goodness).

We were lucky, because although the farm normally offered wagon rides on weekends only, when we visited on that particular weekday they offered them as well (weekdays were already bustling with eager visitors at that point).

We hopped on a wagon ride to their pumpkin patch (Keaton was appeased by his fruit bar by then). The pumpkin patch was huge of course, with orange and white pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. This time, we picked white pumpkins as we already had a collection of orange ones at home (probably being eaten by squirrels, too, while we were away).

The only odd and unpleasant part about the experience was just how hot it was. It felt like a hot summer day, rather than a chilly autumn one. Who knew I’d be in a dress and sandals sweating like a sumo wrestler in a pumpkin patch in October in Canada?

Gaia picking up twigs and playing with the ground, as per usual

This scene and angle was particularly dreamy and idyllic. Look at the endless field of pumpkins! I could imagine how perfect it would be for professional photoshoots. While I’m not on social media myself, I could also see how these photos would be eye candy on Instagram.

Even if I’d never done this when I was young and found it quite silly, now that I’m older, I do find it quite endearing seeing young ladies and their friends come all dressed up, ready to take those perfect photos. I wish I’d done some of it when I was younger (except I was busy contemplating life and spending copious amounts of time in public libraries in complete hibernation).

As a mom now, I love scanning for opportunities to take photos of our family, especially of the kids. Funnily enough, Keaton successfully snapped a few good photos of the four of us. We weren’t just all present in the photos, but we were also all smiling (somewhat), which, to me, was the biggest achievement.

I have Keaton to thank for our successful family photos. He was the one who’d insisted on bringing the camera tripod to the farm (he’s been into taking photos with my phone recently). Crazy that we had it but just never used it, until our little guy had developed an inkling towards photography.

As my husband was strapping the kids in the car, I had to slither away to the entrance one last time to soak in all the pumpkin vibes, which were the highlight of my day. I couldn’t get enough of this quintessential autumn scene.

Our current autumn and Halloween-esque backyard. Forgive the half-eaten pumpkins and shrivelling mums.

My husband’s first pumpkin carving of the season! Something I adore about him is his penchant for ideas and spontaneous creativity. Out of nowhere tonight I heard him rummaging for a knife and bowl, only to scurry quickly to the yard right after. Then he showed me this.

Keaton will be turning a big-boy-three in just a few dodos; and this past weekend, we celebrated his milestone.

Lately, he’s been heavily invested in dinosaurs, so for this year’s birthday, I transformed his obsession into a rawr-some party to remember, with plenty of dino pals as invitees.

He knew he was going to be the centre of attention going into his birthday weekend; after all, he’d just received a big boy haircut — bye bye bowl cut — and he’d been hearing us talk about all the excitement surrounding his cake and balloons, and his family’s visit.

On this full day of celebration, my heart ached less. I felt grateful seeing my little chou grow so big. With his new haircut, he looked unrecognizable — he looked like a big kid! How handsome he is. And more importantly, how principled and honourable he’s grown to be, with so much love in his heart. His thirst for adventure is limitless. We’re so proud of him.

This is a little boy with so much depth. He was indeed over the moon with the dinosaur-themed birthday and birthday cake, and with all the cool gifts he’d received. But most of all, he deeply appreciated the simplicity and power of love and connection. The greatest gift to him, at the depths of it all, was really his family’s visit.

He’d been missing his aunts, uncle, and cousins greatly, even Snow, his doggie BFF, who’s a comical match to his hyperactivity. Watching the two- and four-legged troublemakers chase each other around was hilarious, for they kept each other entertained.

I could tell how safe and at peace he felt with everyone, and how healing it was to be surrounded by his family: he was able to play calmly with his toys and exist amongst everyone without a fuss, which isn’t characteristic of him on a regular day at home.

Keaton may be hyperactive and need constant stimulation and novelty, which includes expelling his energy regularly, but more than that, there was something much deeper that we always knew: he craved social interaction and friends. Many variables made it so that he doesn’t have many playmates — we feel a lot of guilt — but we try the best we could, with what we have, to give him such opportunities.

It was heartbreaking for him to learn that everyone was leaving when it felt like they’d just arrived. He sat on the stairs and for the first time, with his new haircut, he looked like an older boy, rather than a toddler, who was sad. It was both a beautiful and a sad sight to behold.

We reassured him that his aunts, uncle, and cousins would meet him again. Days, weeks, and months feel like an eternity to a kid. But the next reunion will be ever so sweet. Hopefully soon.

toumemoir

Pumpkin oasis at Millers’

Big boy haircut and a rawr-some 3!