Andy T's

Last week, Sophia's preschool class took a field trip to Andy T's, a pumpkin farm near St. Johns.  Two years ago, I took Sam on the same field trip and I remember how downright frigid it was that day ... I am shivering just thinking about it.  So, imagine my excitement when the weather forecast predicted temperatures 20 degrees warmer this year!  It turned out to be bit overcast and cloudy, with a few raindrops drizzling, but we didn't mind one bit.  Luckily, the real downpour held off until after we were back home that afternoon ...


One of the first things that piqued Sophia's interest was the straw maze. 

The parents got a huge kick out of watching the kids try to figure their way out around the bales, often running into dead ends and having to turn back around.

Obviously, this was the biggest pumpkin on the farm!

The cutest bumblebee that I have ever seen:

The goats ... It's quite possible that Sophia would have spent her entire time talking to them and feeding them. 

Two quarters later, I finally had to tell her that we needed to move on.  Clearly, she wasn't the only one that was disappointed that we needed to meet up with the rest of the group.

I'm so proud to be this little girl's momma.

Once everyone was there, we took a wagon ride down into a fielded area so that the kids could pick out three items: a gourd, a pumpkin and an ear of Indian corn.  It was a little bit muddy, but we had the best time.

Sliding her gourd into a plastic bag:

Picking out a pumpkin that was just her size:

The Indian corn was extra special because it was a surprise to find out what it looked like once it was shucked.  Hers turned out to be a gorgeous, deep purple color.

After the wagon ride back to the farm, we convened inside the greenhouse for donuts and cider.  Sophia was in heaven.

Sophia and her teacher, Mrs. Hicks:

Bless her heart, this woman has devoted her entire life to the education of 3- and 4-year olds.  She is nearly 75 years old and still teaching in her classroom three days a week.  We were not even sure if she would still be running the Teddy Bear Den when it was time for Sophia to be enrolled, and words cannot express the happiness that I feel knowing that Sophia is lucky enough to have her as her "first teacher."

And one final picture with the pumpkins before we headed home ...