Soccer, Pumpkins and Parties

This morning, we got up early to take Tarja to her soccer game.  She loves to play soccer, almost as much as she loves ice cream.  It was cold this morning.  Two other girls and their mothers showed up.  One mother sent me a message to tell me that her daughter wouldn't play today, because it was too cold, and the rest just didn't come.  The three that we had ready to play were in tears when it was determined that we had to forfeit to the other team, because we did not have enough players.

As soon as we left that situation, we went home, changed clothes, gathered up the rest of the family, and headed off to Coyanosa, Texas, which is not very far from where we live.  We went to the Mandujano Brothers pumpkin patch.  They were having a family day, and this was our first time to get to go.  As soon as we got there, we got to take a hayride out to the middle of the pumpkin patch.

There, we were left to scout out our perfect pumpkins.

We picked out one pumpkin for each of us.  The driver of the hayride returned to take us back to the area where we had to pay for our pumpkins.  I paid $25 for the five pumpkins.  We put them away, and then we went through a maze that they had created with bales of hay.  There was also an area where the kids could just jump in the hay, which Tarja was though was amazing.

Indoors, there was a place to buy hot food, packaged food, a few areas with photo props for us photo loving mamas, and a jumper/slide for the kids to play on.  We stayed as long as we could get by with and still get home in time for a dear little friend's birthday party, and for Melody to get ready for work.  On our way out, we stopped at their roadside vegetable stand, and purchases big bags of poblano peppers, jalapeno peppers, onions, a watermelon and a little, white, Cinderella pumpkin.  I think that I spent about $18 on all of that.  Now, the job is to figure out how I want to prepare and preserve these items.

Me, Tarja and Abbey went to the costume Halloween birthday party while Ivana had a nap, and Melody washed her uniform.

  The birthday party was a success.  I even got a crochet order out of the deal.  I dropped Abbey and Tarja off, picked up Melody, dropped her off at work, and went to the store to purchase the materials needed to make the ripple baby afghan that was ordered by one of the party guests. 

For the rest of the evening, I need to make two newsboy caps and start on the ripple afghan.  My house is a disaster, because that's what typically happens on days like today.  I don't know how it happens, since we weren't here all day, but someday it might make sense.

Have a Great Day!
Laurel Santiago