"Societal Norms", apple cider, and what now.

Against all my better judgement, we got home from church today and piled all the kids into the van for our annual trek to  a local pumpkin patch turned crazed "drop your money like it's a casino" fall harvest themed three ring circus.    No really -- it's a pumpkin patch, and an apple orchard, and a winery.  I am SOOO not kidding.  Maybe they figure after the $4 pony rides, and the carriage rides, and the corn maze, and the petting farm, and the "an oversized gourd costs HOW much?" cash register sticker shock,  you may actually NEED the hard cider tasting.   (NOTE: There is a reason these places don't post the prices anywhere, once your kid has painstakingly picked out just the right pumpkin, and waited in the 15-20 minute line - you're buying the pumpkin. They can charge you whatever they want, and half the time - I'm sure they do!) 

So as we headed out,   I tried to zone out of the constant bickering going on in the backseat I remembered the days when I enjoyed the pumpkin patch.  In years past I've gotten the kids all dressed in their coordinating "harvest" themed clothes, and planned on doing pictures so wonderful I framed them afterward.  Today I got Charlotte dressed in something she and I could both agree on and hoped the rest had managed not to look homeless.  This is a daily battle with Luke.   It all turned out okay.  In the end that's how they actually look -- might as well remember it for what it is.

The kids found friends from school, petted bunnies that were "only $15 dead OR alive",  munched on fresh picked apples, and stood in line with Jason for some insanely overpriced, and insanely delicious apple cider.  After last fall when the summer droughts and early springs left our area with no apples to be had we were all thrilled to see the overflowing gallons and the cider mill running in the back.  

  

And then of course there are the donuts -- OH. MY. GOD.  the donuts.  There is no better donut then a cider mill donut.  Period.  Ever.  Still hot and they only come in two flavors - sugar or plain.  I could eat a dozen -- and speaking of that -- I plea the fifth. ;)

By the time we piled back into the  clown car  van and headed home, we smelled of campfire, and our lips were still smacking the cider sweetness.  My fingers still covered in donut sugar, I texted fabulous friend,  a picture of our new gourds with the caption:

"Bought a pumpkin.  I have no use for a pumpkin other then I got caught up in the donut haze, and societal norms demand I buy one every fall."  

So there you have it -- we indulged in a Michigan fall, and we're the proud owners of a handful of jolly, orange pumpkins.   What we'll do with them, I have yet to figure out.   But the donuts -- oh the donuts were worth it.