Family Pumpkin Picking

Last Sunday my wife and I wanted to take our teenage daughter and infant son pumpkin picking. Our plan was to go have breakfast as a family but as everyone knows the best-laid plans are changed by life’s realities.

We got off to a late start since my daughter Candice, who had her home coming dance the night before, got in late and invariably wanted to sleep in. We gave her until 9 am and woke her up reminding her of the plan for the day. Candice rolled out of bed, somehow got herself together in 30 minutes and we were ready to roll by 9:30, or so we thought.

My son Jake and Candice are separated by 15 years, so while Candice wanted to sleep in, Jake who’s 15 months wanted to get going at around 6:30. By the time Candice woke up, he had been up for some time and wore himself out. We’d given him a bottle and a snack/breakfast hoping to buy time until we could all eat together.

As we left the house Jake began to hum, that’s a tell tale sign he’s tired and ready to go to sleep. We thought we were doomed since the place we were going, Tim’s Shipwreck in Northport, doesn’t have room for a stroller inside and we knew Jake would surely fall asleep. By the time we got to Northport, 7 minutes later, Jake was out cold. We debated picking up bagels and heading off on our pumpkin picking excursion, but Candice had been looking forward to eating at the Shipwreck.

The patio at the Shipwreck was still open, so we figured we’d brave the 56-degree temperature with no sun in sight and eat outside. We did and we enjoyed an adult meal as Jake slept in his stroller, we got to reconnect with Candice without the interruptions of a toddler. As if an alarm clock went off Jake woke up just as we had ordered some takeout food for him and we fed him before we left and were off.

Candice, a new permit-carrying driver, drove us out to Setauket and we found our spot to pick pumpkins. She was a good sport letting us take pictures of both of them as Jake ran around through the patch, hopped on the wagon we had gotten to carry the pumpkins and danced to the music of a live band playing in the gravel parking lot of the farm.

It was typical day of pumpkin picking in America, we picked pumpkins to the sounds of a good salsa trio, snacking on roasted corn and hot dogs, watching someone dressed up as a giant Elmo hug the kids and join them on Hay Rides.

Although the sights and sounds were uniquely American, for me the experience was spiritual. In our hectic lives taking the time to share an experience like this, reconnecting – letting the stresses of life fade for a few hours is truly what “family values” are about. I’m thankful that I’ve learned the importance of these times in my life others who share the hectic pace get the same chance.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher canvas Magazine