our own pumpkin patch

This year we didn't need to go buy a pumpkin because we grew quite a few in our garden. (8 total, but one shriveled up and died somehow)

All summer long we watched as more and more pumpkins showed up. Axel loved going out there. He would pound on them with his pudgie little hand and say "ball ball ball"! It was such a fun thing to do with him. This is probably the only year we will do pumpkins because we have the space in our yard. But hopefully next year we will have landscaped our back yard so I won't have as big of a garden to grow pumpkins in. Although they were kinda low maintenance. So maybe I will grow them. We'll see.

The other day we decided it was time to harvest these pumpkins and put them on our porch, I WAS going to do something fun with them but that was the day before I was put on bed rest so on our porch they sit. Maybe we'll carve a few next week. Whenever Axel goes outside he tries to throw them. (the only one he can lift is the tiny one and amazingly enough it has survived many a trips down our stairs )

Here are some pictures of him with the pumpkins. It was by chance that he was wearing his skeleton jammies that day. :) Perfect for the occasion. (and don't mind ALL my weeds, they were out of control! I hate morning Glory.)

This face is classic Axel. "ball ball ball" can you see it?

This is the one he throws all over our porch. He is watching the other kids... man that kid can give some serious looks!
We also found something else on the pumpkin, (look at Maddy and Nicolas' faces at the picture below)
Sheer disgust! This is what they found. WE found these ALL over our garden this year. So gross. I almost couldn't eat our veggies because of it. I hate bugs. We didn't ever spray, I never got around to it. But next year, I will.

Our neighbor boy told me we weren't allowed to pick the pumpkins. When I started cutting them away from the vines he said "HEY! What are you doing? You can't do that!" Hmmm do you think its time for a fence? Not only that but their dog nearly knocked me and Axel over, and she tripped Maddy, and she got this huge gash on her side. I am kinda glad I don't have to go out their anymore so I don't have to worry about her coming out of nowhere and jumping on me, because she is not a puppy anymore. (oh and her name is Zoe, so whenever we have our Zoe outside and she is outside, she ALWAYS comes over. )

Next question, is it inhumane to throw a snail? What about squishing a spider? or killing a fly? Just wondering what your thoughts are on it.