Not the Pumpkin Patch Too

2020 has robbed us all of something. Coronavirus has been a real jerk. We’ve lost graduations, sporting events, weddings, funerals, jobs, concerts, walking our kids into schools on their first day, and many many more special moments.

You would think by now I would be used to things getting cancelled.

But this one STINGS.

My kids love the Covenant pumpkin patch and, to be honest, I do too. It’s become a tradition for our family. Since my daughter was the ripe old age of 1, I have taken pictures on their tiny swing placed every so perfectly amidst gorgeous pumpkins. These are some of my favorite pictures ever taken. Seeing how much they change year to year, adding kids to our family, and capturing so many precious moments.

I’ve ridden on that tractor trailer full of hay more times than I can count. I’ve been on it with just my first baby, enormously pregnant with my second and most recently with all three of my littles in tow.

My kids watch the same puppet show every year with more excitement than the year before. They retell the story for days. They love the crafts, the silly pictures, and of course the pumpkins.

But their most favorite part of the whole pumpkin patch is the maze.

They have spent hours, yes hours, running through, laughing hysterically and having the time of their lives. Just last night my 7-year-old asked me if we were going to the pumpkin patch maze or would it be cancelled because of coronavirus. My answer was I sure hope we get to go. Then this morning, I see the announcement that the patch is cancelled this year. While I completely understand why and what a difficult decision it must have been for those in charge, it was incredibly disappointing. I know that in all that is happening in the world right now that this should be small potatoes, but it just is not. I think we are all just clinging to any bit of normalcy we can find for ourselves and for our children. We want to give them something solid they can hang on to. Family traditions are a comfort and a constant for all of us.  And now, at least for this year, we’ve lost this one too.

pumpkin

I can say for sure, my husband and I will be rigging some sort of hay maze in our backyard and having a blowout pumpkin painting contest at home in a feeble attempt to make up for missing the patch this year. I am sure parents everywhere will be doing something similar for the fall and Halloween season. But I am taking this second to say that this is the pits. When it’s time to start planning our fall fun, I will be all smiles and excitement for my kids and their newly established traditions. But for right now, I’m taking a moment to announce that 2020 is officially the worst.

Aleice Gauthier
Aleice lives in Lafayette with her wonderful husband Jonathan and their three beautiful children: Evelyn (6), Nora (3), and Louis (8 months). She is originally from Alexandria, LA and graduated from ULL in 2006. She then moved to Lubbock, Texas where she earned her MFA in Theatre Arts from Texas Tech University. Aleice and her family have been living in Lafayette for 5 years now and she is very grateful to be raising her children in a culture so rich in family and traditions. Aleice loves being a mom, Target, yoga, wine, spending time with family and friends, her faith, her dog Ellie, Disney, musicals, and most importantly coffee.