Pumpkin Patch, Trauma, and a Cute Cousin

. . . not that any of those go together, it just happened in the same night. :)

Elliot and I can't stand Halloween. It's a dumb, made-up holiday and it gives Stella nightmares. It could also be that I'm not a fun holiday Mom. We're working on a remedy for that one. If it weren't for the fact that we get to hang out with my cousins, I would probably be that mean lady in the neighborhood that yells at everyone who comes to the door or refuses to give candy to kids that look too old to trick-or-treat. So there you have it. I can't stand it.

As it turns out, Stella sort of likes it (even with the nightmares). So this year we decided to take her to a pumpkin patch. We really even had plans to carve a pumpkin this year (that didn't happen . . . baby steps folks).

We went on a hay ride, fed the stinky animals, jumped in a bounce house, posed behind funny animal cut-outs, . . .

. . . picked out a pumpkin, decorated said pumpkin with stickers . . . and then it all came to a screeching halt when Stella was stung by a bee.

Yes, that's right Malcolm, I said a BEE STING. The world nearly ended that night folks.

The concession stand lady gave us a cup of ice to put Stella's finger in, even though she refused to put it in there. She decided that crying as loud as she could was the best option. Malcolm was sympathetic. Chicken nuggets relieved some of the hysteria while the swelling set in. Stella decided to be brave by the time we got to my Uncle David & Aunt Lora's house to visit these cute people.

My cousin Michelle and her husband Ryan came to visit from Utah (Uncle Reed and Aunt Melissa came too, but I didn't get a picture of them). That's my baby she's holding. Ah, I remember the days when holding someone else's baby meant a barrage of comments or completely personal questions about when we were going to start "trying" to have children. Michelle and Ryan were bombarded. We have lots of favorite rebuttals that can usually stop people from asking such personal questions if the need should arise.

Always happy to see a cousin. Always happy when Stella's drama is over. Always happy to eat Halloween candy.