Eckert's Orchard Field Trip

Christian's preschool had a field trip yesterday to Eckert's Orchard. This place is unbelieveable!  It started as a self-picking orchard and pumpkin patch that grew into an "event place."  They have carnival rides, pony rides, petting zoo, corn maze, climbing forts, a tube slide buried inside a hill, pig races, huge jumping pillow, plus much more!  The kids had a blast!

We started off playing on the wooden fort which consisted of ramps, steps and cross walks. It had rained a bit before, so the ramps were a little slippery so some of the littler kids were scooting down them on their bottoms.  I let Christian go onto the fort by himself, but of course kept a close eye on him.  At one point, when the ramp was crowded with kids going and down at the same time, he got overwhelmed, started to cry and called out for me. I couldn't get through the wall of kids so I had to talk him down.  He made it down, got a hug and then went right back to it.  A few minutes later a group of older kids took over the fort.  They were pushing and shoving past the smaller kids. Christian got very overwhelmed this time, started really crying, calling out for me.  In the crowd of kids I lost sight of him but could hear him so I knew he was in the middle somewhere.  One of the teachers could see him from the other side and was trying to console him because we couldn't actually get to him. I saw her so I knew where he was.  I managed to catch his eye and talk him into weaving his way through the kids to me so I could lift him up and over the railing.  He was so done with the fort after that!

We moved on to ride the airplane ride then set off toward the petting zoo.  He walked right up to the fence, stuck his hand through and petted a goat.  I was so surprised after his incident at Grant's Farm with the crazy goats.  Then we moved on down the line to pet the camel.  It wouldn't cooperate and come close, so Christian decided to climb the fence to get closer. I reached down to get my camera, looked up and saw him going up the fence and raced over to get him down before either the camel took a bite out of him or we got evicted from the place. We then headed to see the pig races but they were in between races, so we moved on to the "Mine Slide."

This slide was awesome!  I wish adults could have gone down it because I would have been all over that. It was a tube built inside a hill that dumped out at the bottom.  I waited in line with Christian and made sure he didn't freak out and actually went down. He did so then I had to race through the people around the hill and down to get to him at the bottom.  He was standing there, looking around, and calling out, "Mommy, mommy." I got him and then we hiked up the hill which took the breath out of me.  Yes I need to get on the exercise train again.

We hussled to our scheduled time for the wagon ride out to the orchard. We headed for the Jonathan apple section and after going past four rows, found some trees with apples still left on them.  The first few apples I had to lift Christian up to get them, which he thought was fun.  Then another row over we found alot on lower limbs that he picked all by himself. The first one he pulled off, he got part of the branch with leaves still on it. He turned toward me with a huge grin on his face.  Of course when I wanted him to stay there so I could get a photo, he wouldn't smile.  After we filled up our bag, we dug one out and started chomping away. They are SO delicious!!!!  Back on the wagon we went for the ride back to the main area.

By now it was noon and he was hungry.  He ate the apple like he hadn't eaten for days.  When we finished the first one, he wanted another one and wasn't too happy with me when I wouldn't give it to him.  We had to wait for the others to get back from the orchard and to eat lunch, so we wandered around a little more.  Christian wanted to go down the slide again, which was by the pig races that I wanted to see, so we headed off in that direction.  They were in between pig races, again, so I guess I wasn't meant to see them.  I have never seen a pig race and was just imagining how funny it would be.

The second slide run was just as successful, he went down and loved it.  When I made it to the bottom of the hill, he was squatted down watching the other kids pop out.  A little girl came out and then who I am assuming was her mother, came next. (Darn! I didn't think adults were supposed to go down the slide or I would have!)  She was having a difficult time getting up so the little girl took her arm and was trying to help pull her up.  Well Christian loves to help, so he promptly took the woman's other arm and started pulling to. The lady started giggling, managed to get up with the "assistance" just seconds before another kid came sailing out of the slide tube.  A few kids came out in close succession so Christian turned and started toward me. One bigger boy pushed Christian to the side pretty rough and the another bigger boy pushed him again the other way.  Christian was fine, but tired, so the crying began.  Now I was not happy about this situation, and the two boys had to get past big momma to get out of the fenced area.  So when they got to me, I leaned down, eye to eye with me, and told them that it's not nice to shove smaller kids and to apologize.  With eyes round as saucers, they threw a nervous quick apology over their shoulders to Christian, darted around me and up the hill. With Christian being upset, he wanted me to carry him....UP the huge hill.  I was so out of breath by the time I got to the top lugging this 30 pound kid, I had to stop for a minute to catch my breath and get my heart rate down.  Pathetic I know.

We ate lunch, played on the John Deere tractor tire playground and started packing up to head home.  Now remember, Christian is tired, it's 1:00 and it's nap time, so when he was told he couldn't go on the airplane ride again, the "TT" (aka tired tantrum) began. He cried all the way out of the place and across the huge grass parking lot to the car.  As expected, he fell immediately asleep when we started driving.  He had the time of his life, heck so did I, that place is great!  I'd love to go back closer to Halloween to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.  I've never done that, I've always bought mine at a store.  We'll see if we can get back there before the end of the season (and you can bet I'll be going down that slide!)  :)
~Amy