The pumpkin farm field trip was always one all the kids looked forward to.
Chaperones looked forward to it, too. The online sign-up sheet was always full within a couple hours.
Miss Dina, Jacob’s mom, was excited to go again. When she got to her son’s kindergarten class, she was surprised she only had two kids to watch, and one was her own. Last year she had a total of four. She went with the flow and gladly got to know Jimmy, an absolutely adorable, slightly chubby little kid.
The teacher gave each chaperone two snacks for each kid to eat at the farm.
On the bus ride to the farm, Jimmy asked Miss Dina only six times if he could have his snack.
“Jimmy, we’re not allowed to eat on the bus,” she said. “It’s not safe, and we can choke.”
As soon as the kids walked into the pumpkin farm, Jimmy asked for his snack again.
“Mary, when do the kids eat their snacks? Jimmy has asked for his a few times and seems hungry,” Miss Dina asked the teacher.
“Oh, Jimmy tends to do that,” Miss Mary said. “They can have their snacks now, that’s fine.”
By the time Jacob was about a third through his snack-sized pouch of Teddy Grahams, Jimmy requested his second snack. Miss Dina gave him his fruit snacks.
When Jacob asked for his second snack, Jimmy asked for his third. But the teacher had only given everyone two.
“Jimmy, there are no more snacks. Everyone gets two,” Miss Dina said. “I know it’s only 9:30 a.m., but we’ll have to wait until we get back to school. You can each your lunch then.”
As Jacob slowly ate his fruit snacks, Jimmy watched him closely, staring at the fruit snacks entering Jacob’s mouth from about eight inches away.
Throughout the farm’s activities – hay rides, moon-jumpers, corn maze and more – Jimmy continued to ask for another snack. Miss Dina continued to give the same response.
Jimmy also seemed to find food throughout the farm.
“Mmmmmm,” said Jimmy. “It smells like hot dogs!”
“Hot dogs? Oh, I think those are apple cider donuts, Jimmy,” Miss Dina said.
There was even a humongous Big Bird, and all the kids kept screaming his name out of excitement.
Jimmy got excited about something else.
“Look! Ice cream!” he yelled pointing to the cone in Big Bird’s hand.
After the whole class traveled through all the different stations of the pumpkin farm, it was time for them to take a group picture and head back to their school. As they exited the farm, they also got a 4-inch pumpkin to take home.
As Jimmy was handed his pumpkin, he took a giant bit into the thick stem.
“Jimmy! Honey! We don’t eat the pumpkin yet, and we certainly don’t ever eat the stem!” Miss Dina said shocked.
“Oh, man. But I’m so, so hungry,” Jimmy said.
“OK Jimmy, we’re heading back to school now and you can eat your lunch soon, but definitely don’t eat any part of your pumpkin until your mom can at least prepare it for you – however she’d like,” Miss Dina said.
When they were a couple stop lights away from the school, Jimmy sneakily managed to lick his pumpkin four times.
Holly Danielson, Manager at Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center in South Barrington, Illinois
Kids can make pumpkin pie with pie pumpkins we grow and send home, which are usually the size of a 14-inch softball,” Holly said.
“And with any pumpkin, kids can carve the pumpkins. Then roast and eat the seeds,” she said.
“Pumpkins are a good take-home for the children,” Holly said. “They can go home with something we grew here at the farm, which teaches kids where their food comes from and that whole process.”
Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this short story, excluding interviews, are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
