Adventures Of Kate and The Sitter
Chapter Four – Annual Rizzoli Pumpkin Patch Trip
It had taken Jane and Maura months to figure out what to have the children wear for Halloween. They asked each of the children and everyone had different ideas. It was now only a few weeks until Halloween and they had to get their costumes. They figured the only way to answer the question was to put everyone's ideas into a hat and draw.
Kelly had heard them discussing what costumes the family should get to dress up in for Halloween. She loved Halloween but she was here in Boston and didn't know that many people. She was just going to hangout in the guest house and read this year.
She wanted to stay ahead in her reading for school. She knew some of the courses she would be taking and knew that they had extra reading books that she would have to read. She had realized that was kind of boring but she didn't want to be constantly intruding on the Rizzoli-Isles family. Although it would be fun to go out trick or treating with the children.
She would wait to see if they invited her to participate. Things had been going great living in the guest house. It was a two-bedroom cottage, so she set one of the rooms up as a home office so she could study. She could also take online classes so that would be a great environment to participate in her online classes.
Since moving in a few weeks ago, Kelly only had to cover two early morning call outs and only one late night. She explained to Jane and Maura that because she was not being charged rent, she would not accept payment for the extra early mornings and late nights. Spending time with the children was payment enough.
She was now picking the children up from school every day. Angela and Constance came over frequently and they now just accepted her as part of the family. Angela didn't have to watch her work schedule so hard anymore and Constance found it nice to have tea time with Kelly certain days of the week.
Kelly met with her academic advisor and they were able to lay out her coursework so that she could continue to help out Jane and Maura and not have it interfere with her education. That pleased Kelly. She didn't want to stop working for Jane and Maura.
After dinner when they were discussing what to dress as for Halloween again, they asked Kelly and she offered up her idea of Scooby Doo. Jane hit herself on the head, why didn't she think of that. She loved Scooby Doo and grew up watching all of the shows on TV. Maura had never heard of Scooby Doo which didn't surprise Jane at all. Kelly was quickly learning about Maura's childhood and how she hadn't been exposed to all of the things that she and Jane had been exposed too.
Kate asked Jane, "Mama, why did you hit yourself on the head when Kelly suggested Scooby Doo?"
Jane didn't answer right away so Lilly answered for her, "Because she didn't think of that herself."
"Lilly, I asked mama, not you, you should let her answer." Kate said as she gave her sister her version of the evil eye.
"She is correct Kate, and please don't give your sister that look." Jane replied and raised her eyebrows at Kate. She knew Kate was going to say something and she was hoping that she nipped that conversation in the bud.
Kate lowered her gaze and replied, "Yes, mama." Jane then walked over and grabbed both of her daughters and gave them a hug, squishing them as much as she could without hurting them. They were both laughing and telling her to stop.
"Jane!" The voice of authority spoke and Jane let go of the girls. They both ran off with smiles on their faces before Jane could grab them and squish them again. They loved when their mama played with them like this.
"Kelly, do you have any plans this weekend? Maura and I are off and we were going to take the kids to the pumpkin patch. We wanted to know if you would like to join us. You are part of our family now." Jane said as she walked back into the room.
"No, I don't have any plans and I would love to join your family for a trip to the pumpkin patch." Kelly replied.
Two days later, all seven of them went to the pumpkin patch. They met Frankie and his wife, Nina and their two children, Kimberleigh (9) and Trey (8) and Tommy and his wife, Chloe and their two children, TJ (14) and Alessandra (4). Frank and Angela along with Arthur and Constance met them there. This was an annual event for the Rizzoli family.
Their family alone would fill up the hayride truck so each year the owner of the pumpkin patch had a special run just for the Rizzolis. Jane and Maura always made sure the driver was tipped well. Each year the children had fun.
Kate took her mama's hand when they left the car and then she said, "Kelly, can you hold my other hand please? I have to show you everything we do here." The first order of business was the face painting booth. "You have to select from the list what you want painted on your face. Last year I had a pumpkin. I think I want the black cat and the witch. What do you want?"
"Oh, they have a Red Sox symbol. I think I will get that and the black cat." Kelly answered Kate as they sat down in the booth to get their faces painted.
"Mama, are you going to get the Red Sox symbol again?" Kate asked her mama as she was still deciding on what to get.
"Yes, little one, I think I will get that and the black cat." Jane responded.
"That is what Kelly is getting also. What do you think mommy will get?"
"Let me look." Jane said as she wrapped herself around Maura as she looked over the list. "What are you looking at babe?"
"I was thinking about the black cat and maybe the baby Yoda. He is so cute, I just love him."
They hadn't started on Kate's second symbol yet so she asked, "Can I change my mind and have baby Yoda instead of the witch?"
"Yes, we hadn't started the witch yet so we can change to baby Yoda." The face painter replied.
"Thank you." Kate said as she smiled at her mommy. "Now, I will have one from each of my mommies."
Kate was so happy. She was having one symbol from each of her mommies painted on her face and she had Kelly with her so she could show her all around the pumpkin patch. Kate enjoyed coming to the pumpkin patch.
Kelly was a little overwhelmed trying to remember everyone's names. She hadn't met Jane's brothers and their families yet. She had heard Jane and Maura talk about them but they had not had an opportunity to meet yet.
Because of Jane and Maura's crazy work schedule they had postponed Sunday family dinners for the last few weeks. Kelly figured she would just do the best she could at trying to remember everyone's name. If push came to shove, she could ask Kate. That's what best friends are for right?
Kate took Kelly's hand, along with Alessandra's after she had her face painted and walked over to the corn maze. Kate was explaining the corn maze to Kelly while they waited for her mommies and the other children to arrive. Once everyone was ready, they entered the corn maze. Each child had to have at least one adult with them.
Kelly had never experienced a corn maze before so she was relying on Kate and Alessandra not to get them lost. They backtracked a few times running into Jane and Maura, who were walking with Kimberleigh and Lilly. After about fifteen minutes, Kelly, Kate and Alessandra made it out of the corn maze and met Constance and Arthur by the snack stand for some hot chocolate and popcorn.
"This is my favorite part of the day." Kate said as she drank some of her hot chocolate and now had a ring of hot chocolate around her mouth. Constance pulled a wet wipe out of her purse and handed it to Kelly to clean up Kate's face. Kelly told herself, 'note to self, carry wet wipes next trip.'
Once everyone had finished the corn maze it was time for their hayride. Frank and Arthur helped load all of the children into the trailer that was being pulled behind the truck. Constance and Arthur rode in the cab of the truck as Constance wasn't sure about riding on the trailer amongst the hay. She was overcoming all of her uneasiness about things, but she still had some left and sitting in hay was one of them.
Once Jane sat down, Kate climbed up on her lap and she asked Kelly, "Can you please sit next to me. I always ride on my mama's lap. Mama said she help me the first year as I was only a few months old. I don't remember. I do remember last year though. She let me ride on her shoulders. She held on so tight and mommy was so worried." Maura nodded her head when Kate said that. She had been worried. Kate likes to squirm and she was afraid that Kate would squirm and that Jane would lose her grip.
This year Kate said, "I will stand on mama's lap and look out of the trailer. I know she will hold on tight to me so that mommy doesn't have to worry this year."
"That's right little one. I'm going to hold on tight as I wrap my arms around your little body to hold you close to me." Jane announced as Kate stood up on her lap and leaned her front side into her mama. Jane tightened her hold as the ride began.
"Thank you, mama, I love you." Kate said as she leaned down to give her mama a kiss on the top of her head. Jane just smiled, she was normally the one giving kisses to the top of her head. She cherished these times with their children. She knew that time was flying by quickly and soon all of their babies would be out on their own and it would be back to just her and Maura.
The hayride started and weaved between the cornfield that was next door to the pumpkin patch. The goal of the ride was to find the pumpkins. There was a choice to be made about half way through the ride, to go to the left or the right. One way had real pumpkins that they could keep, the other contained smashed pumpkins.
"Mama, mommy, do you think we will find the real pumpkins this year?" Kate asked as she climbed over to Kelly's lap and sat down so she could look at her mothers.
"I think we have a 50/50 chance little one." Jane said as she smiled at Kate.
"Mama, I want to know what you think? Please, answer yes or no."
"Okay, okay, I think we will find it." Jane replied.
"Are you guessing love?" Maura asked.
"No sweetheart, I am making a prediction based on years of coming to the pumpkin patch. You'll see, I am right, I know it."
"Well, I guess we will see in a few minutes." Maura stated as she snuggled into Jane's side.
Kate started to tell Kelly, "At the fork in the road we have to choose to go left or right. Which way do you think we should go?" The truck stopped at the fork in the road. The driver was waiting for the family to tell him which way to go.
"I don't know. Which way do you want to go?" Kelly asked.
"I am trying to think. Mommy always says you have to look over all of your facts before you make a decision." At that Maura smiled, Kate was smart and she was remembering everything she had been telling her.
"What facts to you know?" Kelly asked, she was curious as to what Kate might have figured out.
"I looked at the entire scene. I think we should go left. The grass seems to be shorter on the right path. Because of the smell they wouldn't want to put the smashed pumpkins out until right before we go on our hayride. If you look carefully, you can see a piece of pumpkin right at the entrance to the right side on the right path." Jane and Maura both looked sure enough there was a piece of pumpkin on the right side of the right entrance.
"Okay, mini-Maura I think we should go to the left then. Tell the driver, please." Jane said without consulting with her brothers. The last few years Jane had not been wrong so they always followed what she said.
Kate asked Kelly, "Kelly can you text grand mére and tell her we need to go left?"
"Sure Kate." Kelly took out her cell phone and did what Kate asked. Constance text right back acknowledging the request and the truck started up and made the left-hand turn. They had a few more twists and turns and then they arrived at a mini-pumpkin patch. The children were all excited. The driver told them they could get out and pick out a pumpkin to take home.
The children were all excited. Kate grabbed Kelly's hand, "Kelly, can you help me pick a pumpkin?"
"Yes, I would love to help you pick out a pumpkin."
"Mama, can you and mommy pick out a pumpkin like mine. My pumpkin needs a family. Are we going to carve them tomorrow?"
"Yes, little one, just like we did last year. So, you want mommy and I to carve our pumpkins to resemble yours?"
"Yes, mama, my pumpkin needs a family."
"Okay, Kate, I will make mine to look like yours." Jane informed Kate.
"I will also, Kate." MJ said as he overheard his sister's conversation with their mothers.
Everyone climbed back onto the trailer with their pumpkins and they headed back to the front of the pumpkin patch. They said their goodbyes and Jane and her family went to the Isles house for dinner and then home before it got too late.
The next day after breakfast they cleaned out their pumpkins and drew their designs on the pumpkins. Jane put the pumpkin seeds in the oven to roast them, she flavored some. They needed to cook for about twelve minutes.
Kate wanted to carve her pumpkin. Maura was a little nervous about Kate carving her pumpkin because she was so young. She decided as long as she would let her help her then she would let Kate carve her pumpkin. "Kate, if I can help you then you can carve your own pumpkin." Maura informed Kate.
"Really mommy, thank you." Kate hugged her mommy, she knew this was a big deal. After Kate finished drawing her outline on her pumpkin, Maura showed her how to hold the scalpel and make the first cut. Kate was being really careful. She only needed help a few times around some intersections.
While Maura was working with Kate, Kelly was helping Lilly. They were laughing up a storm. Kate paused and looked over at Lilly and Kelly and wondered why they were laughing. "What's so funny?" Kate asked.
Lilly looked over at her younger sister and said, "Nothing, we were just laughing."
"At what?" Kate continued.
"Just stuff." Lilly replied and kept laughing with Kelly. Kate was getting upset. She plunged the scalpel into her pumpkin and put her hands on her hips.
"What are you laughing at Lilly?" Kate asked again. Maura turned Kate around so she was looking at Kate.
"Kate, why did you stab your pumpkin?" Maura questioned.
"Lilly, will not answer me, mommy? She is trying to steal my best friend." Kate said as the tears were forming in her eyes.
"No, sweetie, she is just having fun with Kelly. Kelly shares her time with all four of you. She can be friends with Lilly and laugh with her." Maura tried to explain to Kate to calm her down.
"I don't want to share her, mommy." Jane heard this conversation and after she took the seeds out of the oven she walked over and picked Kate up and hugged her.
"Kate, Kelly is not here for just you, you have to share little one."
"Mama, I don't want to share. I don't want to." Kate said as she started crying. Jane swayed back and forth with her. Maura walked over and rubbed small circles on her back as she leaned into Jane's side and helped to calm Kate down.
Kate didn't need a nap everyday but apparently, she needed one today. It had been an exciting morning and with the activities the day before Kate was overwhelmed. Jane and Maura took her upstairs and she was asleep before Jane laid her down on her bed. They both kissed her and then walked back downstairs together hand in hand.
On their way downstairs they started talking about who could dress as which Scooby Doo character for Halloween. They had to get the costumes ordered. When they arrived downstairs, they sat down on the couch and selected the characters each one would portray. MJ would be Fred. AJ would be Shaggy. Lilly would be Daphne and Kate would be Velma. They were trying to decide who would be Scooby Doo. They finally decided on Jane taking on the role of Scooby Doo.
With characters selected they went online and ordered the costumes. They selected another dog costume for Maura that was similar to Scooby Doo for her to wear. They just prayed that they would get to go trick or treating with their children this year.