McDaniel Musings: Corn Stalks and Corn Dogs!

If you know me well you know that I love all things Autumn, so it makes sense that one of my favorite things to do is visit a corn maze in the fall! That is exactly what my little family and I did today. Our first time out to Linder Farms was last Fall, but Kellen was not quite one, we went on a weekend, and we went on a very chilly evening, so this year we decided to go during the week, on a nice day, and sans a stroller! All of these things made the visit much more enjoyable.

There are so many fun things to do at Linder Farms: there is a hay ride, barrel train ride, swings for the kids, jump houses, petting zoo, pony rides, several different corn mazes (you get to choose how many miles you wish to walk, and whether or not you want the wits scared out of you as you go) - I could keep going and going, but feel free to check out the website if you want to know more. Anyway, with so many things to do, who can choose just one thing? We did several of them!

First things first: a dive in the corn pit! Think of a giant sand box filled with corn instead of stand. At first Kellen wasn't too fond of the situation, but it grew on him and pretty soon he was stomping around in the corn as if he owned the place.

Audrey in the corn pit.

Kellen is not so sure about this.

Audrey making a "corn angel"

Kellen decides it's okay and digs in.

After the corn maze, the kiddos decided they wanted to ride the barrel train. This thing is ingenious: A bunch of colorful barrels cut out linked to a tractor! Simple yet so much fun! Audrey chose the yellow bucket (there were no pink ones), and Kellen and I climbed into a red one. Matt was going to ride with Audrey, but we both quickly learned that the barrels looked a lot roomier than they actually were, and I could barely fit my 5'6" frame into the small space. Matt could sit down in his, but there was no room for Audrey, so she ended up riding by herself. The train is just a five-minute trip around the farm, but it takes you past all the attractions, so it's easy to choose what you want to do next!

Audrey in her yellow barrel.

Kellen and I squished into a red barrel.

Matt waiting for us taking a picture of his shadow.

On the train!

Trying to get the kids to look at Daddy!

The sun was bothering Kellen's eyes.

After the barrel rides it was time for the straw maze! This cute little straw maze is designed specifically for little kids, and my kids had a heck of a time finding their way through it. Audrey got to the very end and couldn't find her way out around about two more corners, so Matt had to stand there and give her directions to follow the exit. It was really cute. Kellen got about half-way through the maze then stood there and looked around at everything, not really caring whether he finished the maze or not, so I had to lift him over the straw edges to get him back out again.

The kids in the middle of the straw maze.

Navigating the maze.

Next we decided on the hay ride. I remember being a little girl and going on a haunted hay ride. I don't remember who I was with or where I lived - I just remember sitting on the hay looking at all these creepy vampires and ghouls coming out to scare everyone on the ride. I think I hid my eyes in some one's coat most of the time. Anyway, this hay ride was nothing like that. It was calm, quiet, and took the passengers through a series of pumpkin patches and corn stalks. The first pumpkin patch contained giant pumpkins, some probably weighing over fifty pounds! The second patch was filled with tiny little orange pumpkins and white pumpkins and speckled pumpkins that were much easier to carry. We opted out of taking any pumpkins with us because we visited a different pumpkin patch earlier in the week, but we still enjoyed the hay ride!

Kellen and I on the hay ride.

The "big" pumpkin patch!

Audrey and Daddy on the hay ride. Audrey was grumpy because she wanted to stop and get a pumpkin.

After the hay ride it was approaching dinner time, so we decided to grab a little snack. We decided on some chicken nuggets (which were very plump and juicy!), a hand-dipped corn dog (which looked like it belonged as a ghoul exhibit in the haunted corn maze, but at least it was tasty), and some french fries (I know, I know, real healthy). While we sat eating our fresh farm food, the friendly farm puppy, who I think was named "Copper" came to visit. Audrey had dropped some of the breading from her corn dog on the ground, which the friendly pooch quickly took care of, so then of course he sat next to us as we ate hoping for another tasty morsel. Though there was no more to be had, he was still super cute sitting there next to us, and the kids loved him. (I wanted to take him home myself!)

Copper the ferocious farm pooch.

Audrey enjoying her snacks.


Kellen sitting with Daddy at the table.

Next came the kiddie swings. It wasn't until my kids were loaded up and began to twirl around and around and around that I thought, "hmmm, maybe this isn't such a good idea since they just ate greasy food", but my worries were useless as there was no vomit and no motion sickness, thank goodness. The kids LOVED the swings. Kellen was a little intimidated at first, but as soon as the swings were turned on and he started to move, he started laughing and had a great time. Audrey is a very serious swinger and kept a serious look on her face most of the time, with the occasional "Hi Mommy!" on a few passes.

Audrey on the swings.

Kellen on the swings.

Finally it was time for my favorite part: the corn maze! There are several different entrances you can choose from ranging from a mere mile or so, up to over four miles, so we opted for the middle-of-the-line at about 2.8 miles. Not too long, but just long enough to wear the kids out so they would sleep well tonight. Unfortunately, about 25 feet into the corn maze, Kellen stopped, his face turned beet red, and something very squirty-sounding emitted from his rear-end. I hadn't brought the diaper bag with me into the farm, so we all exited the maze and Matt walked Kellen out to change him while Audrey took another ride on the barrel train. Then it was back into the maze! The kids LOVED the corn maze. The kids ran and ran and ran while Matt navigated with the map. At one point I stopped and told the kids to hug each other so I could get a cute picture, which ended up being a disaster. Kellen tackled Audrey to the ground, and Audrey smacked he head on the hard ground and continued to scream for the next 5-7 minutes. Oh well - you win some, you lose some. After she recovered we had a lovely rest of the time in the maze. On our way out, the kids stopped for another ride on the swing, and Matt purchased some home-made mini-doughnuts and hot chocolates for the ride home.

Our family trip to Linder Farms was such a wonderful evening! I can hardly wait to go back next year.

*Note to self: no sibling hugs in the maze, bring the diaper bag, and go during the week again! It was perfect!