pumpkins..and read the fine print.

i've never been to the wv pumpkin festival. it always sounded like something i would like, but i've avoided it. too many people, too much traffic. but i ended up going this year. max's class was going during morning hours and i thought that might be my chance to go and avoid all the hoo-ha. he came tearing down the hill from the bus stop one morning shouting, "PUMPKIN FESTIVAL PAPERS!!!!!"...apparently they needed signed and returned that day and he hadn't even taken them out of his backpack yet. he ran and found $4 and i hurriedly checked boxes and signed my permission for him to go and off he went back to the stop, barely making the bus. a couple days later he mentioned something to me that sounded like "since you're a chaperone". seems in my haste to lessen his panic, i checked a box i didn't intend to and abracadabra i'm a chaperone chasing four 4th grade boys around the pumpkin festival for a day. actually there was no chasing to it. they're pretty good boys. besides that, i know how to crack the whip. it was a great morning. and i'll go back again next year. but it will definitely be a repeat morning visit. no way i'm getting in that mess at night.