Alex was vaguely curious about the pumpkin patch because he had never been to one before. The hayride itched and the corn maze was too easy to navigate but he still enjoyed the time with his family because of how much fun they were having. They all got caramel apples from a stand at the farm as well and they were delicious even though they were messy and hard to eat.
The true enjoyment of the day came from carving the jack-o-lanterns. Originally Claire had wanted to do it closer to Halloween because she thought she would be too tired but she was surprisingly energized after the pumpkin patch. Each of them had their own pumpkin to work with and she started by showing them how to cut the top so it wouldn't fall in on itself and then how to scoop the guts out with a spoon.
He was beginning to realize that a lot of activities around holidays were messy. He didn't mind too much. Pumpkin guts were far superior to dealing with blood.