Pumpkin Carving 2012

Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE carving pumpkins?

*Insert as much sarcasm as you can possibly imagine here.*

 

Usually I do the carving "with" the kids without any hubby help.

He is not a fan either.

And it takes FOREVER!

This year I guess I probably complained enough about not wanting to do it, that Jeff offered to get the tops off and get them all cleaned out.

Wait...wha?!?!

Things are lookin' up!

I also used some new tactical maneuvers. Usually I have all those fun templates for carving...

you know, for Cars themed pumpkins, or super scary...and detailed carvings.

This year I had them, but I didn't even take them out of the storage bin.

There was no mention of anything fancy and no one asked!

Connor set to work immediately after Jeff had his cleaned out.

Oh my goodness!

Heaven!

I helped a little bit, but this kid knocked it out of the ballpark!

Finally he can carve his own. *Sigh*

And he was so proud.

(Unfortuantely this is the best picture we got of it...no final shots.

We didn't even get them lit this year, for reasons that deserve a post of their own.)

What, might you ask, was Emma Kate doing while this was going on?

Stabbing her pumpkin over and over again.

I gave her a couple tools and she went at it!

I have never seen a child so enthralled! 

Finally Jeff decided to cut hers open as well.

But...she wouldn't let him clean it out.

SHE wanted to do it herself.

Ahhh...the independence of a girl!

She was so intent. She literally pulled all the seeds out, dumping handfuls into a bowl. Then she would shove them back into her pumpkin, only to repeat the process over and over again.

LOVE this next picture!

They were so busy:) 

Good thing we decided to carve outside.

It was a mess!

 

Might I mention that Emma's pumpkin never even got carved.

She was totally content with what she had done:)

 

What did I do during all of this?

Watch.

Laugh.

Take pictures.

And enjoy my kids.

 

Dom didn't get to his till the next evening.

He was super fast!

This is what he came up with...!

I so wish I had a picture of it glowing.

It was so pretty!

 

So I have to admit that this mom is changing her

Pumpkin Carving Tune...

And still learning that simplicity is often better.

Let go.

Let the kids have fun just doing it on their own.

And nothing has to be perfect:)