"Carving" pumpkins

So we didn't make it down to the Cities for the annual Larson family pumpkin carving event. But that didn't stop us from taking a stab at a few gourds on our own.

AJ mostly just likes to watch the process and provide directions. As Jeff walked into the kitchen, where we were (I was) busy with knife in hand, AJ proclaimed, "Daddy, we're killing a pumpkin!"

Daddy joined us then, turning two small pumpkins into a mini snowman.


As for me, I'd like to pretend I was this original, but the magazine picture kind of gives away where I got the idea for the toothpicks.

The jack-o-lantern below also came from a "borrowed" idea, but I'm still pretty proud of how it turned out. And lots of trick-or-treaters were impressed with it too. At least three times, as kids were leaving our door, they'd point out the sideways pumpkin to their friends, calling it cool or awesome.

And where was Sydney during all of this? She had no interest in it and wanted to watch a Dora movie instead. Ironically, her movie of choice was "Dora saves Christmas".

I have to say, this is the first year I've listened to Christmas music while carving pumpkins.