Carving Pumpkins - 2017

Every year, we seem to switch things up a bit when it comes to carving pumpkins.  In the past, we had carved them at the kitchen counter, but as our family grew, we ran out of space to squeeze everyone in there.  Last year, we opted to carve them outside on a table in the driveway.  But, this year, it was just downright cold outside so I took the opportunity to quickly set up a table inside (complete with a tablecloth that I had on hand that could easily be washed off).  The kids chose to stand, except for James, and it worked out perfectly.  I think that this just might be the way to go from here on out ...

Hair pulled back, sleeves rolled up and ready to get messy:

Sophia was the most meticulous of all of the kids when it came to cleaning her pumpkin.  She worked feverishly to get it gutted as much as possible and her final masterpiece was about as clean inside as possible.  It really shouldn't surprise me ... that's just her. 

As much as Samantha favors me in terms of her looks (so many kids say to me, "you look just like Samantha" which always makes me smile because of course, it is really her that looks like me ...), Sophia's attention to detail is the most like me.  Sam does a great job in school and is at the top of all of the her classes, but she is always in a hurry to get things done and doesn't always follow-through with everything.  Sophia finishes everything that she starts.

The gooier the better for this boy:

And then there was James. 

I had the most fun just simply watching him with his pumpkin.  Honestly, I must have taken 20 pictures of him alone because it was so fascinating to observe him with it.

Digging deep inside:

And ... then ... that's when we decided that it was time to remove his shirt.  Things were probably going to get messy.


Tasting a seed:

I showed him that the seeds needed to go in his bowl and he understood completely.

Adding the seeds, one by one:

The kids had a great time and required very little help or supervision during this part:

Steve jumped in to help Jimmy for a little while:

And then I eventually finished up his pumpkin for him:

We let Sam use a knife for a little bit of her carving:

Jack used a drill and a hammer for his creation:

I helped Sophia make a cat:

Sam's pumpkin was a tad gruesome with some "blood" dripping and a knife sticking out of it:

Jimmy wasn't quite sure what to think about his newly-carved pumpkin:

Lined up and ready to go outside:

Life Lately

We had some unseasonably warm weather through the month of September and the kids were still wearing tank tops and shorts.  In fact, we even went swimming in the lake in the middle of the month!

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I have decided that we need to keep Jack's hair buzzed as short as possible.  He looks so cute when it is all closely trimmed and it helps to tame his thick cowlick:

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The girls and I got dressed up and headed to Zoe's baptism.  They chose their own dresses out of the closet (and of course, the purses!) and then added jewelry.  Sophia asked for double-braids and she giggled with happiness the whole time.  We've been waiting quite some time for her hair to be long enough for this!

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The kids love to hop in the hot tub whenever they can ... even if it is hotter than hot outside.

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Mr. Blue Eyes is always on the run.  I asked him to stop and take a picture for me and this is what I got.  I'll take what I can get these days.

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Every year, I try to make a few loaves of zucchini bread.  I'm not a big fan of the vegetable prepared any other way, but can't resist it in bread or muffins.  This year, it was Jack's turn to help.

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He also helped make our special first day of school pencil cookies while the girls were in school.  I know that he won't always want to help me in the kitchen so I am savoring these days as long as I can.

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Mis-match day at school for Spirit Week:

(I think that we did a pretty good job with that theme!)

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Red and White Day (school colors):

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These boys are the best of friends; Jack genuinely loves him and you can see the total admiration on his face:

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We did a lot of chalk drawings this summer -- I taught the girls how to add more colors and textures.  Samantha took the information and ran with it and made a dragon on her own.  I just love her creativity.

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We were at Sleepy Hollow one weekend and there was a random display set up there.  We grabbed the kids and snapped a quick, impromptu photo.  Jimmy was most interested in trying to eat one of the gourds, of course.

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The First Grade Class does an annual assignment where they are asked to decorate a "turkey feather" using whatever they want and however they want.  And then the feathers are displayed on a huge turkey out in the hallway.  Sophia took so much pride in this and her finished feather is "so her."  Purple and pink with a touch of green, adorned in pink beads with shiny purple stickers. 

Fall Leaves

We have quite a few trees in the backyard (because of the woods directly behind us), but not very many in the front.  We cut down the walnut tree several years ago and there are pine trees up near the road.  For that reason, we are lucky and don't have that many leaves to rake up.  The few leaves that fall into the yard are easy to grind up with a few passes on the lawnmower.

But ... the kids love to jump in the leaves and play in them; we are talking hours of entertainment here.  So, we started a pile and let them play until their hearts were content.  And they did this day after day for almost a week, even inviting the neighbor girl to come over for the fun.

Jack did most of the manual labor, of course.  He is such a hard worker and no job is ever too strenuous or taxing for him.

Jimmy wasn't sure what to think at first, but he followed the lead of the older kids and took pleasure in walking through the leaves and picking them up.

After all, this is an annual tradition for us.

The girls insisted on striking poses for me and I did a double-take when I realized just how long Samantha's limbs are becoming. 

Always smiling.  Always.

The look on her face makes me happy.  Fall leaves mean pure joy here.

A group photo with everyone looking at the camera (!!!):