Carving Pumpkins

Last night was a momentous occasion in our household, as I initiated both Ava and Erik in the beloved tradition of pumpkin carving. No, my holiday-suppressed husband had never attempted this in his twenty-six years of life (and to be frank, he took very little part in this particular event), but at least he tried. Ava, on the other hand, exhibiting some of her mother’s strong traditional genes, immediately took to the festive task at hand. In fact, I recall her rubbing her hands together in anticipation as we carted the two largest pumpkins into the kitchen and arranged the tools of the trade. With a stiff warning about keeping some distance from the sharp carving knife, of course!

First, Ava and I drew some facial options on paper plates. This was her second-favorite part of the ritual, coming in behind the actual de-gutting of the pumpkins themselves. Armed with a spoon, a measuring cup, and a strong fist, she went right to work. Her verdict? Mommy, this is slimy, BUT FUN! Ah, how my heart swelled!

To cap off our new Smith Halloween tradition, we cleaned some of the pumpkin seeds and cooked them for a late evening snack. Then munched on them as we admired our handiwork all aglow on the front porch. And yes, we did manage to drag Erik out there as well, although he refused to try a pumpkin seed.

Baby steps, I tell you, baby steps.