What we did tonight. Fall Festivities

 In years past Ella was too grossed out to do pumpkins. We haven't really did it since Ella gagged and refused to get near it a few years ago leaving me to carve a pumpkin on my own. It wasn't really what I had conjured up in my head as the grand bonding moment I had hoped for. A little bit of me gave up on the whole pumpkin carving extravaganza. Well after getting a free pumpkin I decided to give it another go. It was a hit. With half my kids anyway. Surprisingly, Ezra was willing to give it a try until guts started spewing out. Then all Ezra did was repeatedly say, "Iew". He left his spot on the chair and hit the road, opting to suck his thumb on the couch instead.

 I  actually got Ella to get some guts out. Initially she said it stinks. Then later on she started imagining it smelled like cinnamon and she was convinced of this. Once while she getting seeds out from the guts she said her stomach was aching. Last week she threw up because she accidentally stepped on a banana peel her brother tossed on the floor in her room. Umm I don't know where she gets that from? Not from me. But I take her tummy woes seriously.

 Ella cut some parts herself. Going down was easy for her so all the going down parts. She really loved it. She also released all the parts all by herself.

 She was very proud of her final outcome. I gotta admit it was the cutest traditional pumpkin I think I have ever seen.

 It was a glorious evening. It was 81 during the day which is fall weather here in Orlando. I realized today that I literally felt reborn with the break in the heat. It was wearing me out. For us its the equivalent of spring after the long winter. It is just a relief.... We had visitors. Don't they make childhood look just delicious. I could gobble them up....

 Ummm, speaking of gobbling up. Roasted spice pumpkin seeds. We whipped these butter, maple, nutmeg, cinnamon seeds....yummy. We also made a batch of pumpkin spice rice crispy treats. Double yummy.

I waited till it was dark and ceremoniously went outside and lit the pumpkin. Ella danced all around it like a native American at a pow-wow. It was a delightful night. I told Ella all about carving pumpkins with my dad and brother's when we were kids. I was so happy to pass on this tradition and happy Ella was happy.