everything pumpkin

(*this post brought to you by hurricane sandy, who caused such high winds in our midwest town that the power in my and the girls' school was lost, thus reducing this day to an october "snow day" (um, yes, there were a few flurries early this morning), and allowing me a bit of extra time to publish this post.  thank you and may everyone affected on the east coast stay safe. that is all.)

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it's that time of year.  the time which michael so lovingly calls "everything pumpkin."  it's the time of year when i can't get enough- pumpkin drinks, pumpkin-flavored creamer, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin playdough, actual pumpkins in our house.  pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin.  i love pumpkins.  i love visiting the pumpkin patch and searching for just the right size and shape to carve that perfect design into.  i love digging into it and scooping out the goop as we turn our ordinary pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern.  i love roasting those seeds in the oven for a yummy snack.  ah, fall is the best.
 


my birthday was 2 weeks ago (did i mention that?! 33 years young, thank you very much. could be another reason i love fall and the month of october so much.)  i spent the day to myself.  dropped the kids off at school, took a cycling class, got a massage, did a bit of shopping.  it was extra nice.  michael came home early, we picked the girls up and immediately drove to the pumpkin patch to pick up our prizes before dinner.



it was sunny, it was mildly warm, and the girls' crying from the car turned into smiles and wandering around happily to find just the right pumpkins to decorate our front porch.

(this was the only time i actually allowed her to stick her tongue out, because she asked to do it for a silly picture. other times when she tries it, it does not go over with this mama so well.)

while we pick the actual pumpkins from a yard where they are set out and categorized, we wandered across the street to the actual patch for a photo opp.  fabulous setting...



...until crosby fell and that was the end of her smiles.



fast forward to this past sunday evening, when we set to carving.  we headed outside to reduce the indoor goopy mess of pumpkin innards, of which neither girl wanted to mess with.



while crosby busied herself with other tasks (she is just so busy these days, and has the attention span of less than 2 minutes on any one thing.), michael and harper planned their carvings and got to work.  harper made the decisions this year.



i think she chose well.  excited to see these lit tomorrow night, and see just exactly what it is that harper will choose as her costume.  oh yes, yet again this year, she waits until the final hour, constantly changing her mind, until she reveals just exactly what her mind is feeling she wants to dress up as.  oh the anticipation!  til tomorrow.