Why is this a good idea?
Ok, let's say you heard about parents involving their children in an activity that included knives and carving comic faces into large orange squashes. Would you think this a good idea? Or would you think those parents are nuts? Let me tell you, after two nights carving pumpkins with two kids, those parents are nuts.
Boy this year, there is just no hiding on this Halloween stuff. And both La Nina and Maggie want to be involved in every aspect of the preparation for the holiday, including the pumpkin carving. So, last night we set about carving our four pumpkins...one for each member of the family. Sounds perfectly normal? Sublimely suburban scene, right? Until you really think about it: The parents are wielding knives and the children sticking their faces practically into the pumpkins to get a better look.
I thought those little kits would be safer, so I bought a couple. WRONG! I let La Nina help poke holes on one of the designs. Then the Magster wanted a turn. It seemed ok I realized the kids were using something like a minature ice pick to poke holes in a pattern on a pumpkin. They loved it, but with every poke I was sure next one is going to be in their sister's eye.
After carving two pumpkins last night, my nerves were toast so we declared an end to our efforts and postponed until tonight. We tried a different approach tonight: we let each girl draw a picture on the pumpkin and we carved that. It worked well for one child, not the other. I won't name names, but someone really wanted stars for eyes and a heart nose. Daddy had to put his foot down. There were tears and I noticed a heart nose compromise.
You know its funny, I remember watching my dad carve pumpkins, but I don't remember it being a death defying event like it was in our household for the past two days. I'm happy to report we survived the whole ordeal with 40 fingers still attached and no bandaids dispensed, but Mommy needed a big glass of wine to recover.
PS- Maggie loved poking holes so much, I discovered she poked a lovely pattern of holes into her pumpkin placemat!
Boy this year, there is just no hiding on this Halloween stuff. And both La Nina and Maggie want to be involved in every aspect of the preparation for the holiday, including the pumpkin carving. So, last night we set about carving our four pumpkins...one for each member of the family. Sounds perfectly normal? Sublimely suburban scene, right? Until you really think about it: The parents are wielding knives and the children sticking their faces practically into the pumpkins to get a better look.
I thought those little kits would be safer, so I bought a couple. WRONG! I let La Nina help poke holes on one of the designs. Then the Magster wanted a turn. It seemed ok I realized the kids were using something like a minature ice pick to poke holes in a pattern on a pumpkin. They loved it, but with every poke I was sure next one is going to be in their sister's eye.
After carving two pumpkins last night, my nerves were toast so we declared an end to our efforts and postponed until tonight. We tried a different approach tonight: we let each girl draw a picture on the pumpkin and we carved that. It worked well for one child, not the other. I won't name names, but someone really wanted stars for eyes and a heart nose. Daddy had to put his foot down. There were tears and I noticed a heart nose compromise.
You know its funny, I remember watching my dad carve pumpkins, but I don't remember it being a death defying event like it was in our household for the past two days. I'm happy to report we survived the whole ordeal with 40 fingers still attached and no bandaids dispensed, but Mommy needed a big glass of wine to recover.
PS- Maggie loved poking holes so much, I discovered she poked a lovely pattern of holes into her pumpkin placemat!
posted by One Lucky Mom @ 9:56 PM
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