October 31 is sort of the deadline for carving pumpkins, right? So this morning, as soon as Mary Virginia went down for her nap, I took David outside to carve our pumpkin.
I was hoping for a really fun, sensory experience, but I’ve done this nonsense long enough to know it probably wouldn’t go how I imagined. I was prepared for a mess, for pumpkin guts all over our yard and our clothes.
What I wasn’t prepared for is David being totally and completely disinterested.
I talked it up in the morning, so he was really excited, and even though he could barely sit still for me to put on his socks and shoes because he wanted to CARVE PUMPKIN! As soon as I opened the back door, he ran outside shouting CARVE PUMPKIN! CARVE PUMPKIN! and went straight over to his wagon, sat down, and started playing in the dirt.
David? Do you want to play with the pumpkin? Nothing. Not a word. He didn’t even look up.
There isn’t a pumpkin on earth that trumps a wagon, dirt, bulldozers, and the bucket of green tomatoes I picked yesterday to fry for Sunday football.
I decided to let him play. Because this is the goal, right? He’s playing outside independently.
So the pumpkin sat alone on our porch, undisturbed.
I buy pumpkins at Halloween for three reasons:
- Because I’m a sucker for holiday marketing
- To roast pumpkin seeds
- To create beautiful holiday memories for my children.
Since I’d already crossed two of the three reasons off that list, I considered the pumpkin a success. So while he played I sat in a chair, drank my iced coffee and got to work on some Etsy orders.
Eventually he got bored, so I asked if he wanted to help Mommy with the pumpkin. Help Mommy? SURE!
I lifted the top off to show him the gooey messy inside. Oooh! Aah! SO INTERESTING, right? Wrong.
He was utterly and complete disgusted. Wanna touch the seeds, David? Nuh-uh, no way, don’t even think about it.
I carved it myself while David played.
It’s a little lopsided, but whatever, I did it in under five minutes without any help from the dragon department, ok?
Special thanks to Mary Virginia for taking a good nap during the whole production.
Happy Halloween, everyone.
Hi Amanda! I must have found your blog through Andrea’s FB or some other stalking way…but I have to say I keep coming back because I love your writing! I also have a little boy and girl (2.5 and 7 months) so I just laugh at everything you say because it’s exactly what I’m going through! Thanks for sharing your cute ideas and fun adventures – and all the craziness that comes along with having two kids!
annamarina! it’s great to hear from you. your family is just a few months older than mine.
you’re right, there’s so much craziness that comes with two kids. they give me PLENTY of content to keep the blog current 🙂
This was awesome! It seems very familiar… Our special experiences never go as planned! And I’m glad to hear David has Logan’s favorite word down. (Of course, he usually gives a no, no with a shake of his finger)
Last picture! The best!!!
Love it!! Yes, this is the Mom’s true world of creating lasting memories . . .it only gets worse when, as grown up married children, they look at their wives and say “my mom never carved a pumpkin with me”.
HAHA! Love it! And your perspective?! So wonderful and full of grace. I could learn so much from you! Plus your carved pumpkin is super cute! 🙂
Stopping by your blog tonight via your linkup with Casey Leigh! XO