Hen Crafted: Jack Attack

Dear Friends,

We carved pumpkins.

Because that's just what you do in October.

Lame. Pbbbbbft! You want the truth? Fine, you asked for it.

Because I personally enjoy cleaning up a big huge mess involving squishy orange pulp.

Because I think it's fun to watch my little brothers figure out that if you pinch a pumpkin seed between your fingers REALLY HARD they will shoot CLEAR ACROSS THE ROOM! (the seeds, not the brothers or the fingers)

Because I don't have anything else to do but referee shouting matches over who's pumpkin is who's.

I love spending time convincing the five year old that the 'Cinderella's coach' pumpkin

I helped her carve really DOES look like the picture.

It doesn't help that the child has eyes.

What could be more interesting than six children, eight pumpkins and various knives, saws and carving utensils? Does it seem a little odd to you that a major holiday tradition at our house involves giving small children sharp objects and telling them to carve a face?

I'll leave that one alone.

Moving on.

At our house we cannot settle for the crooked grins and wide-eyed stares that grace many a porch this October. Oh no, we want more. We must choose the carving patterns with a 'four-pumpkin carving skill required'. We spend an hour just deciding which pattern to use and what side to put it on. Just lop the top off, already!

We have carving kits with 3 different carving saws and a multitude of other small tools I admittedly know nothing about. My brothers tried to explain them to me but I still spent the afternoon shouting,

"Pass me the poker thing! No, the other poker thing."

I don't mind saying my sibs can turn out a mean Jack-O-Lantern.

They are the cats meeewow!

I was just itching to say that! heh heh heh! Ahem, excuse me. That was Kit-Kat's pumpkin. A cat for Kit-Kat, get it? har-har-har! There I go again!

Flaming Freaky Face (by Jax) He did this all alone.

My baby brother is getting all big and well, BIG. I find that kinda freaky.

Lan-the-Man and T-boy collaborated on this one. Because I didn't trust T-boy alone with a knife.

My son is a bit exuberant when it comes to knives. He learned that from-

wait a second!

He learned it from Lan-the-Man! They are like partners in crime. What was I doing paring them off? Someone was apt to lose an eye!

OK, OK, OK, calm down! There were no major injuries and the only innards spilled were those belonging to the pumpkins.

See what I mean about the elaborate pattern choices? West chose the hardest one in the book.

I decided I wanted my 'Punkins' on my pumpkins.

Blossom Bee Booger-brain

Trouble T. Tickle-toes

and P-Z Pickle-pants.

It was loud, messy, and time consuming.

Like having a baby.

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Love,

Raimie