It must of been in high school or grammar school when I last carved a pumpkin, so I might be a little rusty. In fact, I think I might need a lesson or two from the kids who seem to be pros at picking out their pumpkins, coming up with a design and digging right in. With over ten kids in the house at a pumpkin per kid, I’d say we have quite a lot of work to do. But with a cup of sangria/fungria, anything is possible this Saturday afternoon.

Miss Kendall was nice enough to let me partner with her. We got our stencil, pumpkin-carving tools, a bowl and some clean hands. She dove right in and carved off the stem like a pro, while I stood to the side with my sleeve up ready to take her cue. Since she did such a good job with hers, she was in high demand with all the other kids to help them remove their stems. I continued to gut the pumpkin and separate the seeds, so we can roast them in the oven later for a tasty treat. Afterwards, she came back to create an imprint of the stencil by poking a series of holes to align with the ghost design. Since we gutted the pumpkin to its core, it made it a lot easier to puncture because the walls weren’t as thick. The kids considered that the fun part.

It took us into the early evening to finish and by nightfall. We ended up with ghosts, black cats, witches, bats and classic jacks. Wow, pumpkin carving is a lot of work. Thank goodness for the kids. Now it’s time to admire all the hard work and sweat, and top them off with a tea candle.

Lights on, lights off. Here is our pumpkin line up for the evening. Hope you have a Happy Halloween!