Carving like a boss

I am not the first Stringer to use power tools on a pumpkin.  Corey took that honor a few years back when he used a jig saw on the face of his jack-o-lantern.  It looked horrific, as one might expect.

This year, I was determined to make a different type of pumpkin for myself since I knew the kids would each want a traditional one.  I have zero artistic ability when it comes to carving delicate designs or painting (especially on an uneven surface like a pumpkin!), so I needed something a little easier.

I had seen the idea to make a polka dotted pumpkin using a really big drill bit, but I was worried about the candle getting enough air to keep burning.  I wasn't satisfied with the size of any of the bits I found in Corey's toolbox, but then I found the huge thingy that bores out a hole about an inch and a half in diameter.  (It attaches to a drill but I don't think it's called a bit?)

Ready?

GO!

The end result was nothing short of awesome, but there were a few casualties along the way.  First and foremost was the floor.  I cleverly covered the table to protect it, but the pumpkin shavings went EVERYWHERE.  Second, poor Peter did NOT like the noise the drill made and he screamed in terror while Corey held him in the family room throughout most of the process.

I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it all lit up on the front porch.  Now what am I going to do to top that next year?

October preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch

I can't believe I failed to post these adorable photos of Charlotte's preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch.  The place we went is partly owned by the grandfather of one of the boys in her class (and partly owned by some friends of Barb & Larry!) so it was especially cool.  Even though the trip was virtually the same as the previous month's apple orchard excursion, we left this outing with some great pumpkins and very cute photos (courtesy of Barb, since our camera is busted).

Hooray for hay rides!  The woman in the orange shirt is Charlotte's beloved teacher, Mrs. Mann.

We picked out a little pumpkin to bring home to Peter.

Everything is more fun if there is a hay ride involved.

Can't go anywhere in the fall without people giving you cider and donuts!

One of the benefits of not being the photographer is that there can be pictures of me.

Playing catch-up with a special story time

[Our good camera is broken and I have been super lazy about posting anything lately using the camera as an excuse.  No more!  I have lots of fun stuff to post, and will just make do with the cruddy cell phone pictures.]

Luckily, this next report I have includes a photo sent to me by Charlotte's preschool.  Her NanaB was a special guest at school to read some spooky Halloween stories on behalf of the library.  Charlotte got to come up and help NanaB lead the class in a fingerplay about witches and ghosts, and Charlotte's sweet teacher snapped a photo to send to me.

Charlotte's class loved the story time and the next time Charlotte's friend, Shelby, was at the library she went on a hunt to find Charlotte's NanaB.  Barb didn't happen to be scheduled to work that day, so Shelby and her grandmother left a nice note for Barb on her desk.  Then, when Barb came to school to watch the class' Thanksgiving program, Shelby made a beeline to Barb and asked excitedly "did you get my note?!?!?"  It was very cute.

Scenes from Halloween

Cinderella informed me that princesses don't "smile big" for photos.  Someone should tell Kate Middleton that, I guess.

Batman was so in love with his costume that he is actually still wearing it on November 1st.  I dread the moment I have to rip it off of him.  Then again, it is made from some sort of polyester resembling tissue paper, so it might just literally rip right off of him at some point!

ENOUGH POSING FOR PICTURES!  IT'S TIME TO FIGHT CRIME AND COLLECT CANDY!!!

Costumes with winter coats over them are never quite as cool, but the kids dealt with it fine.  Corey reports that they were very good at saying "trick or treat" and usually remembered to say thank you.  Once Peter heard that he wasn't allowed to eat candy until he got back home, he decided it was time to return to the Bat Cave.  He lasted a good half an hour in 42-degree drizzle, though.

Charlotte lasted nearly an hour!  Here she is, posing bravely by a giant spider with red eyes.  She wasn't such a fan of some of the spooky graveyard scenes, though.

After the kids returned, their loot haul revealed that other houses were giving out full-size candy bars and other treats that FAR eclipsed the single Dum-Dum suckers (don't judge -- I didn't want to buy candy that I would be tempted to devour!) we were doling out.  Whoops.  We started handing out a few suckers at a time and started running low.  Charlotte donated the vast majority of her candy to the cause, since she really doesn't like a whole lot of it.  Whose child is she, anyway?  I held back all the full-size candy bars and we grabbed the rest of Peter's candy (he only likes suckers and M&Ms!) to give away as well.  We ended the night with just a handful left.  Perfect!

Happy Halloween from a little princess and her crime-fighting friend!