Pumpkins And Other Spooky Fun

Our annual trip to Baugher's Pumpkin Patch was a bit abbreviated this year since both boys had been sick for several days prior to our visit.  Although they were feeling better, they lacked their usual energy and enthusiasm.  Since we went on the last day that pumpkin picking was available, the selection was scant to say the least.  Everything had been picked over and most of what was left was starting to rot.  Luckily, the boys were able to find a few that met their approval.

In addition to pumpkin picking and carving, we also celebrated the holiday by decorating the house with ghost lights and pumpkin and bat garland.  We also made Halloween pancakes, cookies, and crafts.

Gavin, the task master, is focused on finding the perfect pumpkin.  He refuses to be distracted by Mom's pleas for a quick picture.  He knows the Ravens game is about to start and he has no patience for our dilly dallying.



He eventually concedes and smiles sweetly for a picture with the pumpkin he picked out.



Then it's back to the task at hand.  He directs us to the line for the hayride back to our car.

Our "punkins" with their pumpkins!

Gavin plants a sloppy wet kiss on Ryan's cheek.  And we wonder why they both seem to get sick at the same time?!  Guess it's a small price to pay for brotherly love!

Ryan, with a little help from Daddy and a lot of encouragement from Gavin, paints his pumpkin.  I thought the use of washable paints was brilliant until we put the pumpkin on the front steps and it rained for the first time! 



We made breakfast for dinner using Halloween-shaped pancake molds.  Ryan's job was to sprinkle (which he interpreted as "dump") chocolate chips into the pancake batter.  I think his strategy was three in the mouth for every one in the pancake!

Ryan poses with his bat and ghost-shaped pancakes.  Luckily, he drowned them in chocolate syrup so he probably never noticed they were partially burnt!

Ryan and Mommy assembled a haunted house foam kit.  Mommy constructed the house while Ryan added the spooky decorations!  

The sleeves are pushed up and he's ready to scoop out pumpkin guts!

Gavin prefers to use a spoon for the dirty work!

Boys being boys

Ryan finds pumpkin guts far slimier and grosser than he imagined.  Notice that he "acquired" the spoon from Gavin.

The boys quickly grew bored with the pumpkin carving and enertained themselves by unrolling an entire roll of paper towels that was intended for wiping messy hands and cleaning up afterward!  It's amazing the trouble they can get into when they know Mommy and Daddy are elbow-deep in pumpkin guts!

"Guys, can you quiet down, I'm on the phone!" (He pushed redial, so we're not sure who he was talking to!)

Ryan requested a carving of Batman standing on top of a building in Gotham City.  He compromised for an outline sketch that Daddy traced from one of his coloring books.  Daddy worked late into the night perfecting his masterpiece.

Daddy poses with the finished product. 

Here it is illuminated in the dark so you can appreciate the detail!