tck do it yourself // jack-o’-lantern

The day is finally here– Happy Halloween!

Having kids makes this a fun holiday again for me; it stopped being fun after high school. And let’s be honest, it stopped being really really fun once I was too old to trick or treat. But all the build up and decorations and Ella excitedly pointing out “skooky” houses in our neighborhood really got us into the fun spirit for Halloween. And after our visit to the pumpkin patch last weekend, all that was left to do was to make our very own jack-o’-lantern.

This is my husband’s area of expertise, since I refuse to touch the pumpkin guts, but I had fun taking pictures of him and Ella working together. Ella was bursting with excitement! She got her step stool and her serious face and went to work.

The great thing about jack-o’-lanterns is that you hardly need any materials. My husband used construction paper to trace the shapes and then a knife to cut them out. Of course, if you want it to be more intricate and detailed, I’m sure you need a whole bunch of stuff. Luckily for us, Ella’s requests were all really simple. She may have received some coaching 😉

Ella had a great time watching Matthew work (she wouldn’t touch the guts either) and helping where she could. I am loving this age; it might even be my favorite so far. She’s just so curious and excited and I feel like I’m watching her finally make memories. Her mind is expanding all the time and it is so miraculous to experience everything for the first time all over again.