fall sculptures and Halloween

Two weeks ago I had a morning to shop with the girls; a rare opportunity. Soccer games were in the afternoon. We stopped at a local farm on our way home to pick up a pumpkin for Carmen's project and discovered these crazy gourds. Sarai had a great time arranging them for this picture.

On Halloween, my mom and Lawrence came over to carve pumpkins with us. 

Carmen joined in too.

Rachel loves scooping out the seeds with her hands.  The girls picked out large pumpkins to carve.  Rachel's pumpkin weighed 25 lbs!  They were 2-3 inches thick inside.   

Here is a picture of the pumpkins my mom and Lawrence carved.  My mom found glow-in-the-dark teeth for pumpkins.  Pretty neat! 

This is the pumpkin Carmen carved.  She used some of the teeth too.  I tried to lit them inside the house.  The effect is best in the dark (those pictures are coming up). 

On Saturday, the day before Halloween, Sarai went to her boyfriend's house to carve pumpkins.  She carved the owl.  I am impressed. 

This is the one she carved at our house, a werewolf. 

Rachel and I made this owl in a tree pumpkin.  I usually don't make one by myself because for years I have had to help a child.  I think those years are numbered.  Rachel dug out the pumpkin and carved half of this one.  I know it was a challenge to cut through thick sides.  

Here's a better picture of Carmen's pumpkin lit.

Halloween has changed in our house.  This year, the older three all went to parties the night before Halloween.  Neither Tobin nor Sarai trick-or-treat.  I missed getting a picture of Sarai's costume because I was at my last soccer game for Rachel's team when she left for her party.  Carmen dressed up as a pink zebra!

Carmen did not plan on trick-or-treating until she received a call on Halloween from a friend.  Quickly she came up with: pega-zebra-corn; part Pegasus (the wing part), unicorn (the pink cone) and zebra clothes!  I do believe she has a great imagination to see this inspiration in her closet. 

I have sewn costumes for years for the kids.  Now, Rachel has taken over.  She made her own costume this year.  She was trying to be the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.  We bought material, I cut the pieces and told her how to sew it and she made it!  She is also a fast and precise sewer. She made the skirt Saturday evening and the boot covers Sunday before mass. Impressive. 

Another change in Halloween is that now Rachel has great stamina to continue ringing bells for hours!  A few years ago she would get tired quickly, but not this year.  She went out with a friend, Teresa Meyer.  They had a great time together.  Here you see them trading their loot.

Tobin and Sarai passed out the candy.  This allowed Abram and I to walk around with Theo, Teresa's dad while the girls ran from house to house.  Halloween was busy, as many days are here, but it was fun and we enjoyed everyone we saw that day.  Hopefully, we can do the same next year.