Jack-O-Lanterns and Sugar

Josh went to Salt Lake for the day and Mike (Poppa) went to the BYU football game, so . . . Heidi and the kids came to spend the afternoon with Nonna. Mikie and Charissa joined us for the fun.

First one the list of things to do--make a jack-o-lantern. Mikie and Charissa helped Deegan clean out the pumpkin.

Heidi suggested we roast the seeds for snacking on later. Deegan said he didn't like doing this because it's slimy. Mikie told Deegan that boys like playing with slimy things and the two came up with a list of slimy things boys do, and Deegan kept playing in the slimy pumpkin seeds. I don't think he minded the attention from Charissa either.

Baby Sy had to have a piece of the action as well.

Deegan was so excited about using a knife to cut the pumpkins. Later, when telling Poppa about the day, the first thing D. said was, "I got to use a knife to make a pumpkin and Mikie helped me!" (Thanks again to Mikie for being D's hero for the day!)

Next on the list--decorating cupcakes. Again, Mikie and Charissa guided much of this process. It was fun watching D and Mikie exhibit their culinary presentation talents. I had "store-bought" frosting, "store-bought" decorating frosting, and various candy for them to use then turned them loose. The two hardest things about this project--I bought frosting for the first time ever, and I relinquished control of the final product. In other words, I kept telling myself (and I mean literally telling myself over and over) that the cupcakes did not have to be perfect and pretty--the time together was the most important.

Mikie showed D how to squirt the frosting straight from the tube into the mouth.

Next, watch "James and the Giant Peach" while making a spider-web on one of the pumpkins. D helped hammer little brad nails into the pumpkin and wrapped yarn around and around to create a stunning and original work of Halloween art.

The two masters and some of their creations.

After the creative outlet, we had spaghetti and eyeballs for dinner. Deegan took home a small bag of treats, cupcakes, homemade oreo cookies, his own jack-o-lantern, and some new Halloween pajamas for Sy and himself. (The pajamas have written on them, "I'm so cute, it's scary.") Fun day at Nonna's house and a huge thank you to my helpers!