Annalise's First Jack-O-Lantern

Last week we carved a pumpkin with Anna for the first time.  We have always gotten pumpkins, but we just haven't taken the time to actually carve them in years!   Anna was interested in the carving but had to be coaxed to even touch the inside of the pumpkin.  I think she touched it twice and then just kept saying that it was too yucky.  She was also a little unsure of Stan's saw too, but nevertheless she liked watching us and helping with other parts of the process!

 Anna's pumpkin

 Anna said she needed to hug her pumpkin before we started.  She also gave it a few kisses too =).

 Watching Daddy with the saw.  She stayed that close until he turned it on.

 Then she ran over to me until he turned it off again.  Honestly, the little saw was so quiet that it sounded like a battery operated toothbrush but my oh my does this child ever have a mild personality!!!

 Not sure about touching the "guts".  Anna did give it one poke.

 I then convinced her to put her hand inside the pumpkin.  That only lasted about 2 seconds and then she decided that it was "too yucky".

 So, she watched me start to clean it out.  As you can tell by my face, I am not a real fan of touching the inside either.

 "Did you get it clean in there, Mommy?"

(Ok seriously, why do I have my arms like a praying mantis in this picture ?!?!)

 Daddy to the rescue to finish scraping it out!  When Annalise saw he had spoon to scrape with she needed one too.  When she had the spoon she didn't have to touch it so she was all about helping then!

 After a while though she was more interested in dancing around.....

 .....and climbing on her Daddy's back

 We took it outside and lit it.  She smiled at it and liked it, but would not get any closer to it than what you see in this picture unless I was holding her (it was also her bedtime by then so that might have had something to do with it too)!

 Back inside to clean up and get ready for bed.  Carving pumpkins must be hard work because she brought her blankets out to the kitchen to watch us clean up!