Pumpkin Carving Party

By The Red Tent, October 31, 2016

Four jack-o-lanterns sit by our front door, glowing at night when we turn the lights off and sit by the front porch. “How many sleeps until trick-or-treating?” the kids ask, like they do every night, and we count down the sleeps with them because we know that their joy is really our joy.

Every year we throw a pumpkin carving party for the kids, and given that this year – our fourth – was smack bang in the middle of renovations and time pressures and a huge work load professionally for both Joel and me, a big party was out of the question, in lieu of promises of a North Pole pyjama party around Christmas. (Because pine garlands and twinkle lights and reindeer food stations have me breaking into a euphoric sweat.) But then on Friday, when I had a billion photos to edit and a great big house to paint, I found myself in aisle four throwing popcorn and cheezels and triple cream brie into my trolley with a text to our old neighbours and good friends: Come over at 5.

You can take the girl out of festivities but you can’t take festivities out of the girl. Isn’t that how it goes?

So alas, I give you our fourth annual pumpkin carving party. Please take note of Joel’s festive enthusiasm at approximately 00:45 seconds.