The Tangrens

Monday night we decided to do our annual pumpkin cut now that my parents are here to play with us. Last year Hyrum had little to no interest in it, although he did show some interest in the sharp knives. Great! Poor Derek ended up planning gutting and carving the pumpkin solo because we were all occupied with corralling Hyrum and keeping him entertained so he wouldn't go and try to grab those sharp silver things on the table. This year he was really excited to go get the pumpkins and bring them in but once the gutting began he was out. I'm pretty sure he literally gagged a little when we tried to make him touch the insides.

But when my dad finally got his gutted and started to put a face on it. All of a sudden he was ALL ABOUT this. ESPECIALLY when Papa let him cut out an eye.

After that he was hooked. He was so proud of his pumpkin. It was the one that he picked out of the little pumpkin patch and he loved it.

He immediately insisted that the other pumpkin be cut. But as soon as any talk of gutting started he lost interest quick.

But other pumpkins were being completed and he spent his time admireing and making scary noises for them.

While we carved my mom remembered when she helped us carve pumpkins by herself one year when we were young. It was usually my dad's job to carve the pumpkins when we'd gutted them and after we'd decided what we wanted on it, but he was out of town on business. Carving the pumpkins went smoothly until we went to light them and my mom discovered that we didn't have candles. She decided to put a buddy burner in the pumpkin figuring that it was close enough to a candle. We lit the "candle" and ran out to the street to see it all lit up only to watch black smoke pouring out of it's eyes. Naturally we were all a bit traumatized by the whole thing. (But it must not have been too traumatic since I didn't remember it. :) She was sure to ask if we had tea lights which we did...no drama this year.

Hyrum has been addicted to Blues Clues these days and as luck would have it we have a hand me down Blue costume that Hyrum plans to wear this year ( to at least one event ) and my dad brought some blues clues DVD's to fuel the obsession. So naturally we were going to have to have a "Blue" pumpkin. Auntie Nikki provided the pattern and Dad provided the finesse work.

Meanwhile Hyrum continued to make spooky sounds for the pumpkins...

and hover over Papa waiting for his turn to cut or pull pieces out. He was so excited to pull them out that he'd put them back in like a puzzle and pull them back out again.

Hyrum couldn't wait for the entire track to be set up and took the engine on a trip across the carpet. The light on the front began to glow and we heard the faint sounds of whistles as it traveled under Hyrum's push power. Hyrum was having the time of his life and he didn't even know it could go by itself.

We put it all together and got the batteries in the wood car and switched it on but...nothing. We discovered that the plug needed two prongs but only had one so after some quick thinking by Derek's brother David and a cut up safety pin the train chugged to life.

All three boys were entranced. This picture doesn't do my father in laws reaction justice. All of them were grinning from ear to ear mesmerized by the train.

Hyrum couldn't get enough. He watched it go around and around giggling and smiling. I knew he'd love it but had no idea he'd have this kind of reaction to it.

He stayed like this for probably a half an hour watching the train go around and around. He gave his stuffed animals and glowing Halloween pumpkins take rides around and around. He'd make bridges with his legs and anytime we turned it off he insisted that it go on again. I'm beginning to think that a model train under the Christmas tree is going to be a tradition we adopt.

This is the pumpkin Hyrum wanted. It was the smallest one out there but he was determined that it was his. I hope we can get a face on it! :)