Picture it: tiny pumpkins. Googly eyes. Moppy, stringy yarn for hair. Markers and paint for decoration.
Yeah, it’s Halloween time. Jo and I got together to give our kids some fun time together and help make memories that we hope will last for years to come. From decorating pumpkins to baking spooky-themed cookies, Halloween is full of things to do that aren’t that spooky.
My daughter Salem loved the tiny pumpkins. The kids are still a little young to do full-on pumpkin carving, but small ones like you see in these pictures are the perfect size for them to handle. I don’t know if she’s going to become an artist someday, but she definitely took to decorating the pumpkins, a marker in one hand and a crayon in the other.
My son Damien and Jo’s son Tristan were a bit more into the cookies than the pumpkins! It wasn’t just about eating them. That’s definitely the main draw–who can’t resist a good sugar cookie?–but squeezing the packets of icing and tossing plenty of sprinkles on top hit that combo of messy yet productive that little boys seem to thrive in. None of the three loved that we only let them have one cookie each, but they did have some adorable Krispy Kreme Halloween doughnuts they got to munch on, too.
Children have attention spans that are only so long, though, so Jo and I decided to split up the projects. Between pumpkin decorating and cookie madness, Salem, Tristan, and Damien had a great time running from room to room, up and down the stairs, going as fast as their little legs could take them. Tristan and Damien are pretty close in age, which makes it great for us moms: they get to be each other’s play partners! It’s fantastic. Now, with Sassy Salem around, the two boys have a new dynamic to get used to. She has to try and keep up, but man, she puts in her all so she can be included. Seeing the three of them get along is downright heartwarming.
It wasn’t easy to get them to sit still for photos, not with all the fun we had around (and that’s before their normal toys come into play!). They’re sweet kids overall, though, and they humored us and let us snap a few here and there. One thing you notice as you spend more time with kids is that you can really see their personalities when you ask them to sit and smile. Does your kid squirm and pout? Give a huge, goofy, toothy grin? Maybe they sit nicely but only smile with their lips. No matter what, it’s adorable in my book!
I speak for Jo and I both when I say that I hope our kids will look back on this fondly. When they get older, we hope they cherish memories like this, all the moments spent together and fun times shared (even if they missed out on some cookies here and there😉).
We hope all of you guys got to make some Halloween memories, too. Hang in there, everyone, and stay safe! Happy Halloween!
