Pumpkins, Snow White and Dinosaurs

What do these all have in common?  They filled our Saturday.  I bought pumpkins for our front porch about 2 weeks ago.  I bought them while Ella and Miller were at school and had them in the car when I picked them up.  They were so excited that we finally had some decorations (this is one area where I am just not good at, but I am starting to get the sense that I am going to have to put in more effort because Miller asks me almost every day for more decorations) and so excited to put them on our front porch.  Since we have put the pumpkins out, I think they have asked every day if we could carve our big pumpkin.  We have had several conversations about pumpkins rotting if they are carved too soon, but for some reason it has not sunk in.  Needless to say, they were thrilled when we told them this morning that today was the day that we were carving the pumpkin.

Ella and Miller were in agreement that they wanted a happy pumpkin.  Here Ella is drawing just what she wants the face to look like (and it looks like Miller is about to stab his eye out, don't worry he did not).  

I tried to take over from that point and draw the face on the pumpkin, but Ella would have none of that.  She wanted to also draw the face on the pumpkin.  When she was not paying attention I drew the real lines that Murray was to follow.  It is really when we are doing "holiday traditions" (carving pumpkins, dying easter eggs, putting ornaments on the tree) that I see how much of a control freak that I really am.  It takes all I have to hold back and let my kids do what they want to do instead of the way that I think is best.  That is why I was on picture duty!

 After I told Ella we had to get all of the guts out of the pumpkin so that it would not catch on fire, she made sure Murray got every string and seed out of the pumpkin.

A sweet friend from church gave Ella her tickets to see the Alabama Ballet's production of Snow White. Ella and Lucy had a blast!  They had a hard time understanding why Snow White was not talking and every time Snow White left the stage Ella kept asking where Snow White went, but they loved it.  I love this picture because when I told them I wanted to take their picture Ella leaned over and posed pulling her shoulder back to get her best angle.  Is she 4 or 14?  She thinks she is 14!

My dad is here this weekend and we have concluded that he is who Sara Wells looks like.  It is hard to tell, but she definitely has his eyes!

I realize that I showed you all the fabric that I had big plans for and then never reported my progress.  Part of the reason is I do not have many "completed" outfits.  I knew I needed to get Miller's pants made when I had a big chunk of time (while Murray was gone).  But since it was still 80 degrees outside, I had no motivation to make the t-shirts to go with them.  Looking at the 10 day forecast earlier this week, I realized Miller might finally need some long sleeve shirts.  So I have started focusing more of my sewing efforts back on him.  These dinosaur pants are his favorite pants!  He asks to wear them everyday and I have had to keep telling him no because it has been too hot for pants.  I knew he would be able to wear them today so I finally made the dinosaur shirt to go with them.  He is almost more fun to sew for than Ella because when I make him something cool like dinosaur pants and t-shirt, he LOVES them!  Here is Miller trying not to be happy.