Pumpkin Day!

The kids and I started a new tradition last year. We found a book called Pumpkin Day! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace at the library. It is about a bunny family who picks a day every October to celebrate Pumpkin Day. On that day they eat pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, go to a pumpkin patch, carve their jack-o’-lanterns, and toast pumpkin seeds. I found a used copy of the book on-line, and we have read it many times already. We celebrated our Pumpkin Day this past Saturday.

We started out our day with pumpkin pancakes. I found a wonderful recipe at: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pancakesandwaffles/r/bl30324m.htm
This recipe was so moist and delicious. It even called for chopped pecans, so I was able to use our own pecans from our trees.

After breakfast the kids got dressed in their Halloween costumes, and we went to the Zoo Boo at the local zoo. They had fun looking at the animals while trick-or-treating, and jumping in the jumping balloon.

That afternoon we carved our jack-o’-lanterns. I let Braden design his own, and I just cut out the features he had drawn onto the pumpkin. He was especially proud of his snaggle toothed smile.

That evening we went to the church Halloween party and pot luck. After the pot luck all of the children went to the Primary room and nursery for games and crafts. The Youth had set up a haunted house in the Young Women room. The Young Men were in charge of making a cardboard tunnel and decorating, and the Young Women provided slimy foods for the kids to touch as they went through (ex. Cold noodles for veins, cauliflower soaked in Jell-o for brain). It was a Mad Scientist theme, and was creepy but not scary, so all of the kids enjoyed it. Also, down one hallway of the church the kids were able to go trick-or-treating in the classrooms. It was a really fun event.

This is our second year celebrating Pumpkin Day, and we look forward to introducing this fun new tradition to Morgan next year.