Pumpkins

I do normally enjoy taking the kids to a farm or pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins directly out of the field. But things being what they are, that just was not happening this year. Instead I scoured the grocery ads for the cheapest price on pumpkins because, well, one pumpkin is no big deal. Nine pumpkins sometimes gets expensive and the darn animals ate all of the pumpkins we planted this year (yes, the garden will be properly fenced next year). So $22 later and we arrived home with 9 jumbo sized pumpkins.

The kids all got busy emptying the innards and carving up their gourds. Seeds were cleaned and roasted, a huge mess was made of the dining room, and the kids had fun.

And you see these teens? You know the ones society tells you will want nothing to do with their family? Yup, those teens. Well, ignore the idiots in society and keep them involved.  Because they do want to be involved. And the little ones want them involved and just love working with them. Because you will treasure these memories a wee bit more than the ones when they were little because they will actually share them with you.  And because they are part of your family, too. Even if they are taller than you are and occasionally grumpy and sometimes a mess. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that because they are teens, they won't want to be involved and in accepting that skewed view of things, push them away from you and out of your lives. Take the time to enjoy their last few years at home with the family because they will be grown and making memories of their own all too soon.