Pumpkin, pumpkin big and round. Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground.

As October began, we shifted more heavily into a focus on pumpkins.

We grew pumpkins in our garden this year, and it has been quite the experience.  You see, our pumpkins were magic pumpkins.  They started out as watermelons, but decided they wanted to be pumpkins instead. Perhaps some of my helpers mixed up the garden labels?

Anyway, we took one of those "magical pumpkins" and had some fun!

Charlie and Match found out that our pumpkin weighed exactly three pounds and was seven inches high.  Much to their surprise, it floated when we put it in water!

I used past-tense describing our magic pumpkin, because we unceremoniously hacked it in two!  We counted the seeds, and then we stuck it in the crock-pot!  Our whole family LOVES pumpkin-chocolate-chip waffles.

We are having a lot of fun with some pumpkin stories, and are learning two very fun songs!

Match and Charlie really like this one:

I'm a pumpkin large and round, 
Sitting on the cold, cold ground.

Now it's time to leave this place, 
Take me home and carve a face.

Make some eyes

(clap clap)

and a nose

(clap clap)

and a mouth

(clap clap)

I'm a Jack-O-Lantern now, 
Not a pumpkin on the ground.

Put a candle in for light, 

I will glow throughout the night.

The other song we are learning is the more familiar, "Five Little Pumpkins."  Matthew often comes up to Charlie during the day and asks, "sing pumpkin?"  
For those who aren't familiar, this is the version we are using:

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "oh my it's getting late."
The second one said, "there are witches in the air."
The third one said, "but we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "let's run and run and run."
The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun!"
OOOhh OOOhh went the wind
And out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

One of the crafts we made was a sun catcher. Charlie traced a pumpkin onto wax paper, painted it, then we cut it out and taped it on the window.

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Let's not forget those pumpkin waffles.  Matthew has been quite the helper in the kitchen lately.  "Chef Match" helped me whip up some of those waffles in a big freezer-cooking session.  I love how those little moments are so great for their development.  Just think of the motor skills involved in scooping, measuring, cracking eggs, and of course, picking up those mini chocolate chips to taste!

Match, showing me we need two cups of flour.

"Waffles!"