Pumpkin carving/Elmo

Caroline helped me carve pumpkins last night. I made a traditional triangle face and an Elmo pumpkin. I tried a new technique of cutting off the bottom instead of the top this year. Then I was able to set the pumpkin over a little push light that we have. It works great, but if the pumpkin has a long stem, it makes it a little hard to clean out the insides since you can't turn it completely upside down on the table top.
Something else new that I tried this year is a pumpkin carving knife that I picked up for 99 cents after last Halloween. I had my doubts about this tiny, skinny, 3 inch blade. But man, it works great!! Much better than the pearing and large chopping knife I normally use. You just saw away with it and it turns corners so well. I highly recommend these.

Now for our Elmo outing. Caroline (as predicted) was very shy and hid behind my leg. When we got there she wouldn't go near him. Then he took a break in the back room and we played around the toy store. He came back out and she would only get close enough to trade a ball with him. But just before his second break she finally gave him a hug.

I'd been talking up giving Elmo "hugs and kisses" all morning. She even told my entire doctor's office that we were going to see him. When we finally left the toy store, Caroline was VERY upset that she had not given Elmo a kiss. She cried all the way home. I finally distracted her with a picnic lunch and letting her play in the gutter water (from our neighbors draining their pool).