I made two Jack-o-lanterns this year. On the left we have Elmo and Cookie Monster, a nod to our 16-month-old’s second Halloween. On the right, my best attempt at a cacodemon from the old video game Doom. My general technique is to sketch up the design in Inkscape, print it out, transfer the design to the pumpkin somehow, then go to work with one of those little pumpkin carving saws. The cacodemon was a bit simpler so I skipped Inkscape and free-handed it with a sharpie.
We tried toasting the pumpkin seeds. While edible, I found the eating experience akin to that of eating un-popped popcorn kernels. I’ll probably give this experiment a miss next year.
In Canada, giving out chips is almost as popular as giving out candy. As new Canadians, we are following suit: visitors to our house will get tiny bags of Doritos. I guess that means no Coffee Crisps, Aero bars, or Smarties for me (these locally available confections have yet to cross the Lake).
I also had grandiose plans to make Alex a costume, but faith in my fabric sewing skills waned a bit as the deadline approached. Angeline saved the day by picking up a costume at the local Carter’s, so he’ll be a tiger this year. Fear.