Family Tradition

As we visited the US before we moved to Japan, I made sure (Thanks, Mom!) that our bags were packed with all sorts of holiday paraphernalia - plastic Easter eggs, St. Patty's beads, Halloween costumes... Maximo is now more aware of the holidays around him and it's fun starting our own family traditions in our home. I was worried that we may not be able to get US holiday glam here, but I've learned quickly, that really, you can get anything you want here, but you have to pay the price.

Fortunately, a grocery store here that specializes in foreign imported goods had pumpkins, so we carved our first pumpkin. For the first week, it just sported some black duct tape. This past Wednesday we carved it and have religiously lit it every night, but tonight may have been the last because it's teeming with mold and today Max dropped it, so it's head is all mashed in.

The fangs broke off while I was cutting it. And I cut the top too small so I couldn't dig anything out, so we had to make the hole bigger... then the lid didn't fit.
Being a mom takes practice in all areas - like being crafty and holiday-ready!

When we light it, Max starts singing (his version) of Happy Birthday, mostly just saying "To You", then I am like an octopus trying to get him to stop sticking his fingers into the flame, then he blows it out - full nightly ritual: approximately two minutes.