Something is rotten in the state of Florida

Last weekend the kids carved pumpkins for C's Halloween party tomorrow night.  As I was snapping pictures, I kept wondering why it had been so many years since we had done it last - since the kids were having so much fun with it.  This week, four days later to be exact, I remembered precisely when the last time we carved pumpkins was.


It was the year we moved back to Florida.


When we lived in Michigan and in Washington state, we could carve the pumpkins and they would last and last.  In Florida, where the temperature this last week of October has been hovering around 92 or 93 degrees....this is what you get after a couple of days:

I also realized this week why we have so many of the plastic, plug in jack-o-lanterns!

For the record, that was also the last year we had a real Christmas tree.  After spending the ensuing 12 months picking up pine needles from every conceivable spot in the house, we opted for an artificial, pre-lit tree the following year.  I buy pine pine scented air freshener...it works for us!  Tradition doesn't always work so well in this state.

Anyway, we had a big, slimy mess left from the decaying pumpkins.  I will go buy a couple more pumpkins today, for The Boy and his friends to carve tomorrow before the party.  I think they'll last until tomorrow night - especially since we had a cool front move through and today's high is only supposed to be 76 degrees.  It feels like fall!

Speaking of The Boy and his party...which by the way, is supposed to be from 6:30-10:30 tomorrow...he has informed me that a couple of his friends are coming over a little early to help him set up. 

 "OK", I replied, "How early?" 

 "Um...well _______ is gonna come over around noon and teach you how to make spring rolls."

(Which is fine - I love this girl, and she HAS been promising to teach me how to make spring rolls...)

"And, uh..._______ is coming around 5:00, and so is ______ and ______"

"Oh yeah, and _________is probably gonna come over early in the afternoon too, OK?"

And, ya know, it IS fine.  But...I wonder why we even bothered to set a beginning and ending time for the party, since it appears that most of his friends are just going to come over and hang out all afternoon anyway! Apparently The Boy wonders too.

C is planning an interesting costume for the party.  I won't tell you what it is - but it involves recycling an old costume of his sister's and putting his own unique twist on it.  I'll take pictures!