Once completed we lit their tea lights and they've glowed all day.
We saved all the flesh for soup and now have a huge batch for tomorrow. We decided to try to make something of the pumpkin seeds. I looked online and found a recipe. Basically I fried them in coconut oil then added some cinnamon and maple syrup. It is debatable as to whether they were edible.
Miles spent much of the morning sorting the remaining mound of seeds. He washed them, picked off the bits of flesh, placed flesh and seeds in separate bowls and sieved the floating flesh from the bowl of rinsing water. Lots more practice for his fine motor skills! Our hens don't like pumpkin seeds so he placed them on our new bird table - well, an old bird table actually, in a new position, so that we can get a closer look at the birds.
There was a real cuddly, hot chocolate sipping,story telling sort of mood here today. I think this was possibly their favourite tale of the day.
The Littlest Pumpkin
by
Christine Natale
Once, in the middle of a great field full of pumpkins, there lived a wee little
pumpkin. This little pumpkin was hardly bigger than a walnut. He was not a baby
pumpkin, because baby pumpkins are green and he was a beautiful bright orange,
just like his big brothers and sisters. But he was the tiniest pumpkin in the
world. He was also the most miserable little pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.
"It's going to be a good Halloween for you, " he cried to his neighbor, "You
will certainly be chosen by a child to be her own Halloween Jack O"Lantern, but
I am so small that no one would be able to make a face on me, or to fit a light
inside me. In fact, when the farmers come into the field with their heavy boots
on, I'm sure they won't even see me and I'll be stepped on. I probably won't
even have any Halloween."
The other pumpkin felt sorry for him, but there was nothing that he could do
about it.
That very morning, the farmer and his two sons had come out to see the field
full of round, glowing orange pumpkins among the dark green vines and leaves.
The farmer said to his sons, "The pumpkins are perfectly ripe. Tomorrow we will
come back and pick them, lead them onto our truck and take them into town.
Children will buy them and take them home to make their Jack O' Lanterns for
Halloween."
That night, all of the pumpkins in the field were talking excitedly about the
next day. A big fat pumpkin boasted that he would probably be the first chosen
by some lucky boy or girl, but a small, pretty little pumpkin said, "I think
that a child would like me best, because I can be carried easily."
Everyone had a wish to tell the other. Some wanted to have a happy face, others
wanted to be scary and a few even hoped to look sad - just for fun.
As the night became deeper and darker, and the full moon rose above the field,
they all became quieter, except for an occasional whisper. All through the
night, the little pumpkin looked up at the beautiful Mistress Moon, so high
above him. He spoke to her.
"We are alike, you and I, because we are both so round. But you are great and
wise and loved, and I am too small to be loved by anyone."
The moon shone down with loving light on the little pumpkin and tried to comfort
him.
Before sunrise, as the moon began to wander home and it was very dark, the
little pumpkin saw a tiny light flickering at the far edge of the great field.
The light twinkled and sparkled as it zigzagged over the field, pausing here and
hurrying there. The little pumpkin thought that a star must have fallen to the
earth, but he couldn't see what it was doing. It came closer and closer. Then,
all at once, it was standing in front of him and he could see that it wasn't a
star at all - it was an autumn fire fairy, dressed in gold and orange and
scarlet leaf-fire, which dances without burning.
The autumn fire fairy bent over the little pumpkin and cried out, " Oh! Here it
is - the very pumpkin that I am seeking! All of the other pumpkins are much too
big for me to carry home to my children, but he is just right."
What joy filled the heart of the littlest pumpkin when she picked him up and
flew with him to the forest. They entered the bottom of a hollow tree and a
great many little autumn fire fairies clamored around to admire their Halloween
pumpkin. They took tiny fairy knives and cut a big smiling face on him. Then
they brought little fairy candles that shine in all different changing colors
and put them inside. Now the littlest pumpkin was turned into a sparkling,
shining Jack O' Lantern.
Then all of the autumn fire fairies held a big dancing festival with many kinds
of food and sweets and lots of music and singing. And the littlest pumpkin
shared the best Halloween of all.
The end.
Hermione has practiced recounting her spooky story, one which she has made up herself about a cyclops living in a cave on an island off the coast of Sweden. Miles has recounted all kinds of tales of gore and brutality which I find rather disturbing. People always told me boys are different but I didn't believe them till now.
In amidst everything else Hermione watched more of her DVD from the parliament education services and we had discussions about democracy, dictatorships and some of the limitations of both. Interesting stuff. I'm pleased we are tackling these issues. I thought perhaps eight was a bit young to be looking at forms of government but Hermione is really keen to study China in detail and I think an understanding of basic politics would be important in order for her to understand some of the stark differences in how the country operates as in comparison to Britain. She's taking it all on board and I think perhaps I was under estimating her by having such reservations.
Right, the man from Tescos has been. I am stocked up with baking potatoes, toasting marshmallows and cider for mulling. I'm done for today.
