Harvesting Wayne's Pumpkins

Back in May, Wayne went to the store with me and picked out a packet of pumpkin seeds. He wanted to grow pumpkins! While I acted all excited about his new adventure, I was already trying to figure out how to explain to him why his pumpkins didn't grow (they can be a little fickle!) Oh well. Nothing like learning about life, right? (Yeah, I flushed goldfish down the toilet myself when we were kids.)


We NEVER helped him with his pumpkins. He insisted on doing it all himself. They were his babies. First he cleared the spot and fluffed it with a shovel. Was it as good as what we would have done? No. Did I care? NO!!!! Then I put down 5 rocks and told him to pile dirt on top of them. Hmm. I think I remember Tyler throwing a shovel or two of dirt on at this point to help out. Next, we handed him the seeds, and he pushed each one into the dirt with his finger.


Every night Tyler came home from work, Wayne met him at the back door, "Time to water my pumpkins Dad!" And he would. Every night.


As the green vines started growing, you know if you came to our house you were greeted at the front door by Wayne with, "Do you want to see my pumpkins? They're GROWING!" And they were.

Then they started blooming. We explained that each flower would turn into a pumpkin, and Wayne sat there with a look of complete awe on his face. If it's possible, he became even MORE dedicated to his nightly watering.

And then.


Pumpkins grew.



And they grew, and grew and grew.

Again, if you stopped by, you were greeted with, "Come see my pumpkins, they are growing with water and sunshine. They will be turning ORANGE!"


And a few weeks later...

They DID! :-)


Now, finally, it was time to pick them. After dinner on Thursday night, we went out to pick them. Wayne did most of the work, with Daddy helping him with the ones that were too big for him to carry. Cute little Wayne was ecstatic. It was finally time! In fact, he kept walking around shaking his finger at me, with those big eyes saying, "it's time mom! It's time. Daddy says!" And so now that you know what it took to make them grow....


I present to you: Wayne's Pumpkin Harvest!
This is how you break the stem from the vine.
"Look mom! It's BIG!"
"it's too heavy. I am small. Get Dad!"
"I have LOTS of pumpkins!"

Thanks for helping Weston!
"I make mommy's stairs PRETTY!"
"Mommy, I love my pumpkins."
And here's what the porch looked like after all Wayne's pumpkins had been brought over.
Stay tuned for what we carve them into. Wayne says he wants Dora!