This year, our girls were finally old enough to appreciate pumpkin goop. No complaints about the sticky orange strings or slimy seeds. They were serious about gutting their pumpkins. We let them pick out our patterns this year. Adelaide picked Elsa, no surprise there. Eleanor wanted Dora the Explorer. But, not just Dora, Boots too! And a cat, riding on a broom, with the moon at their backs. Sure, Melinda said. Looks easy enough. Three hours later, the kids were long ago tucked into bed and the pumpkin looked like a squirrel had attacked it. It was beyond saving, and Matt really tried to save it (like a knight in shining armor with a mini-pumpkin saw instead of a broad sword). Melinda gutted a spare pumpkin and Matt carved a simplified Dora so Eleanor wouldn't lose total faith in her parents. See how much we love you Eleanor? We stayed up until almost midnight worrying over ruined gourds to make sure you could sing "I'm the Map" to a jack-o-lantern. At least...