Fall Break and Pumpkins

We spent Fall Break sick with the stomach flu. Actually let me back up we spent most of October sick. The day David left for NYC my sister invited us to dinner because her husband was out of town also. We pulled up to her house and Jacob threw up in my car. Most of you know my complete and utter aversion to barf so I'll spare you in details. At least he was smart enough to rush out of the car and finish on my sister's sidewalk. By that night I had stomach flu too. So for three days while day was gone we did the flu thing. Then fast forward perhaps 3 days and Jacob has a horrible cough and cold. Three days after that I'm at the insta-care with Jacob. He has an ear infection and an eye infection (conjunctivitis). Two days after that is the first day of Fall Break. It was a gorgeous day and Jacob and Adam got to play with one of their P.G. friends practically all day. That night David told me he was taking the next day off work. David taking work off is a miracle. The world must be turning upside down for that to happen. Friday morning I woke up with stomach flu AGAIN! By Friday night (after hiking to the Y) Adam had it. That poor kid just barfed and barfed and David was super dad and took care of everything while I concentrated very hard on staying alive. We were so sick. By Saturday night David and the baby were sick and today Matthew is. Also Lucas and I have Jacob's lovely cough and eye infection. David was so sick he didn't go to work today. Obviously the world is still off its axis. That was our miserable Fall Break that we had such great plans for. Jacob and Adam did get to hike to the Y with there dad before the wheels fell off our family train. But that was it. We missed the BYU game that the boys were going to for the first time this season and our neighbors Halloween pumpkin carving party. So we busted out the pumpkins tonight for Family Home Evening. First off I grew all these pumpkins so my pride knows no bounds. Second I really don't like carving pumpkins but David does. So Super Dad comes shining through again and even though he still isn't eating he thinks his super powers will get him through carving 4 pumpkins.

Matthew was very excited to be there even though he has a fever and well let's just call them bowel issues.

Adam was also very happy to be carving pumpkins....

...until his dad told him to scoop out the seeds and stuff. He thought it stunk and just couldn't get his ocd hands that sticky. So this was the one chore I helped accomplish.

 Jacob loved scooping out the pumpkins guts. However I do think this is where brotherly competition wins out to gross slimy stuff.

Drawing faces on the pumpkins...aka the one time the boys are allowed to draw with permanent markers.

 While David carved pumpkins I took pictures of silly kids and took video of Adam singing all his kindergarten Halloween and thanksgiving songs. He's a great singer and if I can figure out how I'll post some video.

Our finished creations. David didn't even pull out the electric drill this year and they are still masterpieces. See those green pumpkins. Yeah, not everyone can grow green pumpkins. You have to be a real talented gardener, such as myself. I finally gave up on them and picked them last week. The barfing pumpkin is somehow a Parra tradition. It started back in 2005 when David carved a barfing pumpkin and called it "Ode to Ashley" I was 3 months pregnant with Adam and there was no end in sight to my "all day and night" morning sickness.

 Jacob in October of 2005. Jacob was 19 months old and such a cutie!