Trares
Slowly, a nightmarish visage emerged.
A jagged, gaping mouth like torn-open stitches. Skeletal nose holes. Wide, vacant eyes.
And we laughed the whole time.
With Halloween fast approaching, the Trareses took part in one of our favorite annual traditions — carving jack-o-lanterns.
We’ve done it every year since Anthony was a baby; my wife and I had carved pumpkins together even before we were married. Despite the tedious process of picking a design, scooping out the guts and sawing out a face, we had a lot of fun doing it.
As Anthony has gotten older, he’s gotten more and more into the Halloween spirit. The season has moved into his second favorite holiday, behind only Christmas. The chance to dress up in any character he could imagine and fill up his bag (sometimes multiple bags) with candy was too good to be true.
And like he told us last night, “Besides trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins is my favorite part of Halloween.”
Before we brought our horrific visions to life, we had to find the perfect gourdish canvas. So a few weekends back, we headed out to the local pumpkin farm. We each had something we were looking for: Anthony wanted the biggest one available. My wife liked an orb that was good-sized but not too massive. And I liked a smaller one.
We all found a pumpkin that fit our criteria. And earlier this week, we went to work.
In the past, my wife and I have always carved Anthony’s pumpkin for him. Even with the dull and flimsy knives the carving kits provide you, we didn’t want to risk an injury.
But Anthony informed us he intended to carve his own this time; at 9 years old, it was time for him to start doing it himself, he said.
With an organized work station (and some trepidation for my wife), we set him up to work. I helped him take the lid off, but after that, it was all him. He meticulously scooped out the seeds and pulp from inside, making sure it was clean enough to carve.
Anthony had decided to make his face in the style of Jack Skellington, the main character in one of his favorite movies, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Armed with a photo from the internet, he carved Jack’s mouth, then the two pinpoint nostrils.
The work was hard; even for an experienced carver, those little kit knives don’t cut that great. So by the time he reached the eyes of his design, he was ready to make a call to the bullpen — dad could step in to do the rest.
After I finished it up, I set his Jack Skellington in the kitchen, put a candle in and flipped the lights. Anthony squealed with delight.
“It looks so good!” he exclaimed proudly.
I know that in the coming years, he’s going to think there’s nothing more uncool than doing jack-o-lanterns with his parents. He and his friends will find other, more mischievous ways to recognize the season.
But I hope he always remembers his first (nearly) solo carving and keeps his appreciation for the magic of Halloween.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
