Teens and post-teens and Halloween fun!

I've often said that if you decide to have a capstone child a few years younger than all the others, make sure you have one as wonderful as Seth. He is now 15, and that advice couldn't be any truer than it was when he was younger. Teenagers sometimes get a bad rap, but I am here to tell you that the teen years are some of my favorite in the parenting journey. Seth knew he'd be working on Halloween, so last Monday night he suggested we do a Halloween FHE: carve pumpkins, and watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." He and I share this tradition of watching all the Charlie Brown holiday specials together throughout the year. Two years ago for Christmas, he gave me a boxed set that includes three of these: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

So Monday I bought pumpkins, and after his piano lesson, we settled in to watch poor Charlie Brown try to kick that fateful football and Linus wait so patiently and hopefully in that sincere pumpkin patch for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. A post-Millennial (Generation Z?), Seth is always amused by the simplicity of older animation, but he is equally captivated by the brilliance of Charles M. Schulz. It was a delight!

Then we attacked the pumpkins! If you know me at all, you know that things like pumpkin carving (you know, anything that requires visual creativity or manual dexterity) will likely be a full-on disaster. So I don't aim high. I go with your standard triangles. Seth, on the other hand, is far more skilled and carved a Legend of Zelda design!

It was a lovely evening, made even better when some of my older kids started sending me pics of their respective Halloween excitement:

The Webster-Monsons at the ward Trunk-or-Treat party.

And here is Eli and his adorable girlfriend Amanda at their ward's party in Rexburg:

And here is Isaiah, who spent Halloween at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico. He tells me he works hard when he's onsite at these events. Lounging in a hammock with a juice box. Hmmmm.

Happy Halloween 2015 from the Erichsen-Websters!