Glass Pumpkins

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Yesterday was yet another perfectly splendid fall day! We have been so lucky to have such beautiful weather four days in a row. We planned to spend the afternoon at Morton Arboretum to check out the annual Scarecrow Walk and a special surprise for our grands. Just look at the glorious fall colors!

Here's a bit of history on the special surprise: Nearly three years ago, when we were at their house, we went to the Desert Botanical Gardens a few days after Christmas to see the Chihuly glass exhibit that had been installed throughout the gardens. Here were our little ones then...

As you can see in the darling photo above, that was not their idea of a good time! The tall bright green "cacti" were Chihuly glass. Ever since that day the five of us have shared a running joke about going to see glass exhibits.

As soon as Shelby saw this sign yesterday and sounded the alarm to her brothers, they all took off in the opposite direction...haha!

After no small amount of cajoling, we got them into the exhibit of more than 2,000 blown glass pumpkins. There are no two alike; the shapes and colors were awesome and the kids loved looking at all the different ones!

At 1:00 there was a glass blowing demonstration. It took much more persuasion to get the kids back over there to watch it. The Master Glass Blower is blowing the first bubble into the glass.

After adding more glass and color a few times and forming the shape in mold, she is shaping the bottom of the pumpkin.

Additional glass has now been attached, stretched out, then curled around this rod to form the stem and tendrils.

And here is the finished pumpkin!

In spite of their initial objections, all three of the kids were totally mesmerized by this demonstration and thought it was much more cool than they thought it would be!!!

Lovin' Life ~~ When Grandpa & Grandma Score Again!!!