Tonight my friend Kathy stopped by to say hi — after two margaritas — and pretty darn perfectly carved Barack Obama’s profile in a pumpkin. Damn her. My stars were almost impossible, and Sophie’s pumpkin is a mess.

Poor Sophie. I wouldn’t let any 5-year-old wield one of those carving things (Ray thinks they should be recalled, given how easily the blades break off. And they’re sharp). But definitely not Sophes. I did let her draw on her pumpkin after I was done taking her directions.

I knew what she’d say when I asked, “Round eyes, or triangles?”

“FABULOUS,” she replied.

She first said it last week, sitting with Ms. X, making a paper pumpkin puppet on a stick.

“Sophie, how do you want the eyes? Do you want round, triangles, what?”

“FABULOUS.”

And so on for the nose, the mouth. Ms. X did better with paper; my pumpkin features were anything but fab. I can’t carve eyelashes. Sophie didn’t seem to mind. Annabelle was pleased with her pumpkin, as well. But the hit of the night, I’ve got to say, was my accidental chalkboard pumpkins.