Theo and I attended another grief workshop called My Little Pumpkin. I was very excited when I saw the post on Facebook about this workshop. We were told to bring our creativity and start thinking about how we could paint a pumpkin that would remind us of our child.

Immediately, I thought to create a Baby Yoda pumpkin. Archer always wore Star Wars clothes, and we watched many of the movies and shows with him. (Okay, more like he was in the room or napping, but still). 

We got settled in our seats with some coffee, and our leader started the workshop. She told us to think of everything that reminded us of our child. While Baby Yoda was one of those things on my list, my list also consisted of the following:

• Ba ba ba – As Archer said this all the time, he could have been a little sheep.
• Green and Arrows – The theme of his nursery.
• Bluey and Blippi – Two of his favorite shows to watch.
• Baby Shark – Is one of his favorite songs.
• Smile – Archer smiled through pretty much everything. 

After thinking for a moment or two about everything that reminded me of Archer, I knew I would no longer be putting Baby Yoda on a pumpkin. 

Archer had a little saucer/stander, and when we wanted to be active, he loved to stand in it, play, and watch the TV. He loved all the lights, movements, and sounds. I remember looking for something to put on, and I had heard of how wholesome and cute Bluey was, even for adults.

The moment I turned it on, Archer was mesmerized. We crushed through both seasons that were on Disney Plus within the week. So we had to move to re-runs. Seeing him watch Bluey while playing brought me much happiness, so Bluey is what I decided to paint on my little pumpkin. 

This is the start of the holiday season without Archer. It’s going to be a different journey to navigate. If you think about Archer or us during this season, please simply say a little prayer for our family.