Cut the top off the pumpkin with a straight edge knife (a parent job). Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside—this will keep the top from falling into the pumpkin.
When I asked him if he wanted to go to Washington, D.C., his face brightened, his smile grew and he said "Can we go to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?" Right then I knew this was not going to be a typical trip to D.C.