We've been to the pumpkin patch quite a lot in the last few weeks. People come from all over the Bay Area just to go to Petaluma's pumpkin patches. We actually just went to the same one a lot of times this year. It's our favorite one, down the road, and is a real working farm.
There is no cost until you buy something, so we just get a little something on each visit.
The best (and scariest) part of this farm is that they leave all their old machinery in a field and let the kids climb around on it unsupervised. The kids love it, and it's definitely everyone's favorite activity. Some of it is pretty harmless, like the current working tractors and trailers that the kids like to sit on and pretent to drive. Some of it is more terrifyingly full of old rusty metal pokey parts and sharp edges. But it's nice to have a farm experience that is a little more real than most.
The hay bale maze is also pretty great. Luckily just two exits, so you can send your kids in and wait until they come out.
Anja was having a great time on this school trip to the pumpkin patch until the guide mentioned that everyone would get to milk a cow. Anja told me before the trip that she definitely did not want to milk a cow, and look how sad she was when she found out that was the next activity...
But when it was her turn, she did it and loved it. In fact, she was the first kid.
Blue is now 14. She has two memory foam dog beds where she spends most of her time, and poor short-term memory. But she's still a happy dog. Just very slow and sleepy. I'm sure that becoming completely deaf over the past few years has helped her to relax when the kids are running around. We sometimes come home and are in the house for a while before she realizes we're even there.
We went to Mt Diablo last weekend to go tarantula hunting. We came a few weeks past the prime viewing time, and at the wrong time of day, but we thought we'd still give it a shot (we didn't see any). We did see these turkeys, though.
Anja is a real naturalist. She carried this lichen around for a while and wanted her picture taken with it.
There were giant Coulter pine cones everywhere. Maija loved them. That is, until the unfortunate Coulter Pine Cone Soccer Game when Anja kicked a pine cone that Maija was grabbing and gave her an ugly cut right on her palm (picture a nasty 1.5 inch paper cut right in the middle of your hand). Those spines are sharp! She mostly cried the rest of the hike, and for the one mile walk back to the car.
When Maija wasn't crying, she was stuffing acorns into her pockets.
Kangaroos for Halloween this year!
Night before Halloween pumpkin carving. "Mommy, it's monster brains!"
Trick or treating was so wet this year. It rained really hard for the entire two hours or so we were out there. Luckily it was only 60 degrees, it could have been a lot colder. Note to remember for next year: do not make structural hat parts out of felt glue in case of rain! Aside from a few sad parts, "Mommy, I stepped in a puddle!", etc, they had a great time. Using their pouches for candy was a huge hit. I actually was worried that their costumes wouldn't be recognizable, but everyone knew what they were. One of the first houses we visited went something like this:
(Anja walks up to house)
lady: Ooh! You're a kangaroo! That's so cute! Look everyone a kangaroo!
(Maija walks up)
lady: Ooooh! Another one! Two kangaroos! There are TWO kangaroos!!!
(other people in the house come over, then Anja and Maija put candy in their pouches)
lady: Oooh! Look, they put the CANDY in their POUCHES! That's so CUTE!!!
It was pretty cute.
And a little Christmas music for the holiday season:
Words from the girls:
Anja: Maija, want to
see my poop?!!
Maija: Yes please
Anja! (runs to the bathroom)
Maija: ICE CREAM NOW
MOMMY!
Me: Isn’t there a
nicer way to say that?
Maija: (cocks her
head sideways and speaks in a singsongy voice) Ice cream now mommy (smiles).
Maija: Mama? Cheerio in mine nose. (and there was)
Me: These different
color nerds have different flavors.
Anja: Yeah. (picks up a white one) This one tastes like sauerkraut.
Jay: What are you
scratching there on your knee, Anja?
Anja: Don’t worry
about it Daddy, just worry about yourself.
Me: Thank you for
washing dishes, Maija. That is very
helpful.
Maija: Yah. I being nice, Mama.
Me: Yes, you are
being very nice.
Maija: Yah. And Anja nice. And Mommy nice, and Daddy nice. And Grandpa nice!
Me: Goodnight Anja, I
love you.
Anja: I love you
sooooo much, Mommy. I love you as much
as Daddy. That sure is a lot!
Anja: (watching the
final debate) Are the presidents supposed to be interrupting like that?
Anja: Let’s do pillow-blanket
fights!
Maija: Yes please,
Anja.
Anja: You will find
out that it feels fun. Hahahahaha!
Me: Goodnight Anja.
Anja: Goodnight. But what happens after college?
Me: Well, after
college you find a job you really like to do, and you do that.
Anja: But, do we just
tell someone what we want to do?
Me: Well, not
quite. You have to find a job that
sounds good, and then you tell those people that you would be the best person
for that job.
Anja: But… are there
a lot of other people who want the job too?
Me: Maybe. But if you study really hard in college and
learn everything about all the dinosaurs, then you will be the best person for
the job.
Anja: But what if all
the other people are really good too?
Me: Well, there are a
lot of jobs for paleontologists, so you will be able to find a really good one. There are enough for everybody.
Jay: I have a brown
belt in toddler kwan do.
Me: What does that
qualify you to do?
Jay: It qualifies me
to get kids into pajamas with brushed teeth without getting kicked in the head
or poked in the eye. In ten minutes.
Anja: If I’m going to be a paleontologist, we need to find some fossils soon.
Me: (while trick or
treating in the rain) We sure are wet,
Maija. How wet do you think we are?
Maija: Uhhh… two!
Me: I think my favorite
house was the one with lots of pumpkins and all those lights. Which one did you like the best?
Maija: One with…
tandy. Big bowl.
Me: The one with the
big bowl of candy?
Maija: Yeah.
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