Halloween

Gratuitous picture of Point Reyes on one of my recent early morning runs.  Jay and I have been making a greater effort these days to get out there for one run each on the weekends.  

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.  

Pachycephalosaurus and border collie

Recently Jay was picking up the girls from preschool, and her teacher was wondering about the name of one of his dinosaurs.  He asked Anja, and she said, "Oh, that's pachycephalosaurus".  She told me later, "I think cepha means head, but I don't know what pachy means."  She is very proud of her dinosaur knowledge.  Anja continues to be very interested in make believe games with her stuffed animals and little plastic figures.  Maija is now more interested in that sort of play as well, partly because Anja likes it so much.  But while Anja was always so gentle, even as a tiny toddler, wrapping babies and animals in blankets and pretending to be the mother, Maija is just as likely to stand on a baby's head to reach something on a shelf, or use a baby as a bludgeoning device.

Anja is very patient with Maija generally, though lately I think it has been a lot harder for her.  Maija has been more been more challenging with us well.  She has developed several endearing habits including, but not limited to, the following:

-spitting (on herself, at people, onto the table or her plate)
-chewing food but not swallowing (really, she will keep chewed food in her mouth up to 30 minutes, or until you make her spit it out)
-throwing food
-grabbing toys out of Anja's hands and running away
-smashing block towers and forts
-pouring drinks onto her plate or the table
-putting food into her drink
-filling her mouth with a drink, then spitting the entire mouthful onto her plate
-drawing on the table with milk or other liquids
-pushing away from the table with her feet, such that her chair leans back on two legs
-putting herself in mortal danger, so that you have to save her (I am particularly proud of a recent save, where she stood up on top of her booster seat and immediately fell forward from that height to the kitchen floor,... I was able to catch just her face wide-receiver-style before it hit the linoleum, so that only her hands and knees were hurt.)

Jay and I have decided that Maija is a border collie, and just needs a job to be happy.  The most ingenious activity Jay came up with recently, is to have her help wash dishes.  He fills the sink with soapy water while he's cleaning up after dinner, and lets her play in it with some dishes.  Amazingly she will do this for 30 minutes by herself.

I have also learned to let her help with putting away dishes, and putting away clothes.  I showed her how to gently put a shirt in a drawer without unfolding it, and now she puts them in the drawer like they're made of rice paper.  She can be really patient if she has a specific task.

But then there are times, more and more frequently, when they play well together, like this:

They both like to wear costumes.  For some reason, going to the science museum is almost always an occasion for costumes.  This is great for us, since it is really hard to lose a bright yellow lion with a tail in a crowd of people.  

Anja wanted to wear this outfit to the museum recently, but we made her change out of the cowboy boots since they might be hard to run around in all day.

Anja got to run her second 5k this past weekend.  This time Jay ran with her and Maija and I watched.  Sometimes she is a little sad when we run races without her, so we asked her if she wanted to run this small local race.

Maija hasn't asked about running one herself yet, but she had her own job, holding the signs.  

Anja was the youngest runner there.  There was also one five year old, and I think a few six year olds.  

Jay said she had a great time, and oscillated between wanted to run next to other kids she saw on the course, and talk to them, and running faster to beat them.  One of the volunteers on the course gave Anja a "special running rock" that she carried all the way to the end.  We saved it to keep in our shells and rocks jar.  

After Anja and Jay ran by us, Maija said, "I run too Mommy!"  and started running to the finish.

Free cake at the end!

Later that day I was at the running store that sponsored the race, and I told them that my four year old had run the 5K that morning.  The really nice guy working there said, "Let's see what we can find for her" and pulled out a pile of nonspecific awards.  I picked out a little button with a running chick on it and a green ribbon that says "Finisher" on it.  I gave them to Anja and she carried them around for a few days.  She finally found a spot to hang them above her bed and calls them her "rewards".  She knows she didn't win, but we told her they were for doing such a good job running.  Well, she did beat four people out of the hundred who ran it.

Comments from Anja and Maija:

Me:  Anja, what would you like for dinner… and not chicken noodle soup or peanut butter and jelly.
Anja:  What else do I like?

Anja:  Mommy, Purple Taggie is magic.  At night, Purple Taggie just sprinkles glitter on me and then I’m magic.

Me:  (showing Maija a picture of me when I was pregnant with her) Do you know who is in there?  There is a baby in there.
Maija:  Tiny one.
Me:  Yes, a tiny baby.  That’s Baby Maija.
Maija:  Open it?
Me:  Open what?
Maija:  Open Mommy’s belly?

Me:  Anja, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Anja:  (looks around the kitchen)  A banana!

Me:  Anja, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Anja:  A tiger!  And next time I will be a bunny.  And the time after that I will be a bat.  (looks at her plate)  And then I will be a carrot.  And then I will be a bean.
Me:  Maija, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Maija:  Mommy.
Me:  Aw, that’s nice.  You want to be Mommy for Halloween?
Maija:  Yah.
Me:  You want to wear a Mommy costume?
Maija:  Yah.
Me:  Anja is going to be a tiger for Halloween.  Do you want to be a bat for Halloween?
Maija:  No.  Mommy.

Me:  Maija, stop eating boogers.
(she does it again)
Me:  Maija, stop eating boogers!
(she does it again)
Me:  Maija!  Stop eating boogers.  It’s yucky and dirty.
Maija:  And spicy too!

Me:  (talking about an upcoming race)  It’s pretty soon, it’s on Sunday.
Anja:  Whoah!  That’s so soon!  That’s just like yesterday!
Me:  Oh yeah?
Anja:  I’m serious!  It’s just like yesterday!

Jay:  You know, Maija, next time you can poop in the potty.  You can just tell Me, or Mommy when you have to go, and you can poop in the potty.
Maija:  No thank you Daddy.  Poop in diaper.

Anja:  Mommy, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to check on the computer.  About moving.  I’m going to be moving to Michigan, to live with my cousins.
Me:  Oh yeah?  When will you be doing that?  How old will you be when you move?
Anja:  Uh, I’ll be an adult.
(this followed an exchange about how she is planning on living at home when she is in college)

Anja:  Hitting people is worse than throwing things, right?
Me:  Yes.  Hitting is very bad, it is never okay to hit anybody.  What made you think of that?
Anja:  Uh, I just wanted you to know.
Me:  Know what?  Was somebody throwing or hitting?
Anja:  Yeah, Maija hit me.
Me:  Maija hit you?  Did she throw something too?
Anja:  No, I threw a plate at her.
Me:  You threw a plate at her??
Anja:  A toy plate.

Summertime in the Fall

We've been enjoying the end of summer here, though the weather won't really start to change for another month or so.  Popsicles on the front porch!


The slide at the park downtown!


We went to Point Reyes for the sand sculpture contest recently.  It was a typical windy and cool day, but the girls didn't mind.  While I was wishing I had a hat and mittens, they were running in the surf and sitting in the wet sand.


They both love the beach, but Maija has always been the first to charge into the water and stomp in puddles.  Anja has been very cautious of the waves since we explained to her how dangerous they can be and how she should never go into the ocean alone.




But on this trip she was brave enough to run in the surf and play in the waves a bit.  We've been reading a new book, "Ladybug Girl" about a girl who is afraid to play in the waves, but then is brave and learns that she can have fun in the water.










With our Cal Academy family membership, we try to visit fairly frequently.  On this trip, the girls wanted to wear their halloween costumes from last year, which amazingly still fit.  We also got to see the baby ostriches, and stand inside the "earthquake house", which shakes to simulate the Loma Prieta earthquake from several years back.


This past weeked we went on the longest hike we've been on with both of the girls.  We did this hike once with Anja before Maija was born, but Maija never liked riding in the backpack carrier so she hasn't been on many really long hikes.  It was 14 miles round trip, with a really significant climb over a 1300' ridgeline each way.  We brought both jogging strollers.  Some parts were so steep that I couldn't walk downhill behind the stroller or it would pull me along like I was waterskiing.  So I had to walk backward in some sections, holding the stroller in front of me, on the uphill side.  It was tough, but the destination was so worth it.

Maija found a "pine tone".  

When we got to the beach, there was nobody else there.  Not even a single person.  

Mommy-imposed sibling pose:

We startled a couple of deer when we got to the beach.  

This is one of my favorite beaches in the area.  Since there is no drive-up access, you won't see many other people.  You can see Jay and the girls there in the distance.  We played in the sand, watched the pelicans, and looked for shells and feathers.

Here's the view facing south.  In the distance about two miles away is Alamere Falls, a 50ft falls that cascades into the beach before running into the ocean.  Also only hike-in access.

Jay somehow spotted this crab in the surf and saved it from a large gull who noticed it at the same time. After a few pictures he put it back in the water, deep enough to allow it to escape.

So beautiful here.  Wish we could have stayed longer, but we needed to make sure we got back before it got too dark.  We had the usual arguing and whining throughout the trip, but they both loved the beach, and really had a good time.  I'm so glad they both really love to go on weekend adventures.

At our lunch stop on the way out, Jay tried to get the girls to stretch before going back into their strollers:



Comments from the girls:


Anja:  Pretend these two dragons are friends.  This one is nocturnal and this one is diurnal.

Anja:  Mom!  Maija is too powerful!
Me:  Too powerful?
Anja:  Yeah!  She pulled the papers RIGHT OFF the refrigerator!  That’s why she’s too powerful!

Maija:  What’s that?
Me:  That’s a rhinoceros.
Maija:  Rhinossususs.
Anja:  (from the other room) Rhinoceros does not rhyme with mango!

Anja:  (while at the dentist's office, telling Maija what to do in the chair).  You need to stay really still Maija.  Here Mom, hold my toothpaste, I'm gonna hold Maija's legs down.  (proceeds to pin Maija's legs to the dentist's chair)

Anja:  If you look closely at my skin you can see gooses.  I mean goosebumps.  Hahahaha, I said gooses!

Anja:  Maija!  Come here!  My poop looks like silly putty!

Camping

We finally went on our first camping trip to a hike-in campsite. It was only 1.5 miles from the car, so not too difficult. I don't think I'd like to go much further than that until Maija is big enough to walk the whole way herself. We brought our giant car camping tent and pushed Maija in the jogging stroller: Glowsticks at night were a big hit. In typical coastal fashion, the fog rolled in so we couldn't see the ocean from our site, like we could on a clear day. But it wasn't too cold. Since it was just for one night, we left the camp stove at home and just brought snacks. The girls liked wearing their own backpacks. Anja even decided she should wear two backpacks, like Daddy.

Jay was out of town this week, and it was his birthday, so we made him a happy birthday video:

It is nice that they play together for stretches of time, like this. It allows me to make actual (not frozen pizza or cereal) meals when I'm the only parent home. And the percentage of time that the games end in tears is getting smaller.

And comments from the girls:

Anja:  Wouldn’t it be fun if we had two mommies and two daddies?
Me:  Yeah, I suppose so.  But I don’t think we have enough room for everyone in our house.  Where would the other mommy and daddy sleep?
Anja:  In the guest room.  Or they could just bring sleeping bags!

Anja:  Mom?  Can I do whatever I want?
Me:  No.
Anja:  Why not?

Me:  Anja, can you check on Maija for me?
Anja:  (a minute later)  She’s just in the bathroom.
Me:  The bathroom?  What is she doing in there?
Anja:  Uh, eating toothpaste.

Me:  I’m sorry I can’t go with you on your field trip this time.
Anja:  But WHY?
Me:  Well, I have to go to work.
Anja:  But if we had two mommies, one could go with me on the field trip and one could stay home and do some work!