Happy Halloween!

Fall. Its a season between summer and winter that we just recently discovered. Having lived in California for the past 10 years, we've grown used to the dry season and the wet season. Fall is a new concept. The leaves turn many beautiful colors and they "fall" on the ground. And once they're on the ground they're are many many uses for them. If you're cold, you could burn them (well, only if its legal where you live). If you're bored, you could paint them. If you're a 21 month old, you can play in them. And boy does Claire love to play in and be covered by them. She could lay in leaf piles all day. Here she is earlier this afternoon just soaking it all in:




Today of course was Halloween, and unlike last year where she had piggy flu and couldn't walk, this year she had a ton of fun trick or treating. We started the festivities by helping our neighbors line the driveway with lights and setup a large inflatable archway.

Later we dressed in our Sunday best and headed out in search of Candy. Claire loves ducks so we figured why not have a little fun with it.




It took Claire a couple of houses to figure out how the whole candy gathering worked, but once she figured it out, she became a pro.


After we returned home, Claire had, as far as we can remember, her first Candy Bar, a Crunch Bar, and relaxed on the couch.

Halloween Block Party

Claire and her friend Cameron got to go to a block party today! We're very lucky to have moved into such a connected and friendly neighborhood. The kids got to wear their costumes for a little parade, bounce house fun, a hay-ride and yummy snacking. We should have gotten a picture of these two after the party. Their faces were covered with chocolate!














































































Claire and Cameron were completely clueless for this group photo. It was awesome. When the photos were done, all the kids stampeded down the hill, leaving these two just standing there like little lost deer.






Here's Claire going crazy in the bounce house:

Pumpkin carving

Our pumpkins are carved and ready for all of tomorrow's excitement! It's cool and brisk outside, and the leaves have hit their peak. This is a great time to be a Marylander. We may feel different about it when winter hits though. : ) Here's a couple of views from our deck:

Claire was only mildly amused by the pumpkin carving. She did enjoy the pumpkin "lids" and seeds though.

Grandma Karen and Grandpa Bill's Visit (Part 2)

While Grandma and Grandpa were visiting we went hiking in nearby Patapsco State Park. Hiking with Claire can be a real test of patience since she has to stop every 30 seconds and pick up rocks or leaves. We finished a whole 2 miles of trail despite this, and Claire was even doing the navigating:

A couple more photos from the weekend:

We dug out an old witch hat and Claire played with it all weekend. It's quite becoming on her!

Here she is rooting for the Hawkeyes with Grandpa. Claire misses Grandma and Grandpa already and we hope they come back to visit soon!

Grandma Karen and Grandpa Bill's Visit (part 1)

We had a spectacular fall weekend in the company of Brian's parents. It was just what we needed! Brian and I have decided that the 4 on 1 parenting coverage is ideal, and we are now taking applications in case you want to come live with us and share 50% of the toddler care responsibilities. (That means each "parent" would only have to change 1/4 of a poopy diaper daily.) But really, we appreciated their help in entertaining Claire and we had lots of fun catching up and enjoying the outdoors together.




We strolled around downtown Ellicott City, which included a nice view of the Patapsco River.

















We enjoyed a picnic lunch on a downtown corner.

Unfortunately the historic buildings were closed, but Claire had fun sitting on their steps anyway.

Claire and Daddy, pushing their appropriately-sized strollers through downtown.

Yes, this photo is a little out of place. Brian and I went to a cowboy-themed murder mystery dinner while Grandma and Grandpa watched Claire at home.

There'll be another post with more photos from their visit following this...

No Mommy, Day 2

I think I've figured out how Claire is compensating for the fact that mommy isn't here. Every time she's feeling lonely she reaches for (or screams for if she can't se him) that loveable furry red Seasame Street character. Normally Mommy can comfort the seemingly random sadness in the middle of our happy toddler's day, but without Mommy she's turned to the comfort of Elmo. Today, we hiked on the Applachain Trail through Gathland State Park on the border of Maryland and West Virginia. I enjoyed the scenario and reflected on the historic importance the surronding mountains played in forming the nation we have today during the Civil War. Claire simply called for Elmo. Daddy brought snacks, a change of diapers, a nice warm jacket, and books, but made the fatal mistake of leaving Elmo in the car. Claire was able to enjoy herself for the most part, but in between playing with leaves, attempting to climb on rocks, and screaming at bugs on the ground, she'd let out an occasional "Elmo" sigh. When we returned to the car and saw Elmo relaxing in the car seat, Claire's eyes lit up like I've never seen them for me. I'll compare, but I'm guessing she'll have the same reaction when Mommy returns tomorrow. With Elmo safe in hand, we proceeded across the Potomoc to Harper's Ferry West Virginia. Not only was this a bustling innovate mid-19th century town, it was also a key battleground of the Civil War. Today the town is simply a large Historic Park as between the Civil War ravaging the town and many floods along this narrow valley with steep cliffs on either side, the town gradually died down and its residents moved on. Lucky for us, the historic society has kept up the buildings and continues to stage them as 19th century village. As usually, Claire found that playing in the nearby river was more fun than learning about the living quarters of a federal war correspondant. Mommy comes back tomorrow! We're both very proud of her fresh off her impressive 3:36 minute half marathon walk through San Francisco. Sure she's completed a full marathon in that time before, but cut the woman some slack, she's 20 weeks pregnant.

Sans Sarah Adventures Day 1

Claire has been out of the womb for 621 days and nights. Each and every day has ended with a good night kiss from Mommy. An impressive streak for any mother but one that has finally come to an end. For tonight in a quiet wooded area of Ellicott City Maryland where deers prance around at will, Claire has gone to bed with her mother nearly 2400 miles away in San Francisco. Early this morning we drove Sarah off for a weekend in the city by the bay. It is her chance to unwind and live care free experiencing life without a child for the first time since Claire was born. In her first trip back to California since the move, Sarah has choosen to coerce her body into a relaxing half marathon walk giving her a chance to see and hear the sights of a city that was once so familar. Back here in Maryland, Claire and I did you best to have a wonderful day. Without mommy things are never as good as they could be, but we certainly had an action packed, fun, and exciting day. After an early morning viewing of Elmo's "Potty Time" Claire and I ventured down to her boyfriend Cameron's house for their daily play time. With Claire in tow on her Chariot, I then hoped on my bike and took a nice ride along the Patapsco river in the very leafy and colorful Patapsco park. We stopped to enjoy a playground and enjoyed leaves falling on us on this beautiful fall day. After a difficult uphill ride home Claire napped for 2 hours before we headed out to Woodbine for an afternoon with the Ellicott City Kosters at Larryland Farms. Normally a bustling "pick your own produce" farm, this 100+ acre compound transforms into a must-see Halloween destination this time of year. Complete with Hayrides, the "boo barn", a straw maze, refreshing apple cider, and a large pumpkin patch, there's something for everyone. According to the farm's website (http://www.pickyourown.com/), they " started the pick your own farming operation in 1973" and today they "grow 14 acres of strawberries, 2 acres of tart cherries, 1/2 acre of sweet cherries, 1 1/2 acres black raspberries, 3 acres of red raspberries, 1/4 acre of purple raspberries, 5 acres of blueberries, 1 1/2 acres of thornless blackberries, 14 acres of peaches, 1/2 acres of nectarines, 16 acres of apples and 15-20 acres of vegetables including spinach, beets, tomatoes, cantaloupes, broccoli, and pumpkins". Claire had fun with most of the activities but was most entertained by the 4 chickens roaming free on the property. Her, Alex, and a group of 9 or 10 other children ranging from 1-12 chased these poor chickens endlessly around the property. When the chickens tried to get away from the pesky children by hiding under thorn bushes, the crew led by a fearless 12 year old girl devised a divide and conquer plan in which she risked her safety by entering the bushes while the other children surronded them in hopes of chasing them out into a clearing. I must say, if this were the year 1200, these children would make excellent hunters for the local village. Anyway, after a long day we headed back to historic Ellicott City for a nice dinner at "La Palapa" before retiring for the evening. Even being sans mommy today, she largely maintained her cheerful demeanor and went to bed without a fight, whispering her usual soft "goodbye" as I closed the door to her room.

YOOKIDOOn't

It's a happy and a sad day in the Sivitz household. Its a happy day because this is my (Brian's ) first blog post since we moved out of our California house over 3 months ago. During my absence from this blog, my courageous wife has stepped up to the plate and posted many a blog despite being saddled with taking care of our young princess day after day. My list of excuses are as long as this posting will seem by the time you get done reading it, but the main one is lack of time. Sarah has done an excellent job keeping up with things, but I will point out that she's missed a few key events. She got the move both out of California and into our house in Maryland, so she gets kudos for remembering those things. She got the cute little moments with bubbles and animals and those are the kind of posts that keeps our readership strong. She got the zoo, she got our trip to Kansas City, and she even shared the news of our expanding family. Speaking of which, we'll find out whether she's a boy or a girl at the beginning of November, so you'll need to keep reading as we get closer to that date and of course closer to the expected due date of March 1oth. Hmm, that reminds me, we'll need a new name for our blog. Check out the poll on the right and help us pick a new name for the Sivitz chronicles. So, anyway, what has Sarah missed. (Good husband disclaimer: The following statement(s) are in no way intended to belittle Sarah's blogging skills and should not be taken this way by you, your significant other, your mailman, or your dog). I think the biggest thing she missed was our trip to New York City and Massachussetts. We began by meeting up with Ali and Victor in New York City where we also got the opportunity to hang with Ryan, Leah, and Elle (see "Cool People with Blogs" on the right to follow their adventures). We then journeyed up to Massachussetts to meet with my parents and the extended family. It was a wonderful time and Claire got the chance to meet many of her great Aunts and Uncles, Great Grandma, Great-Grandpa, 1st Cousins once removed and her Great Aunt's dog. After we returned home from Mass., we closed on our house and began to settle in. Within the first week here, Claire became best friends with our next door neighbor Cameron and for this honor, we were all privledged enough to attend his 2nd birthday party yesterday at Gymboree. Our weekends have been a combination of shopping, Home Depot (even though the house is only 8 years old, we're still finding lots of ways to remodel), searching out nearby hiking spots and killing stink bugs. The bugs are perhaps the biggest and most unanticipated change with our move. The weather has thus far been quite nice but the best word to describe the bugs is amazing. For those of you non-Californians, the entire state is basically bug free. Sure your house is likely to be nearly eaten to bits by termites, but you never really see any bugs living in California. Here in Maryland, they quite literally grow the size of small vertabrates and appear to be living in and around nearly everything. The most annoying of thes bugs is the stink bug. These non-native pests have just mysteriously shown up in the mid-Atlantic region over the last couple of years and can now be found by the hundreds in the favorite house of your choice. These bugs live for 8-9 months and must breed like rabbits, or I guess maybe its better to say "breeding like StinkBugs" now. They're not annoying because they don't get in your face or bite. They don't even land on your food. Its hard to describe really, its just the sheer number of them. They're very dumb and don't move fast so even Claire could catch them if she tried, but there's just so darn many of them. Well, enough complaining, overall we're really enjoying the beautiful and family friendly Ellicott City. There's much to see and do and Money Magazine recently ranked it the 2nd best place to live in the country (only trailing Eden Prairie, MN).

You might ask why I entitled this blog "YOOKIDOOn't" and why I started by saying it was a sad day in the Sivitz household. That's because after a long and trying year, the faithful old Yookidoo has finally succumbed to all of Claire's poking, slapping, and prodding:


















And I'll end this blog by giving all of you faithful, patient readers a nice preview of the Sivitz family's first Halloween in Maryland: