Day 304: Happy Halloween!

When your child is too young to truly have a say in their Halloween costume, it is really tough deciding how to torture them!  Do you find a super adorable animal costume that they might not tolerate later (I had my eye on an awesome giraffe deal)?  Or do you find something a little dorky that might evoke eye rolling later?  It's obvious which direction we took - it's one of the few princesses we are okay with!  

Happy Halloween from our Star Wars Princess!

Day 303: Any Given Sunday

Due to circumstances I do not quite understand, the Ravens game was not shown on local television today (it has something to do with the Redskins and the networks, who knows why).  In order to watch the game, we went to a local restaurant who had the Sunday Ticket, and therefore would allow us to watch the game.  The first half was pretty dismal, to say the least, but following an impassioned speech by Joe Flacco, the quarterback, during halftime, the second half was MUCH more exciting.  So exciting we even got to clap and cheer.  Sitting on my lap, Michal started to help me clap, grabbing my hands and moving them herself.  

She doesn't quite know "touchdown" yet, but she helped me during one of Ray Rice's touchdown runs.  Yay, Ravens!

Day 302: Shopping for Bun Bun

A few weeks back we got the super exciting news that Michal's Uncle Roy and Aunt Kylie are expecting a little Bun Bun this spring.  We offered to take them on a tour of two of the big baby stores in the area, giving them the low down on our experience with the items they might end up putting on their registry or buying.  Michal was a great sport, helping give them a sneak preview of Bun Bun might be like in about a year or two.

Michal got to test drive a few different cribs, allowing Uncle Roy and Aunt Kylie to practice putting her in and taking her out of the crib, since it's important to get a sense of the height and depth of cribs.  Here Michal seems to be showing off the various features of the crib.  Good little salesbaby. 

Checking out some toys with Uncle Roy. 

It looks like she has figured out how to unbuckle herself from the shopping cart seatbelt, but really, Josh had just unbuckled her and she was playing with the buckle.  Apparently this week has been the week of standing up in carts and highchairs - a new skill.  As we were strolling through the stores, she occasionally found a way to stand up in her seat.  Not so great, baby Goose! 

Kicking back.  Crazy kid.

Day 301: DJ M on the Mic

While I made dinner, Michal hung out with Josh in the living room.  At one point, Josh called out, asking if I'd seen Michal "sing" into the microphone of one of her toys.  She had started to play with it a bit the other day, but she really seemed to get into it more tonight.  Even though it looks like she's trying to eat it here.

Hm.  Not familiar with this type of turntable set up... The mixer is a bit... colorful.

Throwing down some tracks 

A star is born?

Day 300: Baby Yoga

Today is day 300 of this project.  Holy cow.  That means there are only 65 days to go.  I remember back, somewhere around day 65, wondering if I could possibly keep this crazy project going for the entire year.  Somehow I have.  To those of you who read, whether regularly or occasionally, thank you.  I run into you at work, online, anywhere, really, and I love hearing how you enjoy seeing and hearing about Michal.  She is the reason I keep the project going, but knowing you are out there, reading and enjoying, helps a ton.  So thank you.

In honor of such a nice round number, Michal decided to start practicing her yoga.  She is definitely starting to experiment more with her movement.  I really do not want to force anything, but I do wonder if this is a precursor to some sort of walking.  I guess we'll see!

If her Halloween costume doesn't work out, she can always go as Cousin It! 

Crazy eyes!  I used to think her eyes were going to end up hazel, but it looks like they are pretty brown.

Oh my.  I do love when she smiles like this.  It just makes me want to grab her up, huggles and snuggles and kisses all over those cheeks.  

Day 299: Pomegranate Love

One of the things I miss most about California is my mom's backyard.  I grew up with a backyard (and side and front yards) filled with a lemon tree, an orange tree, an apricot tree, a peach tree, an apple tree, a cherry tree, a plum tree, a trellis filled with grape vines, and, my personal favorite, a pomegranate tree.  Occasionally we grew other crops - I remember strawberries and, one summer, corn in the side yard.  Definitely a fond memory from my childhood that I attempt to replicate in Maryland with pots of tomatoes and green beans on our deck.  Not quite the same!

Because of my obsession with pomegranates, every fall my mom is awesome and sends a box of them my way.  This year, it was filled with twelve pounds of deliciousness.  Bit by bit I've given Michal a seed or two, trying to gauge her interest.  I decided to have one for breakfast today, and Michal decided to make it her morning snack.  

Picking up one of the arils (the correct term for the seeds and juice filled pulp that surrounds them, I learned).  And yes - the plate is directly on our light colored carpet.  Any normal person would have reason for concern.

Yum!

Cutest giraffe jammies ever.

She is VERY focused on her snack.

When I showed some of my friends from my online mom's group the picture of Michal digging into her snack, on the unprotected carpet, they expressed GREAT concern for the mess factor.  It makes sense - pomegranate juice is notorious for creating deep wine-colored stains pretty much anywhere it touches.  It is perfectly possible that my snack would turn into the worst carpet (and baby skin/jammies) disaster anywhere.  I told them to check back here tonight for a run down of the pomegranate damage.

This is it.  Just the barest hint of a pomegranate goatee.  Oh, and a few drops on her giraffe jammies.  Oh, and one pomegranate-y sock, from when she decided to put her foot on the plate.  That is it.  This kid is pretty neat - she'd much rather get as much of the yumminess into her mouth as possible.  No muss, no fuss!

Day 298: Late Night

During the school year, Tuesdays end up being a very long day.  Part of my job is to oversee our upper school program, which meets Tuesday evenings, so I am usually at work those days until at least 9:30, sometimes as late as 10:00 or even 11:00 (that was last week - we had to turn the alarm on when we left - a new late night record for me).  On the plus side, I do get to spend the morning and early afternoon with Michal, but I do end up missing bedtime.  It's one of my favorite times of day with the baby - she turns into a crazy, goofy, silly Goose.  


Today is Tuesday, which means Josh arrived at my office around 4:00 to pick up Michal and take her home.  It's weird saying good night to her in the middle of the afternoon, but I attempted to get in some last huggles and kisses.  I think she thought I was being weird - she had little interest in me when she hadn't seen her Daddy all day!

Heading home with Daddy.  Have a good night, baby girl!

When I get home, I will check in with her on the monitor.  She is super light-sleeper baby these days - if I even THINK about opening her door, she wakes up, stands up, and says "Hi!".  Crazy kid.

Day 297: Lunch with the Goose

Michal and I had the pleasure of having lunch with some of our favorite family members, Cousin Louise and her mom, Denise.  We went to one of our favorite restaurants - BD's Mongolian BBQ.  Whenever family is in town or we simply can't decide on another restaurant, we end up there.  It's just so easy - there is something for everyone and it's really great for anyone who is vegetarian or has food allergies.  I especially like it for Michal, as it allows me to fill up a plate with lots of good stuff and usually there is plenty left over for lunch later.   

The hostess brought Michal some crayons, which we broke out once we got situated at our table.  They were pretty cool - triangle-shaped, so they wouldn't roll off the table - smart!  She is still working on the fine motor skills needed to really draw and doodle, but she seemed very intent on the process of figuring out what to do with them.

 "Mama... what am I supposed to do with this?"

Closely observing Louise drawing a flower.

"Ah... so THAT is how you do it." 

 

After we visited for a bit and watched the baby nearly mark the paper with her crayons, I headed up to make us some lunch.  I filled a bowl with her favorites - pasta, broccoli, egg, tofu, mushrooms, and sugar snap peas with some garlic for flavoring.  It was a little hot right off the grill, so she waited patiently, watching some of our dining neighbors.

... still watching other people eating.  By now, the food is ready to be eaten, but Michal is still in social butterfly mode.  This is what happens with most meals with the Goose.  Wherever we place the highchair, she turns to watch everyone around us.  We spend a good amount of time trying to redirect her attention, even re-positioning her body.  But there is always something else to see and someone else to greet with enthusiastic waves and "Hi!"s.   

"Oh... you're still here." 

"Oooh... what have we here?  All of my favorites?" 

"Don't mind if I do."

And yes, the first thing she picked up - broccoli.  Even at dinner tonight, she couldn't get enough broccoli.  Smart kid. 

The Ravens played Monday Night Football tonight.  Michal was really excited that they were going to trounce Jacksonville.  It's a good thing she was asleep for the game - it was a sad, sad evening indeed.  But how cute is she here??  And she looks like such a big kid! 

Day 296: Early Wake-up Call

It was an early morning for the Goose.  Well, for Josh and me, too.  Josh signed up to run another 5K, so he and Michal left the house at 5:45 this morning to get up to Baltimore, meet up with his mom, and head over to the race location.  Considering he didn't train nearly as diligently for this race as the one back in June, Josh did a great job today.  We had to break out the girly's winter coat - it's getting mighty chilly in the morning! - and boy did it coordinate perfectly with all of the race stuff.   What a cute little cheerleader!  

Day 295: Brunch Play Date

Just about three years ago, Josh and I joined a Shabbat cluster - a group of other couples who wanted to gather for a Friday evening dinner once a month.  We were still newish to the area, so we saw this as a way to meet other couples.  The cluster was to run for sixth months, but we clicked as a group and continued to meet for Shabbat dinners, brunches, birthday parties, and other social occasions.  Three years and four children later, we still enjoy each others' companies, and now our kids get to have fun together.

Today we gathered for bunch, and after we all dined on delicious fare, all the girls headed up stairs to the playroom.  And what a playroom it is!  Michal had such a blast, even if at first it took her a while to figure out where to start.  But it didn't take her long, with her older friend Sari showing her the ropes and younger friend Emily scampering about finding all sorts of fun toys.

It is so much fun, spending a lovely day with friends!

Day 294: Harpers Ferry

 Twice a year, we plan a day of hiking and wine tasting with some friends.  It coincides with some Jewish holidays during which we have some days off, and it has become a bit of a tradition.  Today was one of those holiday outings - off to state number eleven (West Virginia!) for the baby.  Our destination was Harpers Ferry.  Filled with tons of history, this cute little town sits at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.  It was the perfect fall day for a hike - nice and brisk, but not too cold.

Bridge over to the Virginius Island, on the hike down to the lower town. 

Fall colors! 

Playing and hanging out with Ruth. 

 The John Brown Fort - the building in which John Brown and some of his followers barricaded themselves in the final hours of the raid.

At the point where the two rivers meet

 Train tracks over the Potomac River

VERY steep steps up to St. Peters Roman Catholic Church and Jefferson Rock.  

I had about 25 pounds of baby on my back - it was quite the climb! 

 Pondering her snack, sitting on Jefferson Rock.

On October 25, 1783, Thomas Jefferson stood at this spot when he traveled around the state, research for his book Notes on the State of Virginia.  He found the view from the rock impressive and wrote that "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic."

View of the lower town from the walk down, which was entirely easier than the hike up. 

Following our visit of Harpers Ferry, we drove to a nearby winery.  This is the second part of our tradition - hike, then wine tasting.  Josh found this adorable (and great!) little winery not far away in Virginia, and after a tasting, the owner was kind enough to let us eat our lunch in one of the upstairs rooms.  The wine was VERY tasty.   

Playing peek-a-boo from behind Daddy's chair during lunch. 

Apparently we had so much fun, the poor kiddo was pooped!

Day 293: Autumn Day Outing

Today felt like the official start of autumn - it was a brisk cool day with just the slightest bite in the air.  We spent much of the morning with a friend and her two children.  I forget how small Michal is - next to the 2 1/2 year old, she looks a little teeny!  She seems like such a big kid to me.  All about perspective, I guess.


We headed out to Cabin John Regional Park and spent our morning in the playground area.  Since it is a Jewish holiday, we all had the day off, and we had the run of this really popular park.  Had it been a weekend day, we might have had to share!

 Trying out some of the playground equipment. 

Since she isn't walking yet, Michal decided to ascend this bridge by crawling.
Here's a puzzle for you - what is missing in this picture?

(Shoe fell off early on.)

Looking through one of the tunnels.  She did not choose to climb through. 

Heading up another bridge to see her friend. 

Super tall baby! 

Sliding with Daddy! 

What is up with these leaves?!  She happily crawled all over the place, but she didn't seem to love the dirt. 

But she DID love the swing! 

Baby-sized play equipment. 

 Looking for Daddy (psst!  he's in the tunnel!)

Funny girl!  Found Daddy when he popped up. 

After lunch we bid farewell to our friends and headed to our favorite local farm (the same place we visited for apple picking a couple of weeks ago) to pick up our pumpkins.  Again, very few people out and about on a Thursday afternoon, so we had the entire pumpkin "field" to ourselves. 

She seems concerned here.  I don't remember why!

Hi there!!!  It is true - she is the apple of our eye!