Halloween 2012

We weren’t sure if we’d get to trick-or-treat this year, but things were mostly back to normal (see Frankenstorm) by Halloween night.  Henry decided to dress as Darth Vader this year.  He’s still a little young to understand/ appreciate Star Wars, but he knows some of the characters and seems particularly fond of intergalactic villains.  Going as Darth Vader also was a clever way to convince mom and dad to buy him a light saber, which quickly got confiscated after repeatedly terrorizing his sister.  Vivian decided to go as Minnie Mouse—again.  We upgraded her costume with a fancier dress and gloves; otherwise, it was recycled mouse ears.  Below are the kids just before heading out for trick-or-treating.  Notice the spooky yard decorations in the background.  Henry loves Halloween and insists that we add a few more props every year.

Frankenstorm

We seem to be magnets for hurricanes.  In 2011, we were in Virginia when Hurricane Irene churned up the East Coast (see Earthquakes, Birthdays and Other Natural Disasters).  Last August, we were in Alabama when Hurricane Isaac menaced the Gulf Coast (see Labor Day 2012).  This October, we were watching the weather once again, as Hurricane Sandy threatened the mid-Atlantic.  Fortunately, none of these storms brought much damage to our immediate area.  Sandy veered to the north before making landfall and largely spared the Washington region.  We did get lots of wind and rain, and eventually lost power for a day and a half.  Bryant has been through several hurricanes, but never one this cold.  To keep warm, we built a fire in the living room and sipped hot coffee from a neighbor’s house (got to love those whole-house generators).  Just as it started to get really chilly inside, the power was restored.  Not that the kids seemed to mind—while we were huddled in our sweatshirts and jackets, they were running around in PJs and bare feet.  Storms are fun when you’re three and five.

Determination

Elise completed the Marine Corps Marathon on October 20th.  Until the last moment, we weren’t sure if she would be able to go through with the race.  Elise injured her leg in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon a few weeks prior.  Then she came down with strep throat the weekend before the marathon.  But she was feeling better by race day and decided to go ahead.  Bryant left the kids with some friends (thank you, Brad and Tonia) and darted around Washington and northern Virginia cheering on Elise. By the end of the race, Elise was definitely feeling sore, but she finished the 26.2 miles in good time and was smiling when Bryant caught up with her at the finish line (see picture below).  It’s no small feat to run 26.2 miles, and we were all enormously proud of the great job mommy did in her race.  And thank goodness, no more early morning runs on the weekend!

Pumpkin Picking 2012

After experimenting with another local farm last year (and feeling sorely disappointed), we returned to Butler’s Orchard in Gaithersburg, MD for our annual fall festival/pumpkin picking excursion.  Below are some pictures from our day out.  Vivian was excited to get her face painted (again), and Henry had a blast on the burlap sack slides.  To our surprise, both kids also really enjoyed a little hobby horse play area.  Sometimes the simplest attractions are the most fun.  After a BBQ lunch, we headed home to “carve” our pumpkins.  Henry made a pirate jack-o-lantern and Vivian opted for, what else, a princess.

 

 

 

  

Oktoberfest

In honor of Oktoberfest and Elise’s Saxon heritage, we endeavored to cook an all-German menu during the month of October.  We didn’t get to make all the dishes we wanted (as you’ll see, it was a busy month), but we did cook: rouladen, wiener schnitzel, potato pancakes, bratkartoffeln, rice pudding and a really delicious (if we do say so ourselves) homemade apple strudel.  We’ve wanted to make rouladen—thin slices of beef rolled around a sour pickle with mustard, bacon and onions—ever since a friend’s father (a native German) served it at a dinner party last year.  Our version wasn’t as tasty as his, but still pretty good.  Here’s the recipe we used.  Don’t fear the pickle—it really is delicious wrapped up with the other ingredients!

Dutch Wonderland

Having missed Dutch Wonderland in the spring, we were determined to visit this fall.  Between weekend errands and Elise’s marathon training, we didn’t have much time, so we decided to make a day trip.  We arrived in Lancaster around 10am and stayed until the park closed at 6pm.  The kids had a blast at the “Amish Disneyland."  Henry couldn’t get enough of the log plume and roller coaster.  He rode the coaster eight(!) times before a green and queasy daddy said “no more.”  Vivian’s favorite part was getting her face painted like a fairy (see picture below).  It was a long day and, despite neither one wanting to leave, both Henry and Vivian were asleep in the car before we exited the parking lot!

 

 

 

 

Henry Talks Turkey

At the end of September, we visited the National Colonial Farm in Accokeek, Maryland.  The farm sits directly across the river from George Washington’s Mount Vernon and is meant to reflect what life was like on a small eighteenth-century tobacco farm.  We packed a picnic lunch and wandered around the property for several hours.  The kids enjoyed watching the farm animals, some of which were being groomed for the upcoming county fair.  Toward the end of our visit, we happened upon some turkeys.  Click on the video link below to watch Henry’s conversation with the birds.  A few minutes after we stopped filming, the birds got spooked and charged Henry, sending him fleeing in terror.  A memory to cherish…