Back from the dead for Hallowe'en

Predictably, we fell off the blogging wagon again. I'll save the excuses for another time, but for now, we are resurrecting it for a Hallowe'en update.

Tara and I haven't been too big on the holiday in recent years, so we sort of expected to be lame about it as parents. But we pulled out a pretty fun day anyway.

She scored a free pumpkin at the farmers' market, so we were all set to carve that sucker up the night before (Hallowe'en-e'en?)

Niels insisted that we also make a face on his little pumpkin. And of course, all little boys love fire.

We started the "holiday" itself by making some pumpkin pancakes—not because it was Hallowe'en, but just because they are really, really good. But at this point we still had no costume ideas or much of a plan.

During naptime, Tara pulled out some inspiration. She cut up some foam fruit-packing material to make wings, and dug out an old antennae headband. Lo and behold, Niels was a bug.

After an early dinner we ran out to the street where some of the other kids on our block were decorating pumpkins. A neighbor handed out plastic spiders and other goodies.

We then piled on the family bike and went down to Fair Oaks St., between the Mission and Noe Valley, where they block off the street every Hallowe'en and let kids run amok. We met up with a good friend from day care, who was a fuzzy caterpillar.

Meanies that we are, we didn't explain whole the candy-collecting thing. He just walked around clutching one little packet someone handed to him. It was fascinating enough to see all the kids (and of course the costumes) everywhere. He loved all the spiders and jack-o-lanterns and is still talking about the moving hand-in-a-box somebody had on display. But this was, after all, close to bedtime, so just when things start to get interesting on Hallowe'en is when the toddlers with their parents return home.

More pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/killeburns/sets/72157625208440595/

Drumming

Just another percussive evening at home.

Birdz in the Hood

Niels has developed a particular affinity for birds and fish. Thus, nothing can be finer than water birds--all of which are called ducks and most of which, I'm told, quack. The various duck-filled ponds in Golden Gate Park are always a good time, but we've been trying to branch out and get down to see the shorebirds in the surviving local estuaries.

Heron's Head Park has become a recent favorite. It is a spit of land at the end of Islias Creek that has trails along a marsh with views of the rusting Port of SF on one side and Hunter's Point on the other.

Scenic view of the H.P. Naval Yards

After all, we can't keep him cooped up in a cabinet all the time

We're on the lookout for birds

And here they are

And puddles too

Puddles!

They are also good for reflection

Plants are nice too

1.5 and Counting

It is Niels' 18-month half birthday. I almost feel like I should stop calling him "baby" now. But we all know that's not going to happen yet. And, indeed, every week he's more of a boy: comprehending more, talking more, you name it. He's become quite the bookworm, too.

A few recent photos taken in low winter light here, plus a couple from outings. These days, we're all about the short excursions to see "quack quack quack"'s and "fish!". The movie of Niels seeing the fish was actually taken about 3 months ago, before he learned to say 'fish,' but you can see what an impact those first encounters had on him.

Xmas Review

This was actually the first time Tara and I have ever spent Christmas at our own home. It was really a delight to have a nice intimate Christmas with the family. Niels doesn't quite "get" the holiday and presents yet, but he certainly enjoyed the festivity--and the decorations.

More present-opening pics and video here.

Hey...somebody planted a tree inside our house


Christmas Eve at Case (and Wendy and Justin)'s house. Their tree has cookies as ornaments! Soon to be fewer cookies.


"Bird! Bird!" (The endlessly fascinating ornaments)


Smashing things on Christmas morning


Christmas dinner with baby Aubrey

Snip Snip

We finally gave Niels his first haircut last week, in time for Christmas. We had resisted for a long time, not wanting to get rid of all the curls. But he was pushing the hair out of his eyes a lot, and that was a rather pitiful sight to see. So, we took it upon ourselves to trim down his bangs and shorten the rest of it. Neither Tara nor I have a clue what we are doing, but she took up the scissors and the challenge. Meanwhile I distracted him with legos and took a few pictures.

She did a pretty good job, not cutting it too short and avoiding the "toddler bowl cut." His curls will return soon enough with time and humidity (central heating just flattens 'em). But it's really quite staggering how much more boy and less baby he looks now.

Before


Huh, what? Oh yeah, "Before"


During


After

Return of the Natives

Obviously, I've let myself get rather behind on the blog. I can't believe we haven't posted anything here since July.

Sorry.

It has indeed been a very busy time for us on many fronts, but that's not so much of an excuse. Tara has been posting some pictures to our Flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/killeburns , but we haven't been posting text here.

While I realize that the readership here mainly wants to see all Niels all the time, it's worth mentioning that I changed jobs recently. I'm now working for a startup quantitative finance company that's based in New York. So I'm now working at home, spending my days in a 9'x9' office in the garage.

Actually, I haven't been at home all that much since I started; we spent the whole week of Thanksgiving in Santa Monica, and then I was in New York for the first two weeks of December. Tara and Niels then flew out and spent the weekend with me there before going on to North Carolina to see our brand new niece.

As for Niels himself, he's doing fantastic. Obviously, he's changed a lot in the past few months and is starting to become more boy than baby. He figured out the whole walking thing in early September, and is now working hard on talking. He currently has a good hit rate at pointing out birds, bears and ducks.

In October, he started going to day care two days a week, which has been a really good experience. Tara is getting a little bit of breathing room, and Niels is getting the chance to get to know some other kids and is learning to play and interact in new ways. In unrelated news, we spent much of October passing the (not-swine) flu back and forth between the three of us.

And now, after all the traveling of the past month, we're settling in to a nice quiet Christmas at home. Certainly, Niels is too young to understand what all the hoopla is about, but he is fascinated by the Christmas tree--and wants to pull all the ornaments off.

More posts with photos to follow.

More catching up, this birthday eve

We're going to stretch out the celebration a bit being a busy week and all. Photos from the actual birthday to follow.

More pics and a video from recent trips and other goings on this spring.

Partying poolside



Channeling Schroeder


In New York, discovering swings (video)



On a coffee run (taken with a new camera!)



Heat make Niels of the North silly


Toothy smile



With dashing Uncle Bo-Bee


Story time


Goodnight, mom


Goodnight to an eventful year

Father's Day Quickie

Unfortunately, we had a camera mishap on a trip the other week, so have a recent photo shortage. Never fear, we've got a new one on the way, and Tara has some videos to upload. But for the moment, here are a few leftovers that hadn't gotten posted since last time.

True grits


Tasty, and decorative


Giddy up


Don't sneak up on me!

Father's Day Fun

I'm imagining here that Niels is calling my dad. And by the way, to honor his own daddy, we had smiles and cuddles and pancakes all around.

Mother's Day and What Preceded It

Once again, it's been a while since I posted, and time certainly has moved on. As the last video-based post shows, Niels is now sorta-crawling around. He actually hasn't figured out how to get up on his knees yet, but just drags himself around through brute force and stubbornness. That's me boy.

Tara got a nice homemade coffee cake and a hug for Mother's Day


And then she got to be alone in the garden for a while


Hands off the threads


It's a wide world out there


These are sausage links, right?


That baby in the mirror is his best friend


Fresh air


Trapped


Enough of this