Andrew and I sponsor two children: Sofia in Pakistan (through Plan), and a child in Egypt (through Save the Children). Save the Children does things a bit differently. Instead of telling you about "your" specific child, Save the Children chooses an "ambassador child" to serve as the face of the program for all sponsors with a child in that country.

Save the Children just sent us a pretty little brochure with a profile of their newest "ambassador child," a 6-year old girl named Noura. Part of the brochure was a blurb about one of the most popular dishes in Egypt, "foul" (pronounced "fool"), or fava beans.

(EDIT: Wikipedia article on "ful medames," فول مدمس, can be found here!)

After reading about the different ways it's prepared and scanning the sample recipe on the back, I decided to try it myself this week.

So here are my "funky groceries" for the week, as modeled by the hypermuffin. Save the Children's recipe for "foul" is at the end.

Took the hypermuffin to the HT Market this morning, along with tatterdamelion and his son, who is visiting from Durango. For the first time, I let her walk (run!) along next to me instead of ride in the cart.

She picked out a few extra groceries for me to buy today:

lesserseattle graciously picked up the trunk from Deseret Industries today with no trouble, and it is now sitting at the foot of the bed waiting to be laden with linens.

The hypermuffin gave it a "baptism of fire" by climbing on top, sliding all over it, then grabbing ahold of the bed's footboard and jumping up and down on the trunk like crazy.

In other news, I took both girls to my office downtown this afternoon so that they could model some products for use as insets in the product photographs. They were both super-cute for the whole endeavor, despite being sleep-deprived and a little bit sick. As soon as I have links to pictures, I'll post 'em. Pictures here

We were even able to take half an hour and visit Andrew at his office. So now the hypermuffin can say "I want to go to work!" and have some concept of what she's actually asking for... :-/

Did you know that the 2008 Beijing Olympics have five color-coded little Teletubbies-esque mascots?

Their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. If you put those syllables together (Beijing Huanying Ni), it means "Beijing Welcomes You" (although three of the names use different characters -- see this post at Pinyin News for a more thorough explanation).

The hypermuffin is currently addicted to two of the promotional clips from this ad campaign.

Here's the Paralympics mascot (a cute, rainbow-colored cow) chasing dandelion fluff.

And here's the official introduction video for the "Fuwa" (福娃, literally something like "Good-luck Dolls").

I have to say that it's evident a lot of money and thought went into these little characters, and I think it works very well. Look at the elaborate associations that were built into the 5 characters. Combine that kind of symbolism with cute, colorful little characters, a la Teletubbies or Pokemon, and you can't fail to hit the target 3-year old demographic.

At least, it worked in the case of the hypermuffin, who has to watch these clips 20 times a day. And the more I watch them, the more I'm impressed.

This morning, I thought I would repost a lighter poem I wrote a few years ago about the hypermuffin. But it applies to the wren, too. :-)


Nine Months of Punctuation
( Read more... )

I've also put some other older poems up, back-dated to the correct date as near as I could figure.

Apiary (Aug. 18, 2005) -- one of my first, and still my favorite
Daydream (Aug. 25, 2005)
Nails (Sept. 1, 2005)
Golden Apple (Sept. 13, 2005)
Recipes (Feb. 20, 2006)
On a Book (Feb. 21, 2006)
Civitas (April 6, 2006)
3D Tetrahedron C (May 6, 2006)
Spring Dance (May 28, 2006)
Storm Front (June 5, 2006)
Prayer for the Sky (July 6, 2006)
Conversation with a Disgruntled Ex-Tenant (Aug. 18,. 2006)
Minnow (Aug. 28, 2006)
Te Pito O Te Henua, 1722 (Sept. 4, 2006)
To My Mother's Ghost (Oct. 1, 2006)

So for anyone who likes commenting on other people's poetry, have fun. My skin is fairly thick, because back in 2005 and '06 I was posting these at poetrycritical.net (then poetry.tetto.org). (I got some very kind comments, but also some very unkind ones that made me grow the previously mentioned thick skin.) Anyway, later I got disgusted with the site and pulled my stuff down.

But now here it all is, back on the internet again. :-)

Are there no depths to which "Farmland Foto" will not sink?

It is not enough that they cart a cute little pony around to various daycares and let the children sit on it and trot around the yard a bit.

It is not even enough that they take exorbitantly priced photographs of the events to ransom sell to the parents.

No, they also have to dress the kids up in chaps and a cowboy hat.

There is no fighting the cuteness.

$25 for three photos? Done and done. Before I knew it, the checkbook was in my hand.

I couldn't even struggle.

The power of cute compeled me.

It feels like spring today, which amazes me. In Minnesota, there is no such prodigality of spring. Springtime there is hard-won, the result of a bitterly contested guerilla action against Winter. There may be buds in April, maybe March. Here's in Seattle it's only mid-February and I already have buds in my yard, green grass, happy-sounding chickadees chirping away, a gorgeous view of the mountains and blue water with sailboats on it, and shoots of perennials poking up towards the increasingly-warm sun.

This morning we had a friend and his 4-year old over to rampage through our house, yard, and then our local park (Carkeek). At the end, not only was the 4-year old seemingly exhausted, but the hypermuffin was, too. They exhausted each other.

In the car on the way back from Carkeek, she remarked, "I want to nap." Andrew and I exchanged A Glance. Saying she wants to nap?? Her saying she wants to nap?? In-freaking-credible. She had lunch and went down for a nap quickly and easily.

After she was down, Nikki and Ryan came by with some raspberry canes they are generously donating to our estate, and they even broke out their competent-looking tools and planted them for me while I did very important things like "standing around" and "entertaining them with my airy badinage." I was vital to the process, I tell you, vital. Someday we will have yummy raspberries in our very own yard. Maybe even this summer!

Then while both girls were sleeping, Andrew and I had some spinach-mushroom-tomato frittata and herbed red potatoes from the crockpot, and some fancy raisin-studded bread. Now Andrew is off to work and the hypermuffin is up again, peacefully watching "Blue's Clues." Dishes are going and later I will do blue laundry, because the wren got my jeans after her lunch (from both ends, bleh). Oh, and the friends this morning brought us a gift -- a "Crawl 'n' Flutter Bee," and it's pretty much the cutest plastic thing since the iPod.

The beautiful, sunny gorgeous weather outside reflects my mood inside. This is known as "the pathetic fallacy," but today it doesn't feel very pathetic. It feels awesome. :-D

We were going to the Arb with Nikki and Ryan today, but then I saw a few flakes of snow and called them up and whined, "Can we come over to yoooooooour place instead??" So we did, and Ryan ran around after the hypermuffin while Nikki altered a skirt I'd bought, hooray people who can sew! Sean H. was there too, so he and Andrew chatted until I had to pack everyone up and take Andrew to work (4 - midnight shift on Sundays).

Lots of fun, but it was right during the hypermuffin's naptime. I assumed she would crash once we got home, but it's now after 6 PM and she hasn't napped at all. And the wren skipped her afternoon nap, too, in sympathy, one can only assume.

When they finally go to bed -- which I can only hope will be sooner than usual -- I am so having a beer. I have earned it.

Let's see. What else is going on in what I laughingly call my brain...

• I want Quicken so I can track money stuff. Excel spreadsheets are growing quite annoying.

• My laptop has only 3% free space. I deleted Andrew's "Dragon" magazine archive, compressed old files, and then de-fragged it today, and it did no good whatsoever. Still only 3% free space. Sigh.
  

• Link one: Ikea Hacker is a site showcasing the inventive uses people have put IKEA furniture to -- mostly crates and beds for pets, looks like.

• Link two: A tongue-twister from the cartoon show "Pinky and the Brain." I can't believe they aired this on TV. The words are innocuous, but Spoonerize them and they become un-innocuous.

• I've been singing the theme song to "Pinky and the Brain" in 3/4 time all day. Sometimes I switch it between minor and major keys. Watch out, world.
  

• Something else funny, if you have the stomach for lots and lots of bad language and if you haven't already seen it: Google "Sarah Silverman Matt Damon" and click the link -- it's very very filthy, but very very funny.

I requested the morning off work because the hypermuffin's daycare is closed today for MLK Day. Sure, I could have left her home with Andrew, who has to be home anyway to take care of the baby (one of us is literally always here), but I thought it would be nice to stick around and help him with this unusually toddler-filled Monday.

This morning I tried something new -- taking her clothes shopping with me. Really!!! A new world is opening up in front of me! A world in which I can go out and do things like go shopping with less planning than a space shuttle launch!

We went to three places. The first had a child-sized table with crayons and paper. (That's what you get when you shop at Paper Zone, a store dedicated to... paper! And rubber stamps, and inkpads, and stickers, etc.) She was very good, coloring quietly for 5 or 10 minutes while I browsed. About the time she started dramatically hurling herself onto the floor for no good reason, I quickly decided on what to buy, and paid. The clerk remarked on her long eyelashes.

The second place, the Children's Hospital thrift store, was filled with gentle, slow-moving old ladies and tiny, delicate breakable things on low shelves. I kept a tight hold of her hand for as much of the time as I could, and got out of there quickly with one thing purchased.

The third place, Deseret Industries thrift store, had the Holy Grail of shopping with a toddler -- a cart for her to ride in. With a seat belt. Ah, sweet bliss. I even got to try things on while she stayed safely belted in the cart right outside the stall. Every so often I would wave at her under the door with my feet.

Total damage: $61.69
Items acquired (mostly at Deseret): Two pairs boots, one pair shoes, four items sleepwear, one pair khakis, one top, three skirts, and some cute paper-y things for gifty purposes.

Verdict: Success.

I had a very productive Sunday; a great wrap-up to the Christmas / Yule / what-have-you season.

After a breakfast of leftover banana bread and chorizo and eggs and toast and coffee -- good chorizo, as recommended by tatterdamelion with his Southwest-trained tastebuds -- I ran around outside with the hypermuffin for an hour and a half while Andrew stayed home with the wren. My patience was threadbare by the time I finally got her back to the house, since she insisted on stomping in every puddle in a 5-block radius. Sigh. What happened to the days when she ran so fast I could barely keep up with her?

After a soothing hot shower and lunch and taking care of the baby, I popped out to the store to buy sweetened condensed milk, oatmeal, and firelogs, enabling me to start a fire in the afternoon while I baked a pumpkin pie. My pie pan was too shallow for all the pumpkin pie filling, so I made an extra half-recipe of pastry and created 6 little pumpkin pie tartlets using a muffin pan; they were super-cute.

Andrew left for work, and while both girls napped (!!!!!) I was able to sit by the fire and read a book like a civilized person. I even had a blanket. And banana bread. And mini pumpkin pie tartlet things. And I got to sit still for almost an hour. It was...... surreal.

Then did laundry, made dinner, and took care of the girls. After the wren went to sleep for the night -- finally -- the hypermuffin helped me take down all the ornaments from the tree, and I took it apart and stowed it in the basement. (Sigh. I want a real tree.)

And then vacuumed up all the fake tree needles and handed the tree skirt to her and asked her to put it in the wash, and she did, and she even put it in the correct laundry basket.

The seasons turn and everyone grows. I know what I need to work on these next few months -- humility, mostly. So, getting on with it. :-)

In a recent post I bemoaned the effect that an infant and a two-year-old are having on my intellectual life. Well, things just got a whole lot more literal.

So, the wren can no longer sleep in the mini-crib next to me, the one I so lovingly strapped to our bed about 2 weeks before going into labor.

hypermuffin's spectacular black eye means I will have to rethink her Halloween costume for tomorrow night's party. I don't think "battered lion" is going to work.

Maybe she can be a little pirate, with an eyepatch to cover the injury, although you know she would just spend the whole evening taking it off.

Or maybe a prize fighter. I'm not sure how to make a boxer costume for a toddler -- I guess I could put her in satin shorts, tennis shoes, and boxing gloves... maybe a mouth guard... and maybe we could train her to say "Cut me! Cut me!" a la Rocky. 

Today started out well, since the wren only disturbed me a few times last night. The two previous nights were worse. :-P

Today I made really good coffee in the work kitchen, free, instead of paying money to Starbucks for theirs. Mwahahaha, I swear I will stick to my budget this time.

Today it was so busy at work that my brain exploded. Luckily I grew a new one. I didn't have time for breakfast until 10:30, and that was only because I stole away from the company meeting (which dragged on just a bit!) to toast an English muffin before ducking into the next important meeting. Gwargh.

Today I got a compliment on my hair. Huh?!? Haven't done anything to it since February -- no joke.

Today I realized that it will be at least three paychecks before I can afford to do anything to my hair. But since I got a compliment anyway, maybe that's OK.

Today I enjoyed driving home from the Park'n'Ride and seeing the pretty orange and red leaves, and hearing from Andrew that the girls had been good for him.

Today the hypermuffin genteelly held my hand and walked around the entire block with me, while I carried the wren in the baby sling. The entire block. She didn't try to run away once. Who is this strange child?!?

Today I made Red Snapper and Dijon potatoes, not because I was hungry (I wasn't), but because that was on the list for today and now there will be food for us when we get hungry later. I love having a plan and sticking to it.

Today I watched most of another episode of a Spanish soap opera. I think it's called "Querendo." The more I watch it, the more I can almost understand what's going on...

Today I went upstairs to find new footy pajamas for the hypermuffin, since she'd taken off her diaper inside her clothes and then pooped -- yuck. And I discovered that we own huge numbers of footy pajamas, courtesy of The Attic Fairy.

And finally, today I am planning to take a hot bath and retire early..

It's been a strange day for Things Being Where They Are Not Supposed To Be. Or possibly, for Things Escaping From Their Normal Constraints.

Example the First: Ivy.

Fall's been my favorite season ever since I can remember. Pretty leaves, not sweating, getting to go back to school, seasonal pumpkin- and harvest-related festivities, and pretty stars at night in the chill air.

I can tell it's fall here because the sun is now setting before the hypermuffin's bedtime (currently 8 PM). And because my feet  are cold.

The girls are both sleeping; or at least, the wren is sleeping in her crib in our room, and the hypermuffin is in her room entertaining herself with toys. She'll finally decide to sleep in an hour or so. I love that she can decide on her own when to sleep, and climb into her bed and fall asleep all by herself.

Andrew's off at Rachel's "Seventh Sea" game, probably to be home around midnight or even later; I've already solved the Tanga puzzles for the evening, and the "Kingdom of Loathing" game site is down for its nightly maintenance.

tatterdamelion is off at a Firefly-themed party at the Wayward Coffeehouse, and none of my other friends are online right now for me to bug them over Instant Messenger. Probably  because they all have lives. It is Saturday night, after all.

I'm off for a hot bath and a bit of lit-rit-choor before bedtime.

(later) Read the classic 18th century play "The School for Scandal," smiling at all the various bon mots. Remembered that I'm not as alooooooooooone as I was feeling a few hours ago; Ian visited me earlier in the evening for at least an hour and a half, and tomorrow I'm attending one game from noon to 5:00 and then hosting another game from 6 to whenever it ends (usually 10-ish).

So, decided to enjoy my evening of solitude instead of pouting about it. :-)

Andrew's parents arrive tomorrow afternoon for a brief visit. They'll leave early Tuesday morning. This means I really ought to spend time tonight cleaning the attic, where they'll stay. And I fully intend to... just as soon as I finish this beer, and this salad, and solve tonight's Tanga puzzles (all three of them). Oh, and I think I'll make scones first, too. That's not wrong... Is it?

I've already been in the attic quite a bit today, but unfortunately I did not spend any time cleaning. Here's how today was.

So, here's what's going on with us.

The baby and I attended Nikki's "Castle Falkenstein" game last night, held downstairs at tatterdamelion's place; much fun was had, and the baby was snuggled by pretty much everyone there. (Well, maybe not by dendacien.) I had a double White Russian, because it's been quite a week. :-P

So as not to be the most terrible mom ever, I plugged the baby monitor in downstairs and kept one ear on it the whole evening. It allowed me to hear hypermuffin upstairs Freaking Out for no valid reason. Hurray! I went upstairs twice to attempt to comfort and soothe her to sleep. No dice. So, after the game was over and I headed back up, around 10:45, she was still awake. I let her cry herself to sleep without going in there again; there was nothing else I could do, since any attempt to soothe her to sleep would only have riled her up even more. :-(

Did she sleep in this morning? Does she appear even slightly tired this morning? HAHAHAHAHA! Of course not.

I, on the other hand, could have happily slept in until 8 or even 9. *sigh*

But, Duty (in Toddler Form) calls! The two of us are now fed, showered, and dressed... well, mostly. I need to change my sweater because of a Baby Fluid Incident and Vivian looks a little bit strange in the leggings and sleeveless corduroy jumper she picked out for herself. :-)

Duty in Baby Form calls as well, of course; just fed the wren, who is adorable and sweet and Hungry.

And Duty in Household Tasks form calls, too. (Can I get caller ID on this thing??) Now it's off to the grocery store with hypermuffin and a very extensive list of groceries to be acquired. I have a $12 off $120 coupon to use up...

Another bad night last night. The wren was nursing NIGH-CONSTANTLY, leading me to whimper and plead with her, "You can't STILL be hungry, sweetie! You just can't!" Yet she was. I changed her diaper a ton and also walked her around the house trying to lull her to sleep, but in the end she really wanted more food. Again. And again. And again.

Meaning that I got hardly any sleep at all, maybe 3 hours, and Andrew (who was awakened at each squawk and scream from the wren) probably got only slightly more. Maybe 4 or 5 for him.

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, you know.

And the hypermuffin is sick today.

Happy birthday to me! ;-)

Yep, I'm 32 today. And in spite of my sleep deprivation, I'm happy. I wanted children, and I have them. What a blessing! I'll happily pay the price of a bit of sleep deprivation if it means I get to make the goldfish crackers "swim" through the air making kissy fishy noises before my daughter eats them.

Oh, check out the Girl Genius strip for today: Someone having a transcendent moment as the result of a REALLY GOOD cup of coffee.

(I could really use a cup of that today...)

So, we named the new arrival "Irina," the Russian variant of Irene, because we thought it flows better with the last name "Warren," and we just like how it sounds. We're pronouncing it "Ear-EE-na," but I've heard people pronounce it "Eye-REE-na," and that doesn't bother me.

We like the sound, we like the meaning ("Peace"), and we like the derivation, from the Greek Ειρηνη. "BehindTheName.com" reports that "Irene was the Greek goddess of peace, one of the ‘Ωραι (Horai)." She was "the personification of peace and wealth, and was depicted in art as a beautiful young woman carrying a cornucopia, scepter and a torch or rhyton."

Vivian, of course, is a Latin name: from "the Roman name Vivianus which was derived from Latin vivus "alive". Saint Vivian was a French bishop who protected people during the Visigoth invasion in the 5th century."

So I have one daughter with a Latin name and one with a Greek name (via Russia). If we have a third one I'll have to branch out to Sanskrit, I suppose.

If I were to give Chinese names to these children, I would give Irina "Ning," my given Chinese name. Since she would have a different last name than I do (in the Chinese tradition, married women keep their original family names), I think that would work well.

I don't know what Chinese name I would give Vivian. Something Very LiVely and ViVacious!