Grateful

It is a really nice feeling to receive a bill for $19,347 twice a year and know that someone else is paying for it. And then paying me on top of that.

Or to have a professor say something about how much we pay for each class, and realize I really have no idea, and really don't need to know cause I don't have to pay it.

I am very grateful for this opportunity and I hope I won't ever take it for granted.

I like being a student.
(I don't like real jobs).

The Christmas Tradition

I am just writing this down so we will all remember it-
2000- Grenada?
2001-?? help a sister out??
2002-St. Thomas
2003-Tallahassee
2004- Big Sur (ah, Nepenthe, magical!)
2005- Eleuthera
2006- White Sound
2007 Hope Town (mahhayshun's house)
2008- Man O War
2009-St.George Island
2010- Key West
2011-Key West

That is over ten years of our whole clan being together. How awesome is that!?!

Christmas Country Style

When I was a little girl, Dad took me ( just me!) to see the Statler Brothers. I remember finding it bizarre that one of them was a short little guy that sounded like a 14 year old girl and one was a big tall man that sounded like a tuba. I think it was the Christmas we spent in Callaway Gardens with Phil the Christmas Frog that mom and dad first introduced us to the Statler Brothers Christmas album. Being lovers of the Smiths and Depeche Mode and New Order, we mocked the album repeatedly until about the fifth or tenth round of hearing it when we realized we were all singing along, and since then it has been cemented as a family favorite.

This video is the best I could do. Apparently this song isn't too popular on youtube? I find that hard to believe.

Bozo manuever

The conference I went to in South Africa cost 6000Rand, which equals about $800 bucks. I was just reimbursed $80. Somebody did their math wrong....

Lost in Translation

On our christmas card, I wrote a little blurb about each kid. For Meg, I wrote, she is 'our big bad kindergartner". She asked me why I said she was a bad kindergartner. I felt like a terrible mom trying to explain the meaning to her!!

Eh Bru, take me on da bakkie to da braai for some biltong.

All B words, the only south african slang I learned.

Bru-dude, Bakkie- truck, braai-bbq, biltong-beef jerky(ahem christmas stockings).

I had an awesome trip. I think being away from my precious babies has gotten a little easier but still a week is about all I can do at this point.

The rare and boring african penguin. They laid like lumps and never moved or squawked or waddled. Or sang pop songs.




My impression of Marmite ( my first time tasting it ever)-it tasted like congealed soy sauce, or what soy sauce jelly might taste like- super salty and a little tangy.

Mac photo editing software

Now I know why Jennifer Aniston looks so flawless on magazine covers, considering she is a 40 year old smoker. Its not the fish and salad for every meal, or the personal trainer or every spa treatment I could ever dream of. Its photoshop!

Before:



After:

Butternut Squash Blondies

We have new neighbors down the street and I was thinking of trying these out, then bringing them some. We have a ton of winter squash from our CSA, and for some reason, they always go bad quicker than I expect them to. So I am trying to be better about using them.

Butternut Squash Blondies (adapted from Whole Foods Market)

4 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for the pan

1 1/2 cups peeled and grated butternut squash

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; set aside. In a medium bowl, toss together squash, flour, chocolate, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together until pale and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in butter and vanilla, then add flour mixture and stir together just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until just set in the middle and golden brown around the edges, about 30 minutes. Set aside to let cool, then cut into 24 squares and serve.

Please, spend 3:24 seconds to watch this.

It doesn't have 75 million views on youtube for nothing.

Really moving...

Bi Bim Bop

I have been wanting to make this FOREVER.

Active Time: 50 minutes (including time to make the pepper sauce)
Marinate Time for Beef: 3-48 hours

Note: I froze the meat, then allowed it to sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. This allowed me to slice the beef in paper-thin slices against the grain, partially frozen, with ease.

Ingredients for Bulgogi

2/3 cup soy sauce (I used a reduced-sodium sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

1 cup apple cider or juice

4 tablespoons vermouth* sweetened to taste, or combination of mirin and sake
1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 

1 medium onion, grated
1 nashi/Asian pear*, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus additional sesame seeds for garnish
2 pounds sirloin, brisket or rib-eye, sliced into paper thin pieces (see above note)

2 green onions, finely sliced (optional garnish)
Whole bibb leaf or romaine lettuce leaves
Steamed white rice, as needed
Kim chee, home-made or purchased
Korean Red Pepper Sauce, recipe follows

*Asian pears are availble at Hyundai Asian Market and other groceries; or substitute with another large, peeled firm-ripe pear.

Directions

1. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, apple cider or juice, vermouth, garlic, ginger and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in onion, pear and sesame seeds. Add additional sugar to taste. Place in extra-large resealable plastic bag or in a bowl large enough to accommodate beef. Marinate at least 3 hours, refrigerated, and up to 48 hours.
2. When ready to serve, remove meat from marinade and drain on paper towels. Heat a large, dry sauté pan over high heat a minute, then add meat to pan without crowding. Cook until golden on each side then remove and reserve. Repeat process with remaining meat slices.
3. Top beef with additional sesame seeds and green onion, if using. Serve with lettuce leaves for stuffing, white rice, kim chee and Korean Red Pepper Sauce.

Korean Red Pepper Sauce

2 tablespoons Korean-styled Seasoned Red Pepper Paste*
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar

*Available at Korean markets.

Whisk together pepper paste, sesame oil, sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Delicious with Korean specialties such as Bulgogi or Bi Bim Bop.

Would like to be back doing this...

You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything...

First, I am hugely procrastinating on the many papers I have to read and grade.

I had another head butt moment with doctors this week. I am reminded of waaaaay back when I was a new graduate nurse and a jerky doctor said to me " young lady, you need to learn how to talk to a DOCTOR' and I said, " YOU need to learn how to talk to a nurse- I am a professional and I expect to be treated like one" and I looked behind me for my colleagues to support me and..... they had all disappeared.

I basically did that again this week. And it was super awkward. But extremely needed. And when I got into my car afterwards, I cried ( to a doctor but also a husband). To paraphrase what I am learning in my feminism in health class, we nurses need to fight the hegemonic and patriarchal power structures inherent in our health system!!

I think my ideal job would be to be the boss of people who love me all the time, let me work from 930-330, and have great benefits that include the golden handcuffs (free college tuition for kids at the uni you work at). I hate conflict.

NYT shout out!

36 Hours in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Photographs by Tony Ding for The New York Times

From left, University of Michigan students perform for strollers on Main Street; Michigan Marching Band in Michigan Stadium at football season opener; the pan-Asian Pacific Rim restaurant.

By JENNIFER CONLIN

Published: October 6, 2011

IT is not just the throngs of University of Michigan students dressed in maize and blue singing “Hail to the Victors” that makes Ann Arbor the ultimate college town each fall. Nor is it Michigan Stadium, with the largest attendance in the country (114,804 at one recent game), and recently renovated to the tune of $226 million. Rather it is the urban sophistication of this town — with its mix of restaurants, bars, boutiques, art-house movie theaters and world-class art museums — that keeps many University of Michigan alumni from leaving long after they have graduated. For travelers, the sheer energy and the abundance of cultural opportunities, from classical dance performances to bluegrass concerts, makes a fall visit here a good time to get into the college spirit, even if you’re not a student.

Friday

2 p.m.
1) OLD-TIME SHOPPING

Start your weekend in Nickels Arcade, an elegant glass-covered atrium that opened in 1918 and still houses businesses dating back more than 80 years. Van Boven Clothing (326 South State Street; 734-665-7228), for instance, is a men’s clothier that has long catered to well-dressed fraternity boys. The intimate Comet Coffee (16 Nickels Arcade; 734-222-0579) brews coffee from Ethiopia to El Salvador one cup at a time. Then cross State Street to Moe’s Sport Shop (711 North University Avenue; 734- 668-6915; moesportshops.com) to suit up for tomorrow’s game. “U of M” apparel has been sold here since 1915, and you’ll find such items as T-shirts and temporary “M” face tattoos.

3 p.m.
2) STUDENT SCENE

The Diag, as the open space on the central campus is called, is a leafy oasis intersected by sidewalks connecting academic buildings. Relax on a bench and take in the student scene, featuring everything from charity bucket drives to Ultimate Frisbee games. Just don’t step on the brass inlaid “M” in front of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library — lore has it that freshmen who step on it will earn an F on their first exam. Then visit the architecturally stunning Michigan Law School quadrangle (625 South State Street), which could easily stand in for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, as could the library’s Reading Room with its vaulted ceilings, oak wainscoting and stained glass windows.

5 p.m.
3) NEW NOSTALGIA

Between the Law School and the Ross School of Business you’ll find Dominick’s (812 Monroe Street; 734-662-5414), which has been serving students and the area’s aging hippie population ever since the ’60s, when the town was at the forefront of the Vietnam War protest movement. Though its picnic tables and booths are increasingly filled with entrepreneurs and M.B.A. candidates, everyone seems to enjoy the sangria served in jam jars on the patio. But avoid the temptation to eat here; instead head to Mark’s Carts (markscartsannarbor.com) — a jumble of ethnic food carts in a cozy courtyard on Washington Street between First and Ashley Streets, where, on Friday evenings throughout the fall, you can eat paella ($8) or tangy Thai slaw ($3) while listening to jazz, folk and rock performers.

8 p.m.
4) COOL CULTURE

The University Musical Society (ums.org) offers a range of dance, theater and musical productions performed at places that include the Hill Auditorium, with its superb acoustics and the small but elegant Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. But it is the Ark (316 South Main Street; 734-761-1818; theark.org), one of North America’s oldest nonprofit acoustic music clubs, that has developed an international reputation, not just for preserving American music (folk and bluegrass, in particular), but also for showcasing world music from Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Tickets start at $10.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) SUNNY SIDE UP

Beat the crowds at Angelo’s (1100 Catherine; 734-761-8996; angelosa2.com), where thick slices of raisin toast ($2.35) are second only to the pumpkin pancakes ($6.99). Work off the calories with a brisk walk to the Farmers’ Market (315 Detroit Street; tel: 734-794-6355), with stalls stocked with local products, from fruit-flavored syrups (rhubarb, peach, cantaloupe, $8.99) to wooden bird houses ($20).

Noon
6) PATIENCE & PUMPERNICKEL

Don’t be put off by the line outside Zingerman’s deli (422 Detroit Street; 734-663-3354; zingermansdeli.com); waiting is part of the experience. The friendly servers hand out nibbles of fresh bread, cheese and brownies while you decide which of the 99 sandwiches you want (most popular: Zingerman’s Reuben on Jewish rye, $15.50). Or cross the street to Monahan’s Seafood Market (407 North Fifth Avenue; 734-662-5118; monahansseafood.com) for an oyster po’ boy ($8.95) and fresh chowder ($4.95).

1 p.m.
7) FUN IN THE BIG HOUSE

Kickoff time varies between 1 and 4 p.m., depending on the college football broadcast schedule. Don’t show up at the Big House, as the stadium is called, ticketless. Buying seats ($70) in advance is a must for most of the seven or eight home games a season; tickets are available through the university’s athletic site, mgoblue.com. Though alcohol is not allowed, there is plenty of spirit in the cheering of “Let’s Go Blue” and the tunes played by the Michigan Marching Band. When football season is over, there is ice hockey in the winter, softball in the spring, and some 20 other sports, from water polo to wrestling.

5 p.m.
8) COCKTAIL CRAWL

Whether Michigan has won or lost, students hit the bars. Avoid South University and State Street (student hubs) and head to the more civilized Main Street (the place Bob Seger, who grew up in Ann Arbor, is actually singing about in the song “Mainstreet”). With dozens of night spots, it’s easy to find a martini or microbrew; one favorite is Palio (347 South Main: tel: 734-456-3463; paliorestaurant.com), where postgame parties erupt on the rooftop bar.

7 p.m.
9) THE GLOBAL GOURMET

If it is ethnic food you crave, try Pacific Rim (114 West Liberty Street; 734-662-9303; pacificrimbykana.com) whose pan-Asian menu includes a delicate tuna tartare with taro chips, and pan-seared quinoa-crusted scallops (dinner with wine, $50). Head to Logan (115 West Washington Street; 734-327-2312; logan-restaurant.com) for Gruyère custard with caramelized onions and tomatoes or wild boar Bolognese (dinner with wine, $50). If you want a quick bite, Frita Batidos (117 West Washington Street; 734-761-2882; fritabatidos.com) serves Cuban specialties like fritas (spicy burgers of chorizo, black bean, white fish, beef or turkey on a soft brioche for $7 and $8), and batidos, fresh fruit shakes, with sweetened milk, crushed ice and the option of rum.

9 p.m.
10) WILD AT DARK

Housed in an old brewery, the Cavern Club (210 South First Street; 734-913-8890; cavernclubannarbor.com) attracts some of the biggest bands and D.J.’s from metro Detroit (when a band is performing, $5; $10 for 18 to 21). Or check out the Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty Street; 734-668-8463; michtheater.org). Opened in 1928 as a vaudeville and silent movie palace, it now offers live entertainment (the Ann Arbor Symphony performs here regularly), as well as independent films. Night owls will appreciate the Saturday midnight shows of cult classics like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the nearby State Theater, an Art Deco cinema built in 1942 (233 South State Street; 734-761-8667; michtheater.org/state).

Sunday

9 a.m.
11) NOT JUST A NAME

As the town’s name suggests, there are many trees, both native and exotic, here. You can see some of them at Nichols Arboretum (1610 Washington Heights; 734-647-8986; lsa.umich.edu/mbg), a 123-acre site with panoramic views and a path along the winding Huron River (open sunrise to sunset).

11 a.m.
12) ECLECTIC BRUNCH

Café Zola (112 West Washington Street; 734-769-2020; cafezola.com) offers an eclectic menu that borrows from French, Italian and Turkish cuisines — like crepes, both savory and sweet, and Turkish eggs (with feta, spinach, tomato, olives and cucumber). Brunch, $20.

1 p.m.
13) PAINTINGS, POTS AND MORE

With over 18,000 works of art (European, African, Asian, American and Middle Eastern), there is something for everyone at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (525 South State Street; 734-764-0395; umma.umich.edu). Those preferring ancient and medieval art should cross the street to the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (No. 434; 734-764-9304; lsa.umich.edu/kelsey), with more than 100,000 Mediterranean and Middle Eastern objects.

IF YOU GO

The Bell Tower (300 South Thayer Street; 734-769-3010; belltowerhotel.com) is a charming hotel located right on campus and close to downtown. A standard king is $175 a night.

The Inn at the League (911 North University Avenue; 734-764-3177; uunions.umich.edu/league/inn), with wonderful views of the grounds, offers a true campus experience, a convenience store, information desk, cyber lounge, several dining spots and a garden. Both a standard king and double room start at $135 a night. Suites are $230 and $15 for each additional guest.

Super Cheez but Celebratory!!!

This one is for Patrick!!

Note to self:

Do not wait until 9pm the day before to read 200 pages of boring health outcomes research.

BS?

I had my hair done by a new colorist today. After we were almost done, I mentioned a few friends who go to see him as well that had referred me.   He told me he was shocked when he made the connection we were in the same age group, and that he thought I was early 20s.   He seemed genuine. This seems somewhat in line with the woman who asked me if I was starting college while mom and I were out shopping.  So the hair guy, BS or no?

I have arrived people....

My seven year old is doing the dishes!

A true sign she is our spawn...

Me: Mere, do you want to go to the pool or to Home Depot?

Mere: Home Depot.

Do not

Stick silly putty in your bra* then forget about it after a long day in the sun. It will stick to your boob and your bra and not come out.

*unless you need to get it away from your toddler who is insisting on taking it with her to her nap.

Meganism

Last night Mad went to a last minute sleep over so Megan asked to sleep in our room. She had already been in bed for an hour but hadnt fallen asleep since she was waiting up for Mad.

It was already past 9 and since I am still on West Africa time, I was in bed reading. She dragged in a sleeping bag, laid it out, got all comfy.... then proceeded to walk around our room playing a harmonica at full strength. Seriously?!?

Yum yum

Haven't made this yet, but it feels very 'spring' to me. And will go well with my deconstructed kitchen. I am experimenting with making a pot of beans that will last for a few recipes. I dont see what is so bad about canned beans? I like them.

Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables

Time: 30 minutes

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

3 tablespoons lemon juice, or as needed

Finely grated zest of half a lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed

4 to 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

FOR THE SALAD:

2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained

Salt and pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

6 to 8 large, fat asparagus spears, snapped and peeled

6 radishes

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed

1 small sweet spring onion, or a few scallions, finely chopped

Chopped parsley, basil or dill, for garnish.

1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

2. To assemble the salad, place the beans in a large bowl. Pour half the vinaigrette over the beans and toss lightly. Season with salt, pepper and

red pepper flakes.

3. Using a sharp mandolin — and a hand guard — carefully slice the asparagus spears lengthwise to about the thickness of a penny. Slice the radishes and fennel to the same thickness. Lay the shaved vegetables and chopped onion or scallions in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and dress them very lightly with a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette, turning gently to coat.

4. Spoon the beans onto a serving platter or individual plates, then cover the beans with the shaved vegetables. Add a little more vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil or dill.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Meredithisms

We were strawberry picking this weekend. For the first time as a parent, the big girls 'got it'. They ate berries, they picked, they ate, they picked, and they actually had a decent amount in their berry boxes at the end. And those berries were good berries, not all white or bug eaten or anything.

Meredith, now is another story. First thing she said to me when we got to the field was ' my tummy hurts', which is code for, i need to go poopie. Thankfully, I keep a chinatown 99 cent kiddie potty in my car. That problem was solved.

The worst part was, when I had my back turned from her she WALKED THROUGH MY BERRY BOX. It was a largish rectangular box filled with freshly picked strawberries. There were three footprint sized areas of squished strawberries. Seriously child!

Advice needed

Mad is 7.5 years old. She has lots of playdates and we are noticing lately that some of these little girls are SO FREAKING ANNOYING WE CANT STAND IT. There is backtalking to us, slamming doors, not listening, leaving the house and wandering down the street, saying things like " this is the worst playdate ever" (bc we didnt go to the pool), and asking repeatedly ( maybe 25 times) for another popsicle. None of this behavior is coming from our own child. Its not like its that bad that I want to cut them off ( well actually one of them I cant bear to have over ever again) but I dont know how to handle this. Meg has had a friend over for the past four hours- they have been playing needing no supervision while I have done my own thing, which is really nice. J starts to try to parent them but I feel like you arent going to be able to change these bad behaviors in OPK- if their parents let them do it at home, then they will keep doing it.

Yesterday #1 did have 4 friends over ( 2 neighbors, 2 kids that go on to soccer which is an hour after school right in the park). Probably that was too many, and they got too high energy and were all spazzy because it was so many of them. I dont know- I need advice on how to deal with annoying children.

Camping

With the exception of the large factory to our right and the nuclear power plant to our left, AND the tornado/severe thunderstorm and 70mph winds, our first camping trip with Mere was really fun!

Old Mimi

Megan told me last night she is sleeping with her scorpion paperweight and keeping it with her all the time "because it reminds me of Old Mimi". I asked her why, and she said, "because it feels old and sick". And later "because its shrivelly". It reminds me of what Grandma said once, "I dont mind what you guys are saying about me, because at least you are remembering me". Love you Grandma.

Some pics

Bday girl


Painting the rock with her preschool
This one may avoided the genetic predisposition to refusing to smile or look at the camera.
Love the school garden. The large enormous (beautiful) tree shading my entire backyard continues to be a major source of consternation to my gardening efforts.
Again, with the cute photogenic-ness!
Out of order painting the rock pic.

So, how was your day?

Apparently I say this alot, since Meredith has started saying it to me.

Bedhead: Do I smell a rat?

I was in Opoku trading today, a place where you can get western stuff ( but still get a whole dried grasscutter)cause I dont have any soap. I found a large sized bottle of bedhead conditioner, which I have only used once before but loved it. It sells for around $20ish for a bottle usually at home. It was 5 cedi here, which is like 3 dollars. SAB does not pass up a sale, whether in Ghana or Ann Arbor.

I used it after I went for a jog ( another strange occurence yes, and yet another that I passed a japanese man walking down a residential street while I was jogging) and it smelled still fruity but kind of weird too-not an american hair product smell, BUT to get to the point, my hair looks really nice, non frizzy and nice curls. So I am wondering, is it really bedhead brand or is it a fake, and my nice looking hair is just my imagination/a placebo effect from thinking I am using a fancy conditioner? Or if you get the title, do I smell a grasscutter?

Hear it every time I am in Ghana...

Spinal Cord Injury

I am out by the pool at the hotel- there are a bunch of day users here ( who brought like forty eight feet tall speakers- I took a video but it would take three years to upload it). They are diving and back flipping into the SHALLOW end of the pool. Why? I figured it out- cause they CAN'T SWIM. I even asked them to go the deep end, telling them I was scared they would break their neck ( between that and my momkini I am filling the motherly role here) and they just giggled at me. The shallow end is about up to my belly button.

RIP

Sai Baba RIP Easter 2011

I left my heart....

I just got off a skype call with my family. The big girls had written books for me, and they both read them to me. They were about how much they love me and miss me. Then Mere was on the screen talking away, saying "you come back mommy?, you come back?", only all I could see was her little head bc the screen wasn't on her face. Then all four sang me Happy Easter and then left to go play at the playground. Sob. I cried.

Dammit all

I just dropped my deodorant on the ground and it shattered into a million pieces. I have seven days left of serious sweat. I needed that.

Tay wit me

I told Meredith I am going on an airplane tomorrow ( assuming my passport and visa show up) and she looked me deep in the eyes and said "Tay wit me". It was so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time.

Homemade Goat Cheese

I havent made it yet, but I want to. This is from this blog
http://littlehomesteadinthevalley.blogspot.com/2011/04/basic-goat-cheese.html

Basic Goat Cheese

I saved up some more milk to make another batch of goat cheese and this time I photographed it for you.

Slowly heat 4 cups of fresh milk to 180F.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir and let curdle for 30 seconds. It should very lightly curdle.

This batch curdled more than the last and resulted in a drier, more crumbly cheese.

Pour into a sieve (over a bowl) lined heavily with cheesecloth. Limey used 4 layers.

Tie it up and hang it over the sieve/bowl to let all the whey drip out.

After an hour or so gently squeeze out any remaining whey.

Mix in some herbs and a little salt. Pat into a mold or just smoosh into a ball. Serve with crackers or a nice crusty bread.

Always a classy choice, Ritz crackers.

That's it. Yummy goat cheese.

A Mother's Prayer for Her Daughters by Tina Fey

The Mother’s Prayer for Its Daughter
Tina Fey from her new book Bossypants, 2011

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short - a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day - And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Meredithisms

Today she activated the emergency system on my iphone AND logged me out of my iphone - it was in emergency only mode.

Other happenings

This was at a controlled burn at a park, see the fire in the top left in the grass?
They set it up as a learning experience for the kids. My girls were like whoop de doo a fire let's play on the snowpile and the playground and climb a tree ( see below).
Ice skating lessons. 1pm on Sundays. Not a convenient time. Glad they are done.
This was me trying to get Mad to take a passport pic of me. I could not shake the two little ones. They assumed since a camera was out it was time for them to pose ( by pose, I mean, stand in front of the camera but not actually look at it or smile).
Columbus, OH- I was raised to believe it was the armpit of America. Me in front of my poster.

First grade chorus show. They sang a rap song to a hip hop track called Digga Digga Dog. No joke. Fifty first graders rapping at the same time, it was a real treat.
Three little princesses-

Current happenings

I have exactly seven days left in this semester.

At the end of the seven days, I will have officially completed my first year.

At the end of the seven days, I will be officially half down with course work.

At the end of the seven days, I will be on a plane to Ghana.

In the next seven days, I have two papers and a final exam due.

As my legions of readers know, I am on a grant that is based in Ghana. They are supposed to pay my tuition, but since my fellowship paid it the first year, they planned to use the $ on other things (fair? Don't know, I just figured it is the plight of the doctoral student). So I just found out that my fellowship doesn't pay my tuition in the summer so I asked them to pony up for just the summer tuition. They said sure no problem but oops the research funds are in Ghana and they have been trying for 3 months to get them over here. So my tuition is due in two weeks and I, of course, am the only one that is freaking out about it. I am not quite sure how to politely go about this. We have a meeting Friday and I really hope there is at least some mention of it. I am trying to stay professional since I realize no one really cares or is focused on it but me- I dont think it even crosses their mind until I bring it up. Awkward.

Don't tell my Dad, or Patrick....

I cleaned out the pantry ( bc it no longer exists in its current state, I was forced to) and I found these. Patrick and Dad will never let me live this down.

This means that I moved an expired $.055 cent can of evaporated milk with us across the country three years ago. When I poured it out, it was chunky.

Meganisms

Mommy how can you become a grandma if you are finished growing?

Please.

Is it too much to ask for the temperature to go above 38 degrees? It is April 7 already.

Let's Go Swimming, Let's Go Swimming...

Megan's recital was last night. It was so cute!

Meganism

At Mad's chorus concert tonight, they were singing some song that went "Everything grooowwwwws, flowers grow, kids grow, plants grooowwwwwwww".... And Megan turned to me and said " Chairs don't grow!!"

yumyum

Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce | Steamy Kitchen

made this for dinner.

Question to Megan

Megan, why do you have toothpaste in your armpit?

H & S drop in

Egg

Meganism: Mommy, I wish I was born in an egg. Just so I could see what it is like.

Mere: I go dumble daba! ( Jungle Java).

More GND