Weekend List!

Sarah's List: 

Sometimes you come across something so well written, you can't stop reading. On drugs, rehab and frozen yogurt.

  by  Jade Sadeghian 

And then you find something so interesting, you can't stop reading. 16 foreigners try to explain America to their friends back home.

Who doesn't like a good doppleganger photo essay? These folks aren't even related! I saw my doppleganger once. And no, it wasn't that girl from How I Met Your Mother. Shut up.

  by  e³°°° 

I know, I know. I'm about 6 months behind, but I live in Congo so bear with me as I obsess about Orange is the New Black. In case you missed this article, way back when the rest of the world was watching this show, here's an interesting interview with the real Piper!

Do you know about African Grey Parrots? You should. They're amazingly smart. The smartest in the world, in fact. And they're all over here. There's one that mimics my ringtone and one that yells, "Falafel!" Because he's heard us over and over call for our dog. And I once got really teary at a dinner party when a guest told me the last words an African Grey had said to his friend before he died were, "You take care now." Seriously, the bird said that. Leave it to Jane Goodall to help them out.

  by  TheBigTouffe 

Oh my. Mothers in the first 24 hours. Doesn't get any better than this.

Here's an interesting piece on the Advantages of Children Living Abroad. I know lots of expat kids. They're not all so great. But as long at the ratio of great to not-so-great kids stays in our favor, I'm happy with our chances of not raising jerks.

Our child actually thinks she's Pippi Longstocking.

 But speaking of jerk expat kids, here's what Pippi says about Congo. From Chapter 1:

"Let me tell you that in the Congo there is not a single person who tells the truth. 

They lie all day long. Begin at seven in the morning and keep on until sundown. 

So if I should happen to lie now and then, 

you must try to excuse me and remember 

that it is only because I stayed in the Congo a little too long."

Tell me more, oh wise Pippi.

Jill's List:

Slightly inappropriate and super hysterical - especially if you have ever written a lesson plan or Bloomed a learning objective.  You really don't even need to be a girl to appreciate Hey Girl Teacher. Thanks, Erin!

From Hey Girl Teacher.  Go here to see more!

Not emotionally ready to think about this list yet.  At least I don't have to worry about this one:

8. Suddenly remembering all of the “touristy” things you never took the time to do — monuments you didn’t see, museums you didn’t tour — because you told yourself you would get to it next month, next year, someday.

I used to take photographs for Johan's bands and it was always a struggle to avoid the barn door, dirty alley, casual foot prop, or other various angsty clichés.  This round up is hysterical.

Adorable band boys.  Circa 2004.  Somewhere on an angsty Seattle rooftop.  Real Polaroid, essential.

Got this little bottle of sparkle as a present from a friend who knows my love of the French pharmacy. Sold on gold.

This essay is so important.  Stillbirth is a topic no one knows how to talk about - so most don't.  I read this book after taking care of my first family during the birth and death of their child.  The story remains remains with me.  Thanks, Joanna.

Ah. To gripe about early retirement.  (If you still want to do it, here are some tips.)

Image from Wiki Commons.

Oh no - will this happen to Loulou and Eli?

Doctors should listen to car mechanics more often...?

  by  Ministerio de Ciencia 

Received a gift of some crazy good kimchi today.  Said thank you with these.   Reason #1,546 it's awesome for your kid to have friends from all over the world.

And.  A new band so I can impress my Lebanese friends - maybe.  (Turns out, I kind of love Arabic pop.)  Thanks, Anna.

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Omelet.

Last night, I surveyed the situation and found myself with a sick husband, two hungry kids, and an empty fridge.

After some rummaging, I found the following:

• half a can of black beans
• 1 small, forgotten green pepper
• 3 good potatoes, 1 squishy potato
• 2 limp, tiny leeks
• 1 carrot
• half of a cucumber
• 36 eggs

That's right.  36 eggs.  We eat a lot of eggs and have them delivered by the flat-full every week.  They arrive covered in feathers and muck.  It's kind of great and kind of gross.

I wanted to prove that I was totally capable of single-handedly taking care of morning and evening routines at our house...even if the main cook was sequestered miserably in the back room.  I kept thinking about this radio program I used to listen to when we lived in Seattle. People would call in and report the pathetic contents of their "empty" refrigerators and a famous chef would calmly explain to them how to make a gourmet meal out of nothing.  I wanted that number.  If I emphasized that I was calling from the Congo, I would be sure to make the cut.

Image from here.

I decided there was one solution:  french fries.  When crisped up in some oil and salt, even a squishy potato can be reborn into something delicious, right?  I followed the Martha Stewart pre-soak process and got the fries going in the oven.*  I ignored the unbelievably annoying behavior that arises from post-homework, pre-dinner children.  I tried to figure out what goes with french fries.

Which brought me to the holy omelet.  A little fancier than scrambled eggs and a perfect hiding place for some slightly old cheese (hey, I cut off the moldy bits) and those two tiny leeks.  As I've repeatedly stressed, Johan is the cook in our house.  He is the one who knows things about eggs.  So, I turned to Cup of Jo for assistance.  This article, in fact.

And, now, I'm convinced that I am some sort of omelet savant.  The recipe was that good.

I mixed up the rest of the vegetable remnants from my house into some sort of black bean salad (using Smitten Kitchen - who else? - as a guide), set everything on the table, and lit some candles.  And by "candles," I mean "iPad" - on which we all watched Barbapapa.  Sometimes, it truly is okay to watch TV while you eat.  Last night being case and point.

Eating ethereal eggs + cheese + french fries while watching bizarre French cartoons with quiet, chewing children is an experience that every mother should have when her partner deserts her for a stomach virus.  I highly recommend it.

Image from here, here, and here**.

And this morning, I know three things:

• I need to go grocery shopping.
• I'm really happy Johan has rejoined the land of the living.
• I make incredible omelets.

* I would like to note that nobody makes fries like Adam Sensamaust.  Nobody.  Even Martha Stewart.
**Read more about Barbapapa amazingness at the incredible blog, "Vintage Books My Kid Loves".

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Friday List!

It's that time of year again when I start googling places in the world we can live where it's cold for the 2 weeks around Christmas and then nice and tropical the rest of the year. This climate exists somewhere, right? I want Christmassy weather without the SAD until February.

Cranking up the AC is no substitute for cold weather, but maybe the smell of these baking in the oven might help.

Spicy Gingerbread Cookies by Smitten Kitchen

Our best friend, Joanna (okay, we've never actually met her) has been keeping a nice collection of gift guides this season. Ideas for mom, dad, sister, husband, best friend, favorite mom bloggers in Congo...

Felt mistletoe from catbirdnyc.com

Or become the gift and tie your hair in a bow. Has anyone in real life ever done this?

Ordering our Christmas cards from Pinhole Press. We like to patronize them because they happily pull our order to specially put the trema in Annaïs’ name. Who does that to their child? Apparently no one. 

Ultrathick pinstripes make up for missing Christmas, right?

And to commemorate our first Christmas in 8 years in which we will wake up in our own beds (or country in which we reside) I'm going to ask our favorite wood workers if they can make one of these. If you don't have your own personal atelier. You can get one here. 

A gutschein adventskalender from klotzaufklotz.de

Jill's List:

Step away from the $84 candles.  Step away from the $84 candles.  (But they possess the ability to make Congo smell like Christmas...)

I have recently developed a Pinterest obsession.  It started out as an innocent way to promote this blog.  Now, I find myself craving $84 candles.  Check out this article about the power of Pinterest and Glossi. 

Don't tell me that since hearing the happy news, you haven't indulged in a little lunchtime People Magazine online browsing.  For example: "British Royal Maternity Fashions."  I mean, I certainly would never do such a thing...

I started my New Year's Resolution early.  I'm reading Trollope.  On the heavy recommendation of some of our dearest friends (Thanks Bethany & Peter!), and despite an earlier false start, I'm far enough into the first book of the Palliser Novels to feel super impressed with myself AND the prolific postman who wrote these stories...

Making these cookies for the sixth time in as many weeks.  So amazing.  (And, a testament to the fact that sometimes things that would normally be expensive can be randomly found in Kinshasa for not much at all.  Example: saffron.  But forget it if you want to find laundry detergent for under $40 a box.)

Our perfect, packable, Christmas tree: from Virginia to Kinshasa to Cape Town for all your decorating needs.  And, it's true what it says on the box:  "Will not lose needles!"  But, thank goodness my six-year-old is an assembly whiz.  This one was a doozie.  Maybe he has a future at Ikea...

And, way to sum it up, Dan. Feeling a lot of Seattle pride this week.

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