Tidbits, In the Papers, and Recipes

"May you . . ." is how Bud asks for anything, as in "may you get me an apple?" or "may you cuddle?"

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"I know a kitty named 'Miney Mine'"--our family song about our cat Hermione, sung to Laurie Berkner's "I Know a Chicken." Verses change each time we sing it but are usually about how she likes to nap, eat, play, and purr. For example:

"I know a kitty

and her name is Miney Mine.

My kitty likes eating.

And she likes to play.

She plays all night.

And sleeps all day."

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The kids have continued with a lot of dramatic or imaginative play, most of which is drawn from their own experiences (as opposed to books or tv). After we visited the babysitter at her restaurant hosting job, they played hostess. After Mama went to Thailand, they played travel on an airplane to Thailand. They've even played plant-a-garden by spreading pillows out on the floor, covering these plots with plastic vegetables, watering them, adding plastic bugs, harvesting them, and then eating them! They also play "rockband pizzeria." Bud plays a concert with his band then goes to Sis' pizzeria afterwards for a snack.

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Everyday is Green Day--Their babysitter recently went to the Green Day concert and came back with video of the event. The kids were fascinated and now Bud plays Green Day concert at home. So we've asked the babysitter to suggest some songs for our iPod.

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"Yankees are the only team!" And he doesn't mean only as in "the best," but as in he doesn't realize there are actually any other teams. Everyday starts out with his asking for his Yankees shirt, which was in heavy laundry rotation until we got a few backups this weekend (which was good because Sis decided she wanted hers back, so she could wear it everyday too!). And while there is no #2 on the back, there is a Yankee symbol, so he is happy.

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We try to "eat our colors" everyday. Trouble is, they think brown--as in cookies, pasta, chicken nuggets--counts as a color! I'm not sure that's what the nutrition folks had in mind.

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Yehudi (or Yahootie or Yehude or Yahouty or however you would spell it!) was the mythical, mischevious creature who lived in my house when I was growing up. You probably had one, too. Yehudi was the person who ate the last cookie, moved the car keys, lost the electric bill, whatever no one else would claim or remember doing. The kids are catching on and love Yehudi (is it German? My mom's grandparents were. Yiddish? Not that we know of but you can't be sure. French? Again, my mom's grandparents except it doesn't sound French). Except they lovebeing Yehudi and actively hiding things from me. Like socks. Magnets. Mail. Great. That, and I just know they are going to scare themselves to death when they say things like, "so does Yehudi sneak around at night when we are asleep?"

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Bud has been so disappointed in his toys recently. They are stifling his creativity: his train tracks won't go anywhere he puts them, i.e. over things like shoeboxes, and still allow his trains to run smoothly; his racetrack won't bend and turn at the angles he likes; and his tinker toys don't stay stable when he builds fanciful creations. All of these have had him frustrated and in tears this week. How do you explain to a 4 year old that toy manufacturer's didn't really make the toys so he could use them the way he wants to? It's just sad to watch. Which is why Mama is looking for some different toys!

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• Who naps? “While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance.”
• Not looking at art at the Louvre.
• Too much butterbeer?
• The end of the Outdoor Games?
• One of the last British WWI army veterans
• Smarter than your average person--an Adirondack bear
• 2-D love--Japanese anime obsession takes over
• Best Kids Books
• Nuns and the Vatican
• Three Cups of Tea . . .

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Yellow Split Pea Stew, from Ethiopia

It's not quite like the Misir Alicha I love. There are other Ethiopian recipes here.

3 cups water plus 2 tablespoons (divided)
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled,
finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place 3 cups of the water and the peas in large saucepan. Heat over high heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cook until almost tender, about 30 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and turmeric; cook 1 minute.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons water; cover. Cook on low heat 3 minutes. Add mixture to cooked peas; stir in salt. Simmer until peas are very soft, about 30 minutes. Taste; adjust seasonings.