Two Truths and One Lie

Mr. John Scalzi suggested a Weekend Assignment that sounds like fun. I'm going to play along. I invite you to join in.

Two truths and one lie about me:

1. According to my otolaryngologist, I have super hearing. I hear things at least 10% to 15% better than you do. Deal.

2. Speaking of super powers, I am now a believer in some sort of psychic prescience. Since attaining motherhood, I now have the ability to predict (but not prevent, sadly) when the kids will get up to no good.

3. Had the twins been boys instead of girls, one of them would surely have been named Alton for my favorite TV chef, Alton Brown.

Can you sort fact from fiction?

Candidate Match

Here's an interesting way to compare your views on the issues with those of the current '08 presidential candidates. The results might surprise you.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

Thanks for sharing this, Dad.

Urban Living II

While out and about today, the girls and I drove through this scene, which is playing out just a few blocks from our home:


Ah, city living. We can still hear the helicopters.

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Yesterday, the twins identified every nerve in my body and them played them like harp strings. They stomped on my attempts to placate them, laughed as I struggled for patience, screamed when I tried to convince them to take a much-needed nap. They ran rampant all through the afternoon, screaming and tugging and needing and crying and OH MY GOD I swear I was a heartbeat away from shipping them off to military preschool. By the end of the day, we were all a bit worn out.

Dennis4President

I've been struggling to find a Democratic candidate for president who I can support. When it comes to the front-runners, I don't like any of 'em. You have to go pretty deep in the field before you find candidates who seem to be truthful, honest, upstanding people with smart ideas about how this country should be run (which says some pretty sad things about our democratic process). Once such candidate is Dennis Kucinich. I don't think Kucinich has much of a shot at even making it to the top three, which is a tragedy. He has a lot of great positions about withdrawing from Iraq, access to health care, legalizing gay marriage, and abolishing nuclear weapons. Even if he isn't a viable contender, I think we need to be listening to what Dennis has to say. Dad, you're right -- Kucinich seems to be the only candidate who's telling the truth.

See for yourself.

In the Kitchen (Barefoot Optional)

This is my favorite dinner:


Cheese night. We get three different cheeses (in this case, manchego, brie, and roquefort -- mmmm), chop up some apples, throw together some garlic crostini, and call it a meal. Back before we had kids, we used to do this all the time. In fact, before we had kids, meal planning was always an extremely casual affair. We always had ingredients around the house for our staples: burritos, chili-cheese tator tots, pasta, and grilled cheese sandwiches. More often than not, we'd have cereal for dinner and call it a night. Or we'd eat out -- we did an awful lot of that.

Now that the kids force us to think about eating nutritionally balanced meals on a regular basis (like, three times a day! What's up with that?), I've been trying to get us into the habit of planning a week's worth of meals and shopping accordingly. This is what all the smart moms do (like Rug's Bug), and it's time I got on the wagon.

Just in time, the oh-so-smart Anne Glamore at My Tiny Kingdom shared four of her family's favorite recipes and instructed her readers to get organized and embrace meal planning. I do as I'm told. I've assembled everything I need to make Anne's four recipes (and a few more), and I'm looking forward to my new foray into organized cooking. I plan to report back on my great success, hopefully with pictures of my culinary accomplishments. Stay tuned.

Doubting Teresa

You guys know I can't resist an article like this. Now I have even more admiration for the woman.

Found at Fark.

Flower

A picture from our nature walk today. More at the twins' blog.

And Alejandro Makes Three

The best news ever!! Alejandro is unofficially officially out of court and is now legally Joanna and Tom's son! (As if we needed a court to tell us who Alejandro's parents are.) This has been a long, long time coming. We are so excited! Let's hope the final stages of this process fly by as quickly as possible so Joanna and Alejandro can finally come home.

photo shamelessly stolen from ¡Vayamos, Alejandro!

Lumpy

My doctor, the talented, witty, and lovely Dr. Sheila, says I have globus pharyngeus, or a lump in my throat. (Fear not, friends -- this ailment is completely harmless to me. It's just annoying.) Dr. Sheila says my globus is most likely the result of stress (both too much and poorly managed). However, I have a few other theories. Reasons I might have a lump in my throat (in no particular order):

• Watching my kids grow up so fast is immensely gratifying, and also terrifying. How can I keep them little forever?
• I can't stand the fact that Joanna and Alejandro are still in Guatemala. Come home, Jo!!
• The Harry Potter saga is finished. Finis. Done for good.
  
• Julie is moving to St. Paul! Soon! Forever!
• Battlestar Galactica won't have new episodes until next year! (Plus, I'm still sad about Billy.)
• Airan has been traveling for work more often than he's been at home lately. Every time he leaves, the girls and I are sad until he returns.
  

Given all this, who wouldn't have a lump in their throat?