Playground

I can’t think of a clever title for this post. Basically, we went to the playground the other day and had a blast. When we left for Ethiopia last year to meet the kids, it was summer; fall swooped in while we were away and when we returned, it was only a matter of weeks before it got too cold and snowy for us to truly enjoy being outside. We’ve all been suffering from cabin fever and it feels wonderful to be able to spread out and release some energy outside.

All three of our kids are just fearless. Sula tromps around like she knows what she’s doing (she doesn’t- remember, she spent a year of toddlerhood in an institutional setting and has almost no experience with playgrounds or slides) and is just filled with confidence and curiosity as she explores the different structures. Bo is so fierce, running around from one activity to the next with a look of determination on his face. And Dawit just loves goofing around, trying out every piece of equipment but always stopping to help a little one down the slide.

New York, New York

Adam’s parents generously offered to treat us to a night away, hotel and babysitting included. I knew I wanted to go the city- we lived there from 2001-2003 and have only been back for quick trips. It’s funny going back as tourists. Our lovely hotel, Radio City Apartments,

is right near Times Square, which I avoided like the plague when we lived there. Now it’s kind of fun to visit, as long as I don’t let my claustrophobia get the better of me.We just love watching the crazies and the tourists, and in Times Square, there are plenty of both. We couldn’t help ourselves when we saw this flyer:

We were sort of curious as to what the hype was all about, and we figured we had fifteen minutes to spare. If you ever have the opportunity to check out the “Introduction to Dianetics” or a Scientology center yourself, do take it. Adam and I choked back hysterics and practically elbowed each other to death during the advertisement (I mean, “film”). I understand that my personality is not well-suited to membership in any cult (I have this pesky problem where I like to question things), but I just cannot for the life of me understand how anyone buys into this crap. There was nothing, I mean NOTHING, in that movie that a scientist couldn’t tear to shreds (that is, if they could stop wiping away the tears of laughter long enough to do so). It was just utterly ridiculous- outrageous, nonsensical claim after outrageous, nonsensical claim. After the movie screening, the exceedingly hyper Scientologist recruiter shoved two copies of Dianetics into our hands and told us that we’d really be doing ourselves a favor by reading it. When I said that we couldn’t take their books (I was feeling bad) she perkily replied, “Oh, no! You wouldn’t be taking it. They’re twenty dollars.” I stopped feeling bad. And came to the conclusion that just because thousands (or millions, as the Scientologists claim) of people believe something doesn’t mean that it isn’t total bull.

We ate like kings. Really, I wish there were more meals in the day. Although it’s probably good there are not, as I spent the ride home from New York with the top button of my jeans undone (sorry if that’s TMI). We had lunch at Meskerem, an Ethiopian restaurant, dinner at a delicious Thai place with friends of ours who had just eloped (don’t you love newlyweds? They’re always so cute and…I dunno…fresh), and breakfast at a lovely French restaurant, Pigalle:

Pigalle was very crowded and the tables were insanely close together. So close that we felt awkwardly included in the “morning-after” brunch where two lovely gentleman who had clearly spent the night together were discussing previously untouched topics like where they were from. New York City and the U.K., in case you were interested. Made me really glad to be in a solid relationship: no need for walks-of-shame and uncomfortable postcoital breakfasts with strangers.

After breakfast we headed to SoHo to do a little street shopping. I got some cute earrings on the street, and browsed for awhile at Pearl River, a Chinese department store that has something for everyone. I had never been there before, but it’s like Ikea- an enormous warehouse-based shopping experience where you lose all sense of time and walk out an hour and a half later wondering how you just spent all that time in a trance, fingering knick-knacks and pretty fabrics that have no place in your house. We got some random necessities: origami paper, some Chinese soup spoons for the two little ones (seriously, how have we in the Western world NOT fully incorporated these soup spoons into our children’s lives? Have you watched a toddler try to eat soup with a spoon??), a bandana, and a jewelry roll. Like I said, just the necessities
On the way back we drove by our old street. We were shocked to see that the parking lot next to our building had been replaced by a gigantic high rise. And our building looked like it had been spruced up. For some reason I felt really, really depressed. Just that feeling of never being able to go back to a previous life, you know? I have to admit that I was just a teeny-tiny bit sad to reflect on our former lives as fun people who did stuff without children literally strapped to our backs. Actually, maybe more than just a teeny-tiny bit. I have the tendency to romanticize the road not taken, and need to remind myself that five people and two dogs in a 700-square-foot apartment just.would.not.work. Back to reality…

Who the heck are Bo, Sula, and Dawit??

I don’t love the idea of being so weird and cryptic about our kids’ names. But our family is being featured in a monthly magazine in our state and I don’t love the idea of A) total yet local strangers unconnected to the adoption world being able to google our kids’ names and find our blog; and B) people we know through the boys’ schools or our other daily activities seeing the article and finding our blog and thus reading everything about our lives. So I don’t know what I’m going to do. I might take the blog private for the month that the issue is in distribution. For now I’m just going to change the kids’ names. So our eldest is now Dawit, our bio guy is Bo, and our little lady is Sula. All of those names are significant in some way, but it is very strange to think of our kids that way Anyways, I just wanted to give a head’s up for the changes. So if you see the blog disappear for a little while know that it’s just temporary and I’ll be back

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The voice on the other end…

All three of our kids like to talk on the phone. And we let them, as long as it’s with family members who have time to kill and the patience of Job. Usually, Adam or I call them and give them a heads up first to let them know, then we put the little ones on the line. The other day, though, Adam’s mom called and spoke to Adam, and after he hung up, Dawit insisted that he wanted to talk to her. So Adam dialed and handed him the phone. The following ensued:

(Grandma picks up and says hello.)
Dawit, in a low (probably due to shyness) and slightly creepy voice: Hi.
(Awkward silence on our end as Grandma has no caller i.d. and no way to discern who is calling. We imagine she was probably saying “Hello, who is this?”)
Adam, whispering to Dawit: Tell her who it is!
Dawit, to Grandma: Who it is!

Adam and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.Dawit has definitely been here long enough to know that when he calls someone, he needs to tell them that it’s Dawit calling. The fact that he actually said “Who it is” in a voice that I’m surprised didn’t result in Grandma hanging up the phone and calling the police, instead of saying “This is Dawit” just had us in hysterics. Obviously we need to work on phone manners!

Recipe: Gomen (Collard Greens)

Before trying gomen for the first time at an Ethiopian restaurant, I don’t think I had ever eaten collard greens before in my life. I don’t know why- I’m a longtime vegetarian who is unafraid of trying all sorts of more adventurous greens, like kale or swiss chard- but I sure was missing out. To me, gomen is a must-have when I make several Ethiopian stews for dinner. Having a healthy green really seems to balance it all out, taste-wise and nutritionally.

This is a recipe that I have to admit I’ve sort of come up with on my own. By using recipes online, asking Kiddy for her ingredient list and using her cooking methods, and memorizing the flavors from several Ethiopian restaurants, I experimented and came up with the following. Adam thinks it tastes even better than the kind we get at one of our favorite restaurants, and Dawit gets a look of pure delight on his face when he sees me pulling out a big bag of greens as I put away the groceries, so I think the recipe’s a hit. I almost always supersize the recipe to ensure that I get a taste

On a side note: some Eth. restaurants use spinach instead of collard greens. It tastes good, but Dawit was unfamiliar with spinach when he came to America and I suspect that the substitution is an Americanization and not “authentic.” Stick with the collard greens if you have them at your local grocery store.

Recipe: Gomen

2 bunches of collard greens
1 large onion, chopped
1/3+ c. canola oil (replace some of the oil with niter kibbeh or butter if desired)
minced garlic and ginger (about 2-3 tsp. each, would be my guess. If you’ve read my other recipes, you know how this works)
2 jalapeño peppers, de-seeded and chopped
salt, to taste

Pull off the leaves of the collard greens and discard the stems. Tear the leaves into medium-sized pieces (just small enough to get them into the pot for cooking- you’ll chop them into smaller pieces later) and wash them well under cold water. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to boil and add the greens. Cook for about 10-15 minutes- the greens should change color and soften. Drain in a large colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out all of the excess moisture and chop into small pieces. Set aside.

Cook the onions on medium heat until they start to soften and turn translucent, about seven minutes. Add the oil/niter kibbeh/butter and cook for several minutes. Then add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeños and saute for several more minutes. Add the chopped greens and stir well, ensuring that the greens are thoroughly mixed in with the other ingredients. Add salt and cook on medium-low until the greens have soaked in the flavor.