An Effective Way to Ensure Parental Supervision

I'm Going to Ethiopia!

In January, I'll be spending a week in Ethiopia with Water 1st.  Water 1st helps some of the poorest communities in the world implement community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation, and health education.

My parents think I'm a little crazy for going on this trip and offered to send me to a Marriott timeshare instead.  A friend suggested I might be happier going to a spa for a week.  I'm looking forward to the adventure, the chance to gain perspective on and appreciate the stability and comfort of my life in Seattle, and the opportunity to help others.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy learning more about Ethiopia with me, hearing about my preparations and reading about my journey.  

Lonely Planet describes travel in Ethiopia as "testing, awe-inspiring, and heartbreaking."  I can't wait!

For the geographically challenged, here's a link to a map of Africa.

A Source for Missing Kitchen Appliance Thingamajigs and Doodads

A friend from high school sent us a great blender for our wedding.  We thought we'd use it a lot to make margaritas and other festive drinks.  In reality, we used it mostly for pesto, protein shakes and the like.  Still, it worked well and always reminded me of my friend.

Then, one day, I turned on the garbage disposal and heard a terrible sound.  Whirl, whirl.  Clunk, clunk.  Sc-r-ape.

The knob on the blender cover (you know, the piece that allows you to slowly add olive oil, but keeps the blueberry smoothie from spraying all over your kitchen) popped out of the blender top and into the garbage disposal.  In a few fateful seconds, it was mangled beyond recognition.  

I stashed the blender on a high shelf.  Sayonara, fruity drinks, I thought.

Then, the good folks at Williams-Sonoma introduced me to The Gourmet Depot.  The Gourmet Depot sells every random piece and doodad that you would ever need to keep your kitchen operating.  With a few clicks, I found a replacement for my "knob," actually called a fill cap. 

One week and a few dollars later, my blender was whole again.  We still haven't made fruity drinks.  But we could.  

The antitrust angle:  The Gourmet Depot recently merged with their #1 competitor, Culinary Parts Unlimited.  Pretty sure David Boies sat this one out.

We're Hannukah and we're proud

For the first two years of preschool, Little S attended an Orthodox school.  None of her classmates had a Christmas tree, talked about Santa Claus or brought candy canes to school.  Sure, we saw Christmas decorations and ate gingerbread cookies, but it was easy to say, Our family doesn't celebrate Christmas, and leave it at that.

Last year, everything changed.  Maybe it's because Little S was older, maybe it's because she was at a new school, maybe it's because she had a new appreciation for twinkle lights.  Whatever the cause, Little S wanted a Christmas tree in the intense way that three-year olds WANT things.  She even threw a temper tantrum during school pickup: on the floor, kicking and screaming, sobbing "I want a Christmas tree!"

When she calmed down, I reminded her that our family doesn't celebrate Christmas.  Why not, she asked.  Why not get her a Christmas tree if she really wants one?, my friends asked.  Even my parents said, at least take her to see Santa.  We don't celebrate Christmas, I repeated again and again.  It made me want to scream.

Then, a friend recommended the book, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming by Lemony Snicket.  The book, in an entertaining almost subversive way, reminds parents and kids that it's OK to not celebrate Christmas, even if it would be a lot easier to do what everyone else is doing. 

The latke lives in a town where nearly everyone celebrates Christmas and people give the latke a hard time for not celebrating Christmas.  "So you're basically hash browns," the latke is told.  "Someone should write a Christmas carol about you," another person says.  "Different things can blend together.  Let me tell you a funny story about pagan rituals," says someone else.  

Lemony Snicket explains the latke's frustration this way, "It is VERY frustrating not to be understood in this world.  If you say one thing and keep being told that you mean something else, it can make you want to scream."

I can relate.

Best Kids' Music of 2008: The Fids and Kamily Awards

(SherriLynn and Jack from Recess Monkey)

Looking to expand your library of family music but unsure where to start? Check out The Fids and Kamily Awards. For these awards, kids' music writers, radio programmers, and others in the industry determined the 10 best kids' albums of 2008.

The list is filled with Sherri Lynn and Little S favorites: Justin Roberts, Pop Fly (#1); Secret Agent #23 Skidoo, Easy (#3); BNL, Snacktime (#6) and Recess Monkey, Tabby Road (#7).

Here's to music that parents and kids can enjoy together!

Vacaciones

Sorry for the inactivity. Mr. S and I were relaxing in Mexico.

Michelle is the new Hillary. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I cringed when Bill Clinton declared that Hillary and he would be a two-for-one deal.

Maybe it's my place in life, my experience or my desire to see a mother of young children in the White House, but I'm thrilled that the election of Barack means that we also get Michelle Obama.

It will be fascinating to watch a smart and powerful woman struggle with many of the issues we all face: where to send her kids to school, what to wear, what kind of dog to buy.  More important, she has the opportunity  to use her experience and position to improve the lives of other mothers and children.

That's a two-for-one deal I'll take.

Check out Newsweek's profile of Michelle.

Role Models Matter

Here's a link to a post by Sonja West on PrawfsBlawg that echoes my feelings why I'm still looking forward to the day when a woman will occupy the Oval office.

Voting is its own reward. Cupcakes are nice.

Here are some of the election babycakes handed out by Cupcake Royale.  In our very Blue neighborhood, only the McCain cupcake toppers were left.

Now stop reading and go vote!

Free Food for Voters

Growing up, we were taught to like democracy and to love free food.  On November 4, many establishments are offering free treats to voters.  Here are the offers I've found: (If you know of others, please post a comment)

Ben & Jerry's:  Free scoop of ice cream between 5 and 8 p.m.

Chick-fil-A:  Free chicken sandwich.

Cupcake Royale: (Madrona, Ballard & West Seattle):  Free babycake.

Krispy Kreme: Free star-shaped donut with patriotic sprinkles.

Starbucks:  Free tall cup of brewed coffee.

Hopefully the lines for these treats won't be as long as the lines at the polling places.