Rock To Wind A String Around

Monica of Happy Zombie shared this meme and issued a general tag. I found it at Allsorts.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Scuffy Subaru

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Coffee Ginger crinkle

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
P-Cha
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Red Otter

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Meredith Upland

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Cha-Pa
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Yellow T

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Bill(y) Ray
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Violet Licorice
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Marie William
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Bianco Burlingame
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Autumn Daffodil

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Nectarine Flip-flopsy
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Muffin Dogwood

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Embroidery Snowshower Tour

Fun,

Come on, do it. You know you want to….

Sorry it’s been so quiet on the western front. My parents were visiting from Manatee-land for the last week. I’ve been planning to update, but so much of my time has been spent watching Astrid and my parents enjoy each other (when I wasn’t feeding someone. Seriously–there was a lot of food preparation in the past week) there never seemed to be time. We had a nice visit though. Albert was pressed into service to do all of the big driving–we dragged my parents up to Sausalito, over the Golden Gate Bridge, along the PCH and down to Half Moon Bay on Sunday. We drove through the city on Monday with stops on the wharf, Lombard St, the Mission Delores, and the Lori’s Diner in Union Square. Throw in an Ethiopian dinner–my parent’s first (and the loss of their travel money while they were there–I’m not sure they’ll remember Kik Alitcha fondly, no matter how much they enjoyed it), a few spins around the neighborhood, and the ever-necessary (and much-enjoyed) trip to Whole Foods and amazingly, the week vanished. It was hard to part this morning, but knowing we’ll be in Florida for Thanksgiving definitely softens the blow.

I’ll try to add some additional news of note by tomorrow at the latest, but really wanted to let you all know that we’re all still here, recovering from the overindulgence of grandparents…

It’s been a busy two weeks during this bloggy break. At the end of each day during this ‘whirl of gaiety’ I was sure to conjure up the wittiest little posts, but by morning they were gone.  In their absence,  I present a list of the many fine goings-on in our house since September 1…

Albert was promoted and given a juicy raise

We selflessly set aside a long weekend to honor those who labor

Albert and I went out for dinner without the children, leaving a sleeping Astrid with a sitter for the first time

We celebrated Albert’s birthday

I went to Palo Alto to see the Mesgana Dancers with some lovely friends of mine

We attended the Enkutatash Millennium Festival in San Jose

We had a 6 month post-placement visit and celebratory dinner at Cafe Colucci, our favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

It’s been a busy few weeks made slightly crazier by a busier-than-usual work schedule for Albert.  I love being part of a community that recognizes the start of the new year in September.  After more than 21 years of school, I’m permanently conditioned to think of the fall as the start of the new year.  With homeschooling’s irregularly defined borders, it’s been more challenging to target a date to set goals and make plans, but Enkutatash will be a constant, and a delightful launch into fall.  I can make resolutions (or strengthen my resolve?) at Enkutatash, and I can recommit on January1–sort of a second semester opportunity to really color-coordinate my folders and notebooks, join the tennis team, and make flash cards for all of the French vocabulary–just as I promised myself I’d do in the fall.

The Enkutatash festival in San Jose was as terrific as we hoped it would be.  We saw other Bay Area adoptive families,  caught up with neighborhood friends, and made new friends.  Elliott had a great time running free with the other big kids, and non-napping baby was happy to party like it was 1999–she chatted and danced and was quite convivial, even while lurching from sleeplessness.  We had been told by our friend Genet that many Ethiopians would be in traditional dress, and she encouraged us to put Astrid in her shift and natala, but we were hesitant to do so until we arrived, lest we suffer from Adoptive Family Syndrome.  Happily for us, many in the crowd were dressed in linen, so after a delicious lunch of gomen, the dress went on. 

Before we changed Astrid, people generally asked if she was: 1.  mine

                                                                                                           2.  half-Ethiopian

Over and over, I explained, that yes, I am her mother, no, I did not give birth to her, she was born in Awassa.  Honestly, I must have said that a dozen times.  After we changed Astrid into the luminous white linen, I was sure people would see her inherent Ethiopian-ess, but as before, I was asked over and over if I had given birth to her.  It was the oddest thing.  Albert was there with us, so I was sure people would assume we were an adoptive family,  but apparently Astrid and I look so much alike, new storylines must be drawn.    It’s probably my infantile face–too much Oil of Ol@y for me.    Or it could be Astrid’s eyeliner–we did apply a bit too much on Sunday.    Whatever it is, Astrid Meklit is lucky to swim in another gene pool.   AndI’m lucky to know her, my lovely habesha daughter.

Happy New Year!