Tortillas

Safiya and I made a batch and a half of tortillas for enchiladas for a dinner party we had for Craig's work last night.  Max wanted to be a helper -- sweet, but not so helpful.  Tortillas and enchiladas were yummy. 

A Ball

Craig and I went to a ball last Saturday.  We had a fun evening, a fun table of friends, and lots of fun dancing.  What was not fun were my shoes... lovely but very, very squeezy. 

Let it Snow

Thankfully there are only a few remnants in the shady parts of the yard, but we have had a lot of snow (for here) this winter.  We are craving spring, and the chance to go outdoors without the time-consuming, mom-challenging, dressing for seriously cold weather that we have been doing this winter. 

Need any toilet paper?

Craig was fortunate enough to catch this with his phone while out driving one day.  Priceless.  Really, it is worth alot.  Scratchy toilet paper here costs more than Charmain back home.  I would call this an EXCELLENT use of space!  So, is he a toilet paper salesman?

  

A Few of My Favorite Things

The weekend after my birthday I hosted a "Few of My Favorite Things" party.  Each gal brought three wrapped, identical gifts.  I gave my favorite chapstick to the gals who knew the most items that Maria mentions in her song in the Sound of Music.  Three gals new all 14.  Then we ate, a buffet of Southern favorites.  Then we told about a few of our favorite items, told what we brought and why, and then drew three names to give our items away.  I made three table runners out of traditional Uzbek fabric for my gifts.

The food table plus a few decorations

 

One of my recent sewing projects... a pennant banner made of local fabrics

The gifts

The gals

My Happy 37th

This was the first year in many that Craig wasn't a busy, stressed student.  It made for a great birthday.

As per tradition, Craig makes silly hats for birthday breakfast.

and deluxe pancakes.. Vic asked him to do roses for mine.  I think he did quite well.

My birthday gifts, custom wrapping, and birthday cookies

 

 

 

The boys picked out a beaded bracelet for me, and Craig gave me this carved gourd.  I think it is lovely and very Uzbek.  

January Changes - A new haircut, a new scar, and a new smile

Max's first haircut... Max kinda panicked when we arrived so there are no during the haircut photos.  The lady who cuts my hair, Zuli, did it for me for free. Afterwards she completely panicked a bit herself when she realized that Max was a boy and not a girl.  (I thought I had made that clear ahead of time, but with Max's own panic attack, she might have missed.)  Then, she panicked again when she realized it was his first haircut and she had not, according to Uzbek tradition for boys and girls, shaved it all off.  She believes he will now go bald in adulthood, and it will be her fault for not shaving off his baby hair.

Vic decided to scale an unstable table.  Three stitches later all was well.  So, he added a new scar in January.

And, Seth lost a front tooth.  (The second is soon to follow.)