Consumables

We are leaving so soon! In two weeks we will pack out again, go to New York for a few days and then on to India. Preparations in the lead-up include buying obscene amounts of favorite foods (canned and dry goods that don't spoil quickly) and other items (toilet paper, diapers, shampoo, etc.) that will be sent out with our furniture or as a separate Consumables Shipment. These are things that can be difficult or expensive to get in Chennai, and we're glad that State will ship them for us.

But, if you can imagine trying to plan and buy a year's worth of groceries ahead of time, you can picture what we're going through (and the expense!). Just how much peanut butter is enough for a year? What if Sam doesn't like peanut butter? What if he has one of those toddler phases when PB&J is all he will eat? Does peanut butter count as a liquid under the "no liquid" policy for packages mailed to us later? We don't really drink, but it's expected for hosts to provide wine at dinner parties, and Tamil Nadu is a "dry state" so it's better to buy it here. How much will we need? Should we bother with Kosher wine? Can you get cases of Baron Herzog in Virginia? How many "hostess gifts" will we need? We're supposed to give something that represents where we come from (Knott's Berry Farm Jam, check!). How long will Sam fit into his current size of diapers? What about pull-ups; when do kids start potty training? Dang, better buy a potty. We don't know how our new house is configured- how many baby gates should we get? Babies-R-Us is now on our "to do" list, along with Target, Costco, Trader Joe's, Safeway... multiple trips since our little Prius only holds so much.

Even for someone who enjoys shopping as much as I do, it's a bit daunting. So is the organization; it can take weeks to months for the various shipments to reach us, and some come sooner than others. We have to decide what must get there earlier rather than later, and allocate accordingly. Luckily, if we send our own packages to Chennai now, they should arrive soon after we do.

I'm not complaining, buying consumables is far and away more fun than the packout from L.A. was, or any previous move, actually, except that I don't get to do it with the family and friends who helped me in California. And it's a Foreign Service rite of passage... I'm sure I'll hit a point next spring with way too much peanut butter and not a jar of salsa to be found, and I'll be making a mental note for the next time we're sent to a Consumables Post.

In the meantime, I'll send out an email with our American forwarding address. You know, just in case you want to send us a care package. Without liquids.

Auntie Shar-Shar, Unkey Monkey, and Buddy!

Columbus Day weekend was spent with my brother Adam, sister-in-law Shari and their son Brandon. Sam adopted our "Hey, buddy!" greeting when talking to all of them, and now seems convinced that his cousin is named Buddy (and that all three of them are named Shar-Shar). Of course, he also thinks that cats say his other cousin's name, "Meeeyaah."


We went into the district and had a lovely time walking through the National Mall and wandering around the Jefferson Memorial.

The weekend also included loading up at Costco with supplies for India, and eating at our favorite local restaurants (Hong Kong Palace, Silver Diner, and Original Pancake House!). What we liked most of all was hanging out at home, sometimes even dressed alike (mostly the kids, but Shari and I have similar taste). Sam got his uncle to read books to him, he tried to soothe Brandon with a paci to the eye, and a book of his own. Sam also spent a lot of time sneaking up on the baby for very energetic cuddles. We're working on "gentle".

It was a great weekend, and we're so glad they came to visit us (and not just because their rental SUV held that massive amount of Costco consumables in this photo). We're really going to miss our family!

Jewish New Year

Beth El Hebrew Congregation was a welcoming place to spend the High Holy Days, and we especially appreciated the daytime services for families with young kids, and Rabbi Isserow's fabulous drash at Kol Nidre. Outside of shul, it was great to have Michelle, Jonathan, Joanna and Sage with us for dinner on Rosh Hashanah. When he wasn't overwhelmed by the whirlwind of big girls, Sam loved playing with them (and their Barbies).





Our Yom Kippur Break-fast was graced by Steven and Jen, along with Elise, Eric, Sarit and Gavi. Special guest star Sam refused to go to sleep with a party outside his door, and ran around in his PJs like a maniac. We played a game of "who's traveled where." Elise, Eric and family have so many countries on their list that they have very strict rules, "must have spent a night there," "must have visited a major tourist attraction," "no counting countries that don't exist anymore." Playing by their rules was pretty humbling for us, Steven and Jen. After a few more decades in the FS, we just might catch up with them. :)

Shoes...

True to his genes, Sam loves shoes. Like Mark, he would rather be shod than barefoot (even in his PJs, he'll demand shoos!), and like me, he can never have too many pairs. Here he is, sporting the Elmo slippers his Grandma and Papa gave him:


Sometimes he gets into our shoes on his own:

And sometimes he needs a little help (especially when the shoes are longer than his legs). Usually he finds Daddy's boots to be good places to hide things like cellphones and TV remotes.

Of course, one pair is never enough-

But he does have a healthy appreciation for his bare feet.

Grandma Nancy and Papa Jack

In an embarrasment of riches, Mark's parents came to stay right on the heels of my parents' visit. We had a great time hanging out at home, reading books and playing with new toys, not to mention going to Target so that Papa Jack could get Sam shoes. The Elmo slippers are a new favorite!

The next day, Nancy and Jack took Sam while I had my fun morning of dental work (real crown now, no more silver tooth) and they hit the playground as well as going to the Eden Center next door for a walk. We met Mark after class and took the Metro into D.C. to go to the National Archives and the World War II Memorial, where Sam had to be physically restrained from running into the pool (fountain). At the Archives, right after the Constitution, Sam yelled out, "Ernie!!" wondering where we were hiding him. Walking across the National Mall, we encountered a flock of Canada geese. Sam was amused.

Then we had an amazing pizza dinner at Matchbox. If the restaurant had a changing table in the bathroom (or more than one stall) it would have been perfect. Sorry, inebriated girls from the bar who had to wait for us to change the baby.

Mark's folks made it safely to Union Station the next day, headed out to New York for Chase's opening night of Equus. We hope that their trip to India will last longer. Heck, it'll have to, just to make up for all the time Jack has to spend on airplanes. :)

Grandma Helene and Grandpa Barry

My parents came to visit for almost a week. In D.C., we explored the National Archives, and Mom and Dad checked out the Library of Congress while Sam and I went to the Jim Henson Exhibit at the Smithsonian. After seeing Bert and Ernie (in the fleece) and getting his own Ernie doll, Sam was smitten. He now believes that Ernie lives in every museum, in some other room we're not seeing.

Mom and Dad were thrilled that one of their favorite restaurants from London, Nando's, had opened a branch in D.C. Dad tried to use his Boy Scout orienteering skills to find the restaurant without an address or a map, but in the end a cellphone and 411 were better suited to the terrain. :) Nando's is in D.C.'s Historic Chinatown, where very few of the businesses are Chinese in nature, but they all have to have Chinese signage. Bizarre.

That night we caught the end of services at the temple where we're spending the High Holy Days, and then got takeout from Peking Gourmet (world's best duck; ask the Bush family!) The next morning, we took the opportunity to travel to Colonial Williamsburg. If you have the time, I strongly recommend going in the Fall. Very few crowds, comfortable weather, short lines... There are historical reenactments, treated matter-of-factly by park staff. We asked about the governor's mansion, and were told that it was closed "because of the Revolution. Until tomorrow." The nice thing is that during presentations the interpreters can break character to make allusions to modern concepts and are more about education than just "being period."

Sam was entranced by the sheep, the horses being ridden ("Beh?" "Nope, not a bear. Horse." "Dah?" "Uh-uh, not a dog. Horse." "Hus?!" "Yep, horse."), the many rocks to be found (including one special rock that had, in fact, come from a horse. Yuck.), and the tour bus from the visitors' center to the old town ("Uh buh! Uh buh! Uh buh!" "That's right, a bus!"). We played Mexican Train Dominoes (Helene's Rules, TM) at night in the hotel, and bought Sam a tri-corner hat.

My folks' last night in town coincided with Mark's parents first night, so we all headed over to Ted's to try to convince Grandma Helene, Grandpa Barry, Grandma Nancy and Papa Jack to eat bison. Mixed success on the bison front, but a nice dinner. Sam even got "a moon" (balloon). There was a tearful sendoff at Dulles the next morning, but now Mom and Dad are planning a visit to India. Yay!

Hand Update

Mark wanted me to reassure anyone we haven't spoken with that after the Elevator Incident, Sam's hand made a full recovery. He has a little white spot on one fingernail, and had a small scratch that healed within a couple of days. Yay, baby hands!