Sizdah Bedar 2011

For anyone reading this who isn't sure what Sizdah Bedar is go here.

Since our family members all went home after Persian New Year Saeed and I were left to celebrate Sizdah Bedar on our own last weekend. We went to Winthrop Lake with Saeed's famous sub sandwiches in tow and took our sabzi with us.

 This is what our sabzi looked like on March 21.

 This is what it looked 13 days after being munched on by Tippy, Chappu, and Obis Obis. Still, with both of us holding it with one hand each, we made a wish and threw it. We'll see if the wish comes true.

 This was our view from our blanket. I love Winthrop Lake.

 We weren't really alone at all. It was such a beautiful day we saw Winthrop students...

 ... and families.

 This couple had ducks walk up and check them out.

 Anyone who's been on a picnic with Saeed knows that before long he stretches out to take a nap. I did the same and this beautiful canopy was above our heads.

 I never did sleep though, and got up to take pictures of nature, like this dogwood.

 Dogwood tree blossoms.

close up

These looked like irises except they were white.

beautiful up close

the helicopters of a maple tree

Caterpillars were all over this tree...

... on every budding twiglet...

... and would then race (yes, the first time I have ever seen caterpillars run as fast as they can) single file along the branch to this nest...

... even from up above, they would race down to the nest. It was fascinating.

Back home Saeed put our second compost bin together. You see the first one behind him. We found that we produce so much fruit and vegetable 'waste' that the compost could never form because we were always adding new material to it. With this second, larger bin we should be able to keep adding to one while just spinning the other, allowing it to decompose all the way. We'll see.

January 2011 Visit To Athens

Digging into the pictures I never put up on my blog...

We left snow on our steps and in our yard to drive to Athens in early January. It was a relaxing weekend of just hanging out. I mostly took video, but I start with a photo of ...

... Kai doing some light reading.

Saeed couldn't resist squeezing a very squeezable baby.

It's really hard to remember a time when Kai couldn't crawl:


When Cyrus wakes up from his nap he has rosy cheeks and he can't quite talk right!


He is really delicious when he first wakes up.


Child abuse:


Cyrus is really into imaginative play. I love listening to the running narrative, as in this one with a face flying away.


Kai stands at his control board as the master of his domain.


Why is it so fun to watch a baby eat?

More From Norouz

How nice it is to hear the pitter patter of little feet in our house!

This book is a pop-up book my mom sent the girls when they were little. It's all about the animals that use camouflage to protect themselves. Pull the tab and suddenly you can see them. Cyrus loves this book.

I was impressed that Kai, who can't even walk yet, could coordinate his movements sufficiently to...

... climb up on the car. Ta Da!

Namma and her precious little Grandbubbies.

Our Norouz table had to be up out of little hands' reach, so we placed it on the kitchen table in an irregular fashion. One day we'll be able to set it up properly again!

Martha sent a box of goodies for my birthday and included a cute pink monkey from one of the Mardi Gras parades.

Kai gave him a good thrashing, but then...

... made up for it with a sweet hug.

Each time Tita comes she spends a lot of time with her nephews. Cyrus knows her well, but Kai is probably just getting to know her.

I would say that he finds her worth crawling over for some schmoozling!

Relaxing together.

Saeed, meanwhile, was fixing an awesome Ghormeh Sabzi dinner.

David came over to eat with us and Shirin suggested he take some family pictures since usually one of us is taking the picture and therefore not in it. Cyrus and I were tired and ready to comply. He's still my buddy.

Hellooo? Why are you taking my picture when this is supposed to be a family portrait?

This next series of pictures makes me laugh so much. David is trying to take our family picture but one thing after another goes wrong. First Kai throws up on himself...

... then it appears that Saeed is being eaten by the couch...

... then Cyrus has had enough!

Finally, the Modaresi (Beal) Family March 20, 2011.

And then it all falls apart again. Ha! Oh well.

No, I am not insane. Why do you ask?

Anahita and her Daddy.

Kai and his Mommy.

And then the hugs goodbye as the Modaresi-Beal family leaves for home.

Saeed says Shirin kisses like his Mama used to. Sweet.

This picture makes me cry. These sisters should live closer.

Thanks to David for those family pics.

This video shows how hard it will be for Cyrus as little Kai starts messing with his stuff. I told him that instead of shoving Kai away he could always ask me to move him away. What a good learner.

Peeps Love

No offense to my family, but this picture comes first in the line up. I LOVE peeps, LOVE them. As a vegetarian I won't eat them due to the gelatin, but there is no better thing in this world than a soft vanilla marshmallow body, surrounded by a crunchy sugar coating of colored sugar. They look a little scary actually, like a pink horde of zombies, but I could eat all of them in one sitting (and feel a bit sick afterward.)

Anahita is known for these caprese. They were super yummy.

 

The brain surgeon stands back to admire his work, which the veterinary surgeon feels the need to perfect.

And while all this baby shower prep is dominating the day, Cyrus is glued to whatever Saeed is doing on the computer. Must not be a psych report. Notice his T-shirt, given to him one Father's Day, and Frosty in the background, snoozing on the couch.

Installments

OK. I'm having serious time issues in relation to my blog. I had every intention of doing Norouz pictures but have been doing housework (a loose term for everything I've done the last two days) nonstop. So perhaps I'll just do a picture or two a day. Shirin has already posted about these events anyway, so there's no urgency to any of it.

So here are a couple of pics of the baby shower preparations underway in our kitchen.

The flowers, all growing in our yard, were picked by my sweet daughters for my birthday.

Not only did Shirin put Gabriel to work carving the watermelon, she had him put the party favor bags together. You can see the Mardi Gras beads Martha sent me, some bags getting a set.

That's it for tonight!

Earth Hour 2011

I will try to do some blogging this weekend but for now please watch this first video, for two reasons. A) it's cute, and B) it's cute!

On March 26th at 8:30 pm, people (and animals) around the world are encouraged to turn off all lights, laptops, televisions and unnecessary electronics for one hour to make a global statement about doing things to save our planet.

For more info go here. You can share your videos or pics with the official Earth Hour blog here. Who knows? Maybe they'll post yours!



More great videos:






Funny:

Chicago seems particularly committed, based on the businesses that have committed to go dark at 8:30. Here's the Sears Tower from previous years:

If nothing else, based on some of the people shown in the videos, it looks like a good reason to have a candle-lit party!! So, what will YOU be doing at 8:30 tonight???

Watching Dexter/Listening To Sookie

It's Shirin's fault that I became addicted to the series "Dexter", but addicted I am. Fortunately I have finished all the seasons Netflix has to offer (1 - 4) so I can take a bit of a break, but I will be regularly checking the availability of season 5 as only a true addict does. In case you don't know about this show, Dexter Morgan is a Miami Metro Police Department blood spatter analyst who leads a double life. When he's not helping the homicide division solve murders, he satisfies his dark desires by hunting and killing bad guys who slip through the justice system. You may recognize the actor, Michael C. Hall, since he played in the HBO series "Six Feet Under."

The other thing Shirin got me hooked on is the Sookie Stackhouse series which I've been listening to on audio book. It's a vampire/supernaturals series that takes place primarily in Louisiana. Yes... that's right, vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves and fairies (and more)... "Supes" as Sookie calls them. I'm on the tenth book, the last available at this time; book #11 will be released on May 3rd but I don't think I'll buy it. Accidentally Gabriel didn't put book 6 on my iPod so I bought and read it; it wasn't as good. There's something about listening to this particular series that makes it so much fun. I think it's the excellent reader who does all the voices and really brings it to life. I tried to watch the HBO series "True Blood" based on these novels, but it was so bad I couldn't watch for more than 45 seconds.

I find that my tastes don't naturally run to these bloody, fantastical topics, but I've really enjoyed both of these series (I got hooked on Harry Potter too) and am happy that A) Shirin and Gabriel keep providing me with things I'd never seek out on my own, and B) that I am open to trying new things because I have enjoyed them so much. So thanks guys.