Before starting I should apologize for my writing today as I can’t organize my thoughts and all I write comes from heart and all different thoughts of my busy mind.

For the past week, I wasn’t able to do my normal routines, my chores. Even a simple act of feeding my kids is too much for me and I really have to concentrate and depart myself from TV and my computer to do that. All I do is read news on different website, watch CNN, talk to family and friend in Iran or outside about the unrest in Iran.

For the past week, there has been horrible violence in Iran. My friends, my high school friends who I grew up with are e-mailing me asking to send their message out, telling me to pray for them. I feel ashamed that the only thing that I can do is to just sit at my desk, read and follow the news, or at most join a rally to say that I’m behind them.

They are killing people as if life has no value. There are many pictures and videos posted on twitter, face book, and YouTube. You can see the vast of violence, you can see dead people laying on streets. A young girl named Neda was killed yesterday, the picture is very graphic and I couldn’t stop crying by seeing it.  Last night when I was putting my 2year old daughter to bed, I looked at her and felt grateful to God and my father who made me come out of the country and live in Canada. I don’t want anything like this for my daughter or anyone for that matter. I’m glad that my daughter can live happily and freely, can go to a ballet class and enjoy being herself. And I wish other girls like her live freely and happy and a fulfill life.

I’m wishing for peace, justice, freedom, democracy, and happiness for my birth country, Iran, my fellow people, my friends and family, my heart!!

Until later

The whole weekend I meant to write. I was sweet thinking, maybe I write two or three articles, and didn’t write even single article until now.

It was supposed to be a very organized and smooth weekend, until Iran’s election results revealed. I had called a babysitter for the kids for two hours so I could help my husband clearing and reorganizing and sanitizing our garage.

You see the city had some work done in a creek new our neighborhood and many houses are dealing with rats. This is going to be a whole other story.

Well, I woke up by mom calling from Iran to tell me they are fine. Poor thing she thinks I really pay attention to news, but with her calling, I got suspicious, turned the computer on…and that was the end of my organized weekend.

By noon I had a huge article about the news in Iran, then I decided I don’t want my blog to be political, and didn’t post it. That was waste of time: D

The rest of the weekend, I was torn between my computer, CNN channel, talking over the phone with my family, and taking care of kids and house. I’m and I was so upset and disappointed that couldn’t bring myself to do anything except reading and watching news on Iran. It is sad to see your nation and people in this situation I hope the best for people living in Iran.

That was my weekend and I’m too tired that I think I dozed off here for a few minutes, better get to bed.

How was your weekend?

It’s funny how time passes and kids grow and although you are there every minute of it, your forget how it was a year ago. I was looking at my last year’s posts and noticed that our bedtime routine needs a good update. You can check last year’s post here.

Today my son is four years and three months and daughter two and a half year old. They both go to bed around 8 well, because it’s summer and still quite bright at 8,  around 9pm. But sleepy or not they know they have to stay in their rooms; play, read, or sing until they fall asleep.

The rule works most of the time, and they are good about it. We go and read a book or sing a song for them when they go to bed and then they are on their own. My son takes his cars in the bed and plays with them or reads books, then when he is ready to sleep puts them away turns off the lights and sleeps. My daughter has her books and dolls in her bed with her night light on and then in the middle of play she falls asleep, then I go clean up her bed and turn off the light.

It took persistent and firmness, to get here. They were not happy with the rule at the beginning. But as time passed they are more at ease with it, and they know when they really need us we will be there.

Until later,

Tags: bedtime routine

My daughter is 2.5 years old. She didn’t take pacifier until she was a year old when I decided it was enough of bottles; at around the exact time of the news about BPA in baby bottles. Well she learned to drink from cup but the sucking desire didn’t go away and she found one of my son’s toy pacifier and that was it she was hooked.

I didn’t mind until lately although from the minute my son was born I was against pacifiers. I thought, this was a habit they had to give up, and it would be hard on them and me to do that. Guess what I was right!!!

Here I am at 2:30 in the morning, writing this while she is having peanut butter and honey sandwich. It happened on Saturday; she was at our bed and showed us her pacifier, which had little teeth marks on it. She told me that, this is not good anymore, and I said right go throw it away. She did so with no problem, then my husband and I told her that she is a big kid now and it’s not good for her to suck pacifier and if she do that she gets a present.

I’m not sure if it was too soon or not. But lately she chewed the whole thing not only the nipple. Right or wrong, we did it and I guess she was ready when she threw it in the garbage. It’s been three days and she is good about it at day time, it’s only middle of nights that for the past two night she wakes and cried and is very upset, then she craves something. At least it’s better than the first night that she couldn’t go to sleep without it.

I feel for her but this is life and sometimes life is not fair. Although this was an opportunity for a post for me I hope she gets over this soon or I will have serious sleep deprivation. I would love to hear from you if you did this before or have any ideas for me.

Until later,

Direction:

Cook potatoes and eggs, and skin. Place cooked and cooled chicken and pickles in your food processor with the blade on and pulse until chicken and pickles are cut in to small pieces but are not mashed. Change the blade with shredder and shred potatoes and eggs.

Transfer the ingredient in a large bowl, add salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and mayonnaise and mix well until all ingredients are coated. Let it chill in the fridge for couple of ours.

I love this salad, it’s full of nutritious, and for me it’s a perfect way to use up leftover chicken. Most of the times I don’t cook chicken for this I use leftovers.

It can be a great salad for picnics and BBQs, or as a sandwich in kid’s lunch bag.  I would use pita bread or toast my sliced bread more than usual for sandwiches though, as the salad is wet and can pass the moisture to bread after few hours.

I have made this salad for cocktail and birthday parties as a spread with rice cracker for cocktail party and pita bread for birthday and it was a hit.

Until later,

Tags: appetizers, kids lunch, picnic salad, using leftovers