truth be told...

it was kind of a rough week/weekend.  To start off, I feel a bit cheated by the weather here.  Meskel has come and gone and where we were promised sunshine, the rain continues.  We've been having consistent power inconsistency!  HA!  Last week the generator ran for more two full days straight.  Then when the city power finally came back on, our home couldn't connect and ran on generator until someone came out to fix it.  The US government shutdown has us all feeling a bit down.  Just disapointed and under appreciated.  The internet left with the power and never came back on.  We were left with little power, no TV (AFN is run my the government) and no internet.  To top it off, a huge circuit in my kitchen blew during a power surge in the middle of my baking for Market Day.  Fighting back tears, I packed up my scones and baked them at a neighbors house.

Justin and I were pretty grumpy this past weekend, we count on talking to our families on the weekends and Justin relies on AFN and the internet to watch his football games.  We went to Octoberfest on Saturday night; our first date night in ages.  I declared it a dud when I got to the front of the German sausage line and saw the tub of Americas Choice yellow mustard sitting there.  It's the little things folks.  Can't a girl get real German mustard for her German sausage at a GERMAN OCTOBERFEST?  Is that too much to ask? When it rains it pours and little things like nasty yellow mustard feel extra awful!

But I'm trying to look on the bright side of things.  The internet miraculously came back yesterday after hardly even a bleep for a week.  The sun is shining today and that is a huge relief.  We've discovered a new grocery store that is closer to our home.  The less time we have to sit in the car on the roads in Addis is good.  My poor Adelaide is sitting on the school bus to and from school longer right now due to all the road construction and traffic in the city.  On a good day she gets on the bus after school at 2:45 pm and arrives home at 4:45 pm.  Poor girl stumbles in the door carsick and parched.  It totally stinks living so far away from the school.

But I digress back to complaints. Sorry!

Here is what is helping me feel cheery today:

• Avocados are amazing right now in Addis.  Big and creamy and sweet.  I'm eating at least one a day.  Justin likes them chopped with tomatoes and onions.  Bella and I like them sliced with a little lime juice and salt. Addie and Ash pass all together!

• Nuts.com is my new favorite website.  We're trying all sorts of their dried fruit and veggies.  The fruit chips are amazing.  I struggle to get my girls to eat fruit and veggies like most mothers in this world.  I've discovered they like crispy freeze dried fruit!  It's such a great snack.  More on nuts.com in another post soon.  

• Halloween is coming and we've been decorating already!

• Ashlynn Olivia turns two next week.  Holy moley my baby is growing up.  She's so stubborn and independent.  This age is so challenging.  She wants to be with me even when I'm busy and the only way I can keep her entertained is to let her "cook" right along with me.  She gets bowls full of flour (the crappy store brand I ordered last time just to see if it was any good-it's not), measuring cups and spoons.  She's in heaven and I get a few rushed moments to bake.  

• Two new albums my husband downloaded for me (before the internet crapped out) are Chvrches The Bones of What You Believe (perfectly 80's) and Lourde's Pure Heroine.  Justin is the music guru in our house.  He's much cooler than me in all honesty, he chooses the music in our house and these two are my new favorites.  
• Eggs.  I love eggs.  They just might be my favorite food.  Fun fact about me: I eat a two egg omelet with salt, pepper and  a sprinkle of cheese every single morning!  Anyway, I topped my lemon vegetable risotto with a fried egg the other night for dinner and it was pretty amazing.  BTW- making a beautiful photo-worthy fried egg is harder than it looks.  HA!