Thank you for flying Princely Airlines

More than once at the dinner table, Prince has said, "Don't stand up, Mommy. We're on an airplane. We're going to our new home and it's going to take a long time." Then arches his back. "Someone got off." He arches again. "We started again." Apparently airplanes act like buses: he talks about it like his bus stop book.

 -- Joy

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Today Prince came up to both of us to announce that he had a new imaginary game. This is important because we put Mario and all his friends on a one-week vacation: no Mario plushes, no Mario t-shirts, no Mario games, no Mario PRETEND TIME. His new imaginary game: Wonderland Volcano!

Then he tells us: "I got it from Arizona."

[Where did that come from??] Where is Arizona, Prince?

"It's far, far away. We need to get on the airplane that says Arizona on it."

 -- Derrill

Attack of the Soapmeal

"After that, I was surprised I was able to eat oatmeal again," Joy recounts on hearing my title.

Oatmeal is one of the happy foods we can find in Nigeria. Joy wasn't too happy with the oatmeal though - it didn't taste quite right. So she bought several different brands from different parts of the world so we could try them out.

When the Papa Bear tried his oatmeal, he thought it tasted a little off, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

 When Mama Bear tried her oatmeal, she thought it tasted TERRIBLE. "It tastes like soap!" she declared.

When Baby Bear tried his oatmeal ... no, baby bear doesn't eat oatmeal anymore. Nevermind.

I agreed, there was a hint of something in the oatmeal, .... and come to think of it, it does bear a remarakable resemblance to soap...

Then we switched oatmeals. Yes, indeedy! That's soap alright! That is the nastiest oatmeal we have ever had. "I wonder how they made soap look like oatmeal," Joy laughs.

On the other hand, it was the best tasting soapmeal we ever had. "It's the most convincing of being soap. Maybe I shouldn't have thrown it away. Maybe we should have washed some things in it."

Now we're on a third oatmeal and it seems to be satisfying.

Prince’s New Favorite

On my way home from the US, I had a lot of quarters, nickels, and dimes to get rid of. I had neglected to do this at a bank or a change machine along the way. So I decided to dump them in the airport by buying miscellany.

I got a Sudoku book and some food … and some Reese’s Pieces. Nom nom nom. I ate my first little bag all to myself. It was yummy. I saved the other bag for Halloween.
At Halloween, I broke it open. Joy shared one or two pieces with me, graciously. Prince was reluctant to try it, but when we told him they were like M&Ms and filled with peanut butter, he would try one without gagging, at least. He was concerned that they were too crunchy, and that they were Smartees, which he tried and didn’t like.
Do you like it? No, no, he doesn’t. He doesn’t want another.
A few minutes later though, I offered him another and he did take it.
A few minutes later, I offered him another and he took two.
I pulled out a handful and watched him eat one after another like a chain smoker. I asked if he liked them. “No,” he said munching away.
He had a couple little handfuls and was quite happy.
With some effort, I saved the last of the pieces for him so we could finish them off together tonight. When we did, he had no sooner finished than he said he wanted more.
I’m sorry – we don’t have any more.
“Then let’s get some more.”
We can’t get them here. I brought these from America.
“Then let’s go bring some more from America.”
I’m sorry, son, but it’s going to be a long time before we’re there again.
WELL, that opened a long conversation beginning with “Why?” But at any rate, it is official: Prince has a new thing he will eat happily. Thank you, ET.
-- Derrill

Some fun moments

Prince ran in to the living room where I was laying down for a few minutes. He jumped up to me, struck a proud gangsta pose, and shouted, "I OBEYED!" I have not idea what he was obedient about, but getting some positive feedback was apparently well worth the effort.

"I know," says my Lady. "I didn't want him making Princess wiggle off the chair any more, so I told him to leave her alone. Then I walked away. He followed me and said, "Mommy, I obeyed." Yes, you did, I agreed. Then approaching you was the next step in the story."

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Prince managed to earn over 20 points today alone (clean underwear, reverence, and helpfulness). He had an immense amount of fun counting his points and translating them into games: "I can play Mario DS and Rainbow Game at the SAME TIME!"

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Prince was choosing his pajamas: "Daddy, I can wear my green shirt to bed tonight, and then I can wear my other green shirt tomorrow for school so I can be Luigi!" He gets to be Mario every day normally at school, so I guess being Luigi is a different costume for him.

My classes will be greeted by Karl Marx, a departure from my more normal performance as Groucho, but since the topic will be on times when markets don't work that well, it seemed appropriate. Princess and Joy are likely to look a lot like themselves.

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Speaking of class, on Wednesday I ran an auction in my principles of microeconomics classes to demonstrate that normal people really do behave the way we claim and they really do find this market equilibrium price. I was amazed at how my normally quiet classes I struggle to be able to hear turned into a leaping cacophony (where I struggled to hear one voice out of so many). At one point I had 4 students racing up to me trying to be the one who would get to accept someone's bid. I came home with a mighty sore throat, but it was an immensely fun class. 

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Books Joy and I have been reading:

I read at night trying to push work out of my thoughts for a few minutes so I can fall asleep and during the shuttle home when it's too dark to grade. I've read a couple Agatha Christie mysteries, Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Elven Princess, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish, Thirst (a vampire story), The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Face, The Girl Born of Smoke, A Christmas Carol, and Macbeth - all on iPad. I've also worked on Plato's Ethics, The Mortal Messiah, The Hobbit, Lessons from Dead Economists, Are Economists Unethical?, and Dracula's Guest, plus miscellaneous blogs, Church publications, and scriptures.

Joy reads while feeding Princess and has gone through a couple dozen romance books on her Kindle. 

Velveteen ________

A week or so ago, I got fed up reading Prince's books and decided it was high time to expose him to Literature (other than our nightly scriptures). I mean, my parents were reading Tolkien to each other in our presence for years before this, and since I picked up the Hobbit again the other week, I've been chomping at the bit. But before unleashing Smaug on the poor boy, I thought I'd better start with some shorter, tamer stuff. Easier words might help.

Thanks to my slightly-broken iPad, I can download a world of literature at my fingertips and picked The Velveteen Rabbit to start with. I haven't read it in at least half my lifetime, and only watched the cartoon a couple times, but it was right up the alley I was looking for.

Tonight is when ***UNMEANINGFUL SPOILER*** the fairy showed up, so we'll finish the book next time. Just before I turned out the light, Prince asked if we could read it again when we finish. Yes, I think so.

Of the thoughts that brought tears to my eyes, one was wondering whether I'm praying that he is the Rabbit and that my love will be enough to make him a Real Boy, or whether I'm the Rabbit and I pray his love will be enough to make me a Real Dad.

4 months old

 gga! That means greetings in Princess-talk. It's how my daddy talks to me.

Today I turn 4 months old. I'm starting to learn to put everything in my mouth, including not just my thumb, but Daddy's! I usually sit on his lap during dinner and he bounces me on his leg. Sometimes for fun, he offers me a bite of whatever he's eating. Sometimes for fun, I grab his hand and bring the food up to my mouth to see if he's serious. No luck yet, but someday I will get to taste his peanut butter sandwich. Mom and Dad are very glad I want to put things in my mouth.

 My brother is pretty cool. He makes me laugh. He's trying to get me to say, "I want a peanut butter sandwich," but I'm sticking to vowel sound practices with Daddy right now. I always like it when he tries to tickle me under my chin.

I can push myself up on my tummy. I can climb to a standing position if someone will support me. I sometimes sit down and then stand up again just to practice. I really want to stand. I'm not too interested in sitting up just yet, though.

Daddy has a lot of games he enjoyed playing with my brother, but I don't like most of them. I let him know I do not want to be tossed around or spun. I don't get to see too much of Daddy this semester because he works every evening and most every night. But I always give Daddy a big smile when he comes home or spends a little time with me. I like it when he holds me and I can snuggle close to him.

Prince tells me that for a long time, Daddy changed more of his diapers than Mommy did. I don't think Daddy has changed even one of my diapers in the last two weeks, though he may have gotten in one in the last month. And that's once of my favorite times of the day! I don't think Daddy ever imagined he would miss the chance to change a diaper, but he does.

I do like bouncing on my legs or on his leg, and spinning in my new Exersaucer. My brother was very nice to let me use it. I'm not too keen on playing with the toys on top yet, but Mommy had my grandparents send me a squeeky giraffe as an early Christmas present. It's supposed to be a teething toy, but for me it's a toe-ing toy. I step on it while in the saucer and it squeeks! How fun! I also like spinning around in the saucer, but I grip tightly so the whole thing moves instead of just my seat.

Another toy that came with our shipment was this jungle gym. I don't care too much about the toys at my hands (notice the pattern?) but I love kicking with my feet.

I have a fun game I play just before going to bed. I get my "last drink" for the night, and after the first bit, I pause. I look up at Mommy and smile winsomely. I grin. I laugh. I have another sip. I look at her and grin. I laugh. I have another sip. I can keep from going to bed for a good long while like that!

Then Mommy or Daddy sings me to sleep. I sleep from about 7 or 8pm until 5-7am. I don't like waiting for Mommy to shower all that much, but when she comes to get me, I give her a great big smile from my playpen in the morning. Mommy takes such very good care of me and always lets me accompany her wherever she goes in the house. I spend a lot of my day being held by Mom, and some of it sitting up in my car seat when she washes dishes or otherwise has to have both her hands. I don't like being out of her hands, though.

Buying Fans

Yes, did anyone know that I am running for election and want to buy your votes. I am just kidding.
Last week I was doing some grocery shopping and had finished buying food. I asked my driver if he knew a place that I could buy a fan to move air around in our home. I was really hoping to find two. The first place that we went to was asking more than I was willing to pay for one fan, so we left and were headed home, when I saw a place across the street with fans. We stopped, I chose a couple of fans, put them in the car and we went home. I was happy to have found the fans at a reasonable price.
When we got home I plugged in one of the fans. It worked for maybe 5 minutes. The other fan was then quickly plugged in and turned on. It sounded wonderful, only you could stand right in front of it and not feel any breeze at all. I was really disturbed. In Nigeria they do not give out receipts unless you ask specifically for them and I had no idea as to whether or not I would be able to exchange them for working fans.
The next day I contacted the driver that took me the day before (not my regular driver) and was determined to find out what could be done. We loaded up the fans and took them back. I was grateful to see the same lady there at the store. I told her that neither one of the fans I bought the day before worked and she told me to come in and sit down while they put together another fan for me. A man got a box and started assembling one fan. I was nervous about the number of fans, but I was very happy that she was willing to give some reimbursement.
As I sat there chatting with her, I learned that she has two sibling in the United States, a 9 mo old, 5 children, likes fried rice. Some normal kind of stuff. But there was a guy, I think her brother who came in and was really random in his attempts at conversation. He told me to buy him a CD player. I was incredulous and said no. Then he suggested that he buy one for me. I told him I didn’t need one. Then he suggested that I was wearing a wig, no I assured him that all of my hair was my own. And then he told me that he was going to follow me to the US. I said no, you can go there, but I don’t want to be followed. Of course all of these pieces of conversation were wreathed with laughter.
At some point I asked if I was going to get a second fan, and she said yes and another one was brought out. I had them plugged in this time and stood in front of them to make sure that air was coming out of the front and that they would run for more than a couple of minutes. It was a pleasant visit and before I left the lady told me that I was now her friend and that I should think of her whenever I make fried rice and bring her some sometime. She also offered to make me Nigerian food sometime. I am glad that I decided to go back and didn’t cut my losses.

The Prodigal Returns 2

I left for Des Moines for the World Food Conference two weeks ago Monday. The Saturday before I left we got the wonderful email about the return of the sacque. When I told Joy I had wonderful news and she wouldn't believe it, she guessed that our stuff had suddenly arrived. No, I said, that would be quite the miracle.

And then I got this little ping inside me ... yes, it would be something else, wouldn't it? I wonder....

Well I had to head to campus that Saturday to print midterms anyway, so I got on one of the few weekend shuttles in to town. On my way, Pres. Ensign's secretary called. Our stuff had arrived and could I please come in to get it?

What??!? HUZZAH!

We shipped our things to New Orleans where a warehouse was gathering the shipments from many professors, all of which would be sent on to Nigeria at one time. And there it sat. For months. It would still take 2-3 months to ship it to us once it finally left the warehouse, and then another month crossing Nigeria from Lagos after someone paid what are delicately called "customs fees". We were beginning to look at a Christmas without our things. In planning for my Des Moines trip, we had planned that I was bringing two large, empty suitcases to fill with things from WalMart we needed. A good portion of the list included things we had shipped ourselves - especially medicine - and only carried a 3 month supply of when we moved here.

Then Pres. Ensign got fed up with the wait and had it all flown to us!

Sarcasm fail

Prince has been sick for closing in on a week now: low-grade fever and a pretty ineffectual cough since Sunday. He's been miserable. He's been more miserable because we actually keep him down on the couch, a state my active little boy is never in. He may have been a little sick while I was in Des Moines last week, but the real illness at least managed to wait until I got back. Since I've been home grading midterms this week, I've been able to take a few shifts watching over him, poor thing.

After the few bites of breakfast he could stomach, we turned on Mary Poppins for him. While Joy and I finished our breakfasts [I made french toast!], I made snide comments about Mr. Banks. Then Prince called out demanding some attention.

Mr. Banks had just sung, "I'm the lord of my castle," so I came over, saying, "Yes, your Lordship."

He cried out, "No, Daddy! I'm not a ship!"

:?D
 -- Derrill

Ode to a potato peeler

Returning from the States, I presented my Lovely and Gracious with a token of mine esteem. It was not on the shopping list she sent me.

It was ... a potato peeler.

She has spoken raptures about it since, and I thought it would appropriate to join her rejoicings with those of generations past:


I had forgotten how great a perfect potato peeler can be. We may actually have potatoes now. - Joy

It is a truth universally acknowledge that a potato peeler in posession of a good blade must be in want of a potato. - Jane Austen [Pride, Prejudice, and Potatoes, p. 1]

And men are instructed sufficiently that they know a good potato peeler from an evil one. - Lehi [2nd Nephi 2:5]

Not "virtues" but "Virtue" is his ideal, and Virtue is nothing other than the duty of the potato peeler. -- Schiller [On grace, dignity, and Potatoes]

A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges his potato peeler has grown dull. - Mark Twain

Westley: I mean, if only we had a potato peeler! That would be something.
Inigo: Where did we put that potato peeler the albino had?
Fezzik: Over by the albino, I think.
Westley: Well, why didn't you list that among our assets in the first place?
 -- Scene from The Potato Bride

A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has a good potato peeler, women will like him. - Mae West

All the world's a potato peeler,
And all the men and women merely potatoes.
They have their eyes and their bruises,
And one man in his pot makes many meals.
               - Shakespeapre, As You Like Potatoes, Act II, scene vii, 139-142