Backstory on Mir Hossein Mousavi and a cheeky take on Parenthood.

So much going on in Iran, if you're like me and want to peel the onion a bit, here is a good piece by Laura Secor on the Washington Note about the history between Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Ali Khamenei. There is also a link here to a more expanded piece.

Because I can't make myself read through any more depressing news about Iran or the Health Care Plan or about the train crash in DC, I will not subject you to it either. There's always CNN.com or if you must, Foxnews.com for that kind of stuff. Instead - let's panic about babies. Yes, you read that right. One of my biggest peeves with being a parent in America is the general hyper-anxiety that is supposed to come with it. Overall, I do not stress about my kids - I get mad, but I do not stress. It actually drives me a little crazy to see that the more a kid has, the more the parents worry about the kid. Look at us, look at our kids - I honestly have never believed that any kid in my social circle will starve or go without an education or be brain damaged due to sleep deprivation. I truly do not worry about kids skipping a meal or scratching the wood floors or staying up till (gasp) 10PM. So, needless to say, I'm a little annoyed in the company of supermoms who get worked up over nap schedules or will spend hours talking about meal planning for toddlers. I do, sometimes, feel pressurd to worry - as in, "Is something wrong with me? Am I not a good mother? Why do I not worry about my kids? So what if they are good kids in a generally healthy home going to great schools? I should find something wrong!!!"
So with all the above said, I want to introduce everyone to ...drumroll, please...my new favorite site "Let's Panic About Babies" Its hilarious, witty, more than tongue-in-cheek and the best part is, it makes me feel vindicated! Hurray for that.

And to finish off in the catty vein, here's a nice little ditty for you to enjoy

Growing Up

Mom and Dad left for India after 3 months with us in Seattle - time to grow up and take charge of my life again. Magical, how responsibility has a way of spurring action. When I knew Mom would take care of breakfast and lunches for the kids, I struggled to wake at 7:30 AM, today I was up at 5:30 AM - we'll see how long this lasts.
Before they left, we snuck in a trip to Mt Rainier - awesome, in the literal sense of the word. Every time I venture out to explore, I am awed at the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and wonder why I don't get out more. Check out some pics of the trip.

The Middle East has dominated the news for the weekend. Of course the elections in Iran are top of mind. I saw a small group of people gathered near the Bellevue Square Mall, protesting the elections. I honked in support but would like to do more. As the protests get louder, the crackdown gets harsher. What's more fascinating is watching the events play out in the social media. Check out the photos on Flickr. There are also Twitter updates and Facebook pages devoted to the issue. Go to Salon.com for a first hand, on the ground account of the post election reality in Iran. Here is a protest video on Youtube


In case you were heralding the speech of Israeli President Netanyahu recognizing the two state solution, here is an analysis of why the statements leave a lot to be desired before we can recognize a maturity in the Israel-Palestine relations.

Happy Monday everyone!!