The Heusens

What have I been up to recently, you ask (or don't ask)? Well thank you for asking (or not asking). Let me tell you.

I have been enjoying morning coffee. I cheated a few posts ago by posting a stock photo of a latte. Here is a real photo of a latte that Kris made two days ago. I say you are a liar if you say you are not impressed by the skill and artistry. All foam designs courtesy of our new $14 foaming pitcher.


We have been cooking. So far this week: Ming Tsai and Giada. Maryn actually MET Giada the other day at a book signing. Maryn was already obsessed with her, and this put her over the edge.* Maryn's enthusiasm inspired me to make Giada's Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza.

I have never made pizza before. (And sadly, I don't have a pizza stone. Although happily, my birthday is coming up. Even more happily, I am super subtle. But I digress...) I think there is an art to pizza making. I wanted to use TJ's pizza dough, which I have had before and think is decent. But Kris did the grocery shopping and because he is a "man" did not ask where it was located when he couldn't find it. So we used Pillsbury. I think this recipe would have been very good, but for the pizza dough. It needed to be thinner, crispier, and more refined. But I loved the flavor combination with the squash and gorgonzola. All this is to say that if you know how to make good pizza dough, then do it. Otherwise, don't.


*Please note that although many people loove Giada, she is actually quite a polarizing figure. Erin does not like her, but does not hate her. But Monica...well, Monica hates her. Monica's quaint "nickname" for Giada is Giada De F***Head. How's that for catchy? I do have to admit that the nickname caught on. I now refer to Giada as GDF, rather than GDL. And Kris doesn't like her over-the-top enthusiasm:


We've also been trying Ming Tsai recipes from his "Simply Ming" cookbook, which could maybe be renamed as "Simply Ming Sucking". His recipes seem like they have potential...good flavor combinations, but somehow they miss the mark. It's like his recipe tester took a vacation or something. This week, Kris made his Pan-Seared Sirloin with Melted Black Pepper-Garlic Napa Cabbage (good flavors, but the sauce was waaay too runny) and the Wok-Stirred Curry-Ginger Beef and Leeks (surprisingly unflavorful):


Body Image Issues and Working Out. I have been working out three times a week for the past five weeks. And am I resentful that Kris was able to keep up with me today, even though he has not worked out in a year? OF COURSE NOT!

And am I resentful that when I asked Kris whether my stomach looked pouchy, his response (rather than "No! What are you talking about?!") was "Sweetheart, you did just have a baby...your abdominal wall is just very weak." OF COURSE NOT!

School finance research. I am madly writing a paper on California school finance for the APPAM conference in two weeks. I always procrastinate on my paper-writing. But not to worry, last night was super fun! I realized at 2 a.m. that the summation of the budget divided by the summation of enrollment for all schools is totally NOT equal to the summation of the (budget/enrollment) divided by the number of schools. Which only negated, like, half a day's work! And what could be more amazing, fulfilling, and precious than that? It's moments like these that make me realize how fulfilling a career in research really can be!

Three months old! And hair balls. Saya turned three months old yesterday! I have to say that I'm really enjoying her emerging personality. She is more alert, animated, and smiley in general. Also: manipulative and grabby.

She knows things. Like, if she grunts, farts, sighs loudly, and kicks incessantly for half an hour, we will eventually give up and pull her into bed with us to shut her up. It is truly a war of attrition and she is winning! Pulling her into bed wouldn't be so bad if she hadn't recently learned to grab and then yank my hair as hard as possible.

I pulled Saya into bed last night after she woke up four(!) different times. I was then awoken several more times throughout the early morning as she grabbed 3-5 strands of my hair at a time and successfully ripped all of them out of my head. When I officially woke up, I surveyed the bed and found a disturbing amount of my hair on the pillows and sheets. For your viewing pleasure, I gathered it together into a little ball, proudly displayed to Saya's right:


I estimate that the summation of the lost hairs divided by the summation of the hairs on my head will approach 1 as Saya approaches 1 year.

Posted by Ashlyn at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Have you seen this?



This is a real video. Not a fake. The best/worst part: the dude screaming "Noooo!"

Posted by Ashlyn at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

...in no particular order:

1. Hurricane Chris' Ay Bay Bay. Every time I hear this song I feel attitude coming on. I hold my head a little higher and pooch out my lips. I know it's old but it gets me every time.


2. Snapea Crisps. Emma turned me on to these at one of her parties. Don't doubt my ability to down an entire bag in five minutes.


3. Kris' hands and feet. They are manly and sexy. And his feet are manly without being gross and covered in hair, callouses and yucky toenails. Let's be honest...that doesn't happen often.

You know that song by the Pussycat Dolls that goes "Dontcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" I could easily change the lyrics to "Dontcha wish your husband had feet like Kris?"


4. Burrata cheese. With fleur de sel, cherry tomatoes and a baguette. Thank you!


5. New Zealand. Have you seen the pictures from our trip? It was amazing! (This is not a stock photo...it is an actual photo we took).


6. The lattes that Kris makes me every morning. You should see the foam and the crema! It is truly expert.


7. Saya Power!

Posted by Ashlyn at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

My post-doc adviser, Linda Darling-Hammond, is Barack Obama's education adviser and his presumed pick for Secretary of Education. Last night, she debated McCain's education adviser, Lisa Graham Keegan, at Teacher's College (Columbia University).

Unfortunately, the debate was not televised, but you can view the webcast of the debate online at EdWeek. I just watched it tonight and have been sweating it out. Debates are so much more stressful when you know the person involved! I felt really emotionally invested.

Lisa Graham Keegan is an Arizona state bureaucrat with significant education experience. Education Week named Linda Darling-Hammond as one of the ten most influential people in U.S. education (the only full-time academic to make the list). I thought LDH did really well. She cited a crazy number of statistics (which she knows completely off the top of her head because she is horrifyingly brilliant), and did a much better job than Keegan at citing specific examples of how and what Obama plans to fund for education.

Keegan also did well. She comes across as very polished - almost corporate - and speaks very crisply. And I think her ideas sound compelling and innovative. But as an education policy researcher, I thought that many of her ideas were not backed by sound research about what we know works in education. For example, Keegan kept emphasizing the importance of school choice (charter schools and vouchers) and pay-for-performance. I'll grant that these are "maverick" policy positions, but LDH had sound research-based rebuttals for each point. For example, there are mixed results about charter school efficacy. My favorite LDH sound bite: "Choice doesn't do much if all it does is move around the deck chairs on the Titanic."

Keegan talked a lot about how we don't need to spend more money in education to improve outcomes...we just need to spend it more efficiently (since the 1960s, per pupil expenditures have increased exponentially, while student achievement remains relatively flat). I thought she did a good job arguing about efficiency.

LDH agreed that money needed to be spent more efficiently, and gave concrete examples of how funding could be directed to produce the desired outcomes. LDH also talked about how we need to make investments in education in order to reduce future costs to society (like the costs of the penitentiary system...she cited how some states use 3rd grade student achievement scores to predict how to budget for the number of prison beds they will need later on...crazy!).

There was an awkward moment when LDH cited a study by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) about how the Washington, DC charter school movement did not improve student achievement. Keegan responded by saying that IES - a branch of the federal government - was an anti-charter institution. LDH said "IES is the federal government!" It was a big mistake on Keegan's part...she should know exactly what IES is, considering it is one of the major players in the federal education policy arena. People in the audience actually started laughing in disbelief when Keegan made that comment. (After, Keegan didn't have a very good response when asked about how IES would prioritize the federal government's research priorities).

Overall, I thought both did pretty well in the debate. But I can't help but wonder how much any president - or the federal government, for that matter - can achieve in education. States control most of what happens in their schools. So to a large extent, I think it's a little bit useless, for example, to talk about pay for performance when states would have to enact them within the strictures of their collective bargaining agreements. Or to talk about raising standards when states set their own standards and create their own assessments. Talking about how to use titled funding (Title I, Title II, etc.) is productive, but I'm not sure about the rest of it.

A final note: Keegan rudely interrupted LDH a few times, which I found distasteful. And she also talked about how "Hispanics in Arizona" needed representation for "their" schools. I found the reference fugly. I fully acknowledge that school segregation is a sad reality. But it was just something in the way she said it - like she was talking about "them" as an "other" or something. It came across not only as entitled...but also like she tacitly accepts that this is the way things are.

Also, her statement about how a student in a low-income school could come home with an "A" on an assignment that would be a "C" in any high-income school. It really rubbed me the wrong way. She should have said "low-achieving" and "high-achieving" instead of "low-income" and "high-income". Yes, there is a correlation between income and achievement. But there are a significant number of low-income, high-achieving students. And comments like that are insulting. I don't mean to mine this comment too much. But I do feel like her words revealed her personal biases, and I found that to be YUCKY POOPOO.

P.S. I love to end all discussions with YUCKY POOPOO these days. It really helps put things in perspective.

Posted by Ashlyn at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Congratulations to our dear friends Andrew and Michelle, who just had their baby boy Trajan on October 14th!

Here is the family: Andrew, Michelle, their daughter Catia, and little Trajan (AKA Sriracha Baby):


Trajan's full name is Trajan Michael Alexander Escobar. Doesn't his name sound warriorlike and drug-lordish, in a really awesome way? I like to think that the Escobars are kind of like the Sopranos of the intellectual elite. Trajan fits in nicely with that image.

When Catia was born, I thought she looked exactly like Andrew. And I think Michelle was wondering where her DNA went! Well, I think it resurfaced in Trajan! I think they have the same mouth (don't you, Michelle?).

Congratulations to the Escobars on their beautiful baby boy!

To view details of Michelle's labor and - gulp - all natural birth(!!!) go here.

Another note: Um, Michelle is crazy! Do not try to keep up with/compare yourself to this woman. Only a week after baby #2 and she is already Fully Functional. Whaaa?! Blogging, running her household, engaging in political debate, and talking about how Catia has already adjusted to their new life and routines. Crazy, I know. I feel like I'm still on a permanent vacation from what polite folk refer to as "personal hygiene."

Posted by Ashlyn at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

There are a few things I try not to think about. Otherwise I start obsessing and they drive me crazy.

Everyone is a little OCD about a few things. I am totally OCD about cleaning my ears and bellybutton. I know, it's weird. I clean my ears every day with a Q-Tip. And when I shower, I spend a lot of time making sure that all the nooks and crannies in my ears are squeaky clean.

A few months after I first met Kris, he told me about a "weirdo" friend of his who obsessively cleaned his ears every day. In a small voice I asked "what's wrong with that?"

Last year, I somehow became convinced that maybe I had some earwax deep down in my ear. I blame this on Oprah, because she had Dr. Oz on as a guest and he said that using a Q-Tip would actually pack all the earwax down into your ear. So I had a doctor check on it during my annual physical. She said I had absolutely no wax at all in either ear. So I was relieved.

The other thing I should mention is that the concept of ear coning is extremely appealing to an ear-obsesser like me. However, I have determined (after extensive online research) that sticking a cone into your ear and lighting it on fire does not actually (as claimed by some websites) "suck out the impurities that are attached to the neurons in your ear."

Onward.

My bellybutton is, unfortunately, a black hole. Kris has already elaborated about it in an earlier post. But let me explain. I have never seen the bottom of my bellybutton...not even when I was nine months pregnant. Think about that. Isn't it kind of creepy...to not know where the bottom is? On top of that, it feels weird if you poke it, making bellybutton explorations even more creepy and weird. Because I could never see the bottom, I've been obsessed with keeping it clean. I always kinda dig around in there with a Q-tip, even though it feels creepy and weird.

My bellybutton got even more weird after I had an appendectomy, where the surgery is performed through the bellybutton. Now it is a scarred bottomless pit. While I was pregnant, I found this little black thing in it and couldn't get it out. It was deep, deep, deep in my bellybutton. And I obsessed over it for days because I couldn't figure out how to get it out. Finally I got it out. I won't disclose the method I used (gross) or what I found (gross) but let's just say that it sufficiently grossed out a few people (although, to Marsha's credit, she "really enjoyed" the story). Now my bellybutton is even deeper than before. Agggghhhh!

Now I am experiencing OCD by proxy. I am obsessing over Saya's ears and bellybutton. Part of me feels justified because of my ape roots. My logic goes like this: "Oh, I'm not a weirdo! I'm just giving into the natural tendencies of our ape predecessors to pick and pick and pick at things!" Other times I just feel bad for her.

Part of the problem is that babies do seem to have a lot of earwax. And I stare directly down into her earholes when she is breastfeeding...like eight times a day. She used to have this little whitehead thing in one of her ears and I swear...it was all I could do not to try to poke at it until it went away. Kris tells me not to worry about her ears because they are "self-cleaning"...but if they are, then why the heck is there all that wax?

Also...there is umbilical residue in her bellybutton still. Apparently, it's not ready to come out. Because...I've tried to get it out. And it is like "hell no, we won't go." I would like to mention that I do not keep picking when Saya expresses discomfort. What do you think I am, a monster?

I try not to think about these things too much. Because it (1) makes me think about it even more and (2) makes me think I am just a little bit crazy.

Please leave me a comment and tell me how you're crazy too.

Posted by Ashlyn at 1:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here's a funny David Sedaris article about undecided voters. David Sedaris is one of Ashlyn's favorite writers. I think he can be occasionally hilarious. This article is one of those times.

One gem:

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of sh*t with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

Posted by Kris at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

I know a lot of people reading this will probably disagree with me. But I want to make a post about something I feel really passionate about: Voting NO on California's Proposition 8. Prop 8 proposes to amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, ending the right of same-sex couples to marry.

I know this is a divisive issue, and so far I've heard a couple of different voices on the "pro" side:

1. Those who are morally opposed to same-sex relationships, seek to legislate against it, and do not believe in extending the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples (e.g., health benefits, etc.)

2. Those who just don't like the idea of marriage including non-heterosexual couples. As best I can tell, these folks have more of a semantic issue with "marriage". These folks might not be opposed to extending all the legal benefits of marriage to same-sex couples, but they just don't want the term "marriage" to be interpreted as anything but a heterosexual relationship.

I've also heard the following arguments launched by folks in groups (1) and (2):

The Slippery Slope Argument: Once you start allowing gay relationships to be included in the definition of marriage, what's next? Human-animal relationships? This argument seems related to the argument that "marriage" between men and women is somehow "threatened" by the prospect of including same-sex couples and needs to be "protected."

Here is my response to these things. Hopefully, if you're on the fence, I can convince you to vote NO on Prop 8.

If you're in Group 1 (morally opposed to homosexuality), then I'm not going to kid myself that I can convince you. All I can do is appeal to your sense of compassion, which I hope is deeper than your sense of self-righteousness in legislating others' lives. Think of this as an individual-level issue. Think of your closest gay friend. Would you deny him/her the right to marry their long-term partner? What reasons would you give to tell them that they did not deserve the same happiness and legal protection afforded the rest of us, because of their sexuality? If your son or daughter were gay, or your sibling, what would you tell them? This is an issue that intimately affects the lives of millions of Americans. To me, this is an issue that should be independent of whether I agree with particular group's lifestyle. It's an issue of allowing others to enjoy the same dignity, rights, and happiness that I enjoy by virtue of my biology.

I honestly do not understand the folks in Group 2, so I'm not sure how to address this. Except to ask exactly how marriage is threatened unless we exclude same-sex couples from the definition. What does it mean to protect marriage by excluding same-sex couples from getting married? I have yet to hear a clear response to that question.

It's not like marriage is a pie, and that if more people have access to the pie, it means less access for others. As far as I can tell, the biggest threat to marriage is divorce! Pretty basic! And if we are concerned about protecting marriage - and feel that we need to legislate people's private lives - then we should be legislating against the causes of divorce, and maybe making it really hard to get divorced or something. I have yet to hear of a single case where a heterosexual couple's marriage was threatened by the fact that a same-sex couple got married, too. (Although, I will grant you that if my husband was bothered by same-sex marriage, it would threaten my marriage. Ha ha. Touche Prop 8 supporters. Touche).

I visited the Prop 8 website. It says Prop 8 is "Restoring Marriage and Protecting California Children." Again, how does gay marriage endanger California children? I fail to see the connection. Another headline from the website: "Opponents want gay marriage taught in schools!" Well, I should hope so...I mean, it's culturally relevant and it, like, happens. I don't understand why that is such a "gotcha!" accusation. Guess what, guys? We want SCIENCE taught in schools, too!

And for those arguing the slippery slope argument. All I can say is, yes, it is a slippery slope! I mean, two hundred years ago, African Americans and women did not have the franchise. First, African American men got the franchise. And it was all downhill from there until women got the vote too.

Same with equal protection: race, gender, and now sexual orientation. It's not hard to see that our values and morals change with time. Even those staunchly opposed on a moral basis to Prop 8 (many church leaders, etc.) would probably not argue that it is a sin for women to wear short-sleeved shirts, or use birth control, or for people to drive on the Sabbath. Yet these were considered sinful behaviors in recent history. Now, we think nothing of these things that used to be taboo. Say what you want about the deterioration of society. But the bottom line is that our laws will reflect our cultural norms. And if, at some point, human-animal relationships become de rigeur in our society, we may have another Proposition on the ballot. So what? If it comes to that, it will be because a large enough constituency thinks it's normal. Pedophilia was commonplace in ancient Greece, and aristocrats often viewed pederast relationships as status symbols. I find that morally reprehensible because I am a product of my culture, but would not have, if I grew up in ancient Greece. Even things that are extremely taboo in our culture have never been moral absolutes.

Voting No on Prop 8 also makes economic sense by increasing local revenues (through sales taxes) and by making it less difficult for same-sex couples to obtain benefits, thereby reducing reliance on government transfers.

Two final points:
1. What ever happened to the separation of church and state?
2. I find it interesting that many Republicans who are against big government and have very libertarian approaches to their tax philosophy are so compelled to legislate others' private lives. Isn't the point of the Republican party to keep the government out of our homes? (OK, I know, I know, Dubya did not get that memo...but still...).

Posted by Ashlyn at 1:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

The little one is already turning into a major ITAZURA!*

This photo shows her scheming her next caper. Here's what I imagine is going on in her head:

Hmm... What can I get away with next? Another 6am crying session? Would that be the best way to emotionally manipulate mom and dad? Or should I scream every time dad tries to pick me up? Oh, I should only do it if mom is around. Hah! And how can I make use of my newly discovered... powers... of GRABBING!

Yes, this little angel has a dark side. She will cry whenever I pick her up in front of Ash -- but only when she knows it's me. If I grab her from behind, she doesn't know what's happening. But if she catches a glimpse of my face, she screams like she just got shot in the face by Dick Cheney.

She's also getting bored of her nighttime routine. Whenever she woke up, momma used to be able to just feed her back to sleep. Apparently, that got stale. Now, here's her new routine:

• Sleep nicely from 9pm to 1am. Feed. Sleep until 5am. Feed.
• Time for fun! Kick, whimper, and grunt until Ashlyn gets frustrated. Continue until Ash wakes me up, and commands me to take her out of the bedroom so she can get some sleep.
• Play nicely for half an hour, then kick and scream until dad rocks you to sleep, with the sound of a running faucet in the background.

Speaking of the last item: this baby girl has quite an eco-footprint. Not only do I have to empty a giant 20lb bag of excrement every week, but the only thing that consistently soothes her is the whooshing noise of running water. She may single-handedly send CA into a drought.

* Japanese for 'mischief-maker' or 'rascal'. Just one of those great Japanese words that just feels right coming out of your mouth. Other examples that Ash has taught me:

• Monku tare - complainer. Nicole's helpful mnemonic: 'It's like you're throwing monkey poo'
• Shikata ga nai - it can't be helped.
• Mendokusai - not worth the effort.
• Unko - poop. Lately, we've been up to our ears in this.
• Hana kuso - boogers. Boogers is a great word too, but it's fun to mix it up.
• Me kuso - literally, eye boogers. Why doesn't English have a word like this?
  

Labels: Saya

Posted by Kris at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments