Anne's birthday

It's Anne's birthday today.  She turned 72 today, I think.  I say I think, because like everyone else in the family - she has a real birthday and a fake birthday.  I think in her case, the day is the same, but the year is different.  She was born in 1944, but her kimlik reads 1942.  I've stopped asking her to try and clarify this because not only is it confusing, it's doubly confusing asking in Turkish.  When I ask, which is her real/right birthday - I'm not sure if she's giving me her legal one or her actual birthdate. On top of this, when you ask someone how old they are - Turks give you the age of the year finished. So, Teoman who just turned four - (some) Turks say he is five because he finished his fourth year of life and going on five.  But not everyone does this, so most resort to asking what year he/she was born in.  And this, of course, doesn't work with Anne because I'm not sure which is real.

Zuleyha the Nanny came later this morning.  Since maternity leave she's arriving around a bit after nine, but this morning she arrived at 10:30 - her husband and her had traveled to and from Izmit to purchase a new car - they bought a Toyota as well - second hand.  They had gone up to Izmit, bought the car, and left early in the morning to get back to Ankara.  My American friend and her daughter arrived at the same time.  Teoman and Tomris were beyond excited to play with their friend Mina.  They instantly starting running circles around the house.  I took the opportunity to leave.  (I learned later that it wasn't long before the downstairs neighbor called up to complain about the running and noise over the last few days).  

We walked with Tuana in the stroller down Turan Gunes - the main boulevard in front of our apartment complex . I stopped at a photo shop and ordered over a hundred photos to be printed.  I do this every year or so for Anne to have photos of the family.  We continued onto the bazaar to buy nuts, dried fruit, cheese, and a few knick-knacks that bazaars are perfect for.  

My friend had lunch with us and they left, and Teoman and Tomris (reluctantly) went down for their naps with Zuleyha.  I left again after sorting out who was laying where with which blanket and pillow and abla.  

I had invited Anne out with me.  She smiled and said, 

"Whatever you want."  To which I said, 

"I want to get you something for your birthday - so I thought we could go to the mall and pick something out, okay?"

"Whatever you want."

"Anne, this is for you - of you want to go to the mall?"

"You're tired."

"Anne - don't you want to go?'

"No."

"No?"

"No.  You're tired."

"Anne!"

ARGH!

Tolga has told me that his mother has sort of been managed her whole life - and I realize even I'm doing it - but she is so reluctant to make a decision for herself that we ended up deciding things for her anyhow.  And she seems to prefer it.  

So I said we're going, and we walked around the mall while I looked at clothes - some for myself (we got there and I realize how long it's been since I've looked for something for myself) and some for her.  Anne continued in her reluctant attitude.  Unsure about the clothes I showed her.  A few she was sure she didn't like, others she seemed to pick up because they were there.  In the end, she picked a black and white horizontally striped dress (black is her default choice), and I picked out a pair of pants, two shirts and an undershirt for her.  She didn't like the pants at first - but I pushed her to try them and she loved them and the shirts.  

We got home and I put together a strawberry pie.  This time I didn't make it hot - I baked the pie crust first, put fresh strawberries on the bottom, and boiled mashed strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch into a jelly-like filling.  I chilled it and served it cold - and it was delicious.  It was Anne's birthday pie.

We also walked down the block for dinner.  There, Anne was stuck in her indecision again.  I had given her three places to choose from (she said, You're tired.)  I picked the closest - a great burger restaurant.  She said she'd have what I was having.  In spite of knowing her indecisiveness, I gave her the menu.  I realize this was a mistake. She couldn't decide - I kept pushing her too because I stubbornly wanted her to choose what she wanted.

"I don't know, I'll just have this," she said, pointing to the description of dana et -  a steak.  

I ordered her a burger.  

I know, I'm terrible. 

Happy Birthday Anne

Strawberry pie - take 2