bank, biscuits, and bath

out for stroll - and, in case they didn't understand
I was there for the baby-money, I thought I
would show them my new baby
and my work visa

I was determined to get everybody to rest today.  So much so that I forgot I had to go to the bank for my dogum parasi - that is, my maternity leave salary.  The government, much like unemployment, pays for part of my salary - but my school continues to pay my full salary during maternity leave.  (A rare win for the employee!)  In exchange, I have to make sure my paperwork is all in order with the SGK (social security offices) and pick up my maternity leave payment and deposit it into my employers account as a sort of payback.  It's a bit nerve racking up until the time I get the money because it's four month's partial salary - a hefty amount to be responsible for paying back.  We went last week twice to pick up the first installment and couldn't because a) I could only pick up the payments between the 8-14th of the month (it was the 7th) b) when I went on the 8th, the money hadn't come yet, and today c) I was informed I needed my passport to collect the money, but d) it didn't matter anyway because while my name was in the system, no money had arrived for me.  Zuleyha came with me.  I missed her over the weekend.  I need her all the time.  In this case, she was there to listen to all the Turkish directions so if I didn't understand she could pass the information onto Tolga (who was away in the field).  Tolga straightened the problem out with the SGK offices over the phone and the money will be sent, but I have to wait for the next cycle of government-deposits-into- specified-banks-for-public-withdrawal.

 herb biscuits III

In other news... I never got to cook my buttermilk herb biscuits over the weekend so I made them tonight.  I keep forgetting to take pictures of these dinners I'm making so I remembered tonight (but didn't remember to take a picture after they were cooked - or shall I say overcooked because I got pulled away by either the kids fighting or nursing/changing Tuana or maybe both).  This is my third attempt at these Martha Stewart biscuits.  There is more than one recipe on the Internet of the same trademark biscuits but  one is wrong.  I have this image of the one in question being written and recorded when Martha was toasted on wine because I the ingredients are out of proportion.  Unfortunately, that is the one I mistakenly followed...again!

We ended the nights with baths.  The kids still had their meltdowns today, but they are catching up on sleep (as am I - and these blogs that I drafted and never published), so I gave them all baths.  People in Turkey are always amazed that I have three kids, saying it must be so hard.  Of course it's hard - but I am not impressed with myself because I know in America people do it all the time, with less help and better.  For me - I can do it because I have so much help and I don't ever want to stop being thankful for this.  I love being a mom - and I love having lots of help.  Anne is always eager, if not overeager, to help.  She bounced Tuana when she had gas pain while I corralled the kids to clean up their toys.  (They did - win!).  They took a bath, and Tuana woke up - so Anne helped me bathe her.  (Bath number 6 or 7 in eight weeks!).  Then Anne sat next to the tub with Teoman and Tomris while I nursed Tuana to sleep.  She dressed them, I did stories, and they all slept.  

Husband-in-the-field Day #1: done!

First bath without a cry
(or, to be more honest, without terrified screaming)
Hooray!