Heard Recently Inna Biiig Dushanbe

Anya is in a phase where she likes to associate things with people. And the funny thing is that when she is wearing or using these things, she also likes to say "Anya's named [insert associated name]."

Hence:

Steve shirt = for some reason this stripey long-sleeved waffle-knit number I bought on Old Navy (Steve is the main human character on "Blue's Clues," a show that Anya has really only seen a handful of times, and the last time was probably in about December, but evidently he makes a big impression), and, when she's wearing it: "Anya's named Steve!"

Barno shirt = anything that has a turtleneck, because Barno from sadik wears turtlenecks, obviously.... And, when she's wearing them: "Anya's named Barno!" (etc.)

Azizullo hat = the pink knit hat with earflaps and pom-poms that our nanny gave A. for New Year's. I was amused to see, when we were huddled in the cold puppet theater with all of our coats and hats etc. still on, earlier in January, that it really is true that her classmate named "God is dear" in Tajik has the very same model, only in light blue (he's a boy)

Sodal bib = the yellow-green (its full name for Anya is in fact "yellow-green Sodal' bib") rigid plastic bib with the little lip for catching food, which A. refused to wear in Vlad, but now that it apparently resembles something that Sodal has -- well, all bets are off. (S. is one of the older little boys at playschool who, at about 4 years old, kind of rules the roost. He likes to help Anya take off her shoes and put on her slippers when she comes in in the morning.)

Daddy undies = white underpants. We've been back in diapers pretty much full time now for a few weeks, until the weather warms up, since we just weren't able to hit the pot much of the time. But apparently, nevertheless, white briefs are very much a Daddy thing. (And, yes, at the right time: "Anya's named Daddy!")

And, for those who have asked, the phrase "inna biiiiig Dushanbe" was coined when we arrived for the first time at our house at roughly 4:30am off the early morning flight in from Istanbul. We were dropped off at our courtyard, and we sort of stumbled in to discover the huge facade and house that is the main place where we live, situated across the courtyard from a smaller little outbuilding. Anya's understanding of the situation, given all the talk about this thing called "Dushanbe," was that we had arrived at said Dushanbe, and that this one here was the "biiiiig Dushanbe," while the other one across the way was the "li'l Dushanbe." She has gradually come to understand better the breadth of the term, but the phrase has stuck, and will probably never get unstuck.