peep-eye

Budding Artists

2012-01-25T23:10:00.000-05:00

Outdoor Explorations

2012-01-25T22:46:00.002-05:00

I'm a bad mama. I tried (one time) to get the new kidlettes out into the snow. I got both into their snowsuits, and then realized that I had absolutely no freaking idea where the tiny snowboots were, and absolutely no freaking energy to go hunting for them. Off came the snowsuits, and the newbies were relegated to watching the biglettes (thoughts? nah.) cavort in the drifts through the back window. The following photo adventure reflects the sum total of snow exposure the newbies have had since arriving home 7.5 weeks ago. I swear I will unearth the darn snowboots before spring arrives. Isweariswearisweariswearipinkyswear.

Nap Time

2012-01-23T22:01:00.003-05:00

Daddy sneaks in some snuggle time on the weekends.

Helpers

2012-01-23T21:50:00.002-05:00

We are digging the Montessori goodies we snagged over the holidays. Dinkeneh and Sisaye got to try out their snow shovels when it snowed last week. While Sisaye's interest was fleeting, I think Dinkeneh assisted in some actual sidewalk snow removal. Also, as part of our efforts to maintain a whole foods household in the midst of transition, we've adopted Mama Papaya's Sunday prep method. Dinkeneh and Sisaye rocked out the veggie prep with their new wavy cutters. The soup may have been a bit chunky for my taste, but the kidlettes were pleased as punch with their contribution to dinner. And yes, that is Sisaye channelling her turtle power during dinner prep.

Just for the record, I love love love how confident Dinkeneh and Sisaye are becoming in their ability to make meaningful contributions to the household. But at the same time, my heart aches a wee bit as I see the baby slipping away. A little bitter with the sweet. Love them both.

Races

2012-01-22T00:34:00.000-05:00

Sisaye and Tsega love to race. And by race, I mean they love to wedge their adorably tiny tushies into Grandmom's antique wicker doll chairs and scoot as fast as they can across the room. Not really sure that was what Grandmom had in mind when she gifted the chairs to Sisaye, but they are well-loved and enjoyed!

Feeding Time

2012-01-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

The way it works: I wedge myself between their bodies with a bottle in each hand, and stick my face close enough that they can touch it if they want. Which they generally do. If the eye contact from each is good, I sing songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or the ABC's. If not so good, I sing a little Sesame Street Peekaboo song that involves them holding their hands over their eyes until I "find" them (which also helps with giving me control over the bottle).

So far, so good. Please no bad internet karma for saying that. :)

Seven Years

2012-01-08T23:35:00.000-05:00

And counting. Happiness.

Sisaye Claire

2012-01-02T22:42:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned recently how amazing this girl is? Because she is. She fiercely embraces life. Did you know that she started school on November 10th? She goes two mornings a week, and is the only community buddy in a class of about eight kiddos who are working on school readiness. According to her teacher, she is "the best language buddy ever." No kidding; remember this video? Only now her words are intelligible. Sisaye also enjoys exploring boundaries, and I'm really proud of how hard she's working to be respectful of her teacher's classroom rules. It's a mixed blessing sending a child with Sisaye's gifts to school; on the one hand, I know she has to learn how to navigate a world that requires her to be at least somewhat cooperative, but God, I don't want her to lose that sparkle.

We really love her teacher, who also had Dinkeneh in her class last year, and so far, Sisaye's effervescence remains undiminished. Happiness.

Also, did you know that Sisaye turned three on November 17th? Oh, yes, she did. She celebrated with cupcakes, zookeeper style. Just in case we had any wild animal incidents to deal with, you know.

Sisaye has adjusted well to her new little siblings. She has felt the occasional need to request a bottle of milk herself, but so long as she doesn't start requesting diapers (or needing them!), I think we're good. She is almost always very gentle with them, and is great at problem patrols. Example: "Mama! Tsega is eating cat food AGAIN!" (We really are trying to curb that habit, by the way.) We always co-sleep in the beginning, and Sisaye has made her way down to "the family bed" at some point most nights. I have to admit, it's been lovely snuggling up to her sweet sleeping little self. She smells really good :).

All of this to say, I love this girl. So very, very much. (A very) happy belated birthday, baby girl. And way to rock school and big sisterhood. We are so proud of you.

They are home.

2011-12-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

It is with great joy this holiday season that we introduce our newest members:

Tsega Alexander

Abrihet Grace

Cleared by Embassy November 18, 2011 and November 28, 2011, respectively.

Home December 4, 2011.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

What would you do...

2011-10-05T22:34:00.000-04:00

If you Swiffered this out from under your bed?

Happy 4th Birthday Dinkeneh!

2011-10-04T20:59:00.000-04:00

I *think* he had a great day, based on how excited he was for his cake and presents. His favorite gift of the night was the matching set of Notre Dame jerseys: one for him and one for his sister. They asked to wear their "numbers" to bed, and they asked to wear them after Dinkeneh got home from school today. Love it. It will make them super-prepared when we do this again:

A word on the cake. We do whole foods most of the time, and so I wanted to try out a health(ier) cake. I mean, it doesn't hurt to try something once, right? Turns out, I probably should have waited until my birthday to give this one a go, because the parental guilt of having your four year old say he doesn't like his birthday cake was a little too much for this mama to handle. It wasn't inedible, but it wasn't much fun to eat, either. Ah, well. We're going to have a small party for him again on Saturday, so I'm thinking a bakery cake will be making an appearance. So be it. I tried. Turns out, cooked millet and brown rice syrup do not a cake make.

And so between the two of them

2011-09-28T12:20:00.001-04:00

Jack and his wife have got nothing on these two.

One more time, with feeling: How We Can Help

2011-09-19T21:32:00.002-04:00

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you (insert blog name) and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to
help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support,
healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.

p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

No Grace

2011-09-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

There is no news.

I watched this woman weather nine months of waiting with grace, and I marvel at how she did it. We are at seven months and counting, with no end in sight.

No end.

No grace.

No idea how to obtain some.

How do you achieve something like a graceful state of being, when you're so filled with rage and helplessness that you visualize yourself engaging in a primal scream?

I put away clothes today. Our daughter's clothes. The one who isn't safely snuggled in her crib, resting next to her big sister, but is instead plateauing in growth in an institution thousands of miles away. I just grabbed them by the handfuls and shoved them as fast and as deep as I could in the nearest bag.

I couldn't do his. One was enough.

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe.

And you're so tired you don't sleep at night
As your heart is trying to mend
You keep it quiet but you think you might
Disappear before the end

And it's strange how you cannot find
Any strength to even try
To find a voice to speak your mind
When you do, all you wanna do is cry

Well maybe you should cry

And I see you hiding your face in your hands
Talking 'bout far-away lands
You think no one understands
Listen to my hands

Did I Mention

2011-08-24T05:46:00.002-04:00

that the kidlettes broke our camera? I guess that's what I get for all those "perspective" shots in Ethiopia :).

Tunesday

2011-08-23T01:43:00.000-04:00

Want to stay at the?

2011-08-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

SC: We're going to the SEABC's!

Me: ...

Chris: ...

Me: You mean the YMCA?

SC: That's what I said!

5 for 5

2011-08-18T08:19:00.000-04:00

guest blogger: Sarah Lenssen from Ask5for5
photos courtesy of Cate Turton / Dept. for International Development

First, thanks to Christina for allowing me to post on her blog today! Today, more than 25 bloggers, including this one, are standing with me to Ask 5 for 5 for Africa. Here's why....

I began pursuing a BIG dream two weeks ago. After deciding I could no longer avoid the news about the famine in the horn of Africa, I had that gut feeling that I couldn't sit this one out. I HAD to do something because I could. Something bigger than I could do alone. That's when #Ask5for5 was born.

Two of my children, Ashen and Bereket, were adopted and are from the region affected by the drought in Ethiopia. They would be two of the statistics if they still lived there. I see my son’s and daughter’s faces in the photos of those suffering in the refugee camps. It could have been him. It could have been her. The thought haunts me.

And moms just like us are watching their children go hungry day after day. I can't imagine what it's like, but I have to –I have to be there to help them, because it could have been my children. These families have lost their livestock, their crops, food prices are inflated at the market if there any food there, and don’t have any more lifelines to tap into. Many are traveling hundreds of miles through parched land in hope of finding help. Many are dying along the way. It is estimated that 29,000 children have died in the last 90 days in the famine in Somalia alone.

But I KNOW we can do something about it. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed, we can rally ourselves and our friends to respond! I set up a fundraiser through See Your Impact. 100% of your gift will go to the relief and development organization World Vision, where it will be combined with government grants to multiply up to 5 times in impact!

You’ll receive updates on just how your funding is being used to help save lives affected by famine in East Africa. I'm amazed at how much we've raised already -- over $7,000 in just four days! We blew through our first 3 goals in just 3 days and are well on our way to $10,000 and beyond!

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
Share Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter, and join our page to stay updated too!

I'm also looking for 100 bloggers to stand with Ask5for5 to spread the word during Social Media week, September 19th - 23rd. If you're interested, email me, ask5for5@gmail.com.

Thanks! Please donate and email your friends right now--don't wait for a calmer moment, because if you're like me, other demands inevitably crop up and you won't get to it. A child's life hangs in the balance, but you can help save her!

Library

2011-08-15T17:31:00.001-04:00

At this rate, I'll be finished with the series by the end of the week. Harry Potter is next (gasp! No, I haven't read them. Someone give Cindy oxygen :) ). Hunger Games I've already read. Any other suggestions?

Distractions

2011-08-14T22:43:00.001-04:00

Something I'm in desperate need of these days.... Hello Twilight, series I had been avoiding. Thank you most sincerely for the 313 pages (and counting) of escapism you provided me today.

Dog Lover

2011-08-12T21:50:00.000-04:00

Sisaye: Mama, are you sad?

Me: *sniffle sniffle* Yes, Sisaye, Mama's sad.

Sisaye: Oh. ... Do you want me to rub your belly?

On a Lighter Note

2011-08-08T10:39:00.001-04:00

What's Going On?

2011-08-08T08:55:00.000-04:00

It's like ripping off a Band-aid, I suppose.

The bad news: We're home, but still waiting to be a family of six.

The good news: We found out on July 19th that we officially passed court.
The good news: We were submitted to Embassy on July 28th.

The Embassy is requesting some additional information and documentation, which seems fairly par for the course these days. Not unexpected, but still disappointing that it will take a bit longer to bring T and A home. We are still really grateful to be where we are in the process, and our hearts go out to all those children and families caught up in some of the changes recently made in Ethiopia.

In the meantime, we're just trying to keep busy and enjoy our last summer as a family of four.

Thanks to everyone for the emails and phone calls. We have an awesome village. Truly awesome. I'm working on getting back to everyone, so if you haven't heard from me personally yet, you will soon.

June 20, Part II: To D---- We Go

2011-07-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

This was Baby A's special day, although she wasn't with us to enjoy it. We headed off to visit her birthplace. We got to see plenty of coffee trees and fruit stands along the way.

After arriving in D----, we stopped for donuts and juice. Seriously, if I ever get my kidlettes to eat anything remotely healthy after this trip, it will be a freakin' miracle. If anyone knows a good kidlette detox, feel free to share. Okay, I jest...mostly. :)

We got back in the car to see if we could track down the care center where Baby A lived for a bit.

And that's when it happened.

Now, I contemplated having a contest, where I would invite people to take guesses, but I don't think anyone, in a million years, would be able to figure out what happened next.

Brace yourselves, folks.

Sisaye is, well, two. And she's really, really good at it. She had been messing with our driver's console quite a bit, and we kept telling her to knock it off. Just as we were driving rather quickly down the street, she flipped up the lid again, and then pushed it back down at our (rather stern) request. Only this time, that action had a rather unintended consequence. You see, unbeknownst to us, there happened to be an aerosol can in that console, at just the right angle that when Sisaye pushed down the lid, it depressed the button and sprayed our driver...right in the face. Twice. Now this would have been bad enough...

even if it hadn't been pepper spray.

I kid you not.

Thank God our driver was able to pull the car over safely. It honestly took us a couple of seconds to realize what was happening. Even when Dinkeneh started screaming and clawing at his face, I didn't get it. Then it hit me, and holy hell. Even better, the child safety locks were activated, so while our driver was able to escape the car (he literally fell into the street and started retching), the four of us were stuck in the back seat inhaling pepper spray. I went berserk, screaming and banging at the window. I have no recollection of who finally opened our door, I just remember being doubled over spitting in the street, trying to hold up Sisaye, who was screaming, “Mama! It hurts!!!”

To say we attracted a crowd is the world's biggest understatement.

We eventually got some water and were able to wash our faces and rinse out our mouths, but Dinkeneh's pitiful whimper, “I want to go back to the guest house,” well, that pretty much summed up everyone's feelings. We gave up on finding Baby A's care center and headed back to Awassa. We treated our driver to dinner at a nice restaurant (the least we could do, and we did still need him to drive us back to Addis). When Chris and I were finally alone in the hotel room, we looked at each other and just rolled with laughter. I mean, seriously, when something like that happens, what else can you do?

And that was, quite thankfully, the end of June 20.

June 20, Part I: Awassa in the Morning

2011-06-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

The next morning, we awoke to the sound of monkeys running across our roof. We had a fantastic buffet breakfast. Sisaye was enjoying her donut when a monkey ran up to the table and grabbed the donut off her plate. The hotel staff gave chase, and Sisaye amused everyone by leaning over the railing and yelling at the top of her lungs, “Stop that monkey! He has my DONUT!!!”

We played some minigolf, Sisaye decided that she wanted to work the booth, and we took a boat ride to see the fishermen.

Then we were out of time, and off we went.

June 19, Part II: To Awassa We Go

2011-06-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

To say we were all done by the time we headed out of M----- would be a gross understatement. We decided to head across the mountains to Awassa. We had some reservations about going this route, since the road is still under construction, but it actually ended up being fine, albeit bumpy.

Given how stressed out and exhausted everyone was, we decided to blow the budget and spring for a spendy resort in Awassa: the Lewi Resort. It was a great decision. Here are the kidlettes' faces after being told they would get to go swimming:

We got to feed some monkeys, and then we were off to swim in the somewhat chilly waters of the pool.

Awassa is seriously one of the nicest towns we've been to in Ethiopia. It's a resort area, so I suppose that makes sense. What do I mean by "nicest"? Well, the streets are mostly paved (which makes traveling without seatbelts a bit easier), and there is lots of grass, very little mud/dust, and very little litter.

Here is a view of Lake Awassa from our resort:

We had a great dinner by the lake. Sisaye Claire scored her first soda (don't judge until you've lived through the 48 hours we just had). She was ecstatic.

We inspected the fountains on the lake.

Then we (and our food) were attacked by bugs, so we headed back to the room to finish our meal in relative peace. After that, we hit the sack.

June 19, Part I: To M----- We Go

2011-06-24T13:15:00.000-04:00

This was Dinkeneh's special day, since we headed further south to visit his birthplace. Here are Dinkeneh and Sisaye Claire, running off some energy before being confined to the car.

The view on the way was breathtaking. I only wish our camera could have done it justice.

And then we were there.

June 18: To S----- We Go

2011-06-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

This was Sisaye Claire's special day, since we headed further south to visit her birthplace. Here she is all ready to go:

On the road to S----:

One of the agency sites:

We were all pretty wiped by the time we got back to the hotel in Hossana.

P.S. I know a lot of folks were interested in our trip south, particularly this day and the day following. However, I think we're going to keep these days pretty private for our kidlettes, Thanks for understanding :).

June 17: Heading Down South

2011-06-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

We left bright and early Friday morning to head South. We stopped for lunch at a hotel with a grassy area, and the kidlettes were in heaven.

Along the way, there was much excitement as we identified real-life scenes with the photos in E is for Ethiopia. An example: Aheyas (donkeys) carting wares. You should have heard the shrieking. They were also extremely excited (the kidlettes, not the donkeys) to spy many traditional houses. Fun!

What's not so fun? Keeping your children safe when there are no carseats, no seatbelts, and lots of interesting things out the window.

We arrived in Hosanna in late afternoon, and spent the remainder of the day visiting some old haunts of Dinkeneh's. Here he is checking out the care center where he lived for a bit. There is a photo of it in his lifebook, and he was so. pumped.

We ate dinner and hit the sack.

June 16: Kidlettes Big and Kidlettes Little

2011-06-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday we got to spend more time with the tiny kidlettes. And yes, for the record, I feel decidedly weird always having to lop off their heads in photos.

The first thing that happened after our arrival: Chris found the most fantastic toy ever. In Sisaye speak, it was, “So. Awesome.”

Baby T and Baby A had fun playing with some age-appropriate toys we brought along. (For those who know our as yet un-named agency, be aware that there are very few age appropriate toys for tiny ones in the family meeting room. You may want to bring some with you.) Baby T is a master cruiser, who can also pull himself to a standing position and lower himself to a sitting position. Go Baby T! Or should it be Toddler T? Yikes. Baby A, on the other hand, is fairly immobile. We were able to have some successful tummy time, which she tolerated with only a mild grunt of discomfort (probably from the pressure on that adorable belly :) ).

We tried working with Baby T on block stacking, but he really just wanted to eat them. Nice.

We were unexpectedly treated to a concert courtesy of Dinkeneh and Sisaye Claire.

And by the time we headed home, the big kidlettes (and I'm imagining the tiny kidlettes, too) were completely done in.

June 15: I Have Nothing

2011-06-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

No photos, and only a vague recollection that we said goodbye to Eivor and said hello to some new folks.

June 14: Ice Cream and Cookies

2011-06-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

We ventured out of the guest house today with Eivor. We took the blue minibuses for the first time, and darn if I didn't snag a picture. It was actually very easy, though we didn't have to do the return trip. We're in Gerji, so we headed first to Bole, and then to the Piazza. And I'm apparently all sorts of mixed up, since I thought that the Lion of Judah statue is in the Piazza. Nopedy nopedy nope. We did walk uphill for quite a ways, carrying both kidlettes, so it was nice to get some exercise. We tried to go to Serenade, which is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in town, but sadly, it's only open for dinner. Since it was only 2:00 pm, we met up with a friend of Eivor's and he drove us up to Top View, which is also supposed to be a good restaurant. The kidlettes finally scored what they've been begging for: mac and cheese. And it was the best dinner out of everything we ordered, go figure :). Don't get me wrong, the other meals were good, but they certainly have a way with mac and cheese.

We finished up the meal with some delicious ice cream.

Now as you would expect, the view from Top View is pretty great:

But the best thing by far was the playground! Kudos to the restaurant that thought to install a fenced-in playground with a view. If anyone is coming to Addis with small children, I highly recommend Top View for the view (duh), the ice cream, and the playground. For about $25, we had two adult entrees, two kids' entrees, two macchiatos, two Ambos with gas, and two ice cream desserts.

Sisaye took some of her own photos during the day:

We finished off the day by visiting an art gallery and buying some cookies at the local grocery store.

June 13: Sleep

2011-06-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

A Monday spent catching up on some sleep.

And just for randomness: the view from our balcony.

June 12: Laundry and Watermelon

2011-06-16T12:17:00.000-04:00

Just another day hanging around the guest house. Chris picked up some watermelon for me and Sisaye. It wasn't very sweet, and it was very pricey, so I don't think we'll be making that purchase again anytime soon. I'll just stick with delicious mangoes, thank you very much.

Now, don't let this laundry pic fool you. Chris and I were working together on washing the laundry, when Chris suddenly let out a "Holy cow." Turns out, Chris is allergic to...laundry? detergent? cold water? %@#$? Whatever the cause, his hands turned stoplight red, his fingers swelled up like sausages, and hundreds of hives ran from his wrist to his elbow. Not to worry: a quick dose of Benadryl and an application of hydrocortizone cream cleared it up in about 15 minutes. And loving wife that I am, I was actually irritated that it cleared up before I could snap a photo. Don't worry Mom; I really was taking care of your son :).

Lucky me, to get to do laundry solo for the next few weeks. I'm thinking my payment should be chocolate. Anyone want to courier some over here?

June 11: Entoto Mountain, The Lime Tree, and Pancakes

2011-06-16T06:52:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we made a new friend, Eivor, who was in transit from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she works for an NGO, to her native Finland (I think). We decided to go out exploring, and found our way to the top of Entoto Mountain. We took a tour of the museum and palace, and then walked around the church for a bit.

Dinkeneh walking down the steps to the palace with Solomon, our driver:

I so wish this photo had turned out better. Darn the low lighting. Do make note of the sign above the kidlettes' heads:

Some of the painted wood around the church:

The view heading down the mountain:

Sisaye's portrait of me as we drove down the mountain:

Next, we headed to the Lime Tree restaurant for a culinary change. For those not familiar with the Lime Tree, it offers more Western fare. Sisaye went crazy with the camera. This is Eivor, our new friend. A funny anecdote: Eivor is at least six feet tall, and she kept getting comments...about her hair! She was in stitches over it, since it made a nice change of pace from the normal comments she receives.

We tried to treat the four of us to a slice of chocolate cake, but Sisaye and Dinkeneh snagged the parental shares before we could stop them. Bummer for us, heaven for them :).

After the Lime Tree, we returned to the guest house for naps. We weren't all that hungry that evening, but Chris decided to treat the kidlettes (and the guest house staff) to pancakes. Turns out, Ethiopians do not like as much syrup as we do :). Sisaye took most of the photos that evening, and I love the perspective. It's easy to forget what it's like to be only 90ish centimeters tall.

Nati and Etsub checking out the action:

Eating pancakes:

The living room of the guest house:

June 10: Animal Fun

2011-06-16T04:34:00.000-04:00

Hung around the guest house on Friday. We were sad to say goodbye to our new friends, though I'm sure this will become a theme over the coming weeks. Dinkeneh watched copious amounts of movies on the computer. Sisaye had fun building a mountain for her animals, and then a black suitcase version of the Eiffel Tower, where they lived most happily.

June 9: Happy Birthday Baby G!

2011-06-16T04:14:00.000-04:00

We have been really lucky to meet lots of wonderful (and wonderfully interesting) guests during our stay. Katia and Jonathon were here for a week, and we were able to witness them becoming first-time parents to the sparkly Baby G, which was such a privilege. Another privilege? Being able to celebrate his first birthday with the family! Courtesy of the guest house, we also had a traditional coffee ceremony to accompany the difo dabo and cake. And hey, Sisaye managed to avoid burning herself or scalding anyone! Success!

But before the celebration, we tagged along on Jonathon's trip to the Hilton that morning. Lots of smiles:

The kidlettes explored the grounds, including "two basketball goals!" and the kids' play area. We were also checking out the fees to use the pool, but unfortunately, I think it's a bit out of our price range. We'll be checking out other hotel pools soon. We had fun making new friends with several children who had recently been united with their Italian families. The kidlettes were thrilled with the generous sharing of Italian "biscuits."

I had a thought-provoking conversation with two Ethiopian gentlemen who expressed concern about "some" Ethiopian families wanting to receive information about the children they had relinquished "after their economic positions have improved." I was never able to get clarification on why they believed only families with improved financial circumstances would want to receive updates on their children. When I questioned if they meant families in that position would want their children to rejoin their families, the gentlemen were adamant in saying, "No! They would just want to know the children are doing well. Ethiopians understand that the adoption choice is permanent." Obviously, I don't agree with that blanket generalization, but I wish I had been able to get a more nuanced explanation for why they believed improved circumstances would correlate to a desire for updates. Maybe there's something cultural I'm missing? Or maybe they're just making a discriminatory and unjust assumption that anyone with a lower socioeconomic status must by necessity not care about the well-being of their children? As I said, I was unfortunately unable to get any clarification on their position, and the conversation left me with more questions than answers.

So after that weighty conversation, we headed back to the guest house for Baby G's celebration. We had a fantastic time.

After the celebration, we took naps and then headed out to join Katia, Jonathon, Julie (Baby G's godmother and Sisaye's "best fwend"), and some staff from their agency for a cultural dinner at the Hebir Hotel. Much to our delight, we discovered that the Hebir has an indoor play facility, which costs about $2 per child for two hours of play. Hooray! The kidlettes had a fantastic time playing until it was time for dinner:

We don't usually play on coin-operated machines (I didn't want to go down that path in the States, lest they start begging for the treat every time we pass one), but the coins were included in the $2, so what the heck? Also, there was a giant blow-up jumping thingee (you know, the kind you see at fairs and can rent for birthday parties?), but they deflated it before I had a chance to snap a photo. We will definitely be storing this indoor play area for future rainy day entertainment.

The kidlettes had an absolute blast at the cultural dinner, and I have to say that I enjoyed the Hebir's dancing and food much more than the Crowne Hotel (where we've been twice before). Dinkeneh and Sisaye danced for about 30 minutes straight. Fun! A note on the photos: I am pretty bummed that my camera doesn't do a better job in low lighting. I'm sure that my camera allows me to change the settings, but I have absolutely no idea how to do it. If anyone knows a simple online tutorial for using a camera's settings, I'd appreciate the help.

Sisaye Claire joined in the dancing, along with another little girl:

Sisaye also made friends with the restroom attendant:

Sisaye Claire has developed a passion for photography on this trip, so she made use of the camera to record her own memories of the night. Two of my favorites:

And where was Dinkeneh during the latter half of the show?

As you can see, it was a very busy, fun-filled day, and we were all pretty wasted by the end of it.

June 8: Court! Basketball! Oh, My!

2011-06-15T09:15:00.000-04:00

The long-awaited day finally arrived. We all dressed nicely, though I'm sad to report that I neglected to have a family photo taken. Other things on my mind, I guess. Woops. Despite my repeated confirmations the day before about the time of our departure, the driver was running late. And so it goes. We were soon on our way.

I have to say, the courthouse was not at all how I pictured it. I didn't think it would be a fancy building, but I did have some basic expectations about the grandeur of it. It did not live up to those expectations. It looked like every other tallish building in the city, with not much to indicate that it was a courthouse other than a sign out front. We met with our attorney, passed through security, and climbed three flights of stairs. I think we checked in (or at least stopped to say something to a woman behind a desk), and then we proceeded to the waiting area, which is essentially a medium-sized room with chairs lining the walls. There were still some seats available when we arrived, so we were lucky enough to have a place to sit during the wait. There were some birth families waiting to testify, as well as many other adopting families and attorneys. There looked to be three or four other families who had brought small children to court with them. One little girl came over to read books with Dinkeneh and Sisaye, which helped to pass the time.

After about an hour or so of waiting, I struck up a conversation with a couple who had just come out of the judge's chambers. They confirmed that their MOWA letter wasn't there, but that everything else had gone well. By this point, Chris and I understood that it was highly unlikely our letter would be there, but it was still disappointing to see families without letters. And to be honest, I was still holding on to hope that some how, some way, our letter would be there.

After about two and a half hours of waiting, we were called into the judge's chambers. She asked Dinkeneh and Sisaye how old they were, though she only got a whispered response from Dinkeneh; Sisaye didn't even open her mouth. The judge asked whether they had started asking questions about Ethiopia, whether they knew they were going to have two new siblings, whether they were accepting of the new additions, whether we had met T and A and intended to welcome them into our family. That was honestly it. Aside from the age questions directed at Dinkeneh and Sisaye, everything else required a "yes" or "no" response.

And then came the nauseating part: Yes, she was approving us for the adoption of T and A, and would sign the court decree...as soon as she received our approval letter from MOWA. Even though we were prepared for that outcome, it was still difficult and extremely disappointing to hear.

We exited the judge's chambers and began peppering our attorney with questions. Before I convey what he said, let me just say: nobody ever really seems to know what the heck is actually going on with Ethiopian adoptions and MOWA. I can repeat what we were told, but it's only one attorney's position, and I've heard lots of different positions over the last couple of weeks. Everything from the firm 5 letter slowdown, to there being staff out on vacation and maternity leave, to the court issuing a directive to MOWA to continue producing letters, to MOWA actually continuing to work at normal capacity. So who the heck knows. Our attorney indicated that about two weeks ago, MOWA began providing a schedule for the letters. Our letter is scheduled to be submitted to the Ethiopian courts on June 29th. Whether this actually happens or not...well, like I said: Who knows?

For the time being, we anxiously await the arrival of our MOWA letter.

How could any news possibly top court news? Well, June 8th was also the day Dinkeneh's basketball goal was delivered from the blacksmith (ironsmith? metal worker?) and mounted to the guest house retaining wall. There was much rejoicing by all.

June 7: Meeting Up

2011-06-15T08:34:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to meet up with another blog family that we've "known" for a little over two years now. Well, I've known Heather. Chris said, "Who are we meeting?" Ah, well. :) Poor Chris was stuck babysitting two fairly irritable kidlettes while I visited with Heather, Brian, and their new baby girl. I was planning on posting a photo, but I don't think Heather has posted one of the newly united family of four, so I'll hold off. But like I said, we had a terrific, if short, visit. Congratulations on having both your kiddos together, Heather!

The only other things worth mentioning: Sisaye finally broke out her rainy season gear, and I was pretty short-tempered due to stress.

Court in one day.

June 6: A Tortuga Comes Out of His Shell

2011-06-14T14:27:00.001-04:00

I wish I had been blogging continuously, because honestly, I have absolutely no idea what we did Monday morning. We headed back out to the care center Monday afternoon for our final meeting with T and A prior to court (scheduled for Wednesday, June 8). We got to see yet another room in the care center, this one a tiny meeting room for families. This one seemed more appropriate for families adopting older children, but we made it work.

After they brought T and A in, we all crashed on the pillows. Sisaye Claire and T had a terrific time playing on the floor pillows.

A spent most of her time playing with my hair:

Oh, and chewing on markers. Actually, both T and A spent most of their time chewing on markers. That's what happens when you're parenting numbers 3 and 4, I guess. A little less concerned about things like poisoning and small choking hazards :). You're also a little less concerned about what the older kidlettes are getting up to. A case in point:

Yep, that would be our darling oldest daughter owning up to her fine artistic addition to the brand new, freshly painted wall. Excellent. Next photo, please.

Yep, that would be my husband, using his sock to remove said artistic addition. Shhhh. Let's not talk about the screechy quality of my voice around about this time. Moving on :).

A seemed to tolerate us a bit more on this day. In retrospect, I think hunger may have had something to do with her grumpiness on June 4. This day, she was smiley smiley again. I wish I could post more photos of her, but they're all facial closeups. That smile was just too much to resist! She seems fairly mellow, given to smiling so long as she's full. As I mentioned before, she is quite top heavy, and still tripods a bit when she's sitting up. She enjoys putting things in her mouth, and already has a few teeth (though I haven't counted the exact number). We did attempt to get her to crawl at one point, but she was having none of it. I'm not certain if that is because she can't, or simply didn't want to at that given moment in time. Maybe she's not as mellow as I thought :).

T was a different creature entirely. He seemed to recognize us very quickly when they brought him in, and we were thrilled to witness his laughing, smiling, crawling all over the place (and all over his giggly big sister), and pulling up to the table! Yay!

He was very engaged, turned his head when we called his name, put lots of markers in his mouth, went from sitting up to crawling, crawling to sitting up. He was just a very busy, engaged little guy. We were thrilled to finally meet the "real" T. At one point, I called "Nah!" (which means "come here.") The first time I said it, he scooted right over to me. A few minutes later, I said it again. He looked right at me, started laughing, and proceeded to scoot backwards as quickly as he could. We were hysterical. Hooray for shy little boys who have an independent streak.

Poor Dinkeneh somehow avoided appearing in any of the photos we took this day, but rest assured: He was present and accounted for :).

Two days until court.

P.S. The park photos from June 2 should now be visible.

June 5: Church and Chilling

2011-06-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

No photos this day, and not a lot to talk about. I went with Katia, another guest at the house, to a local Ethiopian Christian church, while our husbands stayed behind with the kids. It was an experience. Before attending, I asked if the service was four hours long (since I wasn't sure if we were attending an Orthodox church or something different). I was assured that it was not long. Turns out, I should have clarified their definition of "long." Two and a half hours isn't so bad...when you can understand what the heck is going on. The singing at the beginning was amazing. The multiple speeches and offering collections for what appeared to be a building fund was interesting. This included a presentation of the building permit from one of the eight apparent pastors to another pastor. Then there was the actual sermon (I think), when a pastor actually came back to sit with us and pointed out each relevant verse in the Bible. There were many. Just when I though things were wrapping up, about a hundred children came in, and they had their own pastor (who was maybe ten?). He proceeded to preach (I think?) for about twenty minutes. He could have auditioned for a televangelist position in the U.S. Seriously unbelievable poise on stage in front of at least 500 people. Bear in mind that everything was in Amharic, and church was being held in the concrete underground of what appeared to be a building under construction. Like I said, it was an experience. Probably not one in which I'll be participating again anytime soon, but it was great to have gone once.

That was about it for our Sunday. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, and constantly reminding Dinkeneh that we were still working on obtaining a basketball goal for him. Fun times :).

June 4: A Hesitant Smile, and Some Tears

2011-06-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

We were excited to head back out to the care center at 9:00 am Saturday morning. There was no dozing this time around, and the kidlettes were busy absorbing the Addis sights, sounds and smells as we navigated the congested streets. It never ceases to amaze me how traffic continues to move despite the crowds of walkers, cars going the wrong way down one way streets, sheep being herded down the middle of the road, and buses stalled across multiple lanes. The kidlettes were enthralled. It helped that many of the sights they witnessed are featured in the book E is for Ethiopia, which they've been reading to prep for the trip. In fact, we brought the book with us, and Dinkeneh has actually pulled out the book several times to point out something he saw in Addis that day. (I wish I could take credit for the brilliant idea of using the book as prep, but this was actually recommended to me by another family that recently returned to Ethiopia with their 4 year old son.) Anyway, the morning ride was enjoyed by all of us.

After arriving at the care center, we found out that they had inadvertently scheduled too many families for visits, so they had to put us in the care center library. Those who know the kidlettes well know that this was an accidental blessing, since they adore reading (even if the books are mostly in French :) ).

The kidlettes became absorbed with reading, and pretty soon the nannies brought in T and A. Dinkeneh and Sisaye were both a bit more interested in the newbies this day. How adorable is that smile Dinkeneh gave his new baby brother? Happiness!

With my usual bull-headedness and lack of tact, I decided to question the nannies on T's health. Does he respond to his name? Does he ever smile? Does he ever laugh? Does he engage at all? Probably all fair questions; probably not asked in the most tactful way possible. While I had my back to the room, busy grilling the nannies (who I think were rather offended by my questions), Chris was playing with T and A on the floor. Suddenly, I heard Chris calling my name and laughing. I turn around to see T crawling across the floor, and to hear that Chris got him to smile "a little." T definitely seemed to see us (and the toys), and he seemed much more engaged than the previous day. Yay! Lots of holding toys, transferring them from one hand to the other; lots of toys going in the mouth. All great things :).

A, on the other hand, decided that not only did she not want to be put down all that much, but she really didn't want to be with us at all. We saw a few smiles, but nothing like the day before, and after about thirty minutes, she decided that she'd suffered enough of our attentions. Big sister Sisaye did get a chance to hold her for a few minutes; check out this quintessential Sisaye expression:

T really didn't want to be picked up all that much; he was too busy crawling around to investigate all the toys on the floor. Mama and Daddy did get the chance to hold A for a little bit:

After about an hour, I looked up to see the nannies I had grilled earlier coming into the room with a camera in their hands. Turns out, they had actual photographic proof that T could crack a smile. I was only slightly embarrassed :). It was really very sweet that they were so protective of him, and of course, I was thrilled to see him looking so engaged in all the photos. All of our prior updated pictures showed a very worried, serious looking little man, so these smiles were extra special.

We got to visit with T and A for about an hour and a half. Then we headed back to the guest house for a little relaxation. Dinkeneh and Nati played with the gift he received from T and A: a Soccer Guys set. (By the way, if you have a child really into sports, these sets rock. D also has the Football Guys and loves them. I only wish we had thought to purchase the Soccer Girls instead, since we go to many Lady Irish games. Anyway....) Sisaye and I had some tickling fun.

And that pretty much rounds out our second day as a family of six.

June 3: And Then There Were Four

2011-06-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

When we called our attorney on Wednesday morning, we were pretty disappointed to hear that he was too busy with Embassy appointments to meet with us. We were told to come to his office on Friday morning, three long days away. Woops, that's two days. See how long it felt? But as you can see, we kept ourselves busy with parks and tantrums, and Friday morning we were ready to go. We headed off to his office at 9:00 am, anticipating meeting at least one of our new family members that day. We had been told that one of our children was at a care center in Addis, while the other was at a care center just outside Addis. Anyway, we were pumped to arrive at the attorney's office...only to discover that the U.S. Embassy had called a meeting with adoption agency staff for Friday morning, so we would have to come back at 3:00 pm. I know, I know, you would think that after two Ethiopian adoptions, I would be prepared for delays this time around. Not so much. I was pretty miffed. Luckily, Chris is pretty easygoing about things like that, so he pulled us all together and back onto the van. Otherwise, I may have tried to stage a sit-in.

The rest of the morning passed painfully slowly, at least for me. The kidlettes found ways to occupy themselves. Sisaye played an animal game with Etsub (she corrected my spelling from the last post, though Sisaye just calls her Soup, which is super cute). Dinkeneh created a makeshift basketball goal from the laundry line. Awesomeness.

Finally, 3:00 pm arrived, and we were off for try two. I won't lie, my stomach was pretty knotted up at this point. I'm generally an anxious person, couple that with all the uncertainties surrounding Ethiopian adoptions right now, and it makes for one stressed-out Christina. Our attorney greeted us at the door, apologized for the delay, and asked if we had already visited the care center to meet our children. Um...huh wha? No, we thought we had to meet with you first. Well, yes, but how did you get to the care center? Um, like I said, we didn't. This random confusing dialogue went on for about five minutes. Seriously, that's a long time to be talking in circles. Now, the smarty-pants reading this blog have already figured out what the issue was. I wish I had been that sharp. At long last, the source of his confusion finally dawned on me. No, no, these children are not the ones we are here to adopt, they are already our children. What followed was another five minute circular conversation, where I had to continuously reassure him that we were not, in fact, concurrently adopting from three different agencies. Good grief. :)

Eventually, things were cleared up, and we were pleasantly surprised to learn that both of our children were at the same care center, just outside of Addis. Now, at this point, it was approaching 4:00 pm, but of course, we were super excited to meet Baby T and Baby A, so we decided to go ahead and drive out for a very quick meeting. This is how the two biggest kidlettes looked on the drive out:

After a fifty minute car ride, we arrived at the care center. This care center was finished one year ago, and there is still a lot of construction going on. One of the great things was the playground in the center, which Dinkeneh and Sisaye were very excited to test out. After a couple of minutes, someone approached us and led us to a special room for families to meet their new children. Dinkeneh and Sisaye Claire were in heaven:

And then the big moment arrived:

I know, bummer that I can't post their photos yet. But I think the four of us are a perfect fit for the two of them, and there is lots of fun in store for all six of us in the coming years.

Baby T was pretty unsure of everything for the entirety of our visit. To be honest, he looked a little shell shocked. At one point, we weren't even certain he could see or hear us (which may have caused us to freak out, just a little ;) ). We finally convinced him to hold on to a toy, but for the most part, he just looked vaguely off into space, with his mouth open. Again, in complete honesty, we did not walk away from our first meeting with Baby T feeling very confident about his health. We did walk away thinking he was unbelievably precious, and very much looking forward to getting to know him more.

Baby A was exactly the way her photos always depict her: smiley, smiley, smiley. Chris had her belly laughing within 30 seconds of picking her up. She did get pretty nervous after the nannies left, so we got fewer smiles at that point. She has lots of lovely baby fat, so she is still learning to sit up on her own. I think she is already a Daddy's girl, since he got far more smiles than I did.

And what did D and SC think of their new siblings? Honestly, they didn't even realize T and A were in the room for about ten of our fifteen minutes. We finally had to call them over, and even then, D and SC just kind of shrugged and moved on. Not exactly how I had pictured the moment, but far more realistic than my fantasies of the same. We did get Sisaye Claire to hold Baby T for about ten seconds, but that was the sum total of their interactions.

And that's how our first fifteen minutes as a family of six went.

P.S. Could someone please post a comment to let me know if you can see the photos? I think I came up with a workaround, but I can't see the photos on my end to test it. Thanks!

June 2: To the Park We Go

2011-06-12T01:55:00.001-04:00

Thursday dawned, and with it came the determination to get us all out and about. I was feeling pretty down, since we found out the day before that many families with court did not have their MOWA letters that week. We needed a distraction, so Selam offered to escort us to a nearby park. While we waited for her to be ready, Mama, Sisaye, and Ehtsup (pronounced et-soop) had some fun with Ms. Kate's homemade playdough.

Note Sisaye's conversion of the remote control into a telephone.

Then we were on our way to Future Park.

Finally in sight of the park:

Some fun was had on the swings, and then Sisaye was out like a light.

While still rough, our second full day in Addis Ababa did go better, and their was some laughter to be had.

P.S. I believe one of our blog readers will see a photo of herself and her little Soybean if she looks really closely at that last picture. :)

May 30 – 31: To Ethiopia We Go

2011-06-12T01:42:00.000-04:00

Betsy and Paul came over around 9 to help us finish packing and load the car. The kidlettes received their trip gifts: matching toddler backpacks with magical presents inside from their Grandmom, Grandma, and Ms. Kate.

Then we were off. Except that we weren't, because Chris accidentally gave Betsy our only car key.

Try two. Success. We hung out in the airport until it was time to head through security. Sadness to say goodbye to our best friends for a while. Dinkeneh was amazed as the plane headed into the clouds. Sisaye was fairly indifferent; she was already pretty stressed by everything. A few hours in Chicago's airport, consistently taking the wrong train until we finally figured out the correct terminal.

Killed an hour hanging out under a dinosaur, and said goodbye to family over the phone. Had a great laugh at my littlest sister's expense (we love you, Elizabeth!). The flight to Germany went really well. We scored bulkhead seats, which was terrific, since we were able to spread out our stuff. The kidlettes rocked this bit of the trip.

Next stop: Germany.

Met up with Cindy and the fabulous Ms. Bea. Took a train into Frankfurt for about 45 minutes. Let the kidlettes run off some pent up energy. Sisaye crashed. First meltdown of the trip in front of security (and Cindy and Bea) as we tried to get back into the airport. Some kind security guard (maybe Ethiopian?) came over and (with a sweet smile) hauled Dinkeneh up off the floor and out of the way of the millions of people waiting in line behind us, and escorted us to the short line for getting through security. The German airport security personnel were hysterical over the “computer” label affixed to the front of my laptop. Explained that Dinkeneh is learning to read. Not sure they believed me. At this point, we probably looked like we needed the label (and a few others, too). Paid a ridiculous amount of money for a tiny milk. Boarded the flight to Ethiopia. The kidlettes finally crashed for a few hours, as did we.

Landed in Ethiopia. Made it through the visa line at long last. Really thankful that our guest house driver was ready and waiting for us outside of security. Made it to the guest house, where everyone was waiting to greet us. Got our things upstairs. Crashed.

Alrighty Then

2011-06-11T09:28:00.001-04:00

Clearly I'm having issues getting the photos to imbed properly. I have to post via email, since Ethiopia has blocked blogspot addresses. The only method I have for having the photos actually show up in the post removes the formatting, so the photos won't be in context. Anyone have a workaround for this? I'd appreciate the help. In the meantime, I guess I'll go ahead and post without formatting (since you know you're dying to see the photos :) ).

June 1: What Were We Thinking?!

2011-06-11T09:06:00.002-04:00

That title just about sums it up. Everyone was exhausted, and the kidlettes' behavior was awful. Truly awful. At one point, Sisaye almost fell in the fire at the traditional coffee ceremony, upended the bowl of popcorn, and then knocked an entire cup of hot coffee on me during the middle of a spectacular temper tantrum. The whole time, the other adopting families in the room were shooting judgmental glances our way, all except the one couple who were adopting child number five, not child number one. They were so nice to us, thankfully; otherwise I may have burst into tears. We took three pictures the entire day. It was not a day we wanted to remember, and we were so relieved to finally get to the end of it.

In motion

2011-05-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

Next stop, Germany.

Oh Crap Oh Crap Oh Crap

2011-05-26T21:45:00.000-04:00

Yup, that was the thought running through my head for about 18 hours this week. It all started with a cute cat coffee cup (say that 3 times fast) and a precocious 2 year old with a will of her own. Drop said coffee cup at just the right angle onto said 2 year old's toe, and the result will be this:

Wait, allow me to provide you with a closeup.

No, she could not walk on it. Yes, she literally cried in her sleep all night long, "Mmmaaammmaaa, my toe is huuurrrrtttting me." So sad. So off we went to the trusty pediatrician's in the morning, with me chanting, "Please do not be broken, please do not be broken," about a million times. Seriously, can you imagine two adults with 12 pieces of luggage, a 3 year old, and 3 non-walking children successfully navigating...well, anywhere?

Here is the drama queen totally eating up all the attention.

And here she is after we melted a hole in her nail to release the geyser of bodily fluid. Note the ecstatic expression on her face, as she is now the proud owner of a princess sticker, a sucker, a sparkly band-aid, and that most precious of all items, the tongue depressor.

Then we were pointed off in the direction of radiology, since our pediatrician, God love him, wanted to be sure he could take care of any bigger problems before we headed off to 'Opia. Enter more drama-soaking-up opportunities for the little miss.

Don't be fooled by the frown: She was soaking up all the attention.

And because he was such a trooper throughout the whole ordeal:

So I think I'll leave my dear readers in suspense. Was the toe broken, or was it not?

Most Ridiculous Fortune Ever

2011-05-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

Lesson learned: Do not go looking for divine wisdom in a 10 cent edible cardboard treat.

Ready for the Rainy Season

2011-05-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

We leave for Ethiopia in five short days. Yay! Sisaye is totally ready for the rainy season. Dinkeneh is too, for that matter, but is less than cooperative in the modeling department. How cute is she?!

And how sweet will Sisaye & little sister A look in their matching raincoats?

Librarian in Training

2011-05-21T00:47:00.000-04:00

Like Mama, like daughter, eh?

First Person

2011-05-21T00:43:00.000-04:00

Dinkeneh attends a classroom that practices the program Handwriting Without Tears. Part of the program involves learning about Mat Man, in part to help with developing body awareness. Today, Dinkeneh started singing the Mat Man song and actually drew his first person in sidewalk chalk! We are ridiculously tickled over this. What happened to our baby boy?!

Powdered Milk Test: Check

2011-05-09T22:33:00.000-04:00

Because of the difficulty in scoring milk in Ethiopia, we did a test run of a generic version of powdered milk. The kidlettes drank it with nary a word. I, on the other hand, had to toss the precious second-to-last bowl of Grapenuts (left by a lovely sister) because I couldn't deal with the powdery texture. So, Tums for me, milk for them. Score! Now off to see about ordering an organic version....

O Happy Day

2011-05-08T21:28:00.000-04:00

The four of us leave for Ethiopia three weeks from tomorrow. We are so, so ready to wrap our arms around Baby Brother T and Baby Sister A, even if it just for a few sweet hours. Despite the recent implementation of the five letter limit, we are still holding on to hope that our MOWCYA letter will be there when we show up for court on June 8th. Prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated. For those unfamiliar with the current Ethiopian adoption process, this is the trip where we will meet T & A and appear in court to (hopefully) finalize our adoption. We will make another trip to bring them home.

In the meantime, the past 48+ hours have been filled with thankfulness, joy, panic, and frantic planning. We think we have our tickets lined up, though there will be some last minute checking come Monday morning. Beyond that, we are still researching guest houses. For those in the know, please feel free to offer advice. We need an affordable option that also has a place for the kidlettes to play, offers the option of lunch and dinner (vegetarian), and if you fine folks would like to follow along: internet. Oh, and no bed bugs, please. We don't ask for much (said with all sarcasm).

I have much to be thankful for on this Mother's Day. And much to do, so I'd best get to it. Happy Mother's Day to you.

The Zoo

2011-05-04T00:04:00.000-04:00

So this photo was taken awhile back, but why is it that the most exciting part of the zoo for my kidlettes (and their friends) is the stream of carp? Clearly that makes sense. Clearly. Especially since the lion habitat* is right in front of the stream. Because obviously that juxtaposition of king to bottom feeder just reinforces the awesomeness of said bottom feeder. Obviously. If only I could view the world through the eyes of my children, then this waiting business would be way more fun than actually parenting all four of my kidlettes. If only.

*I'm being generous.

I've Got Nothing

2011-05-03T00:08:00.000-04:00

Blogging for me is a (good) habit. And once the habit is broken, it's a real you-know-what to get back into it. Over the past two weeks, I've sat down multiple times to draft some sort of catch-up post. But every time, it comes out all stilted and formal. And then I don't post it. And then I feel guilty. Rinse. Repeat.

So until my blogging muse finds me (which will hopefully be soon), here are a few photos to tide you over. Those of you who are still hanging in there.

Tunesday

2011-04-19T23:01:00.000-04:00

To say that Sisaye Claire is a huge fan of this band might be the world's biggest understatement. She is able to sing along (loosely) to a couple of their songs now. The girl's got taste. Her favorite song is, in her words, "Trick Drum Heart." I kinda like it. What do I like even better? The fact that she air guitars and air drums(?) to the songs. Dinkeneh just drums. Yay. A bigger yay would be the fact that I finally unearthed my missing camera. Videos and photos coming your way, at long last. And yes, I will get around to explaining my long absence. Thanks in advance for the understanding, and for the many thoughtful emails I received checking to be sure all was well. It's getting there.

Well, I could just keep going and going. But I suppose four is sufficient. For now.

Cheers.

Overheard

2011-04-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

*THUD* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

Me: Sisaye, stop dropping your apple on the floor!

SC: I'm just dribbling, mama.

Anyone else have a little too much madness in March?

Introducing the Littles: Referral!!!

2011-02-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

Referral!!! He is just perfect. And she is just perfect. And I think the snowpeople version of our family of six looks pretty darn perfect, too. We got the call Wednesday night at 7:29 PM, of course when we were least expecting it. And yet again, I had set my ringtone to a truly ear-screeching submarine alarm for our agency's call, and then became completely confused when it actually went off. When I heard our agency director ask if it was an okay time to talk, I assumed that perhaps there was a problem with our paperwork, but then she said the word "referral" and the tears started. Chris and I were so grateful to be together when we got to see their sweet faces for the first time. And then the kidlettes, probably hearing all the excitement downstairs, got out of bed and came into the kitchen. Here they are seeing the faces of their new brother and sister for the first time:

We can't wait to meet Baby Brother and Baby Sister, and Dinkeneh has already talked about how he is going to have fun with them, but not take them on a walk. Alrighty then.

Walks or no, we can't wait for the fun to begin.

What happens when a nap doesn't.

2011-02-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

Three Years Ago

2011-02-07T22:19:00.001-05:00

Love you, Small Bear.

Food Forward

2011-02-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

Breakfast: Blackberry Muffins (hat tip to Betsy)
Lunch: Split Pea Soup with Peas and Potatoes
Sunday: Spinach Cheese Pie (hat tip to Cathy)
Monday: Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Eggs
Tuesday: Szechwan Tempeh with Sweet Rice Tembales (hat tip to Mama Papaya)
Wednesday: Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Seared Ahi Tuna
Thursday: Leftovers or Waffles of Insane Squashness
Friday: Pizza

The spinach cheese pie was so unbelievably good that my children actually said "mmmmmm" and ate their dinners with no prompting. This will definitely be reappearing on our menu. Thanks Cathy!

Can you tell we are buried under potatoes from our winter CSA? If anyone has any other potato suggestions, please feel free to share. I am getting desperate. I don't think we're going to participate in the winter CSA next year, since it was mostly just cabbage, potatoes, cabbage, onions, potatoes, cabbage, squash, potatoes, and...potatoes. And cabbage. Ugh. I don't care if nothing else is local this time of year. I just can't do only potatoes and cabbage from November to April.

I did come up with one non-food way to use the potatoes. And feel free to make fun of the fact that I cut the S backwards (well, forwards, but it printed backwards, you know what I mean). Aside from that rookie mistake, the kidlettes did enjoy their potato printing.

The Snowmen

2011-02-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

Alrighty then.

The Peanut Butter Spoon

2011-02-02T21:01:00.001-05:00

If you were intimidated by Mama Papaya's PlanetBox, fear not. This equally superb alternative is for you.

Need more fun?

That's a face, in case you were wondering.

Need portability? The freezer is your friend.

Never underestimate the power of The Peanut Butter Spoon. Healthy. Yummy. Easy. Cheap. What's not to love?

No need to thank me. Really.

Prepping for Love

2011-02-01T00:19:00.000-05:00

Wow, that post title could really get me in a lot of trouble with search engines. Advance apologies to those who are disappointed upon arrival.

We are having all sorts of fun prepping for love in la casa de kidlettes. First up, painted hearts. Love them! We don't own a punch, so I just drew my own heart template. We used red and pink tempera paint (I would have used white, but apparently purchasing white paint fell out of my head during the craft store run). The kidlettes had a blast counting their hearts and slapping on the paint. I had a blast hole punching and stringing them up. Pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. And I do :).

After nap, we made our very first batch of homemade granola "bars". Dinkeneh wasn't as interested in the hand mixing, but Sisaye Claire picked up the slack and got everything nice and moist. In lieu of bars, we embraced the love by using heart shaped silicon cups. The end result was heart shaped yumminess:

Some feedback on the granola bar recipe. These were way too sweet for us, which I guessed going in. But I like to try out recipes in their original state first, as a sort of base to work from. Next time around, I'll either cut the brown sugar in half or leave it out entirely. I'll also play with adding some finely chopped dried fruit and nuts in place of the chocolate chips. We only use whole oats, so I pulsed them in the food processor for a bit and they worked just as well. Finally, if you're using regular sized silicone cups instead of the minis, be sure to adjust your time accordingly. Mine took about 14 minutes to cook.

Evidence

2011-01-31T21:18:00.002-05:00

The residual effects of grandmother visits are most often found in food, especially in a whole food household. Case in point:

(for those interested, click here for fun cups info)

Yes, those would be the much beloved animal crackers. Grandmothers are so magical.

Success!

2011-01-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

We transitioned from co-sleeping to individual beds back in the fall, but we continued our practice of lying down with Sisaye until she was asleep. I know this doesn't work for everyone, but for a long time, for us, it really wasn't that big of a deal. We appreciated that she seemed to need it, and when I thought about the fact that she wouldn't be that little and snuggly forever (and I/we really enjoyed it as much as she did), that helped to ease the pain of the hour or so it took her to fall asleep. But things change, she grew older, and my and Chris's relationship really began to suffer as it started taking upwards of two hours for her to get to sleep at night. Add that to the 9:00ish bedtime we were sort of adhering to, and Chris and I basically didn't get to see much of each other. That sucked.

Something needed to change.

At the beginning of January, we began the gradual exiting of Sisaye's room while she was still awake. The first two nights were awful, with her crying while we sat by the side of the bed and held her hand. And I swear to you, when we moved the chair to the middle of the room, I thought my heart would break from her pitiful, "Pwease hode my hand, Mama, pwease." Complete with sniffles. My stomach still hurts thinking about it. I just kept telling myself that part of the reason it was taking her two hours to fall asleep at night was that she really needed the space to herself. Sigh.

But really, she was only upset for the first three days. And she never cried for more than three minutes. Believe me, I counted. After that, the crying dropped off dramatically, and she entered a new phase: the con phase. "I need Binyam!" "I need Brown Bear." "I don't want Brown Bear, I want Ms. M!" You get the picture. This phase really didn't bother me much, since it was a heck of a lot better than us feeling guilty. We sat in a chair in the dark hall, where she could see us, until she seemed to be settled. Then we would make a quiet exit. This went on for about a week or so.

Two weeks ago, we moved the chair around the corner and out of her line of sight. The first day, she got out of bed five times. The second day, twelve times. Third day, eighteen times. No crying, just checking to see if we were still there. We would pick her up, no words, and place her back in the bed. The fourth day, zero times, no crying.

A few days ago, she looked at me as I got ready to exit the room and said, "Good night Mama! I love you Mama! I love you Daddy! I read my books by myself!" (They get to keep books with them in bed.) And that was it. We've had no issues since then.

Concurrently with this transition, we also instituted a new bedtime routine, complete with awesomely fabulous poster (see above). I know, you're jealous. We eat dinner from 5:30 to 6:00 pm, and then the rest of the steps take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. That means the kidlettes go to bed at - brace yourselves - 7:15 pm! And they've been sleeping until 6:00 or 7:00 am, depending on the day. I'll take it either way. We haven't had any more 3:00 am jumping on the bed fests (thank goodness), and we are all feeling much more rested. Dinkeneh and Sisaye Claire adore the bedtime chart and have referenced it every day since it went up. "Snuggle!" is their favorite step, and ours too.

So, with (all) that being said, I'm calling it, folks:

Success!

Love in Style

2011-01-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

Inspired

2011-01-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

Panty Post

2011-01-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

Because every self-trainer deserves one:

Snowed In

2011-01-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

Thirty-ish inches in about as many hours. Notre Dame clearly has a direct line to God, since they somehow managed to avoid it falling on a weekday, thereby necessitating the cancellation of work/school and a freebie day for everyone. An act of God, to be sure. It also happened to be our sixth anniversary. Nothing like having to be dug/pushed out of the snow not once, not twice, but three times by random strangers in the cars stuck behind you. It was actually really...fun? Adventurous? Memorable? The two best lines of the day:

"THERE WE GOOOOO!!!!!!" - Dinkeneh, after we're finally pushed free by three strangers and a guy carrying a snow shovel in his passenger seat.

(hysterical crying) "But where is FROSTY???!???" - Sisaye, after not being able to find him in all the snow.

I need to put the first photo in context. The snow was up to my rear in our backyard, and I was still trying to find the walkway with the snow shovel in this photo. Also, please forgive Dinkeneh's bagged tennis shoes. I still haven't purchased him snow boots. Bad mama.

Potty Mouth

2011-01-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

Sisaye potty trained herself. Completely. The week before our giant Christmas travel expedition. Awesomeness all the way around. Of course, her bladder is just pint-sized, so she can really only hold it for about 1:15 before disaster strikes. And she's not quite got the hang of notifications pre-wee. She only has accidents once every other day or so, mostly when Mama forgets to watch the clock. So you can imagine what I mutter to myself when I'm cleaning up said accidents. And in case you can't imagine, allow me to illustrate. I opened the car door to extract Little Missy earlier today, and the following conversation ensued:

SC: Mama, I have to pee!!!!!

Me: Okay, hold it, HOLD IT!

SC: Mama, I PEED!

Me: [opening my mouth]

SC: DAMMIT!

*sigh*

Letter Writing

2011-01-07T12:40:00.001-05:00

I had a couple of folks email me asking about the letter writing flashcards Dinkeneh is using. This is the set we purchased for him. I've been very impressed with almost all of my Priddy purchases. They tend to have brightly colored, non-busy photos that allow a child to isolate the lesson without a lot of distraction. Enjoy!

In Which Dinkeneh Goes to School!

2011-01-07T00:11:00.000-05:00

Dinkeneh started school on Monday. He has been begging to go for about three months. We (meaning me) were dragging our feet, since I have an advanced degree in elementary education, and couldn't I do a better job at home? Turns out, not so much. He is loving it. He attends MWF for about two hours in the mornings, and for the past four days he has seemed happier, more relaxed, had better manners, and is much more cooperative than in the past three months of threedom. His classroom is very tiny (about 8 students), and there are generally between 2 and 4 adults in the room at any given time. Awesomeness. My favorites of the week:

(Before going into school)

When we got to school, his name was already on a locker (spelled correctly, woot!) and he found it himself, ripped off his coat, and rushed into his classroom.

(After school with Sisaye wearing the Happy New Year hat he made)

When I went to tell him I was leaving, he waved a hand in the air and yelled, "See you later, Mama!" without even turning around from the books he was checking out. Ouch.

(He yelled, "Happy New Year!" and an impromptu dance party ensued.)

When I picked him up from school the first day, his teacher laughingly told me that when she took him to the restroom, he looked at her and said, "Teacher, I really just want to go to the gym." Good grief.

(Still dancing.)

When he saw us after school on that first day, he said, "Sisaye, I'm so happy to see you!" and proceeded to hold her hand for the entire drive home.

(Smiles are hard to come by with this kidlette, but this was a good one. Apologies for the chewed food.)

He also said, "Mama, I'm happy to see you!" but the Sisaye quote with hand-holding is way cuter.

(Practicing his letter writing after lunch.)

When Chris asked him what he did at school, he said, "I walked around." Huh?

When Chris dropped Dinkeneh off for his second day of school, the teacher had created a special reading area for Dinkeneh with a ton of books she thought he would like, because he spent so much time with the books on the first day. How great is that?!

When we asked Dinkeneh what he did during his second day of school, he told us that the animals crawled in the mitten. He then listed several of the animals (bear, fox, rabbit, mouse?) and then yelled, "And they STRETCHED IT OUT!" complete with this very fierce sounding "GRRRRRR" while pulling his fists apart. I'm guessing there was a resistance band activity in there somewhere. What a hoot. He had never shown interest in The Mitten before (we've owned it for awhile). When I told him we owned the book and it was on his bookshelf, he leaped down from his chair and sprinted to the playroom to find it. I found him reading it several times today. Love it.

And apologies for the craptastic photos. Some events are like that; too busy in the moment to get a good shot. I suppose that's a good thing.

Tunesday with a Breakfast Cookie Twist

2011-01-04T23:18:00.005-05:00

I saw a different live version of this song on Lori's blog, and it was exactly what I needed to hear this week. It's been a rough holiday season for many personal reasons, and this song was a much-needed antidote. Well, this song and these breakfast cookies (our label, not hers). I subbed a brick of cream cheese (8 oz) for the farmer's cheese and sour cream, and I say anything that contains only cream cheese, butter, vanilla, flour, salt, jam, milk, and a tiny bit of powdered sugar qualifies as a viable breakfast option. (The cookie label is a puzzler, but I liked the idea of serving cookies for breakfast.) Mama 'Paya, take note.

I hope these two beauties bring you a small bit of peace as well. Enjoy!

Rocking Out at the Library

2011-01-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Go Irish!

2010-12-31T15:41:00.000-05:00

Sports Centering

2010-12-28T11:44:00.001-05:00

Christmas Lounging

2010-12-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

Thank You Kelly!

2010-12-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

Life Is

2010-12-09T16:02:00.001-05:00

The only thing worse than your child pooping on the floor...

...is your child pooping on the heating vent.

Awesome.

Other Books We Love

2010-12-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd take a second to talk about some books we already own and love (thus not making it on to our Twelve List this year). We have owned this one for awhile now and the kids enjoy it:

Who Invited You is pretty darn funny, especially if you are (a) from the South, or (b) can do a great Southern accent anyway. Being from Kentucky, I find it particularly amusing, and the kidlettes love it. Note that the author is Candace Fleming (she'll reappear again in just a minute).

A while back, a book arrived in the mail from Grandmom. This book was a hit from the very beginning:

The Seals on the Bus is a fantastically funny take on the traditional Wheels on the Bus song. If you have kiddlettes who are or were into that song or a related book, I highly recommend adding this gem to your collection. And note that the illustrator is G. Brian Karas (he'll reappear in just a second).

And what happens when a very solid author (Candace Fleming) meets a very solid illustrator (G. Brian Karas)? Why, you get a very solid book to add to your collection:

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! is a great read, especially if your kidlettes are into gardening, animals, or simply appreciate rabbits who are as stubborn and resourceful as they are. Recommended.

And I just spied this one, which may have to make it into our library soon:

Say What?

2010-12-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

SC: Hello Dinkeneh!

D: It's not polite to say hello to someone, Sisaye.

....

The Twelve 2010

2010-12-02T23:24:00.000-05:00

Feathered Friends

2010-11-24T19:01:00.000-05:00

Channeling Papa

2010-11-24T18:57:00.000-05:00

Playing Guitar with Uncle Joe

2010-11-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

Fun at Grandma's House

2010-11-21T00:09:00.001-05:00

Two

2010-11-17T23:45:00.000-05:00

Well, this Wednesday just couldn't pass without some words about baby girl, who turned two today. At her well visit this morning, she rocked in at 35.5" and 25 pounds. Yep, that would be 90th percentile for height and 20th percentile for weight. No wonder her pants won't stay up! But numbers don't begin to describe little miss. She is spunky, sassy, extremely verbal, and doesn't take crap off of anybody. Oye. She also loves dogs, "pretty clothes," any stuffed animal she can find and fit in her bed, art, and singing songs. She is perfection. Happy birthday, Sisaye Claire.

Big Sister in Training

2010-11-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

I think she'll do a fine job. See how she handled that dossier with care? She must have, since we are officially waiting to be a family for a little or two as of this afternoon.

How terrific is this Tuesday?!

And again

2010-11-15T16:11:00.000-05:00

Carseat Fashions

2010-11-15T12:05:00.001-05:00

And the Nominees Are

2010-11-15T00:17:00.000-05:00

This weekend Chris and I snuggled up on the couch with the various contenders for a coveted spot in the Twelve Books of Christmas. So far, we have three heck yeah's, a plethora of strong maybe's, and three no's. Can I just say, reading picture books on a rainy day while ensconced on a comfy couch with a blanket, wine, and this cutie might just be my favorite date? Life is good.

Sunday Sweetness

2010-11-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Choices

2010-11-13T00:32:00.000-05:00

Man, this picking out a pre-school business is tough stuff. We have two choices, and each offers its own benefits and drawbacks. Decision has to be made by Monday. We're lucky we have a choice; not everyone does, I know. So be prepared for a "First Day of School" post coming shortly. In the meantime, we took the kidlettes with us to observe each program.

Us: Let's go to school!
SC: Go to school? OKWAY! I get Franken. Franken, where are you? ... Hi Franken! Franken, you want to go to school with Denenuh and Sisaye? OKWAY! Let's go, Franken!

Apparently, Franklin really does go to school.

And God help us when she figures out that it's only Dinkeneh who gets to attend.

101.5

2010-11-12T20:24:00.001-05:00

Poor baby. Pharmacy, here we come.

Jobs

2010-11-11T23:47:00.003-05:00

The kidlettes each have their own jobs now. Dinkeneh puts the silverware away, and Sisaye Claire sticks the miscellaneous "other" items into the main drawer. They are also in charge of loading their plates in the dishwasher. So far, they are digging it, and I get so tickled watching them take their tiny jobs so seriously.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T20:38:00.000-05:00