Not Quite Done

Forgotten Pictures

2012-01-28T11:42:00.003-05:00

After reading my previous post, Karen sent me a message with wonderful news. She found pictures from our home visit that she had forgotten about! Even with my descriptions, Seth and our children were amazed to see where Dirbe and her siblings live.

It was so dark, my "fancy" Canon camera couldn't find a focal point in the darkness, and couldn't take a picture. So I reached for my daughter's small point-and-click camera and snapped a few quick pics with the flash. Reading Apryl's post jogged my memory, and just tonight I downloaded those photos and here is what I found - along with a video I somehow captured while holding hands with a child and balancing my other camera too. :)

The mud bench, yellow jugs for water in the background. You can see the thatched roof with black stains from smoke. Dirbe and Meskerem had terrible coughs, as did many of the other children, no doubt due to the smoky house.

The kitchen area, with large pans for injera along the wall. The raised bed is in the background.

One final shot as we leave, the children sleep on the floor near their parent's raised bed. This picture makes me even more thankful for the blankets that we gave to the children.

Karen has about 30 seconds of video on her blog. In it we had just entered the cluster of huts and were approaching the Hunde's home.

The Visit

2012-01-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

Last year, when a little girl stole my heart by draping her arm so protectively around her little sister's shoulders, I never dreamed their family would become so familiar to my family. I never would have imagined that we would find ourselves in their home.

We had walked through the fields on a dirt path, gingerly making our way to the crest of the hill. Each of the children grasped the hand of an adult, almost as a badge of honor. We followed the path to a cluster of mud huts surrounded by shrubs and fencing.
This was the first time I had visited the home of one of our sponsor children. The unexpected made me nervous. I was holding the small hands of two little girls. I looked down at my sponsor child, Dirbe, on my right. She was obviously excited about the visit we were making. We trailed behind the group, my mom was just up ahead holding the hands of Dirbe's older brother and sister, whom my parents and sister sponsor. My hands were clammy and my stomach full of butterflies.

From the moment we stole away from the care point; I felt such a burden. I wanted to remember each detail of the walk, each sight and smell, so that I might share the experience with our families back home. I felt such responsibility climbing that hill, as I couldn't imagine many visitors taking this path to these homes. We were there as representatives of so many people and I felt inadequate. I felt so awkwardly American with my cameras and blue jeans. I was so tired from a long flight and no sleep and so, so terribly sorry that I hadn't learned Oromiffa in the past year.

That smiling face kept peering up at me, glancing and grinning. She obviously doesn't care how out of place we look. She's delighted to bring us home. I wish I could capture her excitement! Then I catch a glimpse of the view once we reach her cluster of huts, and I wish I could bring that home, too.

The huts seem abandoned, but we are shown the Hunde family's home. Dirbe's mother comes, smiling. She looks graceful in her traditional flowing dress and scarf. Again, I feel under dressed, though we stand in a smoky mud hut. It's unreal. She puts me at ease as she, too, is obviously excited to have us visit. We talk through two translators to try and understand how many children are in the family and what they do for a living. We are waiting for the children's father to arrive.

I'm nervous and rest in Karen's ability to think clearly and make conversation. What will their father be like? Perhaps angry that these American Christians are here? I have no idea, but not much time to think about it, because soon the crowd peering in the doorway parts for him.

He is small and wearing a ball cap with a large shawl wrapped over his shoulders. He walks with a limp and uses a cane. I never should have worried about this man. The moment I see his face, I see the same familiar joy that I adore on Dirbe's face. He is thrilled that we have come. His eyes adjust to the darkness and he comes towards me, smiling. He is talking, but I can't understand what he says. As the translators begin to sort out what he has said, he is taking my hand. Then he begins peppering it with kisses as the translator says, "He says he recognizes you from the pictures you send. He says thank you, thank you, God bless you."

I'm a mess. I'm a humbled mess. I can't think straight enough to ask any simple questions, for which I will have to beg forgiveness later. We learn that our three sponsor children sleep on the dirt floors. Their father fought in the army and sustained extensive injuries to his leg. He tries to support his family, but relies on the help provided by the care point.

As we begin to leave I realize that I must bring home at least a mental image of the home where this family lives. The three children sleep on the hard packed dirt floor near a raised mud platform where their parents sleep, a mud bench runs along one wall, and in one corner is a small fire, obviously where the cooking is done. Our visit ends far too soon as I realize I haven't taken photos or video to share with our family.

We walk slowly away from the huts and I am elated. I have just seen the smallest glimpse of the blessing Trees of Glory is to the children. I'm excited to be able to tell my sister that 'our girls' are loved and adored by their family. My nervousness has bubbled up into relief and joy. I give the little hand a squeeze and Dirbe smiles up at me again. This time, I recognize that she has her father's smile.

Staycation--The Finale

2012-01-21T07:21:00.002-05:00

That fated morning, when the snow was coming down and I was dreading the thought of breaking the sad news to our kids, I was certain that we needed one big ticket item. We have some really good kiddos. They are usually so flexible and willing to change plans at a moment's notice. I shouldn't have worried so much about telling them that we weren't leaving for Florida. But, to my credit, I pictured myself saying, "I know you have been counting down the days until we were leaving, and I know that our bags are packed and you are expecting to pile into the van and head south in a few hours. I know that we have pumped you up for grandparents, theme parks, and swimming with manatees. Instead of that, Daddy and I decided that we are going to stay at home and do some fun stuff instead. I know there is something fun we can do. Really."

Their expected reaction? Wailing as they throw their bodies prostrate to the ground beating little hands and feet while they moan with disappointment and regret over their luck in life to have been put into the care of two senseless and obviously uncaring adults who call themselves parents.

I should have expected more of them. I tried to break it gently, and was certain to stress this particular event. Our trump card--two days at the resort/waterpark just an hour away. I had called and explained that I didn't care what day we came, but I needed something great because, "I'm about to tell my kids we can't go to Orlando for the week."

Though we enjoyed the beginning of the week, I do believe the biggest fun was had during our last two days of staycation. We sucked every ounce of fun from that water park. The discounted price I got for our room was due to low numbers at the park on Wednesdays. The place was relatively deserted and perfect! The four biggest kids are tall enough to ride nearly everything, this year they were able to run up and come down slides on their own. Josiah, ever the water-wimp, hung with me in the shallow part of the wave pool and managed by the end of the second day to be coerced into going down the 'big kid' slide in the kiddie zone.

The thought of standing around in my swimsuit is quite unappealing. Standing in my swimsuit, dripping wet and catching a glimpse of the snow pouring down from gray skies made for a perfect end to a snowy week!

Staycation--Day Three

2012-01-18T20:35:00.005-05:00

We woke up on day three to the sound of the sump pump running. The snow that kept us from our vacation in Florida had disappeared. Rain and wind had replaced it--our snowy activities have come to an end. We hit the free Tuesdays at the science center downtown. It's a great place that I usually avoid. A three story museum cluttered with exhibits means keeping track of kids is pretty hard. We hit the entrance and five warm bodies scatter. Soon everyone is hidden among the exhibits. My palms start sweating and images of Josiah getting onto the elevator alone start running through my mind.

Send me to the zoo on a hot day in July. Outside with open spaces wins every time.

The museum was desolate this Tuesday. Having another pair of eyes (and bigger kids) made the experience pleasant.

Staycation--Day Two

2012-01-16T22:31:00.003-05:00

Staycation's all I ever wanted...

Snowy theme continues today as we hit the trails to cross country ski. You can only imagine the surprise as we bombarded the clubhouse at the golf course turned winter sports park.

Boots and skis for seven, please.

The unbundling and boot selection, tying, bundling back up was an event in itself. Then snapping on the skis and getting a short lesson. Incidentally, if you ever choose to take five children cross country skiing and the guy managing the place assures you that poles will only make things harder for the kids, don't believe him.

Poles make things easier. Small children with little upper body strength will fall often and have no way to right themselves. If an adult is right there, no problem, but five children falling over and over again soon becomes defeating.

We didn't realize this until we were too far away from the clubhouse to turn back, so Seth and I sacrificed our poles so the kids would have one. Eli, our fearless leader, became so efficient he disappeared from view several times. We managed to make a 2 mile loop. The runner in me was certain (after skiing for an hour) that we must have made a wrong turn (little boy in the green coat, remind me why you are leading us?) and ended up on the 20 mile trail. I was surprised when we looped around and found that after 90 minutes we had only gone 2 miles. I think I pulled Josiah the last half mile. He kept saying he was having fun, but "I'm ready to have hot chocolate, can we just stop?"

Day Two: Ski and Boot rental for 2 hours $85 (kind of pricey but not anywhere near downhill ski prices)
Fun Factor: Much more pleasant than skating. Weather was perfect, we really did enjoy ourselves once everyone got the hang of the skis.

Probably not as much fun as swimming with the manatees, but definitely warmer.

Staycation

2012-01-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

Our family is making a vacation out of a snowy weekend.

It's a sad tale involving a week in Florida and two days of snow. I am unabashedly a paranoid freak when it comes to driving in bad weather. Instead of packing the van on our departure morning, I checked the weather and fretted. I talked to my sister and fretted. I realized at some point that I was sabotaging our trip by remaining in my jammies with loaded suitcases sitting by the door instead of in the van. At that point, I called Seth. He tried to reassure me that the weather was only bad up here. Little did he know I'd been planted in front of the laptop studying four weather sites.

If this were our first year of marriage, we would have gotten into an all-out brawl. Since we are so mature and know each other so well, the conversation went something like this:
Seth, it's snowing in the mountains, I am sick at the thought of driving through them.

Apryl, it's not going to be bad, but I'm sick at the thought of driving through the mountains with you.

Yeah, it will be terrible (I'm not going to argue about how ridiculous I act in the van). I already checked plane tickets to fly out tomorrow. That is probably not an option.

Thanks for not calling me a cheapskate and forcing me to fly us down there.

Thanks for not forcing me to sit in the van as we drive to our death.

I'm NOT working next week. What do we do?

I'm NOT telling the kids that the trip to Florida is canceled until we have another plan.

We cooked up a plan that requires us to belt out our own rendition of a Go-go's favorite. Goes like this: Staycation 's all I ever wanted, Staycation--don't wanna get away!

Yep-traded Florida for a snowy week in Ohio. Woo. Hoo.

This is serious business. It would be easy for us to just sit around for a week. We made a plan, that fated morning, while I sat in my jammies, dreading breaking the news to the kids. We decided to make the most of this blasted snow. Perhaps our antics this week will be an encouragement to you to take advantage of the cool (sometimes cheap) things to do around your neck of the woods. I'm pretty good about taking the kids on adventures around the city, but there are a few things I just wouldn't attempt alone unless forced. This week is the perfect opportunity for us to 'force' ourselves to do all of the things we've been meaning to.

Day One--Ice skating at the outdoor rink at University Circle. Surrounded by three museums--we figured we would skate then visit the art museum to check out their ancient collections. Sadly, we were wet and frozen by the time we finished skating. Well, those of us who remained upright weren't wet, but the other five were soaking.
Cost: skate rental $3 per person=21$
Fun Factor: Marginal only because the girls and Josiah weren't very steady on their feet and it was C-O-L-D.
Even huddled around the outdoor fire, we were chilly and ready to go. Everyone, that is, except for Ella who was as determined as ever to get this skating thing down.

We had the entire rink to ourselves at first. We must have looked like we were having fun, as couples and college kids began meandering in asking where to rent the skates. Must have been because we kept yelling, "Staycation 2012!" We have no shame.

Elijah is Nine

2012-01-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

Every birthday a child celebrates brings the "I can't believe time is passing so quickly" thought. It seems like we were just rushing to the hospital. I waddled across the parking lot telling Seth to leave the bag (and camera) in the car since it would be a while before we needed them. By the time we made our way into a room I was certain that baby was about to make his appearance. He did, much to the surprise of the doctor, nurses, and us. He's been in a hurry about everything since the day he came.

We always celebrate as a family with a dinner chosen by the birthday child and cake. Later, we have a party--Eli has always (except for his first) shared a party with his cousin. This year the festivities took place at the professional baseball stadium turned snow festival. Cake, pizza, and gifts took place at our house. This was probably the easiest party ever and the cake I made was probably my most successful (also easy) cake making venture ever.

Happy Birthdays, boys!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

Well Digging

2011-12-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Every year our homeschool co-op hosts a "Kringle Shop." It serves dual purposes. It's an opportunity for the kids to shop without mom tagging along, and families get to turn a profit by selling some crafty item to the shopping kids. Last year, I started thinking that if our family was going to come and shop; we could at least fund the shopping by making a few things to sell. Then months passed...and suddenly it was December and we hadn't made a thing.

Then a sweet friend mentioned digging a well in Ethiopia instead of buying gifts. Would we like to help?

Absolutely.

Would our children understand? Maybe. In the end we decided that we could cut a few corners (like Christmas cards), but we needed some creativity to make this well digging work.

We decided to make shovel ornaments and give them as gifts. We made little cards with an explanation, tied them to the shovels, and hoped it would go over well. The shovel debut was at Kringle Shop.
By the time the day arrived, each of the kids had been working on various projects (bookmarks, ornaments, shovels) and were pretty excited to see how the things were received. Getting everyone and everything into the van that blustery morning was chaotic. I actually pulled out of the driveway and realized we had a 'pan of shovels' baking in the oven. I wonder sometimes if I am ruining our children by doing too many things at once. Do they think all adults function like their dear Momma?

The 'vendors' get to shop first, then man their table for a few hours while other families make their purchases. I knew that Josiah wouldn't last long behind the table (and with so much chocolate being sold at the table next to ours...). The girls and I took him to watch Veggie Tales with other waiting children while the boys took table duty. The hours dragged on, and it was interesting to hear their updates on selling the shovels. Everett, ever the salesman, talked them up quite a bit.
I have included this photo lest you think we are raising children who are pious and always thinking of the plight of others. Sometimes, reality is smoothed out in blogging. Here's a little glimpse of it. While I have photos of children working and talking about how many shovels we might sell and how much a well might cost to dig, I also have to admit that this was made more than once:
If you can't identify that...then you are definitely more pious than us (or you don't own an 80 pound golden retriever).

Final Blanket Update

2011-12-03T22:09:00.000-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words.

These pictures are the culmination of months of work from people all over the country. By the time the blankets arrived in DC, many of them had cris-crossed the US. We left the United States with just under 500 blankets for the children in Ethiopia. I worried as I packed the night before we left. I worried at 3:30 am the morning we left. I was worried standing in line at the airport, wondering if they would turn me away. I thought I'd breathe a sigh of relief when the boxes and suitcases were turned over to United for the flight. Then, I started worrying about boxes being tossed carelessly into planes and blankets exploding on the tarmac. I worried needlessly. Every box was fully intact and every piece of luggage arrived in Addis. I started worrying about how we would deliver the blankets. The sheer numbers were overwhelming. We finally turned the main floor of the guesthouse into a sorting factory--school supplies here, blankets counted, labeled and stacked in whatever we had ready to go to the right care point with care packages.

I finally exhaled and months of worry melted away. Each blanket you made was going to be delivered to a child who needed it!

This is what the beautiful chaos looked like...

at Kechene:

at Trees of Glory:

at Kind Hearts:

at Onesimus (ministry to homeless children):

The children were thrilled to have these blankets. Most of the children sleep on hard packed dirt floors. These blankets will be treasured every night! Thank you for your time and effort to make this project possible!

Lessons

2011-11-19T22:23:00.000-05:00

My schoolroom in the weeks before leaving for Ethiopia. Blankets cluttering my busy room as they wait for their long trip across the ocean. A daily reminder of work that needs to be done.

I roll blankets while Sally reads aloud to me from Frog and Toad. I call out spelling words as Eli helps me tape blankets up. Everett tapes boxes closed as we talk about his grammar lesson.

Mommy guilt sets in that evening as I think back on the day. Many blankets were packed up and mailed. Lessons were taught. My attention was not on our children as I went through the motions of teaching. I was counting and mentally checking lists. I wasn't looking at their faces and listening to their questions.

Guilt. They can't learn this way.

As I lament, I hear footsteps on the stairs. It's late and everyone should be asleep. Wondering whom it could be, Everett peeks around the corner. My first reaction is to be upset, as we tucked them in nearly an hour ago. Then he says, "Eli and I were talking. If we put our allowance together, we could sponsor another child in Ethiopia."

My heart breaks. Their allowance? If they pooled their money they would have $40, enough for sponsorship...barely.

He continues,"We were just thinking that we don't need to buy the stuff we save for. It would be better to sponsor another child."

I kiss his forehead and thank him for redeeming my day. What they are learning is much more important than grammar.

Three Days and Counting

2011-11-07T19:03:00.003-05:00

Today was a cold, overcast day. I had a long list of things that were double and triple starred. Teaching grammar and history were not on the list. So, I scurried around getting nothing done (history included) until the guilt of being so disorganized motivated me to call a family meeting and get organized.

Errands seem to take longer and the gray clouds were a constant reminder of the impending winter. By evening, I had only marked a few items off of the list, but threw together a dinner I've been craving. Curried chickpeas--good stuff for a yucky day. Then the mail arrived! It's a big deal around here, the dog begins barking ferociously, kids scramble to see who can open the mail slot and rip the mail out. Envelopes scatter as a search for interesting mail ensues.

It was a very good mail day at our house.

The little photo books for our sponsor children were there.

A box arrives filled with blankets--that were already ROLLED UP AND PACKED. I. Could. Have. Cried. I love the beautiful blankets that have passed through this house. I am excited to be a part of bringing them to the children in Ethiopia. I am so done with rolling them up and packing them. I could have just let the tears of joy flow.

Nestled in with these goodies was something I have been hoping would arrive before I left this week. You other adoptive parents will understand my excitement. The IRS finally decided that we did indeed really, truly, adopt our children. We took a few steps in the wrong direction earlier this summer in the middle of the audit, in which they decided to go back to Ella's adoption in 2004 (yes, really) requesting receipts. They finally saw the light, and it only took seven months to convince them! They are actually shorting us $1400, but I'm just jumping for joy that we got where we did. My husband, glass-half-empty-man, will pursue the extra moola. I. Am. So. Done. With. The. IRS. Seven months of wondering and digging through files and copying was seven months too long for me.
After such a busy, frantic day filled with trip preparations, our evening turned out to be quite delightful thanks to a pan of chickpeas and the mail carrier.

Obedience

2011-11-02T13:50:00.009-05:00

She had a winsome smile as she handed me a large white envelope. A scribbled note on the back read, "Apryl do not open until later." I thanked her and answered a few questions about our upcoming trip, then slid the envelope into my Bible.

A believer listening to the quiet voice of the Lord.

When I opened it later, it was full of twenty dollar bills. Just enough to pay for another piece of luggage, if we need it. This envelope seems mysterious to me, as by my count we have the luggage 'taken care of' and all 500 blankets will arrive in Ethiopia.

It was an unexpected gift. The week before another woman chased me down, because she didn't know how to spell my last name. "God laid it on my heart to give you this. When I heard you say that the blankets were all taken care of, I decided you didn't need it. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the Lord wanted me to give this to you. So, I'm writing this check, use it for luggage, for food, for whatever. I have to give it to you."

Another woman I have only just met, listening to the quiet voice of the Lord.

I saw the Lord's hand in this, but didn't expect that he would bring another woman to quickly hand me this envelope. I can only wonder what needs we may see in two weeks that will be met by this gift of obedience.

500

2011-10-28T14:00:00.002-05:00

My vision in this blanket project was far too small. Initially, providing blankets to the children at the care points meant 300 blankets. That seemed like an impressive goal. My emails and postings turned up a group of eager friends who were willing to help. I worried. Then, the handful of friends grew and our goal of 300 blankets changed. Could we provide blankets for another care point? Now, I worried that we wouldn't be able to get 400 blankets. If we did, how could we get them to Ethiopia?

My worries grew as I felt it would be impossible to bring all of the blankets. Then, God provided more luggage space through the willingness of other travelers. The number of blankets reached 400, but we still lacked space for 50 blankets. Such an intimidating number when you are talking about packing them into luggage. A few more willing travelers and the number dwindled to 31.

Our in country itinerary was finalized and we are going to visit a possible future care point that ministers to street children. Then, the Lord gave me a glimpse of his vision and soon blankets are pouring in. Over 400, 450...nearly 500. Enough for us to bring for this ministry! Five hundred handmade fleece blankets--and 300 used to seem unreachable.

I just keep repeating, "I listened to God, but didn't dream quite big enough." Quietly, I say to myself, "I didn't trust enough either, because I worried each step of the way."

Thank you, for your generosity, and for taking part when it did seem like a crazy idea!

We Met Our Goal!

2011-10-19T15:16:00.005-05:00

We have reached the goal of having a blanket for each child at the three care points that we will be visiting in November! I'm counting blankets that aren't mailed yet, but are stacked (like the guys above) on your sofa waiting to be packed and mailed.

Thank you so much to so many people who have made blankets and hosted gatherings! If you live close enough, I hope I hugged you and said thanks. Many of you live so very far away, and most of you I haven't met personally. A friend teased me the other day that my 'cape' was showing. In her jest, she hit it right on. If I ask for help or admit that I cannot do something, I'm not superwoman. Pride is such an ugly thing. This project has been wonderful for me, because from the beginning I knew I couldn't do it alone. Believe me, I thought about it for awhile. God has humbled me and forced me to trust Him. Thank you again for your excitement and willingness to bless the children in Ethiopia. We leave (with 400 blankets) on November 11, just 3 weeks away!

Our baby is four!

2011-10-17T12:18:00.002-05:00

It is hard to find the words to describe Jojo at this age. He's always been very...interesting. He's lovable, without fear, and very verbal. That makes conversations in public embarrassing. Asking our new neighbor why he is naked (he was not wearing a shirt). Telling the grocery store clerk that 'we live in a jungle and my mom said that she's really not white, she's tannish, but I'm brown'. He's an astute, adorable, pest. When I bribed him to eat a bite of tofu, he told me that it would make him throw up. I didn't believe him until I heard gagging a minute later and he had spewed all over the door and front steps. He brings up that 'yucky kung fu' every time I ask him to eat something that looks questionable.

He said to the nursery workers a few months ago, "Shake your bootie and I'll give you $100."

He came up with that on his own. I think. Really. We don't have cable television.

He amazed me a few months ago when he flippantly put three letters together and read them. I recorded the second word he read because I knew Seth wouldn't believe Jojo, our mischievous monkey, could put letters together. I don't know how, but something good is happening in his head during our busy school days. Maybe as he terrorizes the older kids during their lessons, he's actually listening.

He won't sleep in his own bed at night, but prefers cuddling with Elijah or snuggling down at the foot of his bed. Eli pleads with us pretty regularly for another younger brother, "because then Jojo will have a buddy in his bedroom and he won't sleep with me." Secretly, Eli adores his little brother so much he'd really like another one just like him.

I don't believe our family could possibly handle another little boy quite like him. He's far too...interesting.

Mailing Blankets

2011-10-16T13:14:00.002-05:00

My parents spent an evening trying various packing methods to try and shrink the fluffy fleece into a nice condensed package. I wasn't there to experience the ordeal, but the results sounded very scientific. Any possible packing method was attempted and the most successful result is kind of strange. To avoid anyone else going through blanket packing madness--here's the successful method. We tweaked it some to be most cost effective. I have nothing against space saver bags, if they work for you--great! My parents used a food saver bag with awesome results, but it was hard and for 400 blankets would be pretty pricey. Packing tape wrapped around the blankets had the same results (18 blankets in a large box).

I've recently found out that I'm a visual person--I have a hard time getting directions across verbally. Rambling, confusing sentences...followed by my final statement, "Clear as mud?" So, here's a step by step visual with goofy comments.

For all of you who have a stack of blankets and an address--here's the best way to pack those pesky blankets!

First, fold the blanket in half--it should be about 24 inches wide.

Roll it up into a nice tight tube--best working with a buddy. Do the best you can, try to keep it nice and tight.

Once it's rolled up, wrap packing tape around in a spiral. It's taking the place of a space saver bag--they didn't get the blankets smaller, just held them in place. The packing tape should hold the blanket nice and tight in it's little blanket tube shape.

No worries, folks, our hands were this veiny before we started wrapping these blankets up! Genetics, not a job hazard, blessed every female in our family with popping veins.

You should have a nice tight 24 inch blanket tube, ready for shipping. We used an 18 x 18 x 24 cardboard box to ship 18. I was able to lay 17 in my suitcase, versus the 13 I could fit by just folding and stuffing. Please email me with questions, I may or may not be able to answer them!

Descending on DC

2011-10-02T14:05:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, Seth takes a trip that is so tempting we have to tag along. I tried really hard to convince everyone that a trip to DC at this time in our lives could turn into a disaster. I even waited to pack until the night before, hoping someone would listen. It's been years since I've lived there and all I can remember is whining. I whined about being hot, being thirsty, being bored, and being so terribly tired. As a kid, I whined. As a mom, I imagined all the cool stuff I missed when I was busy whining. Then, I realized I might have five little whiners tagging along behind me.

Or maybe I'd lose one or two in the bustle of a big city. Or it would rain all week and we would be stuck inside the hotel.

Thus my worries about taking the trip.

I didn't tell the kids but I swaped out the shirts they packed for five shirts in matching colors. At least that might help keeping track of everyone. Although, the only other time I dressed everyone in the same color is the only day I've ever lost a child.

I thought about getting a couple of sporty animal backpacks with the long tails that double as leashes. But, I decided we would probably be attracting enough attention without me having five furry appendages, plus I didn't think Everett would go for that.

So the week began, driving most of the day. Seth clipped the van mirror as he sped past a parked city bus. Then he ran a very, very red light. I was having serious reservations by this point. Finally, we bid the van good riddance and wished the valet luck as he drove away.

Day one--Blue day. No one noticed that everyone had blue on, except Seth who exclaimed later that day, "Why didn't I get the blue memo?!" We arrived at The Mall before anything was open and proceeded to visit the memorials and monuments. As you can see, it was just the six of us and the park staff. Pretty cool way to take in the sights. By the time we made it to Lincoln, buses had descended and we were just faces in a growing crowd. And we had been walking for nearly 2 hours.

Day two was the day I realized we were attracting more attention than I had imagined. By mid-afternoon, we had been approached by a few Ethiopians and I started to notice the Asian tour groups. It could have been that they were taking pictures of things BEHIND us, but it certainly seemed like they were snapping photos of our little group. It didn't really dawn on me until I noticed that the chatter behind me had stopped and I only had two children. When I turned around, I saw two women, one posing with Sally and Everett while the other took photos. Eli was boucing around off to the side, beet-red, waving at me with uncertainty. Evidently, we must look very "American" in our matching shirts and varying skin tones.
Day three--we did the zoo in funky blue/green and left DC. We had done most of the museums, memorials, monuments, and probably walked 15 miles a day. We were ready to leave.
Our trip wasn't officially over, as we stopped for a night with Seth's aunt and uncle. We had the priveledge of getting a very personal tour of Monticello. Unfortunately, all we had was one outfit left. Keeping a count of 1-5 was no longer a pressing matter, but everyone was forced to wear matching reddish/pink. Except Seth, he didn't get the memo.

Blankets for Ethiopia Update

2011-09-17T15:01:00.002-05:00

I am looking at a list of people with numbers by their names. Its a list of guesses and hopes for blankets they think they will be able to gather up for our trip to Ethiopia. My growing circle of people has been so generous.

Then another list of names with numbers. The people on the travel team who can help get the blankets to Ethiopia. They are so willing to give up space for themselves to help in this effort. But the blankets seem so big; the suitcases so small.

In my living room my mom and I fill a gigantic suitcase. We are counting the blankets as we cram them in and soon realize that this suitcase just isn't big enough. We need 15, but thought it would fit more like 20. Each blanket rolled up on the sofa, bags full of blankets laying around on the floor, look forlorn. I feel overwhelmed at the thought of having only two pieces of luggage with which to fill. My mom looks at me as I say, "I think we could get one more in to make it 15."

She shakes her head in wonder and says what I am afraid to mention, "But what about the rest?"

We have help in the other travelers, but will it be enough? Each blanket has a face for me. The face of my two year old nephew, smiling as he holds it up. My friend who gathered a group to make blankets on a living room floor. Ladies at church and many, many people I will never personally meet. They chose these fabrics and handled each blanket with care. Then the faces of the children in Ethiopia flood my mind. Most of them smiling, with runny noses and tattered clothes. They will be thrilled beyond words to get such a special gift from so far away.

I thought I should share our progress in getting together blankets for the Hopechest care points.

I thought about it.

Then I thought about it some more. I really wanted to wait until I could give you a solid number of how many blankets I have in my basement. But, I kept waiting knowing so many people that have blankets they are giving me in the next few weeks or people (like me) who are having parties in the next few weeks.

Today my sister called and said fleece is on sale, but..."do you still need blankets?"

Um, yeah.

Did I mention that the goal of 300 has kind of become 400 hoping to bring blankets to the children at Kechene, a recently sponsored Care Point in the center of Addis?

It's so easy to be overwhelmed when looking around a living room scattered with fleece, a bulging suitcase, a duffle bag, a rubbermaid and this is only the beginning. I tell my mom, "We are just trusting God for this to work."

Then I sit on the edge of the suitcase and we slide one more blanket onto the top.

Blankets for Ethiopia Slideshow

2011-09-14T16:24:00.007-05:00

I put this together late at night, hoping to make life easier for anyone and everyone who are sharing with others about our trip in November. I tried to show each of the care points and give everyone an idea of where their donations will be going. It's only five minutes, but gives a better picture of the beautiful children and where we are going than I ever could with words. Feel free to share this as needed!

Swim Team

2011-08-13T08:02:00.001-05:00

This summer, with trepidation and angst, we signed Everett and Eli up for swim team. Practice every morning at 7. Meets twice a week.

Our summer traveling days were postponed with such a rigid schedule. The first meet fell on a Tuesday when relatives were in town. What a relief that we had so much support that first night! I had flashbacks to the triathalon from a few years ago. We had a little backpack with some snacks and a few chairs. The boys had a towel, goggles, and sported some new jammers (the real world would call these tight trunks). I felt prepared, but was amazed to see families rolling coolers into the meet. Kids racing around...it's 90 outside and 95 inside...what's the group huddling around the wall for? And did I bring a permanent marker? For what?!

Then Josiah starts running a fever and my grandma looks at me and says, I'll go home with your Aunt and we'll watch him.

I felt like vomiting the entire time. By the end of the season I wasn't rolling a cooler into the meet, but I did know what the crowds were about (looking at what event the kids were swimming) and why I need a permanent marker (to write event numbers on our kids' hands).

We aren't raising the next Mike Phelps, but I think next summer we'll have a few more swimmers on the summer team again.

Blankets for Ethiopia

2011-08-03T07:06:00.005-05:00

Months ago I emailed Karen about the trip in November. I thought that if I started planning early, I might not scramble in the last few hours with trying to cram everything into my suitcases (or pay huge fees at the gate because all of the clothes were stuffed into my backpack and it was too heavy). I wanted to help with the trip even if I wasn't going. The Hopechest team in Ethiopia gave Karen a list of items that would be most helpful to the children. Included in the list were clothes, school supplies, medical supplies, and blankets. I immediately thought of how wonderful it would be to bring a handmade blanket to each one of the children at the care points. Most people don't realize that temperatures at night drop to mid-40s during the winter months in Addis Ababa. Many of the children sleep on a hard packed dirt floor; blankets will be treasured by the entire family.

My grandiose plans of beautiful twin size rag quilts were tempered by cost and luggage restrictions. I also wanted to involve those of you who can't sew (or who unknowingly allowed your sewing machine to rust in a damp basement). A few years ago, I made our children little fleece lap blankets for Christmas. They were delighted to have the bright beautiful blankets for the car trip the next morning. And (here's the kicker) they were so easy to make. Making blankets for three children is far easier than making blankets for approximately 300 children. This is where you all come in. I have been thinking and praying about this venture for a few months, not knowing whether I'd be going to Ethiopia, but always certain I wanted to be a part of the trip in some way. After months of working things out in my mind and bouncing ideas off of people this is what I've cooked up:

1-We would like the blankets' size to be 4 x 5. Fleece comes in 60 inch width (or thereabout), if you buy 2 lengths of 1.25-1.5 yards, then it will be approximately 4 x 5 when you finish. Once you have the fleece pieces, you just lay them on top of each other and snip three inches down, one to one and a half inches, all around the perimeter. You should end up with something that looks like a 1983 fringey fleece--think Darryl Hannahesque. Then tie knots with those two snipped edges. You will end up with a blanket that has about 3 inches of fringed knots around it. We have figured out that one suitcase will fit about 15 blankets (in space saver bags). Usually, we make these blankets double thickness. If you can find fleece that is cheap and thin, then getting a solid and pattern fabric would be wonderful. Otherwise, getting a very thick piece of fleece and tying the edges will also be fine. If they will be doubled up, getting thinner fleece will allow us to fit the anticipated 15 blankets into our luggage. Please, don't stress about this! The kids will be so happy to receive these blankets. If I get some blankets that are 6 inches smaller and some that are 6 inches larger--I won't write bad things about you on my blog! I just want them to be approximately the same size. Imagine if one child gets a 5 x 7 and the next gets a 3 x 4! That's my main concern--bringing enough for everyone and making sure they are getting close to the same thing.

If none of this makes sense, email me or leave me a comment!

2-I have a big family and moving has afforded me so many fantastic, supportive friends all over the country. BUT, I don't have 300 people to ask for help. This is the second part of my crazy scheme (as my dad would say). I need you all to talk to your friends and families and ask for their help. Then get back to me with a blanket "pledge". I'm planning on having a blanket tying party and I'm more than happy to help you coordinate the same thing. This is a wonderful service project that even very young children can be involved in! My local group of friends will each bring their selected fleece to the 'party' and we'll have a blast eating, tying, and praying over these special blankets.

I have been so encouraged to see the reaction so far from family and friends. I hope many of you will get involved! This is another opportunity for you to offer help in a big, tangible way. It's also a wonderful way to make people aware of needs across the world, perhaps they feel uncomfortable with giving money to an organization, but would be willing to donate something. I want to thank you now, for caring enough to read this long post!

Lastly, a video that goes step by step-it's a little long, but if I really didn't make sense and you've never made one of these...this is the detailed video you want!

Sally is Seven!

2011-07-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

Sally's seventh birthday party will go down in history as the most wild party our family has ever thrown.

Hopefully.

It all started when she asked for a surprise party. I don't know what it is with these kids requesting a surprise party. The moment they ask for a surprise, it ceases to be a surprise party. Nevertheless, I proceeded to embrace the circus that we call life and embellish each one of the talents we have working around the circus idea. Jojo the strong man, Daddio the juggler, Everett the Great Magician, Elijah the lion tamer, and grandparents painting faces. My mom and sister made an appearance as clowns. My mom, infamous for taking things to the next level, wasn't satisfied with just making balloon animals. They made a last minute trip to wal-mart for clown clothes (dress shirts my dad is probably wearing to work now), face paint, and balloons. Then they watched youtube late into the night learning how to twist balloons into animals.

Sally was indeed surprised, as we enlisted her grandparents to take her shopping while we prepped for the party and all of her friends arrived.

All of the kids were having a blast, we were just finishing up with the circus show when thunder rumbled. We raced inside and Sally began opening gifts when my father-in-law said something I never thought I'd hear. "Apryl, the police are in your driveway."

Then the power went out.

We immediately lit the candles and the party never slowed down. Who knew that the police and a power outage wouldn't even be noticed by 20 children as long as cake is available?

Trees of Glory Well Project

2011-07-20T08:48:00.002-05:00

As we walked down the hill to the river, Girma stopped to show us the well. He explained that the entire property used to have running water, not just a pump, but faucets, showers, even a pool! When the Japanese construction crew finished their work and left, the property was sorely vandalized and the well was destroyed.

As time passes and volunteer teams come; windows are replaced and walls are painted. Buildings that have sat in disrepair are being used. Simret, the director, has high hopes for the property. Her dreams are big and it seems they all hinge on getting that well repaired and functioning again. As it stands now, the staff has to fill jugs in the village spigot to provide water for 100 children during the day.

The bids for the project came in a few months ago. I sat at the computer overwhelmed by the cost. Then I thought about how overwhelming it would be to Simret. I'm sitting at my breakfast table, with one of our three laptops open, sipping a cup of coffee, enjoying the cool temperatures inside my house while it begins to heat up outside. I am the picture of middle class America. In all of my affluence, a price that is staggering to me must be completely incomprehensible to a woman standing in the middle of Ethiopia, without electricity or running water. The staff at Trees of Glory don't have access to the internet to let the rest of the world know about their plight. They are counting on us. Jessica Irvin shot a video of Simret and Girma talking about their need for the well to be repaired. Specifically, they thank US for partnering with them in their efforts. What a humbling thought! I'm overwhelmed and thinking that we cannot possibly raise the funds in a timely manner, but they are relying on God to provide the funding through us. Stressing that their ability to care for these children is made possible by our prayers and support.

Since I began this post several days ago, the situation has become dire. Karen emailed last night with an urgent request. She cited news reports that are calling this the most severe drought in 60 years. As the drought continues, the price of food goes higher and malnutrition quickly becomes starvation. From Karen's message:

This fresh-water well project is more urgent than ever for Trees of Glory. The well will be drilled deep enough to reach aquifers that are not readily affected by cyclical droughts or rainfall - and part of the plans for the well include irrigation systems for the fields and gardens at TOG.

Please consider funding this project - and please spread the word. This is something we can do right now to make a tangible difference for the kids and staff at TOG - AND in the surrounding villages! And please pray for Ethiopia and the entire horn of Africa as they once again weather drought and famine.

To make a donation:
Go to www.hopechest.org, click on GIVE
Click on DESIGNATED GIFT and specify a $ amount
In the Reference Number, specify ET2119000
In the Notes area, specify TOG WELL

I'm Going Back...again!

2011-07-06T14:25:00.004-05:00

I'm stepping up to the microphone again to make an announcement.

"Ahem. Is this thing on?"

With butterflies of excitement, and just a little trepidation...

"I am going back to Ethiopia with Karen this November."

My dear husband is so tolerant and supportive. I know he has a million things that 'need' to be fixed (like the growing crack in the basement wall). I never had to tell him how important this trip is to me. Or to Jirigna. Or to our kids, who are watching how WE live our lives. He just knew.

I mentioned the upcoming trip and then that I need to make a decision soon. He looked at me for a long moment and said, "Of course. It really isn't that big of a deal."

A highly unusual response for him regarding something that is indeed a pretty big deal. I've said it before; he's my knight in wrinkled business casual.

I'm cooking up some plans on how we can be a big blessing to our wonderful friends in Ethiopia and all of the beautiful children that they care for. I can't wait to see them again and I can't wait to share with them blessings from my friends in the US!

There are limited spots available, if you think you would like to join us. It's sure to be an amazing time. Email Karen at kjwistrom@yahoo.com if you are interested--November 11-21.

Newest Family Members

2011-06-22T14:32:00.004-05:00

This could be an exciting post about new family members of the human variety. Sadly, it's about family members from the furry and feathered world. I could have titled it, "How I found myself getting a cockatiel on Wednesday and kitten on Thursday."

When we visited close friends, we never expected Ella to spend the evening on the porch with a sweet, stray cat. A few weeks later, the stray had grown quite large around the belly. By now, the four little boys in the family had thoroughly initiated this mellow cat into their family. Though she still lived on the porch and was free to leave, she chose to call the cardboard box home. Then she welcomed five adorable kittens into the world.

The pleading began around our house before we even saw the litter. The day we visited, the kittens' eyes still weren't open. Their mellow mama allowed the kids to handle her new brood. My five immediately began making a case for their favorite to join our family.

How could I say no to them? A friend's comment kept ringing through my mind, "Our kids are only with us for such a short time, really. Why not build forts and have pets? That makes the memories."

So, we said we'd like the sweetest kitten that our friends had.

Two weeks later, another friend 'rescued' a cockatiel from being set free into the cold Ohio weather because he was "too loud." Elijah happened to be with me when we heard the story of this poor bird. He had mangled feet, very smart, but needing a home. Eli's parakeets died in late winter because of a gas leak (a story I never wrote). He has been asking for birds since, but I kept putting him off--unable to forget the sight of four parakeets dead on the bottom of the cage. I found myself listening to my friend share news of this cockatiel and watching Eli's eyes, wide with anticipation. When I told her about our birds, she gasped and said, "Oh, you must take Wally!"

When we brought Wally home he had just begun whistling at my friend's house. It was rumored that he had a dog friend in his previous home, but I was a little skeptical. We walked in the door with a cowering bird in a small cage. Manny raced to greet us and immediately Wally climbed onto the side of the cage. He started wolf whistling and making kissy sounds! Since then, we can tell if the dog is near the bird cage because Wally will start kissing and whistling to him. He only tolerates humans, but he loves the dog.

The kitten arrived and Manny became her stalker. He corners her and begins bathing her. She emerges sticky with dog slobber and looking humiliated. It's an interesting love triangle that has been created in the house with the addition of the cat and bird. The bird hisses at the cat, kisses at the dog; the dog could care less about the bird, but worries after the cat all day. When the kitten isn't being manhandled by children or the dog, she's sitting on the ground staring up at the bird.

Somehow, it all works.

Lego Olympics Around Our House

2011-06-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

We missed the local Lego Olympics and pacified the upset family members by promising to do one at home. Only a few rules: no pre-made Lego creations and everything must be an original. Pretty simple family fun.

I awarded five prizes (mini-figures) for:
Most Original--Everett (2 ships, one with a tissue as a sail)
Most Functional--Elijah (Lego roller coaster and ship with working propeller)
Most Beautiful--Sally (House with palm trees, pond, and lawn mower)
Most Unusual--Josiah (What we called 'The Odd Couple', ninja and pig in a house)
Most Legos Used--Ella (Very large Lego town)

I had to add an honorable mention for Most Square because Seth participated; he didn't win a mini-figure. He also didn't spend the entire amount of time creating his large...square.

The kids had a blast. It ranked high on my list because it was something new, easy, and cheap.

Nothing but Trouble

2011-05-18T19:44:00.000-05:00

Josiah is three. He's unbelievably adorable most of the time. Today, he sat down in front of me and told me this story. It was so strange that I had to immediately get it down.

"Once upon a time there was me. (So sweet.)

And a big bad wolf, but I was safe from the big bad wolf in my brick house. (The drama.)

But, there was a hole. (Oh, no!)

And it was too tiny for the wolf. (Sigh.)

So, I was really, really safe. The end."

It's the sweet cute times that enable the rest of the family to put of with his scandals. He cooks up schemes that only a three year old could execute. When he gets found out (because who else, may I ask, would dump a brand new bottle of body wash all over the tub?), he smiles, smirks, and rubs his chubby hands on my face. All is forgiven.

Last night, he told me he threw his banana down the tuba. Just, oh so matter of factly. As if we regularly dispose of trash in musical instruments. I laughed and then realized he's being completely serious. Everyone within earshot looked around for a clue about the 'tuba'. Then, I realized that he means the sousaphone that hangs out on the upstairs landing. Seth and Josiah ran upstairs and emptied the sousaphone of a brown banana peel, Buzz Lightyear figure, and many other long, lost toys. Evidently, Sir Cuteness has been dumping in the 'tuba' for quite a while.

On Wednesday, he began an obsession with urinating in public. It started with peeing on the deck at a friend's house. That night he was in front of the church we used to attend, which is located on the interstate. I was visited with ladies I haven't seen in ages, and the kids were all frolicking in front of the church sign. Except that one little boy...he's...PULLING DOWN HIS PANTS! Everett, thankfully, grabbed him, but the stream had already let loose and Everett's pants were sprayed in the ensuing battle. Both boys ended up urine soaked. Today, he revealed himself to the entire homeschool co-op at the park.

He's cute, even with his pants down. "Mommy, can I get a little push, please?"

Super Glue

2011-05-14T18:09:00.006-05:00

We ran out of glue during the frenzied science fair preparations. Normally, this wouldn't cause concern, but Everett was mid owl pellet dissection. He let go of one deep sigh and little rodent bones scattered all over the table. He decided to glue them down before Manny investigated the smells and ate Everett's project. I checked the art closet in the school room and couldn't find any glue. So, I did the obvious thing and googled 'homemade glue'.

Brilliant!

I put the concoction in a Tupperware and we used it several times for project boards. I continued to pat myself on the back for this incredible little discovery. Gone are the days of squeezing Elmer's until I was red in the face. Gone are the days of unscrewing lids and using Q-tips to fish dabs of glue out. It was easy to make, easy to apply with a paint brush, and cheap.

Fast forward a few months.

Weird smells are in the hallway. The bathroom, our bedroom, and the schoolroom all meet at this little hall. Our obvious choice for weird smells was the bathroom, but nothing out of the ordinary was wafting from there. I crawled around on the floor sniffing, but couldn't find a spot that reeked. It was at nose level, just in the hall. I finally opened the art closet door and the smell nearly knocked me off my feet. After sifting through several stacks of clearance art pads, paint tubs, and pipe cleaners, I found the culprit.

The Tupperware of 'glue' had burped.

Seth and I had a good laugh and chucked the glue. That night, in bed, we kept smelling that stench. I finally gave up and pulled the entire storage piece out of the closet to find dripping slime pooling on unused bottle of Elmer's. It had fallen behind the rolling organizational bin--forgotten and covered with slime. We found ourselves pulling the contents of the closet out and sorting through things that were goo covered. At midnight. Seth gave me a second "Did you learn a lesson?" and we both thought it was over.

The next day Seth said he thought he smelled 'sourdough' in the basement. When I emptied the laundry chute in the basement I noticed the stench was lingering. I slowly looked up and noticed a dried white substance on the area that would be right below that closet. It was dry, and I knew I had cleaned up the source, so I laughed and shook my head as I started to pick up a stray towel and realized it was GLUED to the basement floor.

That homemade glue is something else.

Freezer Meals With Help

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

Occasionally I lose my mind. When I regain my sanity I find myself in the middle of chaos wondering why this ever seemed like a good idea. One Saturday morning I found myself in the kitchen, the lone adult, with five children preparing freezer meals for a month.

It seemed like a great family day. Everyone bustling around working together cooking. I talked it up for a few days and figured if we could survive the grocery trips required to provide for this project, then we could survive the actual cooking. Our first casualty was the adult pictured in the background below, as he frantically searches the internet regarding an emergency car repair that he sacrificially determined to do instead of cooking. That Pancake Flipper sure is doing a great job though!Eli was making loads and loads of mini-pancakes. Everett was peeling potatoes (with a begging pooch at his side). Josiah was peeled potato deliverer. Ella and Sally were choppers. Though it sounds so organized...it wasn't. The second and third casualties were Ella and Josiah. Sally may look like the wild one, but Ella's knife was confiscated when the potato delivery boy tried to snatch her knife and take over her job. Her response to his attack was a knife swinging ninja move that ended with both kids sitting on stools in the kitchen watching me stir soup. Everett was in the middle of a riveting novel, and he disappeared immediately after peeling his last potato. As usual, Sally and Elijah were the last two to be standing.

It was a ton of work, but the concept is magnificent. Endure a wild cooking frenzy for a weekend (one day wasn't enough time) and eat for a month. If this madness appeals to you, these ladies have some great plans and explanations of what they do to make freezer meals work for them.

Money Saving Mom (She even has free planning worksheets.)
Life As Mom

My sister found recipes and a master grocery list that she forwarded onto me. We didn't cook together, but did cook around the same time. It probably would have been fun to send the children off with hubbys (as long as car repairs aren't imminent) and spend the day cooking together. There I go again losing my mind.

I Have a Dream

2011-04-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

I know our family is in a minority. I'm about to ask a question that only a few will be able to answer. Does anyone else that homeschools their transracial family have a really hard time teaching segregation? I managed to get through the grief and horror of the holocaust with some grace, but segregation stopped me in my tracks. We are moving along through history and stumbled into the 50's and 60's. I usually preview some of the longer books that I let Everett read on his own, but the ones I read aloud I don't read beforehand since I can skip or just close if it turns a corner that I don't want to go. Over a snack last week we were reading about Martin Luther King Jr and I was having a really hard time getting the words out.

The idea of segregation is very far fetched to our children. Almost like, 'Wait this is recent, these are normal people who are treating other normal people like this?' We read several picture books that deal with Jim Crow laws in the south. I was keeping an eye on Sally and skipping some sections that seemed so raw. As I was reading, looking around the table at the kids and their variety of skin tones, I couldn't help but feel like this was a history lesson that they needn't learn so young. I kept cringing at the words, "Whites only" or "Colored". They sounded ugly and confusing. Eli's cheerful take on this was, "Well, if we lived back then we'd just sneak library books for Sally and Jojo since they couldn't get a library card." Hmmm. Except I don't think our family would have existed back then. That thought made me so sad and ashamed.

We ended on a high note with a short video at the end of the week about Martin Luther King Jr's life. With all of my hesitation and worry about giving some kind of residual complex to each of the children about Whites vs. Blacks; the week ended with "one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." Everett turned the TV off and said, rather optimistically, "Yep, that's just like us. Sisters and brothers."

Dinner!

2011-04-15T16:24:00.001-05:00

Eli balking at my lentil soup for dinner tonight, "Doesn't look too good."

Sally was surprised because she becomes a ravenous wolf when I start dinner prep and EVERYTHING looks good to her. She chirps, "Eli, it looks just like baked beans!"

The baked bean lover's sad reply. "Don't be fooled, Sally. It isn't."

**********************************************************

Upon discovering I have made a pasta dish, Josiah begins his usual rant, "I don't eat pasta. Girls eat pasta and scream like this, 'Ehhhhhhh!' Boys scream like this, 'Roooooaaaaarrrr!' Boys eat chicken. I. Am. A. Boy."

Science Projects

2011-04-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

Owl pellet dissection on my table, worms loose on the kitchen counter...it's our first science fair.

Christmas shopping here brought on the ideas, along with the parakeet breeding frenzy that accidentally happened earlier this year.

Foster Chicks

2011-04-05T20:26:00.005-05:00

Seth and I fight a battle of conflicting desires. We would both love to live away from everything with a huge garden and animals. Little House on the Prairie in a bigger house with internet. Except, I can't imagine Seth surviving another long commute. The year he spent driving an hour each way was a killer for him. Two hours a day, five days a week, stop doing the math because it's really depressing. That's when he accidentally drank his own urine, if you remember that story. Plus, I love walkability. Did I just make that word up? I love walking to the store and the library. I would rather walk with the kids for 15 minutes than buckle those seat belts any day. So, we faced a real conundrum when we moved. Long drive to work, to store, to library, and possibly cool farm vs. living in town without the cool farm. Since the gentleman farmer idea is slightly far fetched we bought another house in town and decided to do the best we could.

I grew a pretty good garden last year. This year I wanted more and started dreaming of chickens. Not for eating, because I'm still too much of a city girl. If we are actually taking care of an animal then we are thinking of it as a part of the family. Around here, we just don't eat each other. Kudos to you if you can pull it off, I'm just really a sissy. I want those precious eggs! We scramble eggs and a dozen are gone. Poof, just one breakfast and I can wave goodbye to $5 in organic eggs.

Alas, we live in a slightly uptight area that won't allow "farm animals" unless you own 2 acres. It's their polite, uptight, way of saying, "Rednecks may live here, but we don't want you to flaunt it." I talked it over with Seth and convinced him that we should just try having chickens. If someone comes along to slap us on the wrist we can send the chickens down to my parents to live out the rest of their (due to the bird dog they own) short lives. Before actually making the chicken purchase, I decided it might be good to look at the penalty for civil disobedience in the farm animal laws. To my dismay they deem this serious enough to slap you with a misdemeanor. And that isn't worth even the best eggs in the world.

I tried to let my chicken dream die.

Until my mom mentioned getting some new laying hens for her house. It seems that the ones the dog doesn't get grow up to be roosters, so she's lacking in the egg layer department. I had a brilliant idea. Now, our children are currently foster parents to five little chicks. Shhhh, don't tell the city. I'm pretty sure it's okay for us to babysit a few chicks for a little while, right?

I'm pleased to introduce: Princess Leia, ~~Pecker~~ ~~Nona~~ Rose, Astrid, Fancy Nancy, and Super Grover. Fancy Nancy's 'caregiver' is not pictured. She only likes to look at the chicks in their brooder and occasionally tap Fancy Nancy on the back when one of the other kids is holding her during the super-supervised holding session once a day in which Momma Caregiver tries not to be a complete salmonella freak. Yeah, I'm so not built for farm living. This is pretty fun though.

Happy NINTH Birthday, Ella!

2011-03-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

How can this be possible? Seems like just yesterday Ella was celebrating her first birthday with us. I think I say that every birthday. "Weren't you two, like, yesterday?"

When Ella was blowing her candles out, she ran out of breath. She looked up, smiled, giggled, and said, "I love cake." Then blew the rest out. Her audience was slightly stunned having never seen someone stop to make such a comment during candle extinguishing. Rara managed to snap a photo just after the cake lover's comment. Smirky face and candles half done. I think you missed your wish coming true this year sweetie, unless, that is, all you wanted was to eat a piece of cake. We were certainly delighted to see that you didn't blow slobber all over the cake as has happened to us in recent times (that kid born in October comes to mind...).
Happy Birthday Ella-rella!

Ethiopian Adoptions

2011-03-08T19:29:00.006-05:00

Just in case you haven't heard, the organization that handles adoption paperwork in Ethiopia has been slowing down on processing paperwork. They plan to reduce the number of intercountry adoptions by 90% on March 10. I can't begin to guess what may have become of Sally if MOWA processing slowed to a record low, court took several times to pass, and we had to take two trips. She may have been waiting so long that TB would have completely eaten her vertebrae beyond repair. There are people and agencies who have done things that are unethical, but the waiting children are going to be the ones hurt.

Visit this blog to see if you can help--send them pictures of your adopted children and their stories by March 12 to send along to MOWA as success stories, sign the petition, and make a difference.

UPDATE: MOWA is back on track with new staff and prayers have been answered as adoptions are not coming to a halt!

Lovin' in an Envelope

2011-03-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

If you were sitting across from me when I opened these pictures, you would have seen and heard the excitement. We made that paper airplane! I tested it in my kitchen, trying to make sure it would fit in an envelope and still sail along. I bought special tag board hoping it would last more than a day. Then we printed pictures of our family and pictures from my trip in November of Dirbe and his big sister, Meskerem. I slid a few pieces of gum and stickers in with our letter and wished that we had more space.

Dirbe has been wearing the same dress since I met him in November. When I asked Karen about sponsoring him, we both thought he was a little girl. My sister sponsors his big sister, my mom just started sponsoring their big brother, so my family sponsors their family. An incredibly cool thing.

But it still doesn't feel like enough. As my sister put it, "It just really is bittersweet because you see how appreciative they are for things that we take for granted. Like dollar store barrettes!"

We were all visibly taken with these pictures. We viewed the slideshow quickly the first time then slowly a few more times. Trying to absorb every little detail. You wouldn't have noticed my eyes getting misty or seen the lump in my throat. It's just such a small thing. This business sized envelope stuffed with the thinnest things I could dream up that would entertain a four year old and show him that this family really does care about him. The pictures he's holding? It's a photo of him and his sister and it's hanging on our fridge. It reminds us that there are children in Ethiopia relying on our prayers. Seeing Simret, Fikre, and Girma has me asking a thousand questions.

This week we stuffed another envelope, but sent it to a group visiting Kind Hearts. I had a little bit of a harder time filling this envelope. I think because I've met Jirigna, I feel a little more pressure to make sure he really knows I haven't forgotten him. One night at Target, we found some fun puffy stickers, a punching balloon (we love those things around here), and some gum. Finally, we stuffed this in just before I mailed it:

I hope he really knows that we think about him, talk about him, and pray for him.

Florida or Bust!

2011-03-02T07:50:00.009-05:00

We haven't dropped off the face of the earth. We were merely swallowed up by winter. We escaped from the ice and snow for a short period of time to visit family, friends, and a place Josiah calls Seaweed.

I couldn't help but keep a running tally in my head as our "cheap" getaway began racking up. One meal for seven at Rainforest Cafe? $100

Many meals on the road for seven? sheesh, we ate pb&j with apples as much as we could, but with a long trip like this I kind of lost count of how many drive thrus we visited.

Tickets for a family of seven for one day at Seaworld? $500 (we "only" spent $200)
Thank you for loving the Military and giving us four free tickets, Seaworld, because we couldn't have done it without you! It wasn't nice of you to throw away our sandwiches at the gate, though. I protested about being a vegetarian (and a cheap one at that) and your kind guard informed me that, "It's a choice, not a medical condition." He may need some sensitivity training. I ate a soft pretzel for lunch, thankyouverymuch. Hardly giving me the stamina to continue for the rest of the day. Good thing we opted for the super gigantic refillable Shamu cup, I think the last few hours were made possible by sugar.

Dog kennel for three nights? With an online coupon the bill was a mere $65

Gas for Moby and a few quarts of oil? The skyrocketing gas prices gave us a surprise, I wasn't paying attention as I was gas station potty patrol, but I saw one fill up neared $90. Just go ahead and estimate that we get (on a good day) 15 mpg and we drove 2566 miles round trip. Ouch.

So, cheap really isn't cheap and keeping track of the costs really isn't a good idea. But it's certainly nice to try living on the other side of the tracks once in a while, even if only to realize that sitting in the sun in the backyard is just as delightful as the (fancy, heated) pool at the high class resort. When the backyard isn't under a few feet of snow and ice, I mean.

Wototo Children's Choir

2011-02-17T16:40:00.001-05:00

A random message in my inbox mentioned the children’s choir visiting from Uganda. I forwarded the message along to my Mom and Seth, thinking I may be the only person of our family interested in venturing out on a frigid winter night to see a children’s concert. My parents would be in town for the weekend, celebrating birthdays, but that particular weekend happened to be Ethiopian Christmas. When you adopt a child from another country there is an expectation that you help your child to retain, or at least become familiar with, the culture of their birth country. Any opportunity for celebrating the Ethiopian culture that passes, leaves me with a little scar of guilt. Completely skipping any celebrations would leave me with that familiar feeling, but the planned activities with our Ethiopian adoption group weren't going to pan out. This left me wondering what special celebration we could throw together, then the email came from another adoptive mom, mentioning this opportunity. My sister and her boys, my parents, and our family headed out on that blustery night, unsure of what the night may hold.

We arrived at the old, crowded Methodist church and wandered through the maze of hallways connecting the parking lot to the sanctuary. The place was packed and we were happy to get seats near the back. The church was old, built before stadium seating and immediately each child clamored onto a lap hoping to get a better view of the stage. We looked around and realized this wouldn't work. We unloaded ourselves from the pew and wound up the stairs to a small balcony. As we settled in, the lights turned down and the concert began.

I wondered how each of the children would do, whether they would enjoy the music and be touched by the stories they would hear. I shouldn’t have worried. As the children's choir filed in singing, Josiah stood on the pew with a light in his eyes. I whispered to him, asking if he could see, but he was too enthralled to turn his eyes and just nodded. Completely engaged. The songs were interspersed with video clips and children stepping out to tell their personal stories. Most of the children had devastation in their lives that left them as orphans. My youngest nephew, four years old, turned to Sally and stage whispered, “Sally! These kids are from Africa, did you know you are from Africa?!” An epiphany.

My eyes misted as I heard about the crisis that each child has survived. Their tales were too close to home for me and I wondered how my mom might be reacting after being in Ethiopia so recently. In the middle of my 'moment', I noticed Josiah was thoroughly enjoying the music. He was shaking his money maker and I was glad we weren't down on the main floor so he could enjoy himself fully. Then he looked at me and yelped, "I need to potty, RIGHT NOW!" Evidently, the potty dance looks a lot like three year old Ugandan praise music dance moves. I made it down one flight of stairs to an usher and another flight of stairs into a vacant fellowship hall before the warmth spread across my hip. By the time we made it around the corner and into the bathroom it was far too late.

So, our wonderful experience at the Wototo Children's concert was infused with our usual antics. Josiah singing, clapping, and dancing with brown paper towels stuffed into his smelly pants standing in the pew to avoid stinking up the ancient fabric beneath him. Sitting next to the urine soaked child, in my own urine soaked jeans, I was still touched by the children singing, my children, and my older nephew--who moved onto his mom's lap during one of the children's stories about losing their family.

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

2011-01-08T21:10:00.000-05:00

For Eli's eighth birthday he requested a surprise party. We usually have a duo party with his cousin, born one year and four days after him. We keep waiting for the two boys to request their 'own' parties, but year after year they cheer for a party together. So, this year, like previous ones, we planned a double party. How to pull off a surprise party when the party kid knows about the party?

Obviously, have all of the kids hide behind furniture with Nerf guns and pummel him when he arrives at his cousin's house for the party. He knew when, he knew where, but he was surprised by the what. We were unorthodox in planning this party, because as a general life rule of motherhood, you shouldn't serve cake and ice cream to children at 9:30 am. We did. Then we loaded up four vehicles and drove through a blizzard to play laser tag. Load up the kids with sugar and laser guns then set them loose on each other in the dark. Seems like the ultimate party--Surprise, Eli!!

They loved it. Minus the long drive.

The adults? Well, the ones who played laser tag loved it. I managed to bring us safely to the venue through the snow in the slippery van with 8 young boys from 6 different families. The odds against us making it there were slim. The ~~juvenile delinquent~~ party goer sitting behind me kept kicking my seat griping about my snail's pace and, "I could run faster than you drive!" I shouldn't begrudge him his right to practice road rage, but from inside the vehicle? One boy was ready to have an accident in the van. With all of the pressures, I stayed strong and kept the speedometer safely at 25 mph. A little slow for the interstate, but the weather...the treacherous weather. And all of those families' boys! Sheesh, I could have had an emotional breakdown. The responsibility was crushing. I would make a terrible bus driver.

Overall, the birthday was a wild success. We surprised Eli. We arrived alive. We didn't lose any children. A birthday party sensation.

Happy Surprise Birthday, Elijah!

For Sally in 2020

2011-01-05T16:27:00.006-05:00

Dearest Sally,
You will not remember this conversation. I've recorded it to remind you of a time when you adored your Daddy and didn't have the worries of a teenage heart. I could tell you were carrying a heavy burden that day as you began our talk. Once again, I found myself having a conversation that I wasn't prepared for!

"Mommy, what if the husband I have doesn't want to go to church with me?" you said with eyebrows knit in worry. From the onset, it seemed that this had been brewing for a while.

"Well, it isn't like one day you find yourself married to a man you don't know. Before you get to know him, you can ask him if he knows about Jesus."

"So, I say, 'If you want to marry me, then I need to know if you are Christian?'"

"Yes, and you can see how he treats his sisters and mom to guess how he will treat you if you get married. I knew that Daddy was nice to his friends and Rara so I could guess that he would be good to me."

Bursting into tears, "I want to marry someone like Daddy! I love Daddy so much! I don't want to get married and move away from you guys!"

I was taken aback by the outburst, but delighted at the same time. Two years ago you couldn't stand to be near your Daddy. "Sal, you have such a long time before you can get married. You are only six, I think 14 years at least! Maybe you'll just decide you don't want to marry anyone and you can live in our basement and take care of us."

The sobbing ended, eyes wiped and bright at this thought, "Really? Really? I could live with you forever?"

Just a kind reminder for the day that you don't want to live with us and meet a dreamboat who has no interest in the things of God. There was a day that you adored your Daddy and wanted to live under our roof forever. And, I might add, that included a brief discussion involving you caring for us in our old age.

Bunches of Hugs,
Mommy

Hopechest Video

2010-12-23T11:00:00.001-05:00

Ethiopian Orphans from Simon Scionka on Vimeo.

This video is an incredible picture of the children that Hopechest supports through sponsorship. The care point I just wrote about, Kechene, is shown--two years ago when this footage was taken.

It's been bouncing around for days

2010-12-23T09:50:00.010-05:00

For the past month I've gotten this song stuck in my head. I am busy with something and before I know it, I'm humming. Then, before I stop myself, it bursts right out, "No mohr! Mohnkeys! Shumping on da behd!"

I blame the adorable children at Kechene. The beat of the song seems almost as if their teacher read the words and made up a tune. It's much more catchy than the version that I sang to my children. Now they sing this newer, jazzier version along with me. I apologize for the quality of the recording as my video camera froze up during the trip.

These children, singing with their amazing teacher have been waiting for sponsors for two long years. The program here never got off the ground, and, thankfully, Greta Byers has stepped in. She's working to find sponsors for the 55 children at this school. Karen and Greta were busy getting individual photos of the children for sponsorship packages during this impromptu concert. Fifty children in ratty turquoise sweaters sang their hearts out as we watched from the edge of the room. We sat with our mouths agape reveling in their fantastic show.

Our visit to Kechene came after a day visiting the Fistula Hospital. We weaved through small side streets until turning right onto what felt like an alley. The driveway ended at a tall blue fence, and sitting in front of the fence was a woman with woven baskets in different stages of completion lining both sides of the drive. She was coating them with dung as we got out.

This was just a quick visit for Greta to get the information she needed to start sponsorship. It was hard, to me, to make such a quick visit after we had been spending several days at the other care points. It was the end of the day and we barely made it before the children left. The engaging teachers are in love with the kids and their excitement is striking. It would be easy to be overwhelmed by all of the needs...
Right now, Greta has 20 children sponsored. Please consider sponsoring one of the children who have been waiting so long for someone to offer them hope!

Trees of Glory Stole My Heart

2010-12-16T21:03:00.009-05:00

Have you ever been to a place that has a tangible enchanting quality? Maybe a church--busy doing God's work. Maybe even your home--a haven from the chaos of the world. At Trees of Glory the pace is slow and the children slightly reserved. I felt like we stepped into the middle of something very special. Maybe it was the exhausting drive from Addis. Once we arrived I couldn't have been more thrilled with getting out of the van with my limbs intact.
Maybe it was Simret and Girma, who run the care point. I couldn't resist Simret, she is an Ethiopian version of my own mother. She enfolded us in hugs as we arrived, thanking us for coming. She grabbed my mom's arm as we trudged up the path from the river and assisted her in the climb. I think she enjoyed seeing an older woman on the trip (don't tell my mom I called her 'older').They are working hard to make a difference in the lives of children who have little hope in their lives. The property itself is incredible with breathtaking views and several buildings. They were built by a Japanese construction company while they worked on the winding road we took from Addis.

There is so much potential for an even more amazing work, but they truly need help. The government requires that they utilize the land or they will reclaim it. A stable is in mid-construction and awaits animals to fill it. A well that was used by the construction crew has long been abandoned and is filled with debris from vandals. There are many opportunities to be a help and blessing. Right now, a family who sponsors a child at Trees of Glory is doing a fundraiser to finish the stable and buy livestock. This would be one way to use the land that they have, ensuring that they don't lose it. One family who sponsors a little girl at Trees of Glory has taken the initiative and I'm sorry I didn't hear about them earlier to pass their fundraiser along. For just two more days you can purchase a "tree" to help Trees of Glory finish their stable and buy the cattle they need to finally utilize all of the land they have. Such a small thing from us will make a huge difference for Simret, Girma, the teachers, and so many children.

Karen has children who need sponsors here also. The difference of sponsorship in the lives of these children is apparent in a post Karen wrote a few days ago. I did not recognize any of the children from their 'before' pictures. I scrolled down, saw the 'after' and had to go back, astounded. It's absolutely breathtaking. If that doesn't convince you that sponsorship works, then I give up.

I had the wonderful opportunity to deliver a care package from my in laws to their sponsor child, Edelam. She was so shy that she wouldn't meet my eyes as I shared her new gifts. Edelam reaped the benefits of my mother-in-law's shopping skills--several clothing items, sunglasses, hair bows... The next day she was at the playground with her grandmother. She smiled brilliantly at me as she proudly showed off her newly braided hair adorned with bows, sunglasses in her pocket, and each set of clothes on her body.

Kind Hearts

2010-12-04T21:38:00.002-05:00

I am not a writer so I will admit defeat before even beginning to describe each of the care points. Pictures will do much more justice to the lovely chaos that greeted us at Kind Hearts. The property is in Addis, though once you pass through the gates it seems like you have stepped into another world. Gone are the fumes, beeping horns (horns don't honk, they kindly beep), and buildings in a perpetual state of construction. They have been replaced by fields of teff, acacia trees and rolling hills. It's an amazing transition.

Upon opening the doors of the vans children are everywhere. It may seem that each child has several extra arms with which to grab your face smothering you in kisses while singing, "Selam!" It's beyond comprehension. Karen warned us, but I scoffed thinking, "Daily I have five children pulling, hugging, sitting on me. It really can't be that wild." It was so much more than I expected. These children were thrilled to have visitors. After the initial greeting, things slowed to a more manageable pace of just four or five children vying for a spot on or near a visiting adult.

These children have been sponsored longer than any that we visited. This time last year Karen was arranging for sponsorship to begin through Hopechest. Since last year several projects have been funded and the care point has exciting plans to become self sustaining. The children are being fed daily, plans are in the works to get a nurse to visit on a regular basis. Sponsors purchased uniforms in the spring so the children could come proudly to school. Things are coming together, but there is still so much to be done!

Before we left, Karen was notified that more than thirty new children would be at the care point when we arrived. Our team scrambled to make sure that these children would have a package to open. They did--and were so happy to have all of the little odds and ends we collected from our incredible group of friends back at home. These children were so happy to have a package of goodies, but they lacked the one thing that was cherished by the other kids--a photo of a smiling family back in America.

Karen has details on her blog for sponsoring a child at Kind Hearts.

The Trip

2010-11-30T17:28:00.003-05:00

The post that I'd like to write is not bubbling up to the surface.

That amazing post reflecting on the trip...I still haven't written the one I intended to write after my first trip to Ethiopia well over two years ago. I would like to say that I have many brilliant tidbits to share. I don't. This trip was at least as overwhelming as our adoption trip, though for very different reasons. I still haven't just sat down and thought about it. I locked up the raw emotions that might come pouring out. Just like two years ago. Home with two new children, medical issues, attachment and bonding going on, trying to understand how to parent five children...the busyness alone kept us from really trying to understand Ethiopia. Thanksgiving and Black Friday greeted me on this return trip. I had to guard myself against becoming Scrooge to my children. Will Christmas be pared down this year? You betcha. Did our children get an earful of, "The kids in Ethiopia were ecstatic to have a marker..."? I haven't gone there with them. Though it does seem like I mentioned to one of the kids something about lack of clean water and please stop letting that faucet run like that...

I'm so trying not to be a lunatic.

And that means I'm kind of avoiding writing anything meaningful. So, I decided the best way to explain what we did is to just introduce each of the care points that we visited and perhaps one of them will tug on your heart and you'll feel compelled to sponsor one of these beautiful children.

Meeting Jirigna

2010-11-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

One of the most amazing opportunities during our week was meeting Jirigna, our sponsor child. He's been a part of our life since earlier this year. We've prayed for him, talked about him, and written to him. But, he still seemed so far away. When we arrived at Kind Hearts we were overwhelmed with the dozens of children scrabbling for our attention. I scanned the little faces in the crowd and didn't see the one that I had become familiar with. After the chaos died down, we found out that Jirigna goes to a school for older kids during the day and comes later to Kind Hearts.

Later in the afternoon some of us went down to the polluted river that acts as a boundary for the care point's property. The property is dotted with acacia trees and in the distance you can see rolling hills covered with fields of teff. The once beautiful river is now black because of pollution from the local tannery. The tributary coming into the blackened water along the other side of the property comes from the alcohol production factory. As we discussed the director's hopes for a self-sustaining care point, I saw one lone child playing soccer in the schoolyard. I couldn't see the little boy's face, but I immediately recognized his sweatshirt. The sweatshirt that Jirigna is wearing in the photo on our fridge at home. And here he is, nine months later, still wearing that shirt. I was thrilled to see him, but he was standoffish. After talking to the translator, he posed for a photo, still uncertain.
The next morning we arrived at the locked gates. Children ran alongside the van and a crowd had formed in the alleyway. As the guard unlocked the gate, I saw Jirigna's face in the crowd. When we got out of the vans, I could see that he was still outside of the gate, his face peering through a hole in the fence. He watched me as I spoke to our translator, who took me to the guard to open the gates.

A moment later, Jirigna was at my side, fiercely holding my hand and fending off children who might try to get my attention. I had made a friend. The afternoon was busy with activities for the children, but Jirigna would catch my eye and wave whenever he saw me. Late that day, it was my turn to give Jirigna his care package.

I was emotional looking at the care package. It signified a little piece of home for me. It was such a small bag, no sacrifice at all for us to fill it. We made an afternoon of picking out things we thought he would like, then crammed it all into a gallon bag with a letter and pictures. I teared up as I introduced our family to him and read the letter explaining that we pray for him and are proud of his hard work. He smiled and nodded. As he held up our family photo for a picture, he grabbed my face and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you, thank you!" he said.

On the afternoon that we were saying goodbye, I brought Jirigna the picture that we had taken the first day that we met. He protectively held it in the air, away from smaller hands and I carefully slid it into his pocket. A little later, he held it out to me asking me to keep it safe as he played. The time passed quickly and we gathered to say our final farewells. Jirigna stood before the entire group and asked, "When will you come again?"

I left a little piece of my heart standing on a sandy schoolyard in Addis Ababa clutching a photo of a smiling American mom and an uncertain Ethiopian boy.

It's here!

2010-11-13T09:33:00.003-05:00

After months of anticipation the day is finally here. I wasn't ready to say good-bye this morning. I'm always the one leaving with a full van, waving to Seth as we pull away from the house. Early this morning, racing around I held onto them a little longer than I should have. Extra hugs and kisses...reassurances that they will, indeed, be able to have fun without me. I think, because I am such a huge jovial presence.

Have I packed? If you count the five suitcases that drove off this morning. Yes, I packed. I packed all week. Am I ready to leave in a few hours? Nope. My suitcases exploded into the kitchen after the family left. I'm weighing and moving and drying clothes and making my thirtieth list of the week. I work well under pressure. Figuring that the donations I'm bringing are more important than what I'm wearing, I have waited until the absolute last minute to pack for myself. I may be in the same outfit for the entire week because notebook paper is really heavy, folks. I'm talking, REALLY, heavy. And, Bibles, let's not even go there, because those guys are like three pounds a piece. I won't even start on crayons.

So, if all of the pictures of me show that I'm wearing the same jeans and shirt then you can assume I managed to fit both boxes of notebooks into my carry-on. Or the dryer didn't get my other clothes dry before I had to leave.

Either way, today is the big day. Tomorrow we'll be in Ethiopia. My mom, and I, and a team of people we haven't met face-to-face, spending a week with an amazing group of children.

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

Orphan Sunday from Greg Buzek on Vimeo.

A Dream Realized

2010-11-02T11:35:00.001-05:00

Elijah became obsessed with horses while Seth and I were in Ukraine getting Ella. He was 18 months old. He couldn't even say 'horse'. He made this windy, sloppy horse sound. We guessed that he was emotionally a mess because his parents disappeared for a few weeks. He got a plastic horse shortly after our departure and carried that Clydesdale around with him for the next three weeks. For years all he wanted for birthdays and Christmas were horses. Stuffed or plastic, brown, black, white...all were greeted with jubilation. His obsession has cooled, but his one 'sport' request last year was for riding lessons.

Last month his dream became a reality when we found a perfect (low cost) program. He gets to spend two hours a week at the stables and ends each lesson with an hour ride on 'Smokey,' his pony of choice. I know a cowboy doesn't want his Momma calling him (or his steed) cute, but...shucks those two are real cuties!

I. Am. Freaking. Out.

2010-10-30T19:32:00.001-05:00

Is it okay to admit that?

Just two weeks until we leave. Last night I let myself think about leaving the kids for 9 days.

Nine days is a long time. Will Seth remember to make them shower? And take their vitamins? Will he be able to drive alone in the van with the kids for 14 hours? What about going to the bathroom at the gas stations?! How can he manage boys and girls for a bathroom break?!!

Deep breathing and realizing that my hubby is indeed a very qualified, responsible father. He can manage taking five children to the bathroom. It may end up that they are all urinating on the side of the road from the back of the van. If I'm halfway around the world, then it's really just not an issue, right? As long as they get to go potty. And if they don't shower or take vitamins for nine days it's not like they will drop dead. Life will go on. They'll be stinky, they may be sick, but they'll probably revel in the freedom that comes with spending nine days with Daddy.

Good thing he's spending the week with his parents. I don't think my mother-in-law will allow the children to spend a week without bathing.

Give me a few minutes to remember something else I can worry about. Like forgetting to buy pull-ups or bring Ella's epilepsy meds to the beach. I better start packing their bags right now...

Still freaking out.

Lessons from the Ten Year Old

2010-10-30T10:31:00.008-05:00

When Everett was five years old, long before we ever talked about adopting from Ethiopia, he confidently told us that he was going to be a missionary to Africa. He never said he wanted to be a missionary, he said he was going to be a missionary. For the past five years, he's continued to say, "When I'm in Africa..."

I never expected my five year old to declare that he did indeed know what he was supposed to do with his life. I watch this oldest child for indicators that he will grow up to be a missionary. I watch from afar and hope to see some sacrificial behaviors or maturity beyond his years.

But he's TEN. He loves Lego's and reading fiction. He sword fights in the backyard and pretends to be mortally wounded as the dog bounces on top of him. He reads his Bible every morning, but an hour later is yelling at his sister for using his mechanical pencil. He is TEN.

It's so hard to remember that he's got incredible aspirations and hopes, but he's still just a little boy. Yesterday, we had a very busy day. Classes for three hours with our home school co-op, then a fall party that I had to help coordinate. Following the party things had to go without incident in order for us to make it to the missions conference after dinner. The kids left the party with Seth and I had to stay to clean up. On my way out, so far without incident, Seth called. Sally had zipped her belly into the skirt she was putting on. I could hear shrill screaming in the background. Seth, trying to get dinner for the kids, was a wee bit frantic. I told him that he just had to pull it off, or Google a solution. Thirty minutes later, I show up at the house with less than two minutes to grab dinner and get into the van so we could make it to church. I was greeted by Sally, in panties, at the table eating. She looks at me and starts sobbing. Tenderly, she lifts her shirt. She's got a ragged square of skirt and zipper hanging off of her belly.

Okay. This is so something I would do, like crazy. Not at all what I expected to see when I got home. Seth, looking rather sheepish, shrugged and said, "I felt too bad to do anything but cut the weight of the skirt off of her. Then I gave her dinner and decided to wait for you."

So we decided that we weren't going to make it to the missions conference. I heated my dinner up. We told the kids to just go ahead and put on their jammies. Everett, already wearing his coat with his Bible in hand, couldn't believe what we were saying. He stepped into the hallway and looked back with tears in his eyes.

Wait, is this what I've been looking for? These signs that our child really does care about things beyond fun times? He's visibly upset about not attending church...on a Friday night? Tears make their way down his cheeks and he solemnly looks at Seth and I.

"I'm just very sad about missing the missionaries tonight."

Severely chastised, Seth grabbed his coat and the keys and took both boys while I stayed behind to...deal with the zipper. A few hours later three very happy guys return. A Haitian pastor had preached, a Filipino couple had sang with such passion many were moved to tears, and a family from Spain had presented a video of their work.

"Mom, it was the best night ever. I'm sorry you missed it."

And he's only ten.

I Love My Hair

2010-10-19T20:22:00.002-05:00

I saw this today and loved it. I read the criticisms and, honestly, I still love it!

Let's be realistic-- We can wax on eloquently about the hairstyles that this little muppet has. We can discuss that she sings one thing and her hair is doing something else. Or we could just be happy that Sesame Street produced such a cute, affirming video for African-American girls who have hair envy.

I don't think the Sesame Street crowd notices that our lovely muppet's hair gets a 'relaxed' look halfway through for a few seconds or that she gets incredibly long braided extensions towards the end. She's singing about loving her afro and cornrows. She's a lovable muppet! How could you be so upset and read into this song so much as to get angry. This is a great thing for my afro-wearing daughter to see! Affirmation that she does have wonderful hair that she can wear in so many amazing styles. It's great.

The story behind the video makes it even better. Here's the article from NPR:

A little Muppet girl has started a sensation. The unnamed puppet with an afro sings a love song to her hair.

"I Love My Hair" debuted on the Oct. 4 episode of Sesame Street. It was posted on the show's YouTube page — and then women began posting the video on their Facebook pages.

African-American bloggers wrote that it brought them to tears because of the message it sends to young black girls.

Joey Mazzarino, the head writer of Sesame Street, is also a Muppeteer who wrote the song for his daughter. Mazzarino is Italian. He and his wife adopted their 5-year-old daughter, Segi, from Ethiopia when she was a year old.

Mazzarino says he wrote the song after noticing his daughter playing with dolls.

"She wanted to have long blond hair and straight hair, and she wanted to be able to bounce it around," he tells NPR's Melissa Block.

Mazzarino says he began to get worried, but he thought it was only a problem that white parents of African-American children have. Then he realized the problem was much larger.

In writing the song, he wanted to say in song what he says to his daughter: "Your hair is great. You can put it in ponytails. You can put it in cornrows. I wish I had hair like you."

That simple message has caused an outpouring of responses from women. Mazzarino got a call from an African woman who told him the song brought her to tears. "I was amazed, 'cause I sort of wrote this little thing for my daughter, and here this adult woman, it touched her," he says.

Mazzarino says he's happy to report that Segi loves the song — and her hair.

Building Fund

2010-10-18T20:28:00.004-05:00

Our team just reached the goal for building projects that need to be completed for Trees of Glory! I'm amazed at the generosity of people--a $4,000 goal met! Incredible!

Hopefully, after 4 guys spend 4 days working, these buildings will be transformed into a church, dormitory, and classroom.

If you were hoping to donate funds for this trip, you still can! Visit Hopechest online to donate, specifying ET101101T-PROJECTS in the notes. There will be plenty of opportunities to bless these children and their caregivers beyond the building project. We are planning a full meal at each care point and also plan to bring fresh fruit with us. It's nice to have a little cushion in case of an unexpected emergency. Karen posted recently about a young boy suffering from an abscessed tooth. The team who happened to be visiting Kind Hearts that day funded a trip to Addis to visit the dentist.

4 weeks!

2010-10-16T19:55:00.007-05:00

My Mom and Dad were here this weekend to help with some home repairs. Actually, we had a door behind our fridge that needed to be closed in. I take full responsibility for deciding to put the fridge there. I do things without thinking about the reprocussions. Like the hole in the kitchen wall that is also waiting to be closed up. But I won't go on down that rabbit trail, it will only end badly.

A day of madness and chaos and lots of dust...the project is nearly completed. As my parents were leaving my Mom hugged me and said, "See you in D.C."

Shivers.

Whoa, we are really that close to leaving for Ethiopia. The next time I'll see my mom we'll be boarding Ethiopian Airlines together.

School Uniform

2010-10-12T06:31:00.001-05:00

I never thought we would become that homeschool family.

When Eli got up Monday morning and announced that he would be 'Wolverine' for...ever, I thought, "We are going to be that family."

I wondered how brave Eli would be in this Wolverine suit. It's one thing to wear it around the house and write "Wolverine" across the top of his math papers. It's a completely different ball game when it's time to step outside of our little world.

The boy proved himself a very courageous soul. He wears his school uniform to the doctor's office, flower shop, plate painting event...Yesterday, I had become so accustomed to seeing him in yellow and blue polyester that I forgot he was in his uniform until someone asked if he was a power ranger.

Today is our school picture day at our co-0p. I asked him this morning if he was going as Wolverine and he looked at me as if I had three eyes. "No, that would be too much. I really like wearing my jammies underneath and getting away with it."

And all along I thought it was a middle child trying to assert his independence and show himself different. He's just seven year old who wants to stay in his jammies all day.

Josiah's Birthday!

2010-10-09T07:02:00.001-05:00

Terrible Twos, Goodbye! Could the pithy saying be Terrific Threes? Dare I beg for this year to be a bit easier than the past?

Too smart for his own good, too cute to get in real trouble, and too rotten to care about any of it...here's hoping for obedience and maturity in the coming year. We are off to a grand start!
Yes, he did spit on half of the cake. Happy Birthday, dear sweet (salivating) boy!

Mission Trip Giveaway

2010-10-07T07:56:00.005-05:00

Crazy Kari Gibson had a wonderful dream. When she woke up she decided to trust God and just go ahead with this wild business.

She's giving away a mission trip. An entire trip. To Ethiopia.

I've seen some great giveaways on blogs. This one takes the cake. For the next month each shirt purchased will grant you one entry, the purchases will funnel into a scholarship covering the cost of the trip in February with Visiting Orphans.

You can buy an awesome shirt, wear a shirt that will spark many conversations, and know that the purchase of that shirt sent someone on a lifechanging trip that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to take. A great concept. Check out the details on Kari's Crazy Adoption Blog.

I'm Going Back

2010-09-24T20:35:00.003-05:00

I have butterflies in my stomach just typing that title.

I sort of invisioned myself standing on an empty stage tapping a crackling microphone as I whisper, "I have an announcement to make. I'm going back to Ethiopia." I've kind of been waiting to mention it. Not really believing that it would all come together. But, it did. I mean, it really did, the money came, the time off for Seth came, and the airplane tickets came a few weeks ago so there is absolutely no turning back.

I'm going back. And my mom will be joining me.

We aren't going to be bringing back any new family members. Though I think Seth fears this will ignite the adoption fires again.

We are going to meet Jirgna and all of his friends at Kind Hearts. I'll get to introduce my mom to the mother who cared for Sally and Josiah before they became ours. We'll get to hand a care package to the darling little girl that my in laws support at Trees of Glory. It will be an amazing trip. I was beyond excited when the confirmation came that I would be joining the team. When my dad asked if it was too late for my mom to join us...disbelief! I get to share this awesome thing with my mom (and she gets to hold my hand when I get sick because that's just inevitable).

I've been slow in writing this post because I just didn't know what to say. Astounding, since I am rarely at a loss for words. After giving it thought I realized that I was letting busy things get in the way of writing this post.

We are going to leave November 13 with a group of over a dozen people. Karen has organized the trip and is doing a wonderful job. We will spend a few days at the two care points that she coordinates, Kind Hearts and Trees of Glory. A group will be doing a construction project at Trees of Glory, donations are needed to purchased materials once we arrive in Ethiopia. The rest of us will be spending time with the 152 children there. My mom and I are purchasing canvas bags for the kids to decorate with fabric pens, ribbon, and gems. We are also collecting donations of school supplies and clothing. I have personally gone bonkers at back to school sales and probably have filled both suitcases to the limit. I can't turn down a box of crayons for under a quarter!

If you are interested in getting involved, Karen has detailed the trip with beautiful pictures of the children she met when she traveled last year. Samantha is an incredible 11 year old who has made a difference by making bottle cap necklaces (incidentally, they are so cute!). Between now and November 13, all of the proceeds will go towards the construction fund for our trip.

Make that eleven...

2010-09-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

Returning home from vacation to find seven more eggs.

Tonight we hear squeaks coming from the nest box. Two baby birds have hatched!

My house sounds like a rainforest with juveniles chattering across the room to their father who sits atop the cage guarding the new eggs. Daddy squawks and gets his kids roused and squealing. Soon it's too loud to even think.

Just like a father.

I'm certain Momma is sitting on that nest thinking, "Doesn't he know it's bedtime?"

Our last little girl is leaving Friday morning. Then the search for families for the new babies will begin. Hopefully, it will be the last time!

"Where have you been lately?"

2010-09-20T21:09:00.002-05:00

To California...if I would have been driving due west. Instead I went in a triangular shape and spent 42 hours driving, but ended up back at home.

It seems far easier to just post pictures. I'll have to set it up for you first so you can fully comprehend why I would temporarily lose my mind and take part in such traveling shenanigans.

My dear hubby spent two months responding to the oil spill in the Gulf.

The week after he left, I packed up the dog, the kids, and a new dvd player and visited friends on the East Coast. We came home, started school, learnt a phew thangs and then packed up again. This time we visited relatives in the Ozark Mountains, went to the Gulf for a week, and then grabbed that guy we've been missing and hit the road for home.

Along the way we picked up the dog from my parents, and the birds from a friend (who, incidentally, laid 7 more eggs once they got rid of their last clutch). It was a baptism by fire re-introduction to the family life for Seth. That last leg of the trip, five wild kids, one stinky ear infected dog, and 4 birds plus a nest of 7 eggs.

We lived to tell the wild tales though. My neighbor had the audacity to ask, "Did you school those kids any while you were gone?" I smiled and said, "We crossed the Mississippi River three times in that many states, saw Civil War battlefields, and saw that New Orleans still hasn't fully recovered from hurricane Katrina. We may have learned a few things."

Tide Pools in Rhode Island

Tubing for the first time

Marine Mammals in Connecticut (with a fabulous personal tour guide)

Hay Bale Jumping on Grandma's Farm (Mom had to leave the premises)

Admiring the Beautiful Beaches on the Gulf

The Van, The Van, The Van...

(notice the dog crate in the fourth row--he traveled to New England with us)

Yeah, we are crazy.

Six Parakeets and Counting

2010-08-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

To hear Eli tell the story it all began back in January. He had birthday and Christmas money burning a hole in his pocket. And he wanted a pet. We already have a dog and cat. Evidently it's all about 'personal pet' vs. 'family pet'. I vetoed rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, and anything else small and furry that might escape and reproduce in the walls. I also vetoed snakes. Without any explanation. Lizards might have been okay but they are pricey. The maintenance on fish is a no-go and the boys both agreed that I have proven myself unworthy in the test of keeping fish alive. So we visited the pet store just to look around.

And we met the nearly perfect pet called a parakeet.

Then we left the pet store and looked for a little guy on craigslist. Including a cage and already friendly. Then Eli started wondering if his little guy (who is actually a girl) was lonely. So he read up on parakeets and decided to get his little lady and male friend. Stage 1 in parenting decisions gone wrong.

Stage 2 would be when I encouraged Seth to help Eli build a nest box. He had read so much about the birds he decided to try and 'get some eggs'. But I figured that was really unlikely. I mean, come on, really? So they spent an afternoon putting this wooden box together. We stuck it on the front of the cage and Petey (the girl) immediately began making herself at home. Then the week of VBS the birds began...ahem...'getting married' during breakfast every morning. It was rather shameful. The squawking and fluttering amidst cries of, "Look at them!! Will it work, are they married if he can't balance?!"

Though I tried to explain that there may not be eggs, though I hoped there wouldn't be eggs. One afternoon, an egg showed up. Then four little siblings followed all one day apart. So our summer plans quickly changed and shuffled around because the eggs would begin hatching and we certainly couldn't miss the big event.

I also tried to explain that the eggs might not hatch. But they did. Mom and Dad are so proud of their babies that they are trying to have more. This time they are working on it during lunch. Right before they sit at the side of the cage and beg us for more food. It's scandalous.

First Day of School

2010-08-23T20:01:00.000-05:00

I have sweaty palms...

butterflies in my belly...

and a dry mouth.

Sitting here waiting...

for the first day of school to begin.

I'm a nervous wreck.

Even when you teach your own children. Even when they are eager to start learning. Even when you have been doing it for years.

They look so eager and innocent, don't they? Give me about two weeks.

Obsession

2010-08-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Ella is constantly capturing small ~~animals~~ creatures in the backyard and turning them into pets. Pill bugs, caterpillars (that were eating my roses), and most recently slugs. At Christmas, I bought a butterfly habitat. Incidentally, that was kind of funny. Seth and I were shopping at the Toys-U-Don't Need. I had a list of things the kids thought they might need. I also had a list of things I thought they might need, ie. educational stuff. Like a super cool butterfly habitat. Surprisingly there weren't any on the shelf. Disbelief--but figured I'd order it online for a higher price. Later, Seth saw a man holding one and approached him just as the guy said to his buddy, "Butterfly Habitat, who would want something dumb like that?" Thankfully he put it down and my brave hubby snagged it.

So...we've been eagerly waiting for the right time to order caterpillars. We ordered. They came. Not so thrilling. Little black caterpillars. In a plastic container. Sort of like what Ella does in the backyard everyday. Except I paid for this tub. They ate the gooey food in their container. We waited. Then one day we looked in and they were all suspended from the top. Soon we got to see our first chrysalis.Little more waiting and one butterfly emerged. It was truly very neat. Even for the not-nerdy bunch. This butterfly in the house thing was a dream come true for Ella. Oddly, she's terrified if they fly near her, but in the mesh cage. Heavenly.

Let the obsession begin. Day after day of butterfly viewing. Special chair pulled up to the habitat. Oh, the antics of those butterflies. Endless entertainment!

All good things must come to an end. In butterfly habitat world that would be Release Day.
One by one, all of the butterflies flitted away except one little guy. To Ella's delight we kept him, named him "Flyey" and gave him some more time in the miracle butterfly habitat. A few days later, after having the nectar buffet all to himself, Flyey made his way out into the wild, dangerous world known as Our Backyard.

Call me the firegirl (Ella did)

2010-08-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

Today, I tried to set the house on fire.

Until today, I've never actually put out a fire. Ironically, late last night I was typing up our homeschool curriculum for the superintendent and wondered 'what will we do for fire safety this year?'

Well, we got that one checked off. According to the discussion I had with the children after the blaze was out:
1-Never turn on the stove and walk away.
2-Never fill a pot with oil to make popcorn, turn on the stove and walk away.
3-Making a phone call from the backyard while stove is on and oil is heating is always a bad idea.
4-Having a serious discussion with husband during heating of oil is a terrible idea.
5-Ignoring the blaring smoke alarms coming from the house, thinking that it is the microwave beeping will only make matters worse.

6-If ever, you are engrossed in a new library book and you hear smoke alarms while breathing in smoke in a smoke filled room. You SHOULD ALWAYS interrupt the book reading to save yourself. You most certainly can bring the book with you. (That one was for Everett who was reading in the living room and managed to ignore the circumstances until he heard mother screaming).

I did all of the above. My kids will probably never let me live it down.

I finally realized that smoke was filling the dining room and saw the blaze on the stove. Yelling into the phone, "There's a fire in the kitchen!" I chucked the phone and ran inside. Can't imagine what Seth was thinking. Probably something along the lines of, "Can't believe I'm married to such a nut case." Or "She's SO overdramatic."

I can't recall what happened next, I probably broke many more fire safety rules. Like yelling and losing your cool. Using the garden hose to douse flames is probably not up there on the "to do" list. But I did it.

Right now five children are sleeping on the floor of Josiah's bedroom because it was the only room smoke-free. We were all rather worked up. I was ready to head to a hotel. They were ready to sleep on the grass in the backyard, since obviously the house is far too dangerous to enter. Ever. Then the sensible husband chastened me (via phone) and told me to "Calm down, it's just a little smoke." Only because he wasn't here to see the leaping flames. And because once he caught the neighbor's trees on fire. That's way worse.

These are a few of my favorite (homeschool) things

2010-07-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

We are (sort of) coming to the beginning of the school year. It's the right time to think about what worked well this year and what needs to change. Recently, a friend emailed me with some questions about homeschooling and that got me thinking. I always enjoy hearing from others who school at home, because their experiences help me to determine what curriculum might work for us. What worked when I had one first grader and two toddlers won't necessarily work with a fourth grader, two second graders, barely kindergarten, and a toddler. Life changes over time! We have used Sonlight, Story of the World, and Tapestry of Grace. I've used exclusively Sonlight and then became crazy brave enough to build my own curriculum. By no means do I have it all figured out, but here are a few things I thought I might share.

Since my list of favorite things has grown I'm going to do a few installments.

Websites and Blogs:
Homeschool Share this is a neat resource for lapbooking--all free.
Dianne Craft I'm always looking for a new way to teach Ella. We haven't been able to discern what happens when she's learning, but traditional methods aren't that great. I bought Right Start Math for everyone a few years ago thinking that was the solution, but it wasn't. Dianne Craft's website has lists of ideas and tips that have helped me understand what I'm doing wrong (ie. Saxon just won't work for her) and how to fix that.
Nature Study I *wish* I could be this habitual about being outdoors.
Art Projects I am far from an artist. I wouldn't hesitate to say that I'm pretty far from creative. When I stumbled onto this website--an art teacher and her projects--I was delighted. It encouraged me to take on several projects that I wouldn't otherwise (paper mache and pastels to begin?).
Practical Pages I *wish* I could be this focused and organized! She uses Charlotte Mason's methods and has all sorts of wonderful downloads that are...well, wonderful. Studies of artists, projects, templates, timelines...all of those things you would like to put together if you were talented and had time. She does!
Homeschool Freebie of the Day Sign up, it's just what it says. FREEBIES. They send out an email at the beginning of the week listing freebies for each day. Audiobooks, e-books, cool websites...the freebies never end!
Spelling City Spelling is so. Boring. I use Spelling Power, but it's nice to have something else for practice. Free, easy to use, my kids think they are playing since they are using the computer...
Vegsource It doesn't make sense, perhaps it's a well hidden homeschool secret. This is a vegetarian website that has a homeschool forum for selling stuff. Used stuff that you buy right from that lady a few states over that used it and liked it but doesn't need it anymore so she's willing to sell it for CHEAP.
Curriculum Sites that I continue to visit (though we are using Tapestry, doesn't mean I stick strictly to their stuff, I *love* Sonlight's book lists...)
Tapestry of Grace
Sonlight
Well Trained Mind
Vision Forum
Veritas Press
Ambleside Online (this is a very cool group, free--seems to be a returning theme--curriculum based on Charlotte Mason's methods).

When the catalogs for these guys come, my boys sit down and circle everything they want.

In My Own Backyard

2010-07-14T07:23:00.001-05:00

She makes the quiet statement about a boy who has been spending his days in our yard. "I don't like him."

It's obvious she's been thinking about what she just said. She's visibly upset, her eyes fill with tears as she finishes her thought, "He said he didn't want to play with me. I have this skin. Brown skin. He doesn't like brown skin."

She's pointing to her arm with disgust. The emotion I see is so strong and terrifying that I hug her tightly and start sobbing with her. I have no words that can undo the hurt she feels.

On the kitchen floor.

Cradling our six year old in my lap.

Both of us crying.

I can't believe our daughter met prejudice for the first time swinging on her swing set.

Happy Birthday Sally!

2010-07-11T07:22:00.001-05:00

A far cry from the little girl who, two years ago, was not interested in opening presents or eating cake. "Looks nice, but tastes so...unfamiliar." We have ruined our Ethiopian beauty! She turned six and had a list of friends, party activities, and desired presents. I think she hoped for a more 'Strawberry Shortcake' cake than the big strawberrish shaped cake I produced. It even tasted weird.

Squirt guns, water slides, presents, and cake...overall the birthday diva had a blast.

On God and Panties

2010-07-01T07:10:00.001-05:00

Sometimes Sally dips into Ella's drawers and borrows her clothes. Ella isn't much of a diva and doesn't mind. She would probably prefer wearing the same outfit day in and day out while allowing Sally to forage through all the rest of her wardrobe. Except in the case of panties. Sally has always snatched a pair here or there. It doesn't matter that I've labeled undergarments with "S" and "E". It doesn't matter that we've discussed panties not really being something you borrow from your sister. There is a difference between a t-shirt and a pair of panties.

Really, are we even having this discussion?

The girls and I put away their clothes before bath time and Sally's 'unders' drawer was busting full. As I finished tidying the girls took their things into the bathroom. I could hear the ensuing discussion, "Sal, you have lots of panties. You don't have to borrow mine. You know, God sees you all of the time."

A pause for effect.

"Sally, God knows about the panties."

Sally responds with absolute pity as if Ella is has no clue what she's saying, "Ellaaaaa, God does NOT wear panties." Deep sigh.

Spring has Sprung

2010-06-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

It began with an empty blue egg on the grass. Shortly after, we began to notice the robins in our yard with renewed frequency. I found their nest one afternoon during a reading lesson. We stood under the oak tree squinting into the bright sun. The nest was hardly visible, so far in the uppermost branches.

Last week we heard a commotion outside. Robins were diving and squawking in a frenzy. I knew what had happened before we saw him. Manny was towering over a hardly feathered robin. We shooed the dog indoors (unbelievable that he didn't gulp the little guy down) and talked about what we could do. The nest was at least 20 feet up and inaccessible. I knew we couldn't leave him on the ground with the dog, neighbor's cat, and wildlife around. So we did what we've done before--named him, took pictures of him, and put him into a coconut liner as a makeshift nest. Then I pulled out the 7 year old homemade wooden ladder. The boys held the ladder as I climbed into the tree, not quite reaching the branch I was aiming for I abandoned the ladder for a hold on the tree, all the while balancing the 'nest' with baby bird inside in one hand. Finally reaching my destination, but still far from the bird's original home, I made a big mistake and looked down. My palms started sweating as I realized I was trusting the boys with my life and risking broken bones to place this bird in the tree.

We watched and waited hoping that the robins would feed their babe. We didn't see them coming to the new 'nest', but I hoped that we had just missed it. The next morning we decided that, if the baby had lived through the night, we would take turns feeding it until it could make it on its own.Not having learned my lesson, I climbed back onto the ladder--this time placing it in an even more precarious position and climbed up. I found the baby bird on it's side in the coconut liner, not moving. How hard that news was to break to the kids. It was a sad and sullen group of children who returned to the house after our discovery.

Sister-2, Brother-1

2010-06-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

Who knew that losing teeth would be such a contest? With a mix of kids all squished in that 'losing teeth' phase it seems like someone is always requesting a tooth wiggle. Grosses me out to insanity. The tough part is that little sister is losing teeth faster than big brother. Excuses are made, wiggling techniques are perfected, but in the end those buggers come out when they are good and ready. Unfortunately, Everett and Eli have been blessed with late blooming.

We did the tooth thing two years ago with Everett and Ella. Ella lost her first tooth before Everett. That caused much angst. After that first one the competition seemed to cool. It helped that Ella's teeth always fell out in the oddest ways. She ate two of them (by accident), lost one in the pool while snorkeling, and lost another while sleeping. Everett was much more careful about yanking them out--as to avoid losing his enamel trophy.

Now we are going through the same thing with Elijah and Sally. He's about to even the score, but not fast enough for his tastes.

It's nasty, nasty, nasty if you ask me. But I still give them money and take their picture. Even when they are smeared with pizza or dripping blood. Yuck.

Trees of Glory

2010-06-08T06:09:00.004-05:00

Karen has posted on her blog details on the new CarePoint through Children's Hopechest in Ethiopia. Please take a minute to read about these children and their dire situation. We can hardly imagine $34 making a difference. In my world, $34 is wasted on one meal out. I can pretend to understand that $34 can make the difference between living and surviving...but I don't really understand.

That got me thinking about what we do with thirty bucks in America. Most of the things that came to mind aren't worthwhile ventures. Things that seem so important at the time, but will be stuffed into the closet; forgotten until Easter Seals calls you for donations. We live in a crazy culture.

By sponsoring a child you are providing food, medical care, education, clothing, and hope to a child whose life we cannot begin to imagine.

Eli was outside barefoot all day yesterday. At the end of the afternoon I sat him on the edge of the tub with a nailbrush to clean his feet. As I scrubbed, he said, "Jirgna's feet are probably a lot dirtier than mine."

Everett popped his head in and added, "Except he's walking around on soil from volcanic ash."

My children have a friend on the other side of the world who doesn't live the way they do. We write to him, pray for him, and talk about him. Our family has been blessed by a young boy in Ethiopia.

Please consider taking advantage of this amazing opportunity. Email Karen for sponsorship information at kwinstrom@yahoo.com

Potty Talk

2010-06-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

We are raising a future attorney. Everything needs arguing, explaining, and coercing. From him, not us. Upon visiting the potty recently Josiah waved his hands and explained, "It's just not workin'. My weewee needs new batteries."

How did that happen?

2010-05-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

I am admittedly a pretty bad cook. As an obvious sign of love, Seth bought me cooking lessons early in our marriage. To his dismay, I didn't fulfill them and we moved. I remain a lovingly, regrettably bad cook. I have 30+ cookbooks on display. I adore looking through them. I have grand visions of becoming a gourmet chef merely by osmosis. Nevertheless, I remain a bad cook.

Unless, I'm following a tried and true easy recipe. Most of these don't come from my vast cookbook collection. They come from my friends. I have my 'granola' friend who was 'tortellini soup' until we became so close that I was actually at her house early in the morning and got to sample her homemade granola. That beat the tortellini soup. There's my 'banana jam bread' friend. She didn't have jam so the bread has double the bananas and is undoubtably the best banana bread I've ever had. My spinach quiche friend doesn't even know that is what she is known for in my kitchen. She's a good cook--she throws things together and never uses a recipe. The quiche she made one morning for my family was delectable. That was first time I ever ate fresh spinach and liked it. My kids probably wish that morning hadn't happened! I've got an applesauce friend and one of my sisters is most definitely baked ziti.

I was having a baking frenzy and realized that each time I make a recipe that someone else shared with me I think of them as I prepare and then eat it.

Reminiscing in the kitchen is a dangerous game. Add five 'helpers' to the chaos of granola, banana bread, and lasagna at various stages of baking...crazy things happen. Like tossing butter into the microwave to 'soften' and not realizing that you hit "2:00".

Adoption Angst

2010-05-14T19:47:00.005-05:00

When I'm done tucking the girls in, Sally stalls. I think she's stalling. She usually starts asking me hard questions. If she didn't wait until I was standing at the door of the bedroom, I would think she was actually interested in my answers. Rather, I think she is grasping at straws hoping to baffle me long enough to get a few more minutes with the light on.

She finally struck "stalling gold." Her line of questioning wound itself around to, "Whose belly did I come from?"

Sigh.

Seems like we have talked about this before. Seems like I've been having this talk for the past five years. Rather, Ella follows up with, "Well, I grew in your belly."

Ahem.

I remind the girls gently that they grew in another belly far, far away. And I began to tell them their amazing stories. It seems, to me, that I've been telling Ella her story since we brought her home. Until now, nearly six years later, she hasn't been too interested. Her face was betraying her feelings and it dawned on her that she spent years without us. It seems impossible.

Though Sally was older, she hardly remembers the way things really unfolded. She can't believe that she and Josiah didn't come 'from the same belly' in Ethiopia. I tell her about the long line of mommies who have babies that didn't grow in their bellies. Starting with their own Daddy and moving down their family tree.

To me, that makes it easier, knowing that so many of your family have been adopted. They have been loved and they have become mommies and daddies too. To my five year old that made no difference. After my sweet words and good intentions her only comment was, "But I wish that I was from your belly just like the boys."

Oh, how my heart breaks.

That was only the beginning. At any random moment during the day Sally will approach me asking 'Whose belly did ____ (insert friend or relative) come from?' Of course, none of them would happen to be adopted. I feel ill equipped to deal with the onslaught of questions. My (adopted) husband is no help either. Simply stated by him, "She loves you and wants to have as much of you as possible." But he can give no great response to ease all of her insecurities and worries. If he can't, who can?

We tread very lightly around our house. In a family comprised of children who have come into our family by birth and adoption, we can easily make someone feel alienated by making the other feel too special. In an effort to keep everyone feeling loved, perhaps we've been too cautious.

I've used the "grew in my heart" line to no avail. I've told them that their stories are amazing and God brought them right into our family. It seems that they are stuck on the unknown. I have no names, stories, or pictures. Honestly, the bits and pieces we know are too much for either of the girls to handle. I have to be relatively creative in censoring their stories.

Any words of wisdom?

Girl Trip

2010-05-05T14:17:00.005-05:00

The girls and I made a trip to Yale last weekend. We drove so that Sally could come along and stayed overnight along the way with friends that we have missed. Everyone was thrilled and it had the makings of a great girl trip.

Then we actually left the house.

I was about ready to turn around and drop someone off 20 minutes into the trip for all of the questions and pleading she was doing. But, I think Yale might have been upset had we shown up without Ella. So we decided she could stay but she had to stop asking when we would get there and whether we would eat while there and could we please have a snack?

We ate breakfast in the car, snacked for 2 hours, and then had lunch in the car at 9:30 because I was sick of hearing about it. I think that stuffed them to the point of silence.

I honestly feel bad that Yale paid for the whole thing as we had a blast visiting with our special, missed friends. Ella reaped the rewards of two days having scans by picking things from their upgraded treasure chest. I wouldn't endure 45 minutes in an enclosed space for a million dollars, so she gets all sorts of kudos from me for doing it just to get a mechanical dinosaur.

Do the results actually benefit us? I really, honestly have no idea, but having more information must be better. If it isn't a benefit to us, it certainly will benefit someone else in the future.

Bon Voyage

2010-04-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Diapers,

We've known each other for ten long years. I never thought the day would come that we would bid you farewell. Your ability to control leaks though you are sagging below the knees has always amazed me. I apologize for all of the times I complained about the price we pay for you, as I recently paid $10 for a mere 6 pack of undies. Josiah didn't want you to leave, and neither did I. We both confess that it wasn't your leakage control or stretchy tabs that kept you around. It was laziness.

My laziness is also the reason I'm saying goodbye. Josiah loves you so much that each diaper change requires wrestling him to the floor. He has an attachment to you that has been hard to break, but Bob the Builder undies finally won him over. I'm sorry I stooped to such behavior.

It worked. But, oh, how I missed you the first day that he hid in the yard and 'took care of business' in the grass. I lamented our decision while I cleaned his legs and the dog rolled in 'it'. I also lamented that I had given him nearly a quart of grape juice to aid in our potty efforts. I yearned to have you back in our lives.

We have stayed strong and I think we can finally say 'goodbye'.

Sincerely,
Mom to five and avid underwear tosser

The Importance of a Good Walking Stick

2010-04-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

The art of choosing a good walking stick was lost on me until a recent trip to the trails near our house. Once we got into the woods, the most important feat was to get 'the right' walking stick. The search was so consuming that no one could be bothered by anything else until a rather grand piece of wood was proven to be sufficient. I was unable to decipher what the criteria might be. Something about size, girth, and strength seemed important.

I have never pillaged the forest floor looking for a piece of wood to drag around with me.

Everett began testing the strength of a stick he deemed 'perfect' for Josiah. Josiah is evidently not old enough to appreciate a good stick as he thanked Everett and then chucked it off the nearest cliff.

After walking a while, we sat on the stone enbankment of a stream to draw. Walking sticks never far from reach, a few of them can be seen in this peaceful picture. Sally stood up and her shoe dropped five feet into the water. As it was being carried downstream, shrieks and screams of delight and angst ensued.

I jumped up and quickly weighed my options. Jumping into the water would be ridiculous, letting it float away would mean carrying Sally through the woods to the car, but if I had a nice big stick I could probably hoist it up. I turned frantically to find one when Everett shouted, "Mom, aren't you glad I got the right one?"

Kind Hearts Video

2010-04-10T22:25:00.001-05:00

Karen has mentioned that more children will be enrolling at Kind Hearts in the future. That means if you missed out on the first 68 children, there will be another opportunity for you to sponsor a child in Ethiopia. Visit Karen's blog to read about recent trips and projects. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm not creative enough to figure out how we can go above and beyond our monthly sponsorship. I'm praying that God will show us how our family can do more. There are currently projects for a fresh water well, new textbooks, and school uniforms. After watching the video I'm sure you'll be excited about the opportunity to get involved with this wonderful group of children.

One Day Without Shoes

2010-04-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

We are barefoot again this year. Yesterday, I reminded the kids of our shoeless day last year. They remembered and were eager to make some plans for today. I went to bed wondering what we could possibly do. Evidently, I was more troubled by this lack of plan than I realized because I was plagued with shoeless nightmares.

I despise pointless endeavors. There are some things that, even when we plan and have the best intentions are absolutely pointless. If we were completely honest with ourselves I think we could just skip the whole painful thing. I guess I'm teetering on the edge of "what does walking around my house without shoes do for the little guy in Ethiopia who can't get a pair of shoes to save his life?"

I don't want to be an advertisement for Toms shoes. No, I think we can do better than that. Do we need another pair of shoes--is the company a success because of the feel good-trendy shoe they sell? Though the company is doing far more than most shoe companies...I suppose my ad would be "If you have to buy another pair of shoes, buy from TOMS."

Should we take part in a TOMS event? Except the local event is organized by a guy who's picture resembles The Joker on a bad day. His brief explanation of the event includes a few words that are NOT allowed around our house. Do I honestly think taking our children to the outdoor mall barefoot to play hacky sack will benefit anyone?

I guess I'm feeling rather cynical.

After tossing and turning all night I bring up the youtube video I watched last year. The kids gather around and we see what can happen to people in Ethiopia when they cannot get good shoes. What now? We are barefoot, have no plans, and it's 55 and rainy here.

We make the obvious decision, of course. We should take a walk! We put on jackets and cuff our pants. Josiah's exceptionally happy about "walking outside on our toes." We got from the door to the driveway and he had to be picked up. It was cold. It was wet. It wasn't delightful like the pictures of Venice on the sponsor website. Ella stubbed her toe before we left our yard. So far, the lesson we are learning is that walking around barefoot on a nasty day is unpleasant. Then, we see the long stretch of sidewalk ahead and nary a soul wants to actually walk to the corner. But we challenge ourselves and remind each other that we really don't have to walk without shoes. We drive most places and only go barefoot when it's fun. We press on and make the block. I glimpse a woman peering from her picture window at our unsightly parade. Wet, cold, barefoot children are an oddity in any middle class neighborhood.

Meanwhile, at home something very special was waiting for us. It gave purpose to the walk down the street. It was directly from God via a little boy in Ethiopia. An hour earlier or later and the impact would have been lost. The Lord's timing is impeccable. We all stumble into the house with numb feet from the cold. After rubbing them dry, I pull out an envelope from the mail.

Our sponsor child sent us a drawing. "Thank you family" colored in yellow. Big excitement broke out and we had to look at his picture again. What does he like to do? How old is he again? Does he always look so sad? Does he always have a runny nose? Does he play soccer? Then, inevitably...

"Does J have shoes?"

Silence.

He will soon, thanks to the hard work of many wonderful people. This brought it home for all of us. We walked barefoot in the rain because we wanted to. As an experiment. Many children like J go without much more than shoes as a way of life. This little envelope lead us to a discussion about what we are doing to help J and his friends. It's such a small thing, I wouldn't dare call it a sacrifice. But to them, it is making a huge difference.

Sally and Elijah immediately began coloring pictures to send to J. I think around here, the small thing we did today made a difference for them.

Holidays

2010-04-05T12:07:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if family keeps inviting us to events just so they can: be relieved that they no longer have young children, be relieved that they are not planning on having children, be relieved that they are not raising our children, or have a good hearty laugh at the antics that seem to happen when we are around.

Huge holidays cause huge chaos. On Christmas we visited with extended family. We only see them once a year. We vowed not to do the Christmas dinner at their house once our family grew to it's substantial size. This year we all felt brave and ventured to their home for the dinner. It was going well until Eli used the bathroom. He ran out of toilet paper. Unknown to us he found the infamous flushable wipes and "decided to give them a try." Unknown to him you should only use one wipe per flush. After he exited the restroom, Sally went in. In her rushed state she didn't care that the toilet bowl was full and proceeded to...ahem...take care of business. She, too, decided to use the flushable wipes. In true five year old fashion she used as many as possible and then flushed the toilet. A few times.

Seth and I were enjoying adult company in the living room while all of the restroom activities were taking place. We, innocently, thought that the children were calmly doing puzzles in the dining room. A flurry of frantic activity by our host drew our attention to the restroom and we were sadly informed of what was going on.

The ensuing ride home was punctuated by discussions about proper toilet etiquette.
1-Avoid flushable wipes, paper towels, and napkins when using the bathroom.
2- Never flush the toilet more than once.
3- Immediately get an adult (preferably one of a close relation) if the water in the toilet beings to rise.
4- Do not avoid the rising water and pretend nothing is going on in the bathroom. The mess WILL EVENTUALLY be discovered.

I think that will be the last year we are invited over.

This weekend we enjoyed Easter dinner with my parents. The meal was fantastic. The company was enjoyable. Everyone behaved during lunch. It seemed too good to be true. Then, Ella took her new medicine. She held it in her mouth until she retched and spewed vomit across my parent's kitchen walls, bar stools, and floors. If my parents weren't forced to open their door to us, I think that might have been our last meal together.

I'm already dreading Thanksgiving.

Ella's Birthday

2010-03-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

Ella's 8th birthday party was canceled due to no illness in the family.

Rather, Mom jumped the gun and called the whole thing off because Dad had a headache and the baby went to sleep sounding kind of funny.

Considering the birthday girl didn't have a party, all was still quite well. The party has been rescheduled and hopefully if anyone is going to be sick it will be the insane overly cautious mother. No other family member would think to call off a party because of germs.

As usual Ella requested a Princess Party. I refused. Again. We agreed on fairy-fairy tale-pets for party stuff. If that makes sense. Basically, there will be cake, presents, and a pinata. And, of course, the riddle laden treasure hunt. Try writing riddles that are fairy-fairy tale-pet themed. It is silly at best, involving powerful 'fairy wings' that lead the girls to the 'treasure filled family heirloom bull' aka pinata. It should be interesting. I think if the girls were any older I wouldn't be able to get away with this. Nevertheless, all Ella cares about is whacking that candy-filled bull to pieces.

Like any mother I'm nostalgic around celebrations. Most of the time I don't have the opportunity to act on the nostalgia. I happened to find a few minutes and pulled out Ella's gotcha video. I'll say what I heard more than a few times today, "I can't believe our little girl is eight."

Unexpected Hope

2010-03-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

I'm curled up on a sofa in a hospital room. It's late and it feels oddly quiet for such a busy place. Ella lays in the hospital bed next to me. She's asleep though I can't imagine how she could be comfortable. Her head is covered in cords that run to a box next to her. Monitoring every little impulse coming from her brain. It seems that, despite our best efforts, we haven't been able to quiet those impulses.

Ella has epilepsy. Ella has seizures. We accept it.

This isn't something that we can conquer. This is something that we can manage. Or so I've been told. For the past year we have managed Ella's seizures. Ella's new neurologist was not pleased that she isn't completely seizure free. I guessed that she had about 10 a day. They are noticeable only if you are aware. A second or two and it's over. Her speech stops and eyes half close. It seems so minor until you imagine yourself doing that. Over and over again. Try learning to read. Or getting so close to understanding the math lesson and then...what did you say? Sorry, I blanked out for a second. Could you repeat that?

Maybe 3 times in 15 minutes. She's 'managing' them.

Until, this new neurologist gives us a glimmer of something better. So, we sat for 24 hours in a hospital room. I wondered many times if Ella really wasn't having many seizures. Next door a teenage girl wasn't allowed to be alone for fear she would fall to the floor without warning and injure herself. Our situation is so easy compared to that.

The next morning we read and do math. Anything that should trigger an 'episode' is encouraged. As Ella tries to sound out 'driver' from the book she's reading I see her eyes shudder and press the red alarm button. Alarms sound down the hall and two nurses run into the room. But, it's already over. I feel rather silly, hitting the emergency button when there isn't a real emergency. I feel like we've caused trouble and I've overestimated the number of seizures she's having. The nurses assure me that they want me to press the button so that the computer will mark the EEG. The video that has been recording since our arrival will be marked. I agree and find myself pressing that button 5 more times over the next few pages. I wonder how Ella can even follow the story with the activity in her brain being such a disruption.

Then the doctor arrives. He's seen seizures I didn't notice. All night while her brain is resting, electricity is bouncing around. It seems she's rarely without episodes. "And your last neurologist was okay with this?"

Maybe he was too busy when I told him at every appointment since her last EEG that she was still having seizures. Maybe I should have pressed him more when he said he was happy with her 'levels'. Maybe we should have researched other drugs more thoroughly.

Ella's started a new drug, something that's known specifically for her epileptic thumbprint.

We have high expectations for this new treatment, but for the next few weeks as drug levels build, we'll just manage. Now, I have hope that soon she will be able to read a book without a single interruption.

A Day at the Lake

2010-03-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

We met my sister at the lake after dinner. That sounds so pleasant.

An evening out at the lake.

Until you remember that it's still winter up here.

It really was as cold as it looks. Why doesn't that boy have a hat on? And why isn't that little girl's coat zipped? Obviously their mother was too worried about them falling into the massive frozen-people drive cars onto that thing-lake to notice that they were potential frost bite victims.

But it's a nice picture anyway.

Snow Day

2010-02-26T14:57:00.003-05:00

Snow days are a rare occurrence around here. Not that we don't get enough snow--the city wasn't voted 'worst winter city' without reason. When you don't need to leave the house it doesn't seem reasonable to cancel school because it's snowy outside. Nevertheless, today was the perfect snow day. Terrible outside. We actually had plans this morning but everything was closed. So, I cancelled school.

Except for finishing the covered wagons we started yesterday. The kids begged to work on those.

And also, "Can we work on the Germany project for next week? That doesn't count as school, it's a project."

And "Can we do some snack thingy?"

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess I can just cancel math and grammar. I try and give them the day off, but they beg for learning. Who knew?

I load up plates of raisins, peanut butter, banana slices, apples, and mini-marshmallows. A few minutes of 'not learning' while everyone assembles...creatures, rapiers, and Daddy's head. Then they eat them. Except for Daddy's head. Ella was too full to eat that.

Two Years

2010-02-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I re-read the posts I had written right after our referrals. Strange. To remember having only three crazies running around. To remember waiting and waiting to see those precious faces. Then the excruciating wait for court and travel. Wondering about how these two would fit into the family. Praying that they were being loved in Ethiopia.

Two years later, five kids crowd around the laptop to look at the pictures I'm searching for.

"Our first pictures of you. We were so excited."

It is reminiscent of the first day we saw the pictures. We were crowded around the laptop, exclaiming and shouting. Today, little people trickle into the kitchen from around the house, sitting on my lap and squeezing next to me. Remembering the time before we were seven. When two of us were very far away and very unfamiliar. Reminiscing about the trip to Ethiopia and meeting for the first time. Laughter at the funny pictures from our first few days as seven. Big brothers accommodating a new little sister by drinking her muddy "buna" from a pink teacup. Tolerating pasta meal after meal because that was all that was familiar. The older siblings trying so hard to make Fetya and Yohannes love them.

Two years later...

Braids and Brothers

2010-02-17T22:36:00.001-05:00

I have *finally* found THE 'do for Sally. It involves a day or two of braiding. Only because I can't seem to do anything for an extended period of time. My life is one interruption after another. Sometimes the interruptions are my fault...mostly they are the result of five little someones needing me to just not be doing what I'm doing at the particular time.

That said, your braiding time may be significantly less. This hairdo rates high with me for several reasons. First and foremost, it lasts. I'm not talking about a few days. It lasts for weeks and weeks. It's brilliant. I can't believe I ever spent so much time on Sally's hair before this! Secondly, it requires very little skill. I usually try things that don't suit Sal's thick locks. This has worked out great. Third, (and most important to our little diva) she looks great.

The simple directions? Part clean, conditioned hair into one inch squares. Rubber band them and braid your heart out. I bought cute clips here for the ends. You could just twist the ends and leave them naked. Or you could put bands there too. Whatever you and your kiddo want. We've done it both ways and clips are my favorite. Tidy, yet cute.

Daily, I moisturize Sally's hair. That's it. I mean, the hours of braiding pay off when I can squirt, squirt, squirt and be done for the day.

The big pain? Taking the little braids OUT. Dear me, I didn't know what we were in for. However long it takes to braid, double it for removal. A very important sidenote here: you will NOT be able to leave the house once you start the Removal Process. It goes from bad to worse. I've put a snow hat on Sally for those times we *have* to leave the house (aka doctor's appointment that I forgot about).

Eli watched me for a while one afternoon and finally admitted that he was willing to help. I don't know whether he loves me, loves his sister or loves the idea of pulling her hair with permission.

2010-02-08T22:38:00.000-05:00

I almost took a picture of the pile of unmatched socks haunting me from my laundry room. I have been absent from all things internet related for weeks. I blame that pile. It represents the mundane tasks of life that keep me busy.

I hate matching socks. So, I ignore them kind of hoping that someone will come along and pair them all up. I have actually thrown a basket of socks away and bought bags of new ones just to avoid matching them.

I can't believe I admitted that.

I bought lingerie bags at the dollar store for the kids to tuck their socks into instead of chucking them into the hamper. This will allow me to leave the laundry room occasionally to blog. Or mop.

Money Saving

2010-01-25T14:26:00.001-05:00

I married a man who is the poster child for saving money. He takes thrifty to a new level. A level I've never actually wanted to visit. He enjoys it though, so I don't pester him. I'm such a dear, wonderful wife.

A few months ago we devised a budget. I guessed on what I spend for groceries. I guessed way off and not in a good way. In the months that I've tried to make my budget, I've gone over by (cringe) $150 on one trip to the grocery store--for a week of groceries. ONE WEEK. That blew the whole month. The next week I only went over by $100. For the first time I started paying attention and realized (duh) that getting the kids isn't the only expensive part of having a big family. When you have five mouths, five doctor bills, dentist bills, bodies to clothe...it can get pricey. I just didn't realize that we were spending so much on our bellies. One morning I was doling out cereal and noticed that each of the big kids ate three bowls. That added up to 14 bowls of cereal in one morning! Even buying the cheap stuff could add up.

A very good friend (and Momma to a pretty sizable brood herself) called me one afternoon and told me that she just found out about an amazing money saver.

Coupons.

In a way you have never seen them before. Since I'm far from being a guru I thought I would just pass the good word along. And let you know that I spent a mere. One. Hundred. Dollars. On groceries last week. I have more than enough stocked in the basement to avoid leaving the house for weeks. That's the beauty of saving money--gives you more leftover to share. When I find a great deal on cereal (who knew I should never pay more than a dollar a box?!), I buy a few extra for my fam and a few for the church's food pantry. It's brilliant!

Here's an intro to the gurus, but be ready to be very overwhelmed.
http://moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/index.php
http://www.becentsable.net/Default.aspx?pageId=331691
http://www.iheartsavingmoney.com/

Elijah is Seven!

2010-01-09T15:45:00.005-05:00

I can hardly believe that Eli is seven. For some reason seven is a biggie around our house. The boys get their first pocket knife on this birthday. I guess seven is the appropriate age for sharp objects to be introduced into a boy's life. Everett has developed his stick whittling over the past two years and can produce a pretty mean 'bark shaved everywhere but the handle' sword. Eli has watched his big brother with envy for two years and his day has finally come.

We celebrated at *sigh* Chuck E Cheese. There are only so many places you can do a January birthday. My nephew is almost exactly one year younger than Eli and the two of them were thrilled with the idea of sharing their parties. I keep expecting one of them to decide that this year they want to party alone. Not this year.The 'double party' rocks except for the complications that arise when one boy is way into lego guys and the other is way into Wolverine. Party theme? Lego guys vs. Marvel Comic heroes on a cake. My amazing cake building skills are not for hire. But I thank you for your compliments.

Happy Birthday to both of these amazing boys!!

Sponsoring an Ethiopian Child

2010-01-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

I felt compelled to share something our family is doing, hoping that many of you will join us. The group who traveled to Ethiopia with Children's Hopechest identified a group of children who need sponsors. I have been anticipating this opportunity since mid-summer and I'm thrilled that the day is finally here. The easiest way to get involved (or to see what its all about) is to visit Karen's blog. Her recent posts will tug at your heart and perhaps you'll find that you can part with $34 a month to support one of these precious children.

From Karen's blog:
please contact me at kjwistrom@yahoo.com if you are interested in sponsorship, $34/month ensures a child has food, clothing, medical care, education and Christian discipleship - and a hope-filled future). Kind Hearts has capacity for about 110 children, and I am sure that once the kids begin getting nutritious meals every day, we will begin to see an immediate increase in the number of children being served at Kind Hearts.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:53:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from us to you!

Vasoline Explosion

2009-12-23T08:30:00.005-05:00

If you ever have reason to remove vaseline from hair--rubbing cornstarch on the affected areas works great. I know this from experience. Don't shampoo first, though that would be the logical choice, it only turns the vasoline into non-removable paste. Cornstarch seems like an unlikely candidate, and you may doubt my advice as you scour the vasoline covered hair, but trust me. It's brilliant.

For vasoline covered ears, ear canals, etc--probably should proceed with much caution and not use the aforementioned solution.

Vasoline removal from walls, toiletry items that have gone down the laundry chute, and clothing? Haven't figured that out.

I think he's out to ruin me.

Tuesday Night

2009-12-18T19:08:00.005-05:00

It's become a Tuesday night tradition copied from a friend. One parent and one child leave the house. A few dollars in their pocket as spending money and a few hours to spend together. We usually end up at a venue that sells ice cream. One week it was the half price bookstore, another the secondhand game store.

Last week, it was my eldest and I who ventured out. We had big plans of picking out a Christmas present and then having ice cream. When we got out of the car at the store, I instinctively reached for his hand. We walked hand in hand into the store. It wasn't until we were inside that I realized his hand was still in mine. We were browsing when he let go of my hand to reach for a book.

His action drew my attention to how old he looked. It seems like only a few days ago I was teaching our baby to clap his pudgy hands. Are those same hands now too old to hold? I waited; wondering if he would reach for me. I watched him as he scanned the cover of a book. He devoured the words and turned to me. As he mentioned that it seemed like a good choice for a friend, he took my hand in his.

Seth told me it won't be long before my oldest son won't reach for my hand as we walk into the ice cream shop. "Enjoy it while it lasts," he said.

I cherished each moment.

Christmas Rag Dolls

2009-12-11T14:20:00.007-05:00

It began with a simple question.

"What Christmas ornaments do you guys want to make this year? I was thinking about felt Christmas trees. You guys could sew buttons on them."

Felt and hot glue, the definition of crafty simplicity. The response from Eli, "Well, I don't want to do a tree, can I do Wolverine?"

Ever eager to see enthusiasm in the kids; I agree. He kicks it up a notch, "Well, can we put stuffing in them?"

I agree, kind of wondering where he's leading me.

"Well, I don't really want him to be an ornament." Okay...

As I nod, mulling over what I've agreed to, I get squeals of delight from the three who have been listening to our conversation. "I want Peter from Narnia!" "I want Shortcake!"

From four felt Christmas trees to four handmade rag doll/action heroes. Only around here.

It's been six days since we started...still sewing.

Eerie Silence

2009-12-06T16:09:00.010-05:00

The first week after a holiday is hard at home. The whole crew undergoes a day or two of detox. Goodies, Grandparents, and less structure tends to produce craziness around our house. Starting back to school after a break is painful. The kids and I struggled Thursday. Maybe it was the weather--cold rain for a day is depressing for anyone. Maybe it was the after Thanksgiving slump. Whatever the reason, I found myself wishing I could drop two of the children off...somewhere. The eldest and youngest were giving me the hardest time. Between five little spirits any one could be having a hard day. Usually the youngest (he's two after all) is the thorn in my side.

He can be a terror. He was on Thursday. His oldest brother came in a close second.

After much reasoning, discussion, and an added grammar lesson (to show him what "a lot" of work really looked like), he got off to a wonderful start on Friday.

And the dear, sweet, baby? He was suspiciously vacant. It took me a while to realize that it had been quiet for too long...alarmed I ran into the living room and found this:

It's a two year old puppy. Sitting in the dog crate. Happily panting.

A short while later he's missing again. This time Ella alarmed me by yelling, "Jojo has (what sounded like) SHOT!" I only half paid attention, knowing we don't have any needles around the house. After yelling again, I realized she was saying 'salt'. Brilliant.

Dinner prep seemed a little easier than usual. No toddler clinging to my leg, begging for food...drink...Bob the Builder...it wasn't until I turned away from the stove that I noticed what he had been up to.

T-shirt Winner

2009-12-04T12:20:00.004-05:00

Congratulations, Ryan and Carly! I hope you enjoy this very cool t-shirt. I should have posted this picture earlier--to make a donation to the Laughner's adoption and get a shirt, go visit their blog. Updates from Tom's trip to Ethiopia (happening right now) are also posted.

Giveaway

2009-12-01T10:29:00.006-05:00

I love a nice comfy t-shirt as much as the next gal. I want to support my friends who are adopting again. Or my friends who are in Ethiopia right now with Children's Hopechest. So, without much thought I want to buy one of their fundraising shirts. But one body can only wear so many shirts between laundry loads, you know? I have a pretty good assortment of lovely, memorable t-shirts. I don't think I need another.

Oh, but I want to buy one...

So, here's the beautiful thing--I'm supporting my buddies and giving the t-shirt away to you. If there are any of you out there. Leave me a comment, I'll have my (previously pictured) lovely assistant draw a name. In celebration of the admirable thing being done by the group in Ethiopia right now, I'm giving away one of the Laughner's t-shirts. You leave me the comment, on Friday we'll let you know who won. Tom and Lori will give you the size of your choice and mail directly to you. Sounds fab--I get to support my friends and you get to win a cool shirt.

No worries if you aren't the winner, plenty of shirts available. Go visit the Laughner's blog and buy one!

Children's Hopechest Vision Trip

2009-11-28T15:57:00.010-05:00

This week a group of people we've met through adoption are traveling to Ethiopia with Children's Hopechest. They are traveling to lay the groundwork for children sponsorship programs to begin in Ethiopia. I love the way Children's Hopechest works and have been so excited about the beginnings of a program in Ethiopia. We are eager to see what comes of their trip. If you'd like to watch as the week unfolds--here are blogs of a few people going...

http://ethiopianadoptionspot.blogspot.com/
http://family-from-afar.blogspot.com/
http://afatherseyes.blogspot.com/
http://davidfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/
http://thefifthsparr.blogspot.com/
http://laughners.blogspot.com/

Out with the old, in with the new

2009-11-13T21:47:00.001-05:00

Today, Sally donned "Yellow Jumbo" for the very last time. It's a huge relief to all of us that this day has come. Every morning I feel like we step back in time as I tighten her "corset".

This brace has been with us since last summer. She was on medication, newly home from Ethiopia, and much, much smaller. This day has been long overdue.

I wonder if her sillies will diminish now that oxygen can get to her brain.

Sally's new doctor wants her to wear this brace for another year. He was amazed at the 'fantastic work' and doesn't want her to get hurt on his watch. I'm more than happy to keep her safely strapped into the thing (obviously strapped around her torso, not her head).

Her biggest grievance? She wants to wear blue jeans.