Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snapshot

Parochial

So a Jew and an atheist walk into a bar...or into an adoption.

To be clear, I am sometimes an agnostic. For instance, recently I thought there might be a God. Why? Because I put this picture on my blog in 2007:

It was what I visualized as the most perfect adoption combo, an older sister and her baby brother.

And here we are, three years later...

However, my belief in the existence of God wavers. Right now I am a non-believer. Knowing this, it may surprise you to hear that we are sending Meazi to Catholic school in the fall.

I have many issues with the Catholic church. There are also many Catholics that I admire very much. I went to Catholic high school. It was an excellent school.

We are sending Meazi to this school for many reasons, but the simplest one to understand is- class size. The funky chicken school, were Meazi experienced a phenomenal pre-k program, is not so phenomenal for k-8. LAUSD has had major budget cuts, and the Kindergarten will have 30+ kids and one teacher. Her new school is 20/2. She will have art and music classes weekly.

We cannot afford private school, we did not get into the new charter school started by frustrated parents, and so we decided that this was our best bet for now.

We put Meazi into summer school at her new school. It is from 9-12, weekdays in July. She is taking Spanish, and Theater, and also spending an hour with her new Kindergarten teacher.

She loves it.

But then Meazi loves any kind of school.

We'll see how it goes.

Pray for us.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Fun with Friday Friend and Family Features...

I was going to write a long post about what it was like to have our best friends meet our kids. I think these two videos sum it up better than I could.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snapshot

I Thought We Were Doing So Well

Meazi and I talk about her adoption all the time. We talk about what it means to be adopted. We watch her video Lifebook a lot. We discuss everything.

Last week, there was a scary news story about a four-year old girl who was abducted while she was playing in her front yard. We have a swing set out front. I sometimes let Meazi play out there when I am working in the kitchen. We have talked to her a little bit about stranger danger, and I have told her to scream bloody murder if someone comes near her. We have practiced the screaming.

A friend came over the other day with her two boys. (Meazi went to Pre-k with her eldest son).This friend told us to come outside to look at a giant dead snake on the sidewalk. (The hawks had eaten its head off- more about the hawks later). While we were looking for it, the younger boy walked off for a moment. There was a split second of panic as we all realized we didn't know where he was. He had walked around the corner. His mom called him back, and bent down for a talk. Meazi tried to get close enough to hear their conversation, and I asked her to give them a moment. She walked over to me and said,

"Mom, what is she saying to him?"

I said, "What do you think she is telling him Meazi?"

She said, "Not to do that again?"

"That's right," I said.

"Or what will happen?" Meazi asked.

"What do you think might happen to him Meazi?" I said.

"He might get ADOPTED," she replied.

Sigh.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snapshot

Wordless Wednesday: Capricorns

Searching for Meazi Fischer

Due to budget cuts, LAUSD shaved a week off of Meazi's school year. Meazi's amazing teachers agreed to proceed with a scheduled field trip to the aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier. It was not a work day for them. They did not get paid. (I told you they were amazing). Melese came too, and it was really fun. The kids touched sea cucumbers and had starfish races.

Afterwards, I looked for a shaded area to have lunch. We decided on one of the chess tables. If you have ever been on the Boardwalk here on the westside you have probably noticed a lot of interesting characters. After a slight wave of anxiety passed we settled down next to a group of guys who seemed to be living there at the beach. It is amazing how much faster your hackles go up when you are alone with your kids. We sat down and had a bite to eat. Meazi started placing blueberries and Bonbel cheese wrappers on the chess board as pieces. We pretended to play. A man came over and said, "Well, if you are going to do that." He took out a small black bag containing all of his chess pieces (chessmen?). Meazi and Melese started to play. Then I took over and Meazi said, "Mom, why would you move your pawn out only one space? You can move two spaces when you begin." I don't know how to play chess. The man who was sharing his set with us decided to take over for me.

Melese started to get cranky, so I walked him around a bit. The man playing with Meazi kept turning his head and saying to me, "How old did you say she was?" A few minutes later the man did a Stan Laurel move, he took off his cap, scratched his head in amazement, and put the cap back on. Meazi beat him. Here they are shaking on the game,

He told me to bring her back on Saturdays so he could play her again. All of the other men started teasing him. We asked him his name and he said, "People call me Download." We thanked him again for the game, and told him that we would come back.

Sunday Snapshot

One of the highlights of our trip was meeting this beautiful family. Hi Guys!

I think I've fixed the video on yesterday's post. Does anyone know why I can't put my flip videos on blogger anymore without going through You Tube? Technology still hates me.

Happy July 4th. M&m will see their first fireworks tonight, if they can stay awake.

Amerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrika!

One year ago today, a judge in Ethiopia officially declared that these two could join us at the breakfast table forever.

Here is our first breakfast at home. It was 4:00 am I believe. That jet lag is a real bitch.

Wishing you peanut butter and honey sandwiches for your Fourth of July breakfast.

Joy and Sorrow

Today our best friends will finally meet our children. I am so happy about this.

Today a dear friend has to do something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

It is a week full of joy and sadness.

Meazi is feeling it. All of it. She has asked to watch her video lifebook every night this week. She is struggling. We are talking a lot about Ethiopia again, and a lot about death.

We are holding on tightly to each other.

We are sending every ounce of love and healing to our friends who are suffering.