Light...

Light at the end of the tunnel.
(I know, soooooooooo cheesy. I couldn't resist). 

Wordless Wednesday

Press Stop.

She asks me to lift her up so that she can wash her hands in the kitchen sink. Usually I tell her to go to the bathroom sink, giving myself a respite from the kitchen anxieties; a too hot oven, or a stove top flame dangerously close to her big, free, full of combustible hair products hair. This time, however, I remember to sneak another moment. Lifting her up to wash her hands I notice her shoulder blade, a bone that used to announce itself like an exclamation point at the end of the sentence, "I'm hungry!" and now has softened into a comma in the middle of the sentence, "I have had lunch, and later I will have dinner."

I wonder if I will ever tell her the story of how when she first came home I rushed her to the eye doctor. I suspected strabismus, her eye seemed to look at her nose in a suspicious way, but more than that I was worried because her eyes were so sparkly. I was sure she had some sort of eye disease. I had never seen eyes so sparkly. The strabismus turned out to be non-existent and the kind doctor smiled at me and told me yes, my daughter did have really beautiful, sparkly eyes.

As I watch her small hand reach for the soap, the lavender Trader Joe's kind, I think this small hand is already so much bigger. I put her hands in mine and we wash her hands together. I hold her. I pretend it is taking a long time for the stream of water to rinse the soap. I take this time for myself, a small moment just to hold her hands in mine and let the water rush over us.

Tortuga Coming Out of His Shell

Yes, it is a long Kindergarten day without her, and yes he tears across the parking lot as soon as she comes out of class, throws his arms around her and yells, "MEAZIIIIIIII!"

But...

He is also having a good time without her.

Wordless Wednesday

What is Going on Over There?

I normally want to throttle this woman for her shoddy journalism and her sensationalism, but she seems to have written something worth reading.

One of the things that used to drive me crazy while waiting for our referral was the armchair parent who would say things like "I would never adopt from Ethiopia now." Easy for them to say, sitting with a darling Ethiopian on their lap. I don't know what is happening in Ethiopia right now. I am relying on my friends who were just there, and who are about to go again to let me know.

Still the fastest way to her heart...

Note to self: Always order an extra entree at dinner for her next day's lunch. (Or learn to cook more than one Ethiopian dish).

Sunday Snapshot

In Case You Are Wondering...

In case you are wondering what the exact number of years a couple must be married before they resemble one another completely...

It is eleven years.

Happy Anniversary Steven.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy (belated) Ethiopian New Year!

That's Meazi in the green dress. She wanted to know why she couldn't dance up on that "black part"(the stage). Maybe next year Meazi.

Melkam Addis Amet!

Sunday Snapshot

Melkam Lidet Meazi!

Every Bear Has Her Day

I knew that by sending M to Catholic School we would probably have all sorts of Catholic holidays, and St.'s Days, etc. to celebrate but NATIONAL TEDDY BEAR DAY?

Anyone else send their kid to school with a bear today?

I hope we don't have to pay tuition for Pinkberry.

Wordless Wednesday

It's a Circus Over Here

Acrobats, Evel Knievel kids, human pyramids, and feats of incredible daring, but if you ask Meazi what her favorite part of the circus was, she will tell you it was when the kid was called up on the stage with the clowns, and did the opposite of what the clowns told him to do. Now that was hilarious mom. Tells you a lot about what goes on here in our household.

Mom's favorite part of the circus? Seeing Meazi do this...

Sunday Snapshot

I'm out of Ethiopia photos.

Do you think it would be over the top to send Meazi to school with a hat like this?

I just want her to be safe.

Do they make a hat like this to cover her whole body?

Butterflies!

Bonjour

Est-ce que bonjour, si vous lisez ce blog de Rambouillet Picardie en France, vous m'enverrez svp un email et me direz au sujet de vous-même ? Merci.

Wordless Wednesday