Countin' Down to Gotcha Day

November 14, 2007 was the day I FINALLY received my embassy date...of November 18. Yea, nothing like getting a lot of notice. Luckily, I had already done a guestimation and booked the flight, etc. But it was all an "if" until November 14. On that day, it was for real. I was leaving three days later to go get baby Birhan.

Birhan means "light" in Amharic. That she is. She is a bright and shining little light. It may sound totally corny but she is my light. Even on THOSE days, when she is the most trying, the most frenetic, even on those days...I can't imagine not having her in my life. There have been dark times since November of 2007. But even the darkest of days is made brighter by my Birhan.

A Week in the Life of Sporty Spice

Some Kids Need to Go To School

Hey all. I interrupt Birkely and Brynly happenings to bring this bulletin from Ethio-American Family Services. We are in great need of Educational Sponsors for 5 children. School is well underway in Ethiopia and we want to get them sponsored so they can go or continue going to school. Part of EAFS' mission has to do with education. Many, many of the orphaned and vulnerable children in Ethiopia will never be adopted. They will spend their lives in Ethiopia. tTe trajectory of their lives will take one of two courses. 1) They will be unable to afford an education and will continue a vicous cycle of poverty, most likely ending up as street beggars or worse or 2) They will be sponosred and will get an education. Their minds and bodies will be fed and they will go on to live a successful, productive life. YOU could make the difference in which course a child's life will take.

I sponsor a child. her name is Mentawab and she is 10. Both her parents are HIV+ and her father has left the family. She lives with her mom who has no income. None. When I look at Birkely reading or doing math problems, I think of this little girl. No child should have unrealized potential.

Could ya? Would ya? It is 32 bucks a month-25 goes to tuition for the child, 5 employs and Ethiopian administrator, and 2 goes to money wiring fees to get the dough to Ethiopia.

For more info, head over to the www.ethioamericanfamily.org

Boo!

I love Halloween, always have. It's the theatre person in me. This Halloweenseason was a little hairy but cameout great in the end. It started several weeks ago when I took Birkely and my nephew Kaden to a Halloween store. Of course there were mummies and bloody robot things that moved and scary noises and smoke...Well, both of them were traumatized. So,after that,every time we saw Halloween decorations of any kind, Birkely wouldsay, "oh,Halloween,I don't know." At that point,I had to break out the big gun by explaining to her the trick or treat process. Being that candy was involved, she decided she could handle the blood and scary noises. Okay,so Birkely decided (after walking back and forth in a Halloween store,avoiding all scary stuff for 45 minutes) that she will be Cinderella. Everyday for weeks she wanted to wear the Cinderella dress to school.

So,this week, we finally get to the point that they understand that their parties were on Friday. All week, Brynly felt pretty crappy and had flitting fevers and cold symptom stuff. On Thursday,I was assigned a huge project which was due Saturday night. Anyhoo, Friday comes and I go to Brynly's party in the morning. She looked adorable as Michael Jackson and had fun on a walk around her daycare neighborhood and stuffing a scarecrow. Then, in the afternoon I was off to Birkely's school party. I am the head homeroom parent for Birkely's class. Don't laugh. It is my duty to staff teh class parties. Three parents per party. Halloween was my party.I was notified on Wednesday that one of the other twoparents couldn't make it due to a court appearance.Okay. When I get to the school, that parent actually made it, but the other one who was in charge of cookies and juice was ano show. Great. We made it through the party and we headed home for me to spend the evening and half the night on my project.

Saturday, the plan was to go to Pittsburgh for our ET family gathering. Well,Brynly pulled the fever thing again and was hacking up a lung. So,we stayed home. Probably wise becasue I never would have finished my project on time if we hadn't. After a three and half hour nap,Brynly rebounded enough for Trick or Treat. A fun time was had by all. Birkely thought trick or treat is about the best idea anyone ever had.:)

Countdown to Gotcha Day

Two years ago, in October, I had passed court and was waiting, waiting, waiting for an embassy date. The waiting of the adoption process is awful, particularly for someone who abhors waiting. Two years later, I am happy to look back at these exciting weeks leading up and including Gotcha Day.

This was Birhan in October two years ago. These were the update pictures I recieved just a couple of weeks before I traveled to get her. In this update, I learned that she had been sick and had lost weight. I was thankfully unaware at the time of the situation at her orphanage. Not long after we got home, at least three babies from her orphanage died of gastrointestinal or respitory ailments. they died. they never got to come home. I can't imagine that. I can't imagine never having got to know my sweet, wild Brynly.

With passing time, it gets harder for me to remember the quiet, still little girl she was.

Stuff

It's begininng to look a lot like Christmas...even though Halloween isn't even here yet. I have been thinking a lot about Christmas. It will be Birke's first here and Brynly is finally at an age where she gets it a little bit more. I want this Christmas to be very special for them. But does that mean tons of presents? Do I want them to equate Christmas most with what stuff they get?

Sure, part of the "magic" of Christmas are the gifts from Santa, etc. But how much is too much? It's just that I have seen too much and Birke has experienced too much for me to focus so much on gifts and feel good about it. The excess is just distasteful on some level. There are kids that I now know personally who won't have parents this Christmas, let alone five thousand gifts to open. Even though I am personally experiencing a pretty bad financial situation right now, it pales in comparison to what I have seen with my own eyes.

I see my own children wanting so many things when we go to stores. "Mommy, this?" all the time. In some ways, I wish I could keep Birkely from becoming too American. It isn't like when she first came home, she was showered with gifts. I couldn't do that and wouldn't if I could have. They don't get stuff everytime we go to the mall or the store and should know by now not to expect to be bought stuff all the time. I suppose it is natural to want stuff, but I have to figure out a way to teach them that stuff isn't the name of the game.

Ferenge

I am a ferenge. Basically, this means "white foreigner." This is what Birke called me for the first two days we knew each other. She and the rest of the orphanage kids would meet me at the gate, saying, "Ferenge, y'inne caramela..." (White foreigner, candy for me). FYI-often when Americans visit orphanages, they bring candy. Logical to want to give the kids a treat, but probably not the best idea. They were none to pleased when they learned I had no candy. The bubbles eased the blow, though.

Anyway,I am a ferenge. It isn't really a derogatory term,I don't think. It is more a descriptor with connotations of wealth, I suppose. Being a ferenge in Ethiopia means anonymity or flying under the radar goes right out the window. I never felt afraid or threatened as the lone white person for as far as the eye could see. I just felt conspicuous. I am very thankful for having the "ferenge experience" because I am sure that is how my children sometimes feel. There is diversity where we live and I do seek it out for our family. But,there are and will continue to be times in their lives when they look around and see only white faces. They will probably feel a bit conspicous. At least, on some basic level, I will be able to understand.