http://willinghearts.blogspot.com/2008/04/kids.html
A good read about some of the children who still wait at Layla ... the children we met, and now love.
The only inaccuracy I found: "There is a vow that all children will find a family within 2 years, and so far, no child has waited longer."
Our girls waited for almost 3 years, and their friends -also a group of three beautiful sisters - have waited even longer and still wait. The 'vow' to have children in families within 2 years only works if the families God is calling actually step forward in obedience.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Yummy
A quote from 7 yo L as I tucked her in at night and was lavishing her with kisses:
"Me chocolate, You cake!"
She then joined me in chin nibbling, and we just ate each other right up. Nothing more fun than a 7 year old!
I don't have a family
A reason to weep... A reason to act
Now I know some of the 'have nots' personally. If you'd like to hear about them, give me a call! But, beware - I'm on a mission to help them become 'I haves!'
Friday, April 11, 2008
What day is it, anyway?
So I am finally sitting down to write. The house is quiet, other than the 3 parakeets and 2 cockatiels here in 'foster care.' They seem to know that I've grown accustomed to a certain amount of noise, so they are providing background chatter during this calm time.
I realized a little while ago that I've had a bit of a writer's block. It seems that staring at a blank wall is about all I feel that I can manage when I actually have the time to write! So I've determined that I need to start carrying around a little notebook or something to jot down my thoughts through the day. I really do come up with some great stuff! ~ Unfortunately, it's usually at 4am, when I am wedged between L and Ic in bed. Each has found a new habit of intruding on my sleep and bedspace in the wee-morning hours. But I really can't blame them for waking me... B has usually taken care of that by yelling my name from his bed, summoning me to come and pull up his covers and give him a kiss.
In reality, my attempt to carry a notebook would be abandoned within about 1/2 an hour from my waking... or, my 'official' waking, anyway. I won't include the multiple wakings from various children through the night.
I'm sure that the notebook would be in the way of some daily function ~ say, cooking breakfast for 10 hungry people, heading off the next potential bout of sibling rivalry, or officiating the after lunch kitchen chores. How, exactly, would I keep track of a small notebook among the dozens of school books and requests for my attention?
Speaking of cooking: Some adoptive families have 'food issues' with their newly home children. The only issue we have faced thus far is having enough food on hand. The 3 girls eat like 3 grown men! We keep a shaker of Berbere spice on the table, and they sprinkle it (which is an understatement) on almost all foods. I would not be at all surprised to see one of them chowing down a peanut butter/jelly/berbere sandwich! If you're not familiar with berbere, it is a lively mix of red spice - quite yummy, but not for the faint of heart/weak of tummy.
There ~ now do you see my point? I'm not even carrying the notebook, and already it is lost in a rabbit trail about cooking and Ethiopian spices! I remember losing my mind before - 5 times before, actually. Then I blamed it on post-birth hormones... 'oxy-something-or-other.' Now I have no credible culprit... I'm just low on sleep, and getting flakier by the day.
For those who would like to get past my flakey ramblings, and get some true information:
Our adjustment is going quite well, despite me. ;) Every day gets easier as the girls learn the routine, and siblings learn which 'buttons' cause which reactions. The girls are learning that they have the bummer of getting stuck with parents who really do make them do... But I think they're enjoying the laughter here too.
I was shocked to find out that they (esp. Mo) wanted to begin school work immediately. After some initial panic, we've found appropriate school books and have begun the education effort. Mo is pleased, but can't wait to move on to the 'harder' books. She would like to fast forward the English acquisition, and get on with life in America. We get her gorgeous smiles multiple times a day, but especially when we give her permission to phone her friends in other states. When we look through photos of the kids from Layla, she remembers in which State each child lives with their new family.
Ed was the first of the three to master riding a bike. As of yesterday, she is tooling down and around the driveway without foot dragging and running into bushes. Thanks, Ic, for teaching her about brakes! She is showing enthusiasm for the dogs and other animals. She faithfully brushes one of the white, fluffy dogs, and I often see her carrying it like a baby. She thinks the horses are pretty cool, though she prefers to ride one of the greenbroke minis instead of the intimidating, but fully trained, big horses. She shows very little fear, and jumps into life with gusto.
L is all about affection and fun. She was helping me in the kitchen the other day, opening cans of fruit for supper. She paused her constant chatter to say, "I love kitchen best." I thought, "Oh, how very sweet! She loves working in the kitchen with her mom..." She then caught her self, and corrected her English... "I mean CHICKEN. I like chicken best." hmm. That would explain why she gets so excited about 'Kitchen and Noodles.' Her second week here, L was cradling an uncomfortable looking cat in her arms: "I have a killy, killy cat!" and, swinging the cat back and forth, she sang: "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.." The 'killy, killy cat' did not look very merry.
Tomorrow is our first post-adoption visit with our social worker. I suppose I should get some sleep so that I can panic clean in the morning!
Thanks for your prayers!
I realized a little while ago that I've had a bit of a writer's block. It seems that staring at a blank wall is about all I feel that I can manage when I actually have the time to write! So I've determined that I need to start carrying around a little notebook or something to jot down my thoughts through the day. I really do come up with some great stuff! ~ Unfortunately, it's usually at 4am, when I am wedged between L and Ic in bed. Each has found a new habit of intruding on my sleep and bedspace in the wee-morning hours. But I really can't blame them for waking me... B has usually taken care of that by yelling my name from his bed, summoning me to come and pull up his covers and give him a kiss.
In reality, my attempt to carry a notebook would be abandoned within about 1/2 an hour from my waking... or, my 'official' waking, anyway. I won't include the multiple wakings from various children through the night.
I'm sure that the notebook would be in the way of some daily function ~ say, cooking breakfast for 10 hungry people, heading off the next potential bout of sibling rivalry, or officiating the after lunch kitchen chores. How, exactly, would I keep track of a small notebook among the dozens of school books and requests for my attention?
Speaking of cooking: Some adoptive families have 'food issues' with their newly home children. The only issue we have faced thus far is having enough food on hand. The 3 girls eat like 3 grown men! We keep a shaker of Berbere spice on the table, and they sprinkle it (which is an understatement) on almost all foods. I would not be at all surprised to see one of them chowing down a peanut butter/jelly/berbere sandwich! If you're not familiar with berbere, it is a lively mix of red spice - quite yummy, but not for the faint of heart/weak of tummy.
There ~ now do you see my point? I'm not even carrying the notebook, and already it is lost in a rabbit trail about cooking and Ethiopian spices! I remember losing my mind before - 5 times before, actually. Then I blamed it on post-birth hormones... 'oxy-something-or-other.' Now I have no credible culprit... I'm just low on sleep, and getting flakier by the day.
For those who would like to get past my flakey ramblings, and get some true information:
Our adjustment is going quite well, despite me. ;) Every day gets easier as the girls learn the routine, and siblings learn which 'buttons' cause which reactions. The girls are learning that they have the bummer of getting stuck with parents who really do make them do... But I think they're enjoying the laughter here too.
I was shocked to find out that they (esp. Mo) wanted to begin school work immediately. After some initial panic, we've found appropriate school books and have begun the education effort. Mo is pleased, but can't wait to move on to the 'harder' books. She would like to fast forward the English acquisition, and get on with life in America. We get her gorgeous smiles multiple times a day, but especially when we give her permission to phone her friends in other states. When we look through photos of the kids from Layla, she remembers in which State each child lives with their new family.
Ed was the first of the three to master riding a bike. As of yesterday, she is tooling down and around the driveway without foot dragging and running into bushes. Thanks, Ic, for teaching her about brakes! She is showing enthusiasm for the dogs and other animals. She faithfully brushes one of the white, fluffy dogs, and I often see her carrying it like a baby. She thinks the horses are pretty cool, though she prefers to ride one of the greenbroke minis instead of the intimidating, but fully trained, big horses. She shows very little fear, and jumps into life with gusto.
L is all about affection and fun. She was helping me in the kitchen the other day, opening cans of fruit for supper. She paused her constant chatter to say, "I love kitchen best." I thought, "Oh, how very sweet! She loves working in the kitchen with her mom..." She then caught her self, and corrected her English... "I mean CHICKEN. I like chicken best." hmm. That would explain why she gets so excited about 'Kitchen and Noodles.' Her second week here, L was cradling an uncomfortable looking cat in her arms: "I have a killy, killy cat!" and, swinging the cat back and forth, she sang: "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.." The 'killy, killy cat' did not look very merry.
Tomorrow is our first post-adoption visit with our social worker. I suppose I should get some sleep so that I can panic clean in the morning!
Thanks for your prayers!
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