Ninjas Part 1

Wendy sent us an invite to her Church's Halloween Festival, and of course the boys were all to happy to accept and go have some fun with friends (and of course, get candy). All 3 boys were Ninjas and Mal was Hanna Montana (sadly I didn't get a picture of her). All had a great time and hope we can get together on Friday too :-) Oh, and they both won goldfish. I know the track history of carnival goldfish...my idea was to just shorten the process and give Jeff a Halloween treat of his own, but the boys wouldn't go for it.

Bat Festival

Thanks to the Pauly family, we heard about the Lubee Bat Festival, which apparently is a yearly thing we'd never heard of. I need to subscribe to the Pauly "fun for kids in or near Gainesville" newsletter or something.













This is the only time of the year the public can just show up to check out the bats, and it's something I highly recommend. They do a great job providing education and fun for the kids, and of course you get to see some very cool bats! The kids had a great time making crafts and having lunch with their friends. There was also a comic book that the kids could put together by gathering pages at the various tables. And I learned a bit more about how to start a vegetable garden, which I'd like to do...one day.

Oh, and also, we noticed some bats moving around the cage, upside down. Then, a couple turned over so they were right side up, quickly urinated, and then hung upside down again. Do bats need to be right side up to pee?? This is not something E learned about bats when they covered them in school ;-)

A Toy for the Brothers

Camille and her boys came to visit today, and brought a great new toy for the brothers. Thanks for the fun Camille!

(is it just me or does it seem like maybe Beau wants a ride too?)

Cristina also came to visit, and her fun toy will be displayed on Halloween :-)

Being a Big Brother

Today E came home with a bunch of homework, and one of the sheets simply said "Once upon a time" and left room for a story. Here's what he wrote:

"Once upon a time a little boy went to Ethiopia and got a little brother. When they got home they had so much fun they laughed so hard they laughed every second. The End."

Fall Fun

We're experiencing a wonderful cold front here, and it nearly feels like fall! We enjoyed the fall carnival at Littlewood on Saturday, where Merete followed E around and played all the fun games. He's pretty coordinated for a little guy!

Saturday afternoon we went by a celebration lunch for Wendy and Tyler, who just earned their black belts! Merete stole the spotlight though, so I think we owe them another celebration.
In other news we are still fighting some jetlag, though it seems like the kids are doing better than the adults. I still woke up at 4 am, but forced myself to lay around instead of getting up again. Maybe I'll get back to a "normal" sleep schedule just in time to get messed up again by the upcoming time change. Elijah's cough is nearly gone though!

Home!

We made it home!! Elijah and Merete are doing so well! Both slept pretty well on the overnight flights and napped here and there on the day flights. Not that anyone can really tell what is day or night while we're up in the air! Ethiopian airlines likes to wake people up and feed them. We had dinner around 11:30am, breakfast sometime in the middle of the night, and lunch right before we landed in DC at 8:30 am. All 3 boys managed to get enough sleep, whereas I've probably slept an hour total since Thursday morning Ethiopia time. I don't even want to calculate how long that is, but I am fighting to stay awake until 9:00pm to try and get my system back on Florida time. I feel a little spacey though, so I'll save my reflections on the trip for another day ;-)

I will say that the boys gave me a perfect first day home together! Merete seems very interested in the house, mostly all the toys. Elijah did a great job showing off his trains and of course every noise making toy he has! Bathtime was no problem (except for me still trying to figure out what to do with his hair) and in fact started a giggle fest that lasted a good 30 minutes. I'm fairly certain they were laughing about farts at first, and then one giggle just lead to another. They did chill a bit before bedtime, when Elijah showed Merete how to visit the bathroom and then hustle down the hall to be the first to jump into bed. Next were kisses all around and then the boys fell fast asleep. At this point I can't tell if Merete fully realizes we are his family forever, but it sure seems like he's enjoying us right now :-)

Unfortunately Merete is scared of Beau, but because he is so quiet all that means is that he hides behind my legs or tries to climb me like a tree when Beau comes around. Once I pick him up he sticks his feet high up in the air so Beau can't sniff them (I know that's all Beau would do, but who knows what the little guy is trying to avoid!) Even in the couple hours home Merete seemed to relax a bit around Beau, so I think they will get along soon. For those wondering why dogs are a bit scary for some of these children, we hear it's because there are wild hyenas in the southern regon where they are from, so it's very possible he's had some of those being chased from his hut just months ago. My guess is things were thrown at the hyenas, because Beau very nearly got a little shoe tossed his way! The good thing is that Beau is just happy we are home and doesn't even seem to notice that Merete isn't crazy about him yet.

I'll go through and fix the blog of all those weird line breaks and add more pictures soon. Thanks to everyone who followed our trip and wished us well along the way We had an absolutely incredible time, and all told the worse side effects are a few breathing problems we all (except Merete) are experiencing. Han had trouble early on, but it didn't really seem to bother Elijah until the last couple of days. He's got a cough now, but I hope it will get better now that we're home. I feel like I'm catching a cold and every day my lungs felt tighter and tighter, but I'm definite breathing easier now. I'm sure going from 7,600 ft over sea level back down to less than 200 is helping with that :-)

One Last Time from Addis

Wednesday: Today was the day to lay back and relax, with a bunch of kids running around with their parents running after, trying to figure out what need. OK, not all that relaxing, but at least we didn't have a ton of places to be. Mostly we hung out at the larger guest house and played with the kids. Merete still isn't talking a whole lot, to us. He probably figures there's no point anyway. He's got a few things down, as do we (something like "show-wo" is bathroom, we ask that a lot). I think he's starting to understand "drink", "eat", "sit", and I'm sure he understands "stop", but he's pretending not to ;-) He answers with one nod or one shake, blink and you'll miss it! E is also doing very well, trying to make the switch from center of attention to one of the kids. He is doing a great job sharing and letting Merete take turns, although he does take pride in being the winner of pretty much any game he makes up for he and Merete to play.

After lunch was the hair braiding class. Not that I plan on braiding Merete's hair any time soon, but it was fun to chat with the ladies (as much as we could). Apparently they slather the kids with baby oil every day (probably something my skin could use right about now), including their hair. I'm not sure what we'll do with Merete's hair in the long run, but it's time for a hair cut when we get home! I'd love to learn how to make the little twists but I'd rather wait until he can tell me if he'd like them first.

E and Merete went down for naps (M pretty much falls asleep right away) and I went with one of the other moms to the shopping strip to get a few more things. One was a replacement coffee pot; ours was already broken by a certain Goh. I really hope they make it home though. I got a few more trinkets for Merete, one for each of his birthdays for the next 15 years. I was asking a shop owner if anyone in the area sold music CDs, and she said to ask my driver to take me down the road. Instead he asked another of the shop owners if she had any music, and that started one of the most interesting 15 minutes I've had here sans the kids. She pulled out a stack of ripped CDs and started playing them. Some were modern, techno versions of popular songs. Then she found a more traditional CD, with music similar to what was sung that night at dinner. They asked me to sit and after the 3rd time I realized they just wanted to hang out so I sat. The shop owner was dancing and told me it would be easy for me to learn if I was interested (yeah, right). So I gave it a shot, and they were nice enough not to laugh too much. We then snacked on what I think was something like corn nuts while we listened to more music. After a while I realized my shopping mate was probably wondering where we were, so we had to go, and I ended up buying the CD from the lady for $4. I'll probably never know the names of the songs, but I'm sure we'll all enjoy them anyway!

When we came back the boys were awake and Merete apparently had been looking for me. I got a kiss then he was off to race little broken baby strollers with E. I do wish there was a toy store around here so we could buy some new outdoor toys for the guesthouse. Most of the little ride on cars and bikes are a total mess, although the kids still find a way to play with them. After yet another fine dinner, we played a bit and headed back to our room. We had very low water pressure (which I suppose is an improvement over the previous night when we had no water at all), and at some point lost electricity again. The boys were still able to watch a little Curious George on the Iphone, and suddenly Merete was all chatty. We have no clue what he was saying, but he seemed to enjoy himself! Before bedtime Merete did his little "no" shake when we asked him to go to the bathroom. But having watched him imitate E all day, I thought it was worth a try to get E to go and see if Merete would follow. And sure enough, as soon as E went, Merete followed. Me thinks this will be a double edged sword for sure.

Thursday: So I'm the only one awake now at nap time. We're mostly packed up and huddled in our room for a while. We have to clear out of our rooms by 3:30 so the ladies can clean up and be ready for the next group, who arrive tonight. Last night was our last one sleeping here, and though there are some things I'll miss, the chanting from the church nearby, the dogs barking, and the early sunrise are not among them! I also realize that we need to buy a bed rail for Merete's bed, as that little guy moves all over the bed when he sleeps.

There was more playing and chatting today, but I think most of us are ready to go home. I think some of us are having an easier time than others so far, as some kids are adjusting better than others. We lucked out with our little guy; he seems pretty content most of the time. E is also ready to go and slowly showing signs that he is in fact a 5 year old visiting Ethiopia, although he's still incredibly well behaved and happy. After breakfast we had a cooking class, which involved the ladies trying to describe what they are doing with their limited English, and laughing at our silly questions (like, do you measure anything?). Many of the dishes are those that I've made at home, and for the most part it appears I've gotten them right! Except for the injera, which was a special lesson. Turns out that to make the sour flavor, they simply put water in the teff flour and let it sit for 3-4 days. Then they take part of the mixture and add hot water and more teff, and that makes the batter. They have a very large and heavy looking over/pan that they use to make the injera. They pour the batter in a circle, from the outside in, and then let it bubble a bit before covering it (one mistake I had made was to cover immediately). They then lift the sides to make sure it's not sticking then use the cover of a large straw basket and ease the injera on top to transfer it to the basket, where they just slide it off and stack them. They then use some sort of grain that is oily (actually, I have no clue if it's a grain at all) to clean the top of the pan before making the next injera. Very interesting process! I tried making one, and I think I did an OK job, but making a huge round injera with the right consistency throughout is definitely an art form!

Some of us walked down the street to the local Home Depot, which is definitely an Ethiopian version of Home Depot, except with lots of security. But they had a nice range of small appliances (all the appliances here are smaller than those in the US) and building materials. The linens were basic, but I did find a nice little rug for our living room. We returned to have lunch, followed by a coffee ceremony. All told, I think the ceremony lasts over an hour. They made some pop corn, which as far as I can tell is the only "dessert" they have here and it seems to be a consistent part of the coffee ceremony. They burn what seems like frankincense, roast the coffee, grind the coffee, and then add the grounds to water in a clay pot. Then they serve it in a little cup with lots of sugar. It's hard to imagine taking an hour at least once a day to do this, but most people do. In fact, at the Home Depot, you can take part in their ceremony for free,
every day, from 2:30 to 3:30!

And that is all I have so far for Thursday! We will get the rest of our paperwork for the return trip home later today, and I believe we will be interviewed. We leave for the airport before 7 and take off after 10. Hopefully my next post will be from US soil! I can't wait for you all to meet Merete.

Edit: Thursday afternoon I went to the CHSFS to pick up the rest of our paperwork and Merete's life book and DVD. They are so amazing! Not only does it contain his family's story, but also our first meeting and basic info about Ethiopia and the region he's from. I can only imagine how priceless these will be to him as he grows up wants to learn his story.

Last Day

Today is our last day in Ethiopia; we fly off around 10:45 pm local time. It's been a wonderful trip, but we are ready to go home and introduce Merete to Beau and his room and his playset (I'm betting he will be very happy with the swing) and all his new friends.

More on the last couple of days later...I'm off to a cooking class :-)

Tuesday

Tuesday: The Big Day, as E has called it all week! Today is the day Merete came back to the guest house with us for good, and the day we got the final approval from the US. According to all interested parties, Merete is official ours!

The day started of as usual…a wonderful breakfast at the larger guest house. We then went to the care center and began with a tour. The different sections of the care center are named after the first four children who were adopted through CHSFS Ethiopia (whose names I can't remember, of course). There is a section of the building where all children spend a couple of weeks when they first get to the care center. They are separated from all the other children, treated for parasites (most over 1 year old will have some sort of parasite when they first arrive) and various other things. Once they are deemed healthy enough, they join the other children. I believe the care center can take up to 120 children at a time! Now there aren't as many children because of the recent court closure. Rooms are divided by age, and we got to see some of the tiny infants! Most are in wooden cribs of solid walls. For those who have already been referred to a family, their family's pictures are hanging on the wall. The toddlers are in cute little beds, and we got to see Merete's! We also noticed that two of his roommates are two of the other toddlers who are in our travel group, so now we know who Merete was chatting with when he was supposed to be sleeping! By each bed there is a growth chart, exactly like the one we received monthly. The baby's formula feeding schedule is listed on the wall so each nanny knows what to feed them and when. Speaking of nannies, they have so many!! They take 8 hour shifts and they are not allowed to sleep on their shift, so the overnight nannies stay up and watch all the children. More on the nannies later…continuing the tour we visited the kitchen where the toddler meals are made. There was this huge appliance that is used to make injera. I mean huge! I couldn't tell exactly what it was like because it was closed, but for now let's just pretend like the reason I can't make decent injera is because I don't have one of these things! And if I did have one, I have no idea where I'd store it!!

After the tour, we were lead to a room where there were already 10 or so toddlers in chairs on one side. It was time for the going away ceremony! These toddlers are the ones who weren't yet going home. A few weeks ago, someone emailed me that they had seen Merete sitting among that group, flashing smiles at them! This time it was the same toddles who had played with us on Friday. Some of their faces I hope to see in pictures on the forum soon as they are matched with families and make it through court. The others, I truly hope they find good homes soon. It is so heartbreaking to think that they sit through this ceremony each week but do not yet know if they will ever be among those leaving. Yet they fully and joyfully participate and are so happy for their friends! I'm glad they taped this ceremony for us, because I'd love to show you all one day. The nannies came in with our children, who were dressed in traditional Ethiopian clothes. Merete was the smiliest of them all, grinning at us the whole time! And to think I'd been going months wondering if he ever smiled…turned out he does it all the time and melts hearts wherever he goes. One of the social workers described how happy everyone was that these children had found homes, but also mentioned that they were sad to see them go. These nannies take such wonderful care of these kids, and they really do love them so much. It is evident every time we meet anyone at CHSFS how much these children are loved. From the nannies to the social workers to the cooks and videographers…so many people and so much love. They presented each child with a special card that they had made, whishing them well. Each was so personal and so heartfelt. Next the children took turns putting their handprints on paper for the care center to keep. They used to put the handprints on the wall (and they are still there for all to see), but now I suppose there are too many ! The toddlers watching started chanting each child's name as they put down their handprints and then clapped for them. Next our toddlers joined the rest and they sang for us! One song was the one that goes "pointer finger, pointer finger, where are you? Where are you?". Seriously, with their little accents, their big smiles…the cutest little concert ever!! I think next the parents and staff made a circle with the children inside and we prayed for them. First the staff prayed in Amharic, and someone in our group led us. Finally (well, I think I have the order right…) they handed out special cake and soda to everyone. We played a while and Merete went around and kissed the nannies and everyone good bye. If I could I would have found every single person who ever took care of him and let them say good bye and thanked them personally. Have I mentioned how loved these kids are??

We then rushed back to the house, as we had an hour to get them feed and changed before heading off to the US embassy. The cooks made special food for the kids to make sure their diets didn't change too drastically, and the rest of us had amazing lasagna! Merete and E were pretty easy to please, as E got to eat leftover pizza the ladies had made just for him the night before and Merete gobbles up whatever is in front of him. I'll take this time to rave about the cooks. The food here is amazing! Most of the time it's very American type stuff, although they do make us Ethiopian dishes as well. They also try to make E a version of things that he can have, which is so incredible nice! And they love to do it to, you can tell they want to make him happy! So we ate, dressed and headed off. The US embassy is like a fortress, but I suppose it has to be. We went through several check points and sat in a waiting room for a couple hours. We took
turns going up to get our final approval. CHSFS had already turned in our paperwork, so all we had to do was go up, sign a couple things, and answer a few standard questions. And that was that, he's ours! The whole thing took 2 minutes, if that. In the waiting area, the kid where having a great time with bouncy balls and bubbles. Considering that they were missing their naps, I think they all did amazingly well! After a short trip to the Hilton, we headed back to the guest house. We went to our smaller one for a while to chill out. E had been asking to play his video games all day (not allowed in the Embassy), so he started playing one while Merete tried out another. E was showing him how to play and Americanized him very quickly! Then they discovered the plastic golf set and started playing hockey and having a wonderful time together. Dinner tonight was hamburgers and French fries, which consisted of homemade buns that were out of this world! They also had this wonderful soup, that I think may have been red peppers or tomatoes, but it was all pured so I couldn't tell what was in it, and of course the cooks barely speak English and I speak no Amharic. Can you tell I'm sad about not being able to get these recipes!?!?

After dinner a group of us ventured out to the local grocery stores, which was an adventure. The streets are packed with people, construction, and cars going all over the place. Many people begged for food or money, but we've been told that if we give to one, we will be literally mobbed by the rest. The store was very nice and we found what we needed (this milk power the kids drink and baby oil, which the nannies use on their skin and hair every day…plus some tic tacs and new shades for the boys ;-). When we got back , we discovered everything was dark as there was a blackout at both houses. This was the first time we were without power for more than a couple minutes. Apparently this happens often, and we've been pretty lucky so far. Back in our room, we gave both boys a wipe down by flashlight and Merete watched his first Sponge Bob episode on my iphone! E was so excited to be able to share this experience and Merete giggled a lot. They also watched some Scrat (from Ice Age) videos. By the time the electricity came back on it was nearly bed time, so we put both boys down. Merete struggled to sit up a couple times, but I laid him down gently and kissed him. He was mad and turned away, which is the "worst" thing he's done (and frankly pretty cute). It must be frustrating for him not to be able to communicate with us; he doesn't even try to say anything to us in Amharic! He will though speak to the staff here and the other kids, though none of the parents have a clue what they are saying. Nevertheless, he and E fell asleep in minute and are peaceful as I write this. You won't be reading about this until some time later, as the computer downstairs is making very strange noises tonight and I just turned it off for fear of killing off completely! I think I'm pretty much on Ethiopian time now, just in time to change back to US time in a couple days!

Pictures!!!

Monday: Today started with breakfast and then we went to pick up our children! Merete was at the school, and he came running out of his classroom and into my arms right away. We took the kids back to the main guesthouse where we all just hung out and played until lunch. Merete is such a sweet happy little boy! And it is amazing how similar Merete and E are to each other. Even the other parents have commented on how similar their temperaments are. And then there are the things Merete chose to do. While the other kids all went inside, he stayed outside and tried out every form of bike or ride on toy available. He played with balls and ran around. Then he went inside, he found some cards and started laying them out, then picking them back up again. I can't tell you how many sets of cards E has at home that he's laid out in the exact same way. Then one of the dads pulled out these huge balloons and the kids had a blast! Merete and E played well together, although E accidentally hit Merete a couple of times. Poor little guy looked so sad for a couple minutes, but then went right back to playing. One of the social workers was there and she said that that is how he usually responds…no tears, just a "long face". Merete was always very eager to help the other children by handing them their balloon when it went astray. Then he started drawing shapes and showing me each one, smiling each time I named the shape correctly. At lunch time, the kids were made a special meal to match what they normally eat during the day. Merete had a special veggie mush, followed by lasagna, which is one of his favorites! He had two large bowls in record time. Aft wards, they played some more and then had to go back to the care center.

The afternoon was filled was tours. First we went to a CHSFS Mother and Child care center. There they treat children with various ailments, provide immunizations and family planning, and have a birth center. It is amazing how much they can accomplish with few resources, and everyone is so incredibly kind. It is true when they say that Ethiopians treasure their children.

We then went to a school funded by CHSFS. There are four recent college graduates staying in the small guesthouse with us, and all four ladies teach English at this school. It is a private school, and they have built a large conference center (which looks like a large gymnasium) so they can rent it out and make enough money to be self sufficient. They have a small library (and they are in need of books, in case anyone wants to send some over). School let out and we were suddenly
surrounded with tons of very excited and eager children. It's so wonderful to see the good that this adoption agency is doing in Ethiopia. They are so much more than just an agency; they really strive to improve the lives of Ethiopians. We then went to a museum, where I recorded as many exhibits as I could for Merete to view one day. After confirming our flights home at the Hilton, we went back to the guesthouse for dinner and chatting, and we're now calling it a night. Tomorrow is another big day, though I think at this point we are all looking forward to Wednesday, when we get to just sit around and be with our children (although a group of us is planning another shopping trip during the kids' nap time ;-).

Update

Saturday: Today was a very busy and emotional day! We started out at the CHSFS office, where groups of 3 or 4 families were meeting with their team while the others went to the care center to hang with their kids. We were among the first group. Our team was made up of Merete's social worker, nanny, nurse, doctor, and videographer. All were present while we watched his life DVD (E had to play in another room while we watched). First off, that CHSFS makes this life DVD and life book is incredible and very unusual in international adoption. They gather information about his birth place and birth family. They went videotaped the hut where he was born and where he spent the first 3 years of his life. They showed the country side and the garden. They interviewed important people in his life. At this point, if I haven't already mentioned it, I will be purposefully vague about his exact situation, which family members were available, etc. The reason for this is that it is considered his story to tell, when he is old enough and ready to do so. Anyway, it was very strange viewing this with all those other people there, but they were very respectful and did their best to give us privacy. That a child is available for adoption means that they had to experience a terribly sad event or set of circumstances. The details of this are what we watched, and needless to say it was quiet an emotional experience. It's a very "in your face" presentation of what the child and family has lost. Afterwards, we were able to ask his nanny and doctors questions. It is clear that he was very well taken care of and very loved. In fact, there have been a couple of nannies at the care center who have come up to us and said "Merete's family!!" with huge grins on their faces and a tear in their eye. His nanny was so sweet and clearly trying to hold it together. It must be so difficult for them to love them that much knowing they will all be leaving soon (though at the same time they are clearly very excited that the children have loving families). The lowdown on Merete is that he's shy and very well behaved. He sleeps well, but chats with friends if they are around when he is supposed to be down (it'll be interesting to see what kinds of chats he and E have a first!). He is a good eater but eats slowly and his favorite food in injera (yeah, that's right, the one dish I know for a fact I'm not doing correctly and don't actually like when it is correct). He's easy to sooth (well, apparently he doesn't get upset that often either). As far as health goes, he's well on the Ethiopian charts for height and weight now, and I asked his Doc for a copy of that chart to compare to the US one his pediatrician in the US is likely to use.

OK, so far our meeting was over, we found E in someone's office, playing a video game while the guy looked on. My guess is E spent most of the time describing his game and his scores to someone who knew very little English (not that that would stop him). Oh, this is also the day that the donations for CHSFS were brought in. They did that for us though, so we weren't able to see where they were going, but I know they were much appreciated!!.

On our way out, we meet the next group of families coming in, and one of the mom's mentioned that Merete was looking for us :-) So we headed over and when he saw us, he came running! Soooo freakin' cute! We took the kids out to the courtyard to play. He is getting to be an expert in blowing bubble for the other kids, and anytime another kid wanted to blow one, he dunked it
and held it out for them. Once in a while he was OK with handing it off to someone else (actually, he was only OK with that when it was me or E asking). For the other kids, he just held on tight and turned away. He also loves playing ball with E and playing with cars. At one point, many of the other children came out to play, right around the time I had brought out the paper and colors. After a while it looked like I had a little classroom of kids, all at different stages trying to make symbols and letters and showing them to me. Each time, they would say "family" and hold it out. They are so adorable!! One little girl kept taking over my lap; I think she desperately wants a new mommy! Up to that point I had only heard Merete speak in Amharic to other kids, not to us, and he hand only said "two" to me once after I counted his cars. Today he started counting crayons in English too, said "family" a million times, and even got in a few "daddy's" for Han. They left for lunch while we continued to sit outside waiting for the bus to get us. In all that time, I completely forgot that I was in the hot sun without sunscreen or shade. You can imagine what I look and feel like now (lobster just about describes it). Oh, the kids were transitioning from lunch to something else and they all walked by. Merete came running up to me and we were hugging when I realized he wasn't supposed to be with me. So I walked him over to the other group and off he went, blowing kisses to me the whole time. Yes, I know, it would be great to have pictures and video to share of all of this, but unfortunately, we aren't allowed until he's out of the care center (which is tomorrow at lunch!!, I think we'll be allowed to take pictures then).

After lunch at the guest house, we headed off to AHOPE. This is the orphanage for children who are HIV +. It is not as nice at CHSFS, but the ladies there were so sweet. It was nap time, and in two rooms we found kids in their bunks, most not sleeping at all. They were super excited to see
us, and very proud to demonstrate that they knew some English! Lots of "I'm fine", "My name is X, what is yours?", and the funniest one direct at Han: "Oh, Chinese! You know Karate??". At which point he came to find E in the next room to ask him to show off his kata for this kid. E was too shy to do so, and instead handed out candy and crayons to all the kids. They were so
very cute, each one saying "thank you" in English. They all pointed to the kids who were actually sleeping (at this point, like 3 of them) so we'd give them something too. They posed for pictures with E and exchanged names. I had to put the camera on video mode to record them 'cause there is no way for me to learn them all that quickly! We dropped off the donations you all gave us for AHOPE and they laid it all out on a table. The ladies in charge were very thankful :-) Sadly, we weren't able to stay there long. It would have been nice to play with these kids; they are so upbeat, even the ones who were clearly sick. I've heard they are having a hard time finding families for these kids, but they have adopted many!

Ok, so next was shopping. First we went to the Hilton, which is in a very fancy part of town. I mean, pretty fancy by most standards, but extravagant by Ethiopian standards. At this point I should mention that Elijah is a rock star here. Seriously, people keep going up to him, putting out their hands to shake his and then kissing it. They smile at him and ask him his name. He has not hesitated once to put our his hand or say "salem" to everyone. One man held a door open for us at the Hilton, and as I tried to squeak out "thank you" in Amharic (which of course has to be a million syllable word), he said "it's for him, he is the important one!". He was smiling, but I'm pretty sure he was serious. After visiting the fancy part of town, where everything was expensive, we drove through a section of town which seemed devoted to little shops and tents selling tons of stuff! People were everywhere. We took our usual seats at the back of the bus,
which helps with the "oh shit!" factor people in the front must be experiencing. Often we'd hear our driver honk, and then see a car, person, goat, horse, or cow dart to the side. People were so close to the van that they were literally brushing up against it as they walked on. We were dropped off at a row of shops, warned to keep our cameras and money close, and set loose with 1 hour to get all the shopping done. Instantly we were surrounded by people wanting to sell us maps, sunglasses, tissue, etc. We had to dart into shops, where of course there was additional but less intimidating shop owners trying to get our attention. We were able to find cute outfits for the kids, tons of trinkets, and some undisclosed gifts for a few lucky readers :-) Unfortunately, we didn't get all the shopping done in time, so I hope I can get a group together to get a cab and do more shopping later in the week.

Our day wasn't over yet and we headed off to dinner and a show. The restaurant seemed traditionally Ethiopian and we sat in group around a "table". This time it was buffet style, and our hostess was nice enough to fill E's plate with foods he wasn't allergic to. On one end of the restaurant, there was a band playing beautiful music and singers took turns entertaining us. Off to the side was a set-up for a traditional coffee ceremony, where a woman had some green coffee beans on a round medal pan on the fire. As we ate, dancers came out, and let me tell you, we got a true glimpse of what really "Pop and lock" dancing is all about. Two ladies and two men kept coming out in different outfits and they were amazing! I have most of it on video to show you all later. One of the guys was going around moving his shoulders up and down in a way I really can't describe. He came to our area, where E displayed his shy side and refused to dance. After dinner, the hostess came around with little pieces of rolled up paper and asked us each to take one. I must have had the magic number, because I was chosen to get a traditional dress and go make coffee for everyone! And this isn't your regular coffee either. At this point, the other woman who had been working on the coffee for a good 30 minutes already had drained the water and was moving the coffee around on the hot plate, roasting it. That was my job apparently, to keep roasting the coffee. I must have spent a good 15 minutes doing this, getting a little anxious at near the end when it was popping and seemed to burn. Apparently that was a good thing and soon I was able turn the rest of the task to the other lady and return to my seat. I didn't notice them grinding the coffee, but it came back out as espresso like liquid, which was served to us in little cups alongside a large amount of sugar. Sound familiar to anyone?? This totally reminded me of Cuban coffee (except for the intricate roasting raw beans right before you drink it part). It was excellent and I'm sure contributed to my sleeplessness this night. Well, that and the huge day we had coming up next...

Sunday: we woke up at 5, stumbled into our cloths and headed to the bus that was taking us all to Hosanna, where the birth families or other important people in our children's lives would be waiting to meet us. I think everyone was very nervous and the ride was quiet and peaceful (well, except for the "oh shit" moments). As we left the city, the true Ethiopia welcomed us. This country is absolutely beautiful!! Surprisingly green (which is why they refer to the "green famine" here), lush, with hills and mountains and interesting people walking about. Soon shacks were replaced with huts, some looking run down and some painted on the outside. Every so often we'd see countryside and well spaced huts, and then run into rows of shops and shacks, which I assume was the "center of town" by Ethiopian standards. It was at one of these little "towns" where we made a pit stop. I was busy helping E hand out "caramelo", or candy, and crayons to the kids who came running from every direction to circle E. They were very patient as he handed them out one one at time. They were all grinning at him, he was grinning at them. Eventually we ran out of crayons and he was handing out candy to the adults too. We had to get back on the bus, but all the people were hanging around, grinning at us, and waving. All for a candy and the chance to see a little light skinned boy with a big smile. Needless to say E is having a great time here! And by all accounts, he's an amazing traveler! No problems what-so-ever. Charming our fellow travelers, befriending two of the older kids (who he is always asking to play soccer with him when we get some down time) and being a wonderful example of why kids should definitely make this trip!!

So off we went again to Hosanna. I think it took 4 hours to get there. Somehow I didn't get sick at all on the way there; probably the excitement and the fact that there was so much to look at all the time. We finally arrived and sat in a room, waiting for our turn to meet our special person. Parents went and came back, all exclaiming what a truly amazing experience it was! We were the last to go, and for a while I was afraid our person hadn't come. But she did, and off we went with our map of the world and our pictures to give her. There were two translators there, one to translate from English to Amharic and another from Amharic to Tembarssa. Even if I could go into detail about this meeting, words could not possibly explain this experience. It was overwhelming and beautiful and one of the most meaningful moments of my life. Afterwards, we were allowed to take pictures with her, and of course, she was happy to meet E (who wasn't allowed in the meeting and was instead entertaining the other families with his kata). We returned to the room with the other parents and all lined up on one side. The VIPs came up and lined up at the other side. First the VIPs recited a prayer, essentially entrusting us with the care of their children. At this point, I was suddenly hit with what I initially thought was an instant infliction of one of the diseases I had chosen not to get a vaccine for. I got nauseous, shaky, and very warm. Then everything sounded like it was coming through earplugs and I couldn't see clearly. Not having every fainted before, it took me what seemed like a long time before I said to Han "I think I'm going to faint", then I sat down and started at Merete's VIP, willing myself to keep awake. She was taking her turn lighting and handing us a candle, which of course she handed to me. I must have looked like a ghost at that point, and after she turned around, Han took the candle so I wouldn't burn down the place. Thankfully this all passed as quickly as it came and I didn't faint and got up to finish the ceremony. To say this was all overwhelming is an understatement. Once we sat down again to start another coffee ceremony, I realized I had eaten practically nothing and drinking coffee right then probably wasn't the best idea. Which is why I did it anyway, because it's not every day one has an entrustment ceremony in Ethiopia! I ate some snacks on the way home, which lead to all sorts of icky motion sickness feeling for the next 4 hours!

About an hour into the ride, we stopped by the side of the road to visit someone's home. Each week, CHSFS asked one of the locals if we their group of parents can tour their home. This hut had a little side hut and a garden in the back. It is customary for the people here to keep their animals inside, although I didn't see the chicken until I walked 1 inch from it and it squawked at me! There was a pit in the center of the home for cooking, and a section on the side with some cups and a few toys. The family was there, very proud of their home. Children and people from all around came to stare at us again. E started to hand out candy, but another parent was handing out bubble and she got seriously mobbed! I had E put the candy away and head back to the bus; these folks weren't quiet as patient as many of the others had been! We made it to the bus and there appeared a man at my window (which of course I had left open, duh) and he just started at E in amazement and kept saying "hi baby". BTW, staring at people is not considered rude here! By the time we got back I was too sick to eat, but thankfully a couple hours of not
being driven around helped and I'm all better.

Tomorrow we get to visit Merete and bring him back to the house with us for lunch!! Then we visit some other CHSFS sites and a museum. Until then, "ciao" (yeah, that's right, like in Italian!).

Meeting Merete

Now that I have a chance to go into detail, I can describe a bit more of what we've been up to these last 3 days!

Wednesday: Long boring day! We left the house at 9:45am, got the airport just in time to wait around for 3 hours. Then we landed in DC and waited for another 4 hours. By 8:45pm we finally took off for Ethiopia!

Thursday: At some point, Wednesday turned into Thursday. The flight was long, but all 3 of us did very well. The food they gave us was actually pretty good. We had lunch, breakfast, and dinner. We had personal video screen on which to watch one of 5 movies, but none were really kid appropriate. E slept the first half and stayed up a bit the second half, which I think helped him sleep through the night once we arrived at our guest house.
Once we landed in Ethiopia, we stood in line for our visas, then stood in line to show passports, then got our luggage and went through customs. By then we had meet two of the other families traveling with us. We all made our way to the bus, but not before Han got scammed out of $20 (someone pushed his cart and wanted a tip). Another family got harassed for a tip once we left (people helping load up the van), but we had figured otu what a reasonable tip amount was by then.
I couldn't see much from the bus because it was already dark, but I can say that paved roads are not the norm. At one point I think we drove through a construction zone, which was rather bumpy. For our driver is excellent and the rides haven't been as scary as I thought they'd be from previous descriptions (maybe that'll change!). Anyway, we made it to the larger guest house, which is hosting most of the families and is where we have our meals. They also have the best courtyard and E is constantly asking when he can go play there. That is also when we got Merte's social report! It was so amazing to see so many pictures with him smiling! They had nothing but nice things to say about him. Like I said in the previous post, he tends to be shy at first, but he's gotten over that at the care center and he plays every well with the other children. He's a lefty (finally, a comrade!), he sleeps well, potty trained, all that good stuff. It was close to 9 when we made it to the smaller guest house, where we are staying. I was sleepy and dizzy, but decided to take an ambient to ensure I'd have a restful night. Apparently it took much faster and harder than it had when I had practiced at home, 'cause by the time I took my shower, I feelt like I was half asleep. Apparently I helped E brush his teeth, but I don't remember any of that. I was completely out and slept like a rock until 5:30 am, which isn't much earlier than I wake up at home.

Friday: The big day, when we meet Merete! But first we headed to the larger guesthouse for breakfast (pancakes). Then we went to the school, where the 3+ children were. There were 2 other families with school aged children. They took us to a room and brought us out one family at a time to meet our children. One woman went first, and within a couple minutes she had her daughter back in the same room with us. The other couple went next, but they didn't come back in. Han took that chance to go to the bathroom, and of course that's when they called us to go in! They had someone following us with a video camera to capture everything). They took us to his little classroom, where he and 3 other children were working. I spoted him right away and he gave me this sheepish little smile and just started at me. I talked to him and smiled but didn't want to freak him out by just grabbing him. Suddenly he got out of his seat and gave me a huge huge and lots of kisses. It was so amazing to finally be able to hold him! He's such a little guy, but he looks very healthy. He hugged Han and E, then we all headed outside to play. He and E started throwing the ball to each other and laughing. There were other families there with their children, plus a bunch of other children all playing together. We shared Merete's bubbles, which were a huge hit with everyone. Merete loved the little cars E gave him and held on to those practically the hole time. Merete and E then raced up the jungle gym a few times and eventually everyone was playing with everyone else. There is an adorable 6 year old girl who doesn't have a family yet, but she was so sweet with all the other kids and wanted to play with the adults. The teachers/nannies are so wonderful! They encouraged each child to spend time with his/her parents, but in a very nice way. They also seemed to enjoy playing with Elijah, who was playing soccer with anyone who'd play with him. Every so often Merete would come running to me or Han for a hug and kiss, then he'd run off to play some more. I think he knows we're his :-) Around 12 we went back to the guest house for lunch (btw, the food is awesome!), then the boys crashed while I sent off that first blog. We then headed to the CHSFS offices for an orientation meeting and tour of the office. They have an amazing set up. They keep every piece of paper about the kids in binders, they go over all of your paperwork in great detail, and their media department is amazing. They ahve tons of tapes of raw footage from which they make the child's life book and DVD. They go out and interview the birth family (if there is one), tape the child's birth place, etc. They don't provide all of the footage on the DVD we take home, but they do keep the raw footage. When the children are 18, they can ask to see all of the footage in case they want to find their birth families. It is really wonderful of CHSFS to gather this information for us. Tomorrow morning is when we see Merete's video (or part of it, as they are still taping I guess). We went to the care center in the afternoon for a while. We stayed downstairs with all the toddles. Merete recognized us right away and came running! I really wish I could take pictures, but we're not allowed until Tuesday when we get to bring him back to the guest house with us. We only stayed for about an hour, then we had to come back to the guest house for dinner (home made pizza, yum). E played ball again in the court yard then we headed back to our room. BTW, room 209 rocks! It's pretty big (fits a double bed, a twin bed, and a toddler bed, plus a large closet area and our own bathroom. There is another family staying in this house with us, plus 4 volunteer students who are teaching at a local school. Everyone we've meet has been incredible nice. Maybe because it was a school day, we didn't see many children when walking from house to house. E only saw a couple kids to offer crayons and candy to (and one said no). E is looking forward to give out more stuff; hopefully there will be more kids around tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, we have another visit to the CHSFS office to view our videos and meet with our team (social worker, doctor, nurse, and nanny) and we spend more time with Merete at the care center. After lunch we will visit AHOPE (tomorrow is when we can give them all the donations) and we have some time in the afternoon to do some shopping. So far, this trip has been so amazing. Merete has the cutest little smile that turns into a huge grin when he's excited. He really seems like a very sweet little boy who likes to play hard and also loves to snuggle :-)

A couple of other interesting things: there are many nice houses around here, but every single one is surrounded by a solid fence topped by razor wire. Both of the guest houses are like this. There is a large gate and we have to ring the bell to come in. It is very secure here, but they do encourage us not to walk alone outside by ourselves. Also, their time keeping is very interesting. Because they are so close to the equator, the sun rises and sets pretty much a the same time year around. Their day starts when the sun comes up. So, what we would consider to be 6am is 0 to them. 1 am is 7 am our time. Thankfully the staff here go on the US clock consistently, so we aren't all confused all the time. Their method makes sense to me though, why not start the clock when the sun comes up!?!?

Live From Ethiopia!

Just a quick note to say that we got here safe and sound, and we meet Merete this morning! Hi is super cute, hugged us right away, and played with E very well. I'm trying to send pictures of pictures from his social report, but they probably won't come out to well. On Tuesday I will be allowed to take pictures of him. His social report looks like it was written for E. Seriously, it's like they are identical! Shy at first, but warms up to people eventually. He loves to climb and race and play with balls and cars and can't get enough of the swings. He likes to eat and big feet for a little guy his age. AND, he's a lefty, just like his mom :-)

I will write more tonight, until then, enjoy the pics!

Did I mention he can sleep any where, any time?

Off we go :-)

What We’ll Be Up To

Our adoption agency is very well organized and has our trip all laid out for us. As adventurous as I am sometimes, this is definitely a trip I'm very happy to have someone else plan for us! We'll be staying at one of their guest houses (the smaller one), and we're lucky to have a bathroom of our own. Our meal will be prepared for us at the main guest house, and I hear we're in for some excellent cooking! We're bringing a ton of food for E just in case there isn't much he can have, although many people with food allergies and preferences have been well taken care of (but it's not like we can chance it!).

So here is a breakdown of what we'll be up to during our trip. This is based on the basic itinerary most families follow.

Wednesday

We fly out of Jacksonville and have a long layover in Dulles. We take off from there at 8:20 pm for the very long flight 15.5 hour flight to Rome (where we land but stay on the plane) and then to Addis Ababa.

Thursday

I hope the excitement keeps me up on the flight, because we land at 7:05 pm local time and hope to sleep that first night (I know, high hopes).

Friday

We meet Merete!! But first there is an orientation meeting, paperwork, etc. and we also view his life video (the agency gathers as much info about his life as possible, interviews people on video, etc.)

Saturday

Spend morning with Merete, afternoon shopping, evening dinner show at hotel

Sunday

Hossana trip south all day

Monday

Morning with Merete. Visiting sights, AHOPE, and CHSFS facilities in afternoon

Tuesday

Going-away celebration at care center, then Merete comes back to the guesthouse with us! Embassy appointment

Wednesday

Day with Merete, just hangin'

Thursday

Cooking class in the morning, then packing and heading home! We leave at 10:15pm Addis time, so the long flight home will be our chance to sleep. Uh huh, high hopes again. Although I have Benadryl and Ambian and I'm not afraid to use them.

Friday

Land in Jax in the afternoon

Field Trip and Birthday Fun

Last Friday was Elijah’s first ever school field trip!The show at the planetarium was ok, but much more fun was had at the zoo!














On Saturday E went to Alex's birthday party, where the boys compared lost teeth (or the holes they've left behind) and had a great time on the lake.

GO GATORS!!

It's great to be a Florida Gator!

Note from Carole: the above was posted by Cristina, who is supposed to be responsible for updating everyone during our trip should I not be able to access blogger. She is clearly abusing her power. I thought about blocking the post, but I guess the Gators have been blocked enough for one week.

Berbere

Berbere is absolutely necessary to make wot (wat)! It's pretty easy to make and store for future use, so feel free to double or triple this recipe. The amount of cayenne pepper listed below yield a very spicy berbere, so much so that Han and E couldn't eat the stew I made with it! I hear wot is supposed to be very spicy, but of course we have to make it such that everyone can eat it. So I made two batches, one with 1/2 cup of cayenne pepper, and 1 with no cayenne pepepr at all. When a recipe calls for berbere, I use about 1/4 spicy berbere and 3/4 non-spicy. It has a little kick, but not so much that E can't eat it. However, I have a small shaker full of the spicy one so that anyone who wants more spice can easily add it to their dish. I hear this is handy to have around for any other dish that you want your newly adopted Ethiopian child to eat...just sprinkle some on their food and it tastes a bit more familiar to them. Store the Berbere in an air-tight container for up to 6 months in the fridge or 12 months in the freezer.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons salt (lower this if you want more control of the salt included in future recipes)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allpice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 to 1 & 1/2 cup cayenne pepper

Directions
1. In heavy saucepan or cast iron skillet, toast the following over low heat for 4-5 minutes: ginger, cardamon, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Shake or stir to keep from burning
2. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper and continue toasting, stirring constantly, 10 to 15 minutes
3. Cool and store in air tight container, such as a glass jar

Niter Kibbeh

This is an Ethiopian spiced, clarified butter/margarine that is used in many dishes. There really is not good substitute; it's well forth the time to have some of this in your fridge for future use. You can use it in any recipes veggie or meat dishes where you are using butter or margarine, so don't worry about running out of uses for this if you don't plan on making many Ethiopian dishes. It makes about two cups, and you can use a plastic container to store it in the fridge (where it will keep for a 2 months).

Ingredients
1 pound butter or margarine
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ginger root, 1/4" slices
3 cardamon pods crushed
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

Directions
1. Melt the butter or margarine over low heat in a small saucepan
2. Add all other ingredients and simmer on very low heat for 1 hour
3. Strain the clear liquid through cheesecloth and discard the solids
4. Store in an air tight container

Wot (Wat) - Beef or Pork

This is one of Ethiopia's signature dishes! You can make it with beef or pork (and probably chicken, although I haven tried that version yet). You absolutely must make it with Berbere, which hopefully you've made in advance :-) You may need to play around with the amount of oil you want to use. The original recipe I found on the internet called for 2 cups of vegetable oil. I have it down to about 1/2 cup of oil, but I have to watch the onions. If you use more, you can always let the stew sit at the end, and it will all rise to the top where you can easily scoop out any excess.

Ingredients
2-3 pounds cubed beef or pork
3 very large onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced or powdered ginger
1/4 cup Ethiopinan Berbere
1/2 cup water
Salt if needed (taste it at the end, there should already be salt from the Berbere)

Directions
1. In large pot, simmer onion, ginger, and garlic with vegetable oil until light brown
2. Add Berere and continue to simmer for 15 minutes on low heat
3. Add beef and water, and let simmer until beef is cooked and tender (works well in a crock pot)

Atar Allecha (Green Pea Puree)

This dish is pretty easy to make, but it does take a few hours to complete. It makes about 6 servings (side dish size). This freezes well and is very easy to double.

Ingredients
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon niter kiebbeh
1 cup dry split green peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon green chili pepper, seeded finely chopped
1 cup water

Directions
1. Soak split peas fo rone hour in three cups of water
2. Bring peas in water to a boil and reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary. If doubling the recipe, this might take longer, 40 minutes or so (taste to see if they are cooked). Drain water if necessary and mash well
3. In pan over low heat, stir-fry onion and garlic for 2 minutes
4. Add niter kebbeh and saute until onion become transparent
5. Add the mashed peas, turmeric, salt and green chili to onion mixture
6. Add 1 cup water and and cook to reduce to a thick, well-spiced puree (this could take a couple hours)

Mesir Wat (Red Lentil Puree) Recipe

Lentil lovers will enjoy this dish; it's authentically Ethiopian without being so foreign that you're wondering what you're eating. It also freezes very well, and you can easily double the recipe and save half for later. This recipe makes 4-6 servings and great to eat with injera.

Ingredients
2 onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons gingerrot, peeled and minced
1/4 cup butter or niter kibbeh
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (just depends on how spicy you want it to be)
1 pound red lentils
4 cups water or stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Puree onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender
2. Heat butter or niter kibbeh in large, heavy saucepan. Add turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir rapidly to color oil, about 30 seconds
3. Add onion puree and saute on medium heat until excess moisture evaporates and onion looses its raw aroma (10-15 minutes)
4. Add lentils and water, bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are cooked through and fall apart, about 40-60 minutes (taste it and see if it's soft enough for you). Add water if necessary to keep from drying out. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.