When we were on the really long flight from DC to Addis there was an older Ethiopian woman who had what I can only assume was a panic attack. We're talking a couple hours of full out panicked screaming. The flight attendants did what they could for a while, and then they paged for a medical professional to come help. It didn't seem like it helped much, though, because she didn't calm down for quite a while. Well, today Kerry and I felt a bit like a medical professional stuck on a 13 hour flight with someone having a panic attack. Not the entire day was like that, but we had our embassy appointment and a lunch with Yeb's birth mom, so there was a lot of time where we couldn't gear what we were doing as much to the boys, and it showed.
However, there were some really good things today. Tam came up and gave me a hug and a kiss today, we walked down the street to the little store and bought ice cream bars and had a blast seeing the boys eat ice cream for probably the first time in their lives, and Kerry and the boys wrested before bed. It was also fun hear the boys jabber to each other in Amharic and laugh together.
Another fabulous thing is that Yeb really is potty trained! We only brought diapers for him, and after yesterday's fiasco I don't feel bad having him wear one, but he does a good job of telling us when he needs to go, and is pretty independent about it. Wahoo!
Now for the grunginess. We didn't end up getting our baggage today because between the embassy appointment and lunch with Yeb's birth mom, we figured the boys had had enough running around. Which means that by this evening we were feeling very gross, and hand washed clothes to tide us over till first thing tomorrow when we REALLY have to go get the luggage. It also means that my hair has looked amazing without bobby pins, blow dryer, or curling iron that are all in the bag. Oh well.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Gotcha Day
Yesterday was absolutely wonderful, but much different than planned! We arrived in Addis at about 8 in the morning, but spent the next 2 hours getting out of the airport. Between being at the end of a long line for tourist visas, and then a big luggage hassle, it just took forever. The suitcase that has all of Kerry's and my clothes didn't arrive, but is scheduled to get there this morning, so that's on our to-do list after our embassy appointment. As annoying as it is, I'm just so glad that it wasn't the suitcase that had all the boys' stuff in it. Kerry and I had a change of clothes in our carryon, and we were able to go down the street to a little store and buy a few toiletries that we couldn't do without for a day.
After going to the guest house, we called the agency to check in and see what the plan was for the day as far as picking up the boys. We were told before we left that Yeb's orphanage did a farewell party for kids when they got picked up, so we decided to get Tam first then go to the party and pick up Yeb. We brought traditional clothes for the boys that we were going to change them into before they left their respective orphanages, and just envisioned it based on what we knew. Like everything in life, it didn't turn out at all the way we thought. The agency driver picked us up and asked I f we could swing by Yeb's orphanage first because there was an infant that was going to be moved to Tam's orphanage. We figured we could talk to the orphanage director or the nannies about the party plans for later, so that was great. We got there, found Yeb, but there were no party plans, and since there weren't, they told us we could take Yeb with us right then. Since the driver was waiting for us with a nanny and the baby they were taking to Tam's place, the photo op with traditional clothes went out the window. We went to Kibebe Tsehay, Tam's orphanage, and waited for a few minutes while they got him up from a nap and got him ready to go. We played outside while we waited, and I had time to realize that Yeb looked about 10 pounds lighter than last trip because he was wearing underwear instead of a cloth diaper. However, that realization somehow didn't lead to the thought that he would need potty breaks, or that he probably needed a potty break NOW due to his consuming a bottle of water during the drive. I'll blame it on the jet lag, which we were starting to feel.
Tam was led out of the building he had been napping in, and he recognized us, and seemed happy to see us. His orphanage doesn't do a goodbye party or ceremony, so we snapped a few pics with his favorite nanny and piled into the van. I think the car rides were a highlight of the day for both boys. The level of excitement they had is bout the same as American kids at Disneyland, minus the Disney meltdowns. Not joking.
Right after we started driving back to the guest house I thought that Yeb was asking for his water bottle, so I gave it to him, but would find out about 10 minutes later that he had really been telling me that he needed to go potty. Oops. Tam spent the drive alertly looking out the window at all the cars (again, imagine Disneyland excitement here), Yeb fell asleep sitting up next to me and I was finally able to convince him to lay his head on my lap. Kerry and I were really feeling the lack of sleep, and Kerry slept most of the drive, and I fought it, too. By the time we got to the guest house, it had started raining. We groggily piled out of the car, and I tried to get my brain to figure out how to get Yeb out of the car And into the guest house without getting pee all over the only clean shirt I had at that point. We knocked at the gate but it took a few minutes and a few more knocks before someone let us in. We stood there waiting, in the rain, without talking because we were all so tired, and then Yeb, who was fortunately standing on his own at that point, went pee again. It ran out of his pants and somehow flowed directly into one of his high top shoes without laces. We're talking halfway full here.
So whenever I hear a story like this I usually look at this moment in the story as the rock bottom moment, or the sad part that is the flip side to the happy ending. But standing there as a family (minus Kate) In the rain with a shoe full of pee just made me so happy, and was much more like a wonderful beginning to the story of the boys joining our family. Kerry and I just laughed like crazy, and then got in the guesthouse and got those boys all cleaned up.
The rest of the afternoon and evening went really well. The boys were both ok with us giving them lots of loves, and the communication factor that I had started to stress about wasn't a problem, either. Between gesturing, pointing, and facial expressions, we all seemed to be able to figure out what everyone else meant.
Bedtime went a lot better than expected, too. Kerry rocked Yeb to sleep, and Tam wanted to lay down on the big bed with us, so we all piled on and fell asleep. Kerry woke me up about a half an hour later so we could put Tam in his bed and get us ready to go to sleep. Everyone slept really well. Yea!
After going to the guest house, we called the agency to check in and see what the plan was for the day as far as picking up the boys. We were told before we left that Yeb's orphanage did a farewell party for kids when they got picked up, so we decided to get Tam first then go to the party and pick up Yeb. We brought traditional clothes for the boys that we were going to change them into before they left their respective orphanages, and just envisioned it based on what we knew. Like everything in life, it didn't turn out at all the way we thought. The agency driver picked us up and asked I f we could swing by Yeb's orphanage first because there was an infant that was going to be moved to Tam's orphanage. We figured we could talk to the orphanage director or the nannies about the party plans for later, so that was great. We got there, found Yeb, but there were no party plans, and since there weren't, they told us we could take Yeb with us right then. Since the driver was waiting for us with a nanny and the baby they were taking to Tam's place, the photo op with traditional clothes went out the window. We went to Kibebe Tsehay, Tam's orphanage, and waited for a few minutes while they got him up from a nap and got him ready to go. We played outside while we waited, and I had time to realize that Yeb looked about 10 pounds lighter than last trip because he was wearing underwear instead of a cloth diaper. However, that realization somehow didn't lead to the thought that he would need potty breaks, or that he probably needed a potty break NOW due to his consuming a bottle of water during the drive. I'll blame it on the jet lag, which we were starting to feel.
Tam was led out of the building he had been napping in, and he recognized us, and seemed happy to see us. His orphanage doesn't do a goodbye party or ceremony, so we snapped a few pics with his favorite nanny and piled into the van. I think the car rides were a highlight of the day for both boys. The level of excitement they had is bout the same as American kids at Disneyland, minus the Disney meltdowns. Not joking.
Right after we started driving back to the guest house I thought that Yeb was asking for his water bottle, so I gave it to him, but would find out about 10 minutes later that he had really been telling me that he needed to go potty. Oops. Tam spent the drive alertly looking out the window at all the cars (again, imagine Disneyland excitement here), Yeb fell asleep sitting up next to me and I was finally able to convince him to lay his head on my lap. Kerry and I were really feeling the lack of sleep, and Kerry slept most of the drive, and I fought it, too. By the time we got to the guest house, it had started raining. We groggily piled out of the car, and I tried to get my brain to figure out how to get Yeb out of the car And into the guest house without getting pee all over the only clean shirt I had at that point. We knocked at the gate but it took a few minutes and a few more knocks before someone let us in. We stood there waiting, in the rain, without talking because we were all so tired, and then Yeb, who was fortunately standing on his own at that point, went pee again. It ran out of his pants and somehow flowed directly into one of his high top shoes without laces. We're talking halfway full here.
So whenever I hear a story like this I usually look at this moment in the story as the rock bottom moment, or the sad part that is the flip side to the happy ending. But standing there as a family (minus Kate) In the rain with a shoe full of pee just made me so happy, and was much more like a wonderful beginning to the story of the boys joining our family. Kerry and I just laughed like crazy, and then got in the guesthouse and got those boys all cleaned up.
The rest of the afternoon and evening went really well. The boys were both ok with us giving them lots of loves, and the communication factor that I had started to stress about wasn't a problem, either. Between gesturing, pointing, and facial expressions, we all seemed to be able to figure out what everyone else meant.
Bedtime went a lot better than expected, too. Kerry rocked Yeb to sleep, and Tam wanted to lay down on the big bed with us, so we all piled on and fell asleep. Kerry woke me up about a half an hour later so we could put Tam in his bed and get us ready to go to sleep. Everyone slept really well. Yea!
On Our Way...
Well, we're officially our way to get the boys! The sad news is that it's the middle of the night
and The flight we're on doesn't have reclining seats. I didn't know that was possible, but it's reality, which means that my neck is sore from trying to lay my head on Kerry's very bony shoulder, but alas, no sleep. The irony in this situation is that Kerry was adamant about us staying awake until we leave Washington DC later in the morning so that we'll be on Ethiopia time when we get there, while I was more than happy to sleep as soon as we left Salt Lake. At the moment however, Kerry is the one sleeping while I am trying to kill time in my ridiculously upright seat.
The last couple weeks since we found out both boys had cleared embassy have been both exciting and nerve wracking. We've been consistently alternating between happiness and excitement, panic, and sheer exhaustion. Kerry had a crazy work week, and I was trying to get everything done for us to travel. Of course we're super excited to go get the boys, but all of a sudden we've also been faced with realizing that these boys are no longer just theoretical. The strangest moments are the ones where we've had to think past the travel stage, like this week when I made doctor and dentist appointments for them, and the many things that we've done that were the "lasts" before we're a family of 5. Just before my dad came this evening to take us to the airport, we realized that the next time we were at our house, the boys would be there with us. That was a surprising and wonderful thought. Realizing that I will soon be wrangling 3 children in sacrament meeting on Sundays by myself somehow didn't give me the same warm fuzzies. I'll just have to con someone to sit with me, which, now that I think about it shouldn't be too hard considering how cute the 3 kids in question are.
We've definitely been feeling panicked about whether we're prepared enough to parent these boys, but the good news is that the closer we've gotten to actually leaving, and especially now that the stress of preparation for travel is over, all I can think of is how wonderful it will be to get to go get them, hold them, play with them, and start the process of getting to know them!
and The flight we're on doesn't have reclining seats. I didn't know that was possible, but it's reality, which means that my neck is sore from trying to lay my head on Kerry's very bony shoulder, but alas, no sleep. The irony in this situation is that Kerry was adamant about us staying awake until we leave Washington DC later in the morning so that we'll be on Ethiopia time when we get there, while I was more than happy to sleep as soon as we left Salt Lake. At the moment however, Kerry is the one sleeping while I am trying to kill time in my ridiculously upright seat.
The last couple weeks since we found out both boys had cleared embassy have been both exciting and nerve wracking. We've been consistently alternating between happiness and excitement, panic, and sheer exhaustion. Kerry had a crazy work week, and I was trying to get everything done for us to travel. Of course we're super excited to go get the boys, but all of a sudden we've also been faced with realizing that these boys are no longer just theoretical. The strangest moments are the ones where we've had to think past the travel stage, like this week when I made doctor and dentist appointments for them, and the many things that we've done that were the "lasts" before we're a family of 5. Just before my dad came this evening to take us to the airport, we realized that the next time we were at our house, the boys would be there with us. That was a surprising and wonderful thought. Realizing that I will soon be wrangling 3 children in sacrament meeting on Sundays by myself somehow didn't give me the same warm fuzzies. I'll just have to con someone to sit with me, which, now that I think about it shouldn't be too hard considering how cute the 3 kids in question are.
We've definitely been feeling panicked about whether we're prepared enough to parent these boys, but the good news is that the closer we've gotten to actually leaving, and especially now that the stress of preparation for travel is over, all I can think of is how wonderful it will be to get to go get them, hold them, play with them, and start the process of getting to know them!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Springtime, Easter, And The Pinterest-Worthy Campout That Wasn't
It finally feels like spring, and even with days like yesterday and today where the weather is wet, I can't complain because at least it's not snowing. Plus there have been a lot of really nice warm days where we've been able to enjoy being outside. Kate has been riding her little bike everywhere during the past week since she got it, and has been pretty disappointed when I've had to tell her that the grocery store and Grandpa and Grandma's house are too far for us to ride a bike.
In honor of spring, we decided to do a family cookout and campout last Friday night. Our paper shredder broke quite a while ago, so we needed a good excuse to burn the shred pile. We put a fire ring together with broken cinder blocks that we dug out of the backyard last summer, and got a fire going. We cooked hot dogs, and Kate loved helping with everything. I have to say, as ready as I am for us to tackle the backyard this summer, there have been moments the past few years where it's been kind of nice to just do what we want back there without having to worry about logistics. Build a fire ring? Sure, no problem. Pick a spot. Seriously, anywhere. It probably helped that backyard looks the nicest during the spring when the layer of small bright green weeds can still pass off as faux grass. I'm sure this feeling of benevolence will be short lived as the weather warms up and the backyard returns to a sunburned wasteland. :)
After we ate, Kate played on our dirt mountain for a bit while Kerry and I sat and chatted, and then we slowly added our shred papers to the fire. Kate thought that was pretty awesome.
We headed inside, got Kate ready for bed, and then set up our tent in Kate's room for us all to sleep in. It's still too cold to sleep outside, and our backyard isn't fenced in, so we planned to do an inside campout. It was all so cute: Kate was in her jammies, we had laid out blankets for our beds, Kerry read her the bedtime story in the tent, Kate thought that life was amazing and was so excited to sleep in a tent. 
But the happy pictures that you see are where the fun stopped for the evening, because Kate didn't go to sleep till 1am. We had forgotten that she had inadvertently had a late nap, which guarantees a rough night for her. So that was sad. We were all zombies the next day. Fortunately, by about 11pm we scrapped the tent idea completely in favor of having everyone sleep in thier own beds. There was no way that either Kerry or I wanted to go to bed late plus get kicked all night by a little girl who probably wouldn't be sleeping very well. We'll try the campout again another time, because it would be really fun, but next time we're going to make sure that Kate is very tired by bedtime.
In other news, we repaired our main bathroom a couple weekends ago! It crossed my mind to take before and after pictures, but I thought better of it because then I would have solid evidence of how bad it's looked for so long. It has needed some attention since we moved in 4 years ago, but has been one of those things that you stop noticing about your house. However, it got to the point where we were legitimately concerned about the easy access kids have to large chunks of paint that were peeling off one section of wall, and we got fed up that more than half of the tile border that went around the walls had fallen off. After a full day's work and 2 tubs of spackle, it was ready to repaint, and turned out really well. The only thing we have left to do is figure out how to attach the new trim to the bottom of the walls. Those same sections of walls are now made up almost entirely of spackle, so we're not sure if nails would work, and in other sections it's the original plaster, so we're still deciding whether we can nail it on or if we need to look at maybe gluing it on.
We also enjoyed celebrating Easter this past weekend. We did an egg hunt with our friends the Bowles, and then on Sunday we had Easter baskets, church, and then dinner with my family in the evening. Kate was all dressed up for church, and I tried a new fancy hairdo on her that turned out well.
She was feeling all cute, as evidenced by her new pose:
Notice basically the same pose later that day:
And these are just a couple random pictures from the last couple weeks that I loved. :)
Oh, just a quick update about Tam and Yeb: Both their cases have been submitted to the US embassy, and Tam's case cleared within a week. That means that his case is DONE! Now we're waiting on Yeb's case to clear, which will probably be a little longer. They will be interviewing his birthmom, and from the information the embassy sent us, it sounds like the interview appointment slots are usually filled about a month out. What this really means is that we have no idea when this will happen, but it feels like it's getting closer!
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