It’s August???
Kids start school in 2 weeks. I go back to work in 3. Wow.
More firsts since the last blog…
- First overnight with grandma and grandpa Lueker. Adam and I had a date night. We had dinner at Copia Urban Winery and saw Inception on the IMAX. Great time.
- First time the kids went to Monkey Joes.
- First time Aman ate a whole 12 inch pizza.
- EKC Barbecue last weekend. The kids got to play with a bunch of other kids adopted from Ethiopia here in St. Louis.
- Aman is wearing glasses. He is farsighted in both eyes, left worse than right.
Aman is registered for PM Kindergarten now. So both kids will be starting and ending at the same time, right next door to each other. ESL is available for Aman and I requested it. We finally got their titers from FACES, so they start their vaccinations this week. 
Poor kids. We’re planning on taking them swimming afterward, so hopefully they won’t hate us too much. Right now, their favorite activity is swimming. They ask every day if they are going swimming.
Our first appointment to get professional pictures is on Thursday with The Picture People.
Just this last week, both Aman and Serawit have started to tell us about their life before we met them, going all the way back to before they went to the orphanage. Some of it is very happy, and some of it is very sad. Some is downright funny – which is heartening and really does explain their fun and loving demeanor. I am writing down as much as I can, but am trying to get some of it on video if possible. We are not prompting them and are just letting them decide what and when to tell us, so we aren’t always close to a video camera when it happens. Or, I get the video camera and I forget how to use it.
With all due respect, it should bear repeating that along with their family history, this is their story, and it is very personal and private. When they are old enough to understand, we are going to let them decide if anyone from close family to the whole world learns of it. I know it’s easier said than done because I have slipped at times – we find their story as fascinating and interesting as many of you do. It’s not like we are keeping secrets or being mean, we are simply being respectful of our kids, their story and their right to tell it. PLEASE let them decide who and when to tell it. That means, please don’t prod or prompt them either. At the same time, if they happen to feel like telling you anything, please let us know so we can write it down and have a record of it because we don’t know how much of their past story they will retain.
Another thing that should bear repeating based on some recent comments from well-meaning friends, and this is from the earlier blog near the beginning, (1) the definition of orphan is not the same here as it is in the rest of the world; (2) for the children to be placed for international adoption, their parent(s)/birth relatives/guardian who relinquished them has to appear in court not once, but twice, to state under oath in front of a federal judge that they are relinquishing them; and, (3) and this is new, from our experience in Ethiopia and from our biological relative meeting, any thoughts regarding even the slightest possibility of anything nefarious in the adoption was put to rest big time. From what I heard from the kids just today, puts it to rest even more. The kids were simply meant to be ours. What we did to deserve such a blessing, we are not sure, but we’re pretty darn thankful.
Off soapbox and back to fun stuff. We are starting to figure out the kids’ interests and how it may play out in extra-curricular stuff. Aman got to participate in my nephew’s karate class a couple weeks ago. Our church happens to offer it. Serawit participated in my niece’s dance class and really liked that. I was considering putting them both in gymnastics, but now I’m thinking karate for him and dance for her. Karate is do-able, but we are trying to figure out dance tuition. I sent an e-mail to DeNoyer. I went there when I was teeny tiny. If it and other studios are too horrible, I already have tuition information for Barron Gymnastics and that is do-able. This year is just a little tight. Next year they will be able to do just about anything they want within reason.
Hey at the Picture People if you get the chance to have Brandi she has been taking our pictures for 4 years there and we LOVE her. She is very patient, very good and any props or ideas you want to bring in with you she will do wonderful !!!