Our first full day without any of the other kids. Adam and I wanted to sleep in so bad, but they will get us out of bed if we are not up and ready for breakfast, which was at 7:45 a.m. this morning. Serawit was needing to go potty at 6:45, but she went back to bed afterwards. We had to wake Aman up. After breakfast, the kids decided they wanted to play with the playdough. After playing with it for a while, they used the cans as cookie cutters and cut out their own “injera” and later after that had daddy cut the injera into strips – pasta! Then they pretend fed us. Almaz came at 11:00 to take me shopping. I went to a couple of stores, and got some more stuff to give to family and friends, and for the kids. We asked them to explain to Aman and Serawit that they were going to go home with us tomorrow night, and apparently, they already understood. J
Came back and we had the pleasure of having Almaz and Tseguy with us for lunch. I think they thought we were lonely – it was very kind of them. After lunch we decided to try something new and not put them down for “quiet time” until around 2ish, when the rain seems to start every day. I think the staff got used to when we had quiet time after lunch and I do believe we were in their way. Finally one asked if we were going to put them down, and we just decided to do so. Aman has been so tired lately, so instead of just letting them read their books in the bed, we took the books away and gave them the sign language for sleep. Serawit didn’t like that very much, but we didn’t budge so she didn’t have much of a choice. They both slept for about 90 minutes when we got them up.
Tonight we let them watch Tseghi Loves Learning and Barney, and they loved them both. I debated on washing their hair and decided not to. I did undo her pom poms and freshened them up. Adam and I are debating how soon we should take him to a barber.
Nice quiet day. Tomorrow at the time I’m writing this, we’ll be at the airport.
Final Thoughts on Ethiopia
Where do we start. I know when I (Felicia) were reading various adoption blogs when we first started the process, one caught my eye that Ethiopia is both beautiful and terrible. Yep, that sums it up in a nutshell. I still didn’t understand what that meant until we got here, and I don’t think we can come up with the words to describe the experience we’ve had the last 8-9 days. After driving through Jamaica and seeing the conditions people lived in, we thought we were prepared. We were not by a long shot. Take Jamaica’s poor, make them 10x poorer (and poor really isn’t the correct word, because the people were so rich in their faith and character), and add an unbelievable amount of pollution, and you might come close. There were amazing contrasts. Addis Ababa has over 3 million people. Besides near the airport and nicer hotels, there is not a single traffic signal. I saw one (1) speed limit sign. Only the main roads are paved, the side roads are dirt (including the roads where both HOH houses are located). At the same time, the paved roads were in better condition than any paved roads are at home.
Yes, most of the city seems like the most destitute slum you could imagine, but when I looked outside of the van every time we drove, I saw happy, content people. People smiled. People walked hand in hand, whether Muslim, Christian or otherwise. The people were absolutely beautiful, inside an out. The prayers that Aman says at dinnertime (which are in Wolayta – that’s why we couldn’t get a complete translation), are thanking God and asking for God to help those who can’t get enough to eat – it wasn’t that long ago, when they couldn’t get enough to eat. You just can’t help but be changed forever.
So many people touched us including, but not limited to: The entire staff at House of Hope 1 and 2 – even the security guards were just as much nannies as the nannies themselves. The one security guard who has a child sponsored by a family in the US, and had told me stories about his time in the Ethiopian army when it went into Somalia and how much he detests war. The director at Bright Hope School who happily treaded through the mud and down and then up a steep hill in the rain to show us the complex, as we were all grumbling about getting our shoes dirty – did I mention he has one leg? The look on the same director’s face when he showed us that they FINALLY had clean water, and enough of it that the children can take clean water home to their families. Think about that. No matter how disadvantaged one is in the US – just about everyone has access to clean water. The security guard at the shopping center making funny faces at Serawit to make her laugh (while bashing the beggars on the street with a big stick if they got too pushy with us). The other families who were here with us.
Pretty soon, we will be back home, with our kids, trying to find a routine as all of our lives have changed forever. So, to sum this up, here I go again with “random thoughts” like before we left.
Felicia’s random thoughts:
If the pollution here existed in the US, my boss would be very busy for many years.
Wasn’t quite ready to see dinner clucking in the courtyard… but the doro wat was really good.
The kids are going to be in separate bedrooms sooner rather than later. If I don’t give them the same color lollypop, one throws a fit.
Yep, every inch of her was covered, but does skin tight clothes that leave nothing to the imagination and a headscarf make a conservative Muslim?
If I’m asked to recommend any changes for future families, I would request a clothesline in the bathroom. That being said, I did find it interesting that the hot water heater was perched above the bathtub. The plug for said hot water heater went into a socket located just above the water spout for the shower. Did not for a second think we were in any danger. Some of the wet clothes hung off the cord.
After sitting on our laps for every vehicle ride, I wonder what the kids will think of their booster seats.
All that corn on the cob being sold on ever corner (fresh, or freshly roasted), and not once did we have any corn.
The best bananas EVER!
I wish we could have seen Awasa. Hopefully next time.