Christine's Journey

Report card day

2011-11-21T09:20:00.002-06:00

Nati started Kindergarten this year. He was "very well prepared...doing amazingly well" according to his teacher. He's reading at a first grade level. Simply wonderful considering English wasn't his first language. He certainly picked it up very quickly. Shout out to my girl Landria at SLC Therapy for the initial plan she put together for Nati to learn English. And a big thank you to the staff at A Child's Space for the great preschool program.

Family Day 2011

2011-11-21T09:18:00.002-06:00

It's been 3 years since we legally became a family. My my how time flys. It's been an awesome 3 years. I'm truly blessed to be a mom to such a wonderful, kind, and sweet boy. We celebrated with Ethiopian food of course.

Birth Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T09:32:00.001-05:00

Today I'm remembering Nati's birthmother.

Birthmother's Day was created in 1990 by a group of Seattle-area birthmoms who wished to acknowledge the incredible effects of birthmotherhood on their lives, to honor themselves and the choices they made. It is celebrated the Saturday before Mother's Day, to recognize that birthmothers are first mothers. It has grown to be a time to honor birthmothers by all those who have been affected by adoption.

CPS update

2011-03-22T11:29:00.004-05:00

We finally got our letters from CPS indicating offers, score, wait list, etc for his Kindergarten entry into the accelerated programs. I'm really really proud of his scores. We didn't get any offers this first round but I do think we'll have a chance in subsequent rounds. He's wait listed at Andrew Jackson. The wait list number is so high, there's no chance of getting a seat.

For classical school, he scored 94% reading and 88% math.

For regional gifted center he scored 135.

I'm truly pleased and proud of him for all that's he's accomplished for someone with a rough start in life and for who English wasn't their first language. Stay tuned as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc round letters will go out in the coming weeks and months. I'm pretty sure he's done well enough to get an offer letter in a subsequent round.

But you may be asking how will that translate to academic performance once the school year starts? Is not getting a high score a good indicator of things to come and ability to keep up? Well, I don't think so!!!!! He's very bright and capable of excelling. He loves school and reading. But clearly we've gotta work on those math skills some.

Luckily, we have an excellent neighborhood school that he can go to if he doesn't get an offer for one of the accelerated programs.

Still Waiting on CPS

2011-03-19T22:45:00.003-05:00

Actually, I did get a letter from CPS today. Only to open it and find an application for STEM Magnet Academy. Talk about disappointing!!!!!!!!!

Waiting on CPS

2011-03-17T15:49:00.002-05:00

Instead of waiting on Superman, I'm waiting on CPS. We applied for to 2 Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools (SEES) and to 1 magnet school. The SEES requires a test which he took in early November. The magnet school is a lottery. So I guess in a way, that is kinda Superman-ish. First round notifications come out this week. Keep your fingers crossed!!!!!!

New Blog Design

2011-03-17T15:46:00.001-05:00

I'm trying out a new blog design. How do you like it?

Update and promise of more frequent posts

2011-02-10T17:25:00.002-06:00

I've been a slacker on blogging. But I'm going to do better. Nati is still being Nati. It's hard to believe he's 4 1/2 years old. I'm just looking forward to Kindergarten next year when I no longer have to pay for preschool/daycare fees. That'll be a HUGE raise for me.

In other news...I've been on a journey to drop some lbs. Thus far I've gotten rid of 17. If you've found the 17 I dropped, sorry...Pass them on to someone else.

And in other news...Today I got a management promotion at work. I work for a tech firm. I'm super excited. For years I've been an individual contributor. I'm really excited to embark on this new adventure. Thankfully those that will be on my team are supportive and excited. And patient I'm sure. If you have managerial tips, I welcome them.

Family Day

2010-11-20T19:49:00.004-06:00

Today marks our 2nd Family Day. We celebrated with a live performance of Jack and the Beanstalk and an Ethiopian dinner. I'm happy we got an opportunity to celebrate together this year. Last year I made a return trip to Ethiopia to visit the Baer Family. I can't believe it's only been 2 years. Gladney did an outstanding job on picking a family for Nati. My family and friends joke that I went halfway around the world and came back with myself - smart, funny, self-centered, stubborn, and cute as can be. Happy Family Day to us and many more!

4th Birthday

2010-06-02T22:19:00.008-05:00

Nati celebrated his 4th birthday. We had cupcakes and juice at school, followed by Ethiopian dinner with a good friend, then more cake and ice cream at home. Enjoy a few photos from the day.

Token update

2010-04-07T14:56:00.003-05:00

It's been several weeks now since we started the tokens. Overall, it's going well. He's getting better about putting his clothes on, listening at school and activities like soccer and The Little Gym. He needs to continue to work on cleaning up after himself, making his bed, picking up toys, and listening to me.

I need to be better about my zero tolerance policy. Too many times I give him a warning and threaten to take 5 chips away for not listening. That's exhausting though and I'm going to a zero tolerance policy. Do it the first time or you'll immediately lose 5 chips. Because of that, we're going to have to start carrying around the chips so it's instantaneous reward or punishment.

CPS questions and decisions

2010-03-17T22:37:00.002-05:00

Next year, we'll be applying to Kindergarten schools and taking the gifted/classical test to determine if we'll get into any selective enrollment programs. I'm also considering running for my Local School Council. In the mean time, I ran across this blog I thought I'd share.

Enough for a playdate

2010-02-24T20:23:00.004-06:00

He's earned enough for a playdate and will host his first this coming weekend.

In other news, he's gone from being an angel at school to acting out. It used to be the other way around. I believe it's probably when the home environment changes, they act out at school. Well, I've made my expectations very clear with the reward system. I guess he's protesting. But we've got to get a handle on it. He does earn 1 token for listening at school. Looks like we'll have to hit him where it hurts and have him lose points for not listening at school the way he does at home.

On another note, he was praised for writing the letters of the alphabet very well. It's one of the things we've been working on since Oct/Nov. Yeah!

Rethinking the token redemption values

2010-02-20T16:51:00.003-06:00

I've been rethinking the values associated with the rewards. It's rather steep to have 1 cartoon be worth 5 points when that's the same as a dessert. So I' think I've decided 1 cartoon is 3 chips and 2 cartoons is 5 chips, can you tell I'm a discount shopper and like a bargain. Pump it Up, a paid activity, is worth 50 points but a happy meal is worth 15. Considering I will most likely also get a salad or something from McDonalds (trying to lose weight) and spend $11 total, compared to Pump It Up which is $10 for 1.5 hours of nonstop wear him out fun , it doesn't seem equitable. Especially when you consider he's very tired after Pump It Up and I get a good break when he's asleep. And the Crown Fountain at Millenium Park, an activity we do during the summer, is free also costs him 15 chips. I usually push his stroller down there or we catch the bus for $2.50 and if I time it right, I can tranfer buses and get home for free, what did it really cost me?

Any ideas?

Gifted testing test prep

2010-02-19T16:34:00.002-06:00

Nati doesn't take the exam to determine if he'll get into a gifted or classical school til next year but I've been preparing him, or I'm attempting to. An interesting article came out in NY Magazine a few weeks ago. In my mind, he's gifted, clever, whatever you want to call it. I'm going to give the marshmellow test a try tonight using lollipops. It's the test mentioned on the last page of the article. I'll let you know what he chooses.

Chips and extra credit

2010-02-19T09:08:00.003-06:00

Following his redemption of the 15 chips for a happy meal, he wanted to watch a movie which costs 10 chips. But he didn't have 10 chips. He had 4. So we negotiated some extra credit - taking out the trash and the recycables. He usually gathers up the trash in the bathrooms and bedrooms. This time, he had to gather the trash, put new bags in the cans, and help me take it to the trash room. For the recycles, he was to finish gathering up the recycles and help me take them to the recycle room.

For his reward, he got an hour of a movie. The big test will be the weekend. We're having lunch at someone's house. Hopefully he'll stay in his seat during lunch and behave so he'll earn his 2 chips.

Day 3

2010-02-18T13:34:00.002-06:00

Nati has a terrible habit of not listening at the Little Gym during his sports skill class. One the list of items worth 2 points is listening during classes (music, Little Gym, soccer, etc) that I have to pay a fee for him to participate. Our goal for the Little Gym is to ensure he sits during the class when appropriate, waits his turns, follows instructions, and stays at his station until it's time to switch. I reminded him of that yesterday in the morning, when he got in the car to go to class, and right before class started. He earned his 2 chips.

On the way home, we pass those golden arches and that prompted his hunger attack. I explained to him that he needed 15 tokens to get a happy meal. When he got home last night, he had 3 tokens from the day before. By the end of yesterday he'd earned 14 tokens. He asked to watch a cartoon. I reminded him he said he wanted a happy meal and that if he traded 5 of his tokens in, he wouldn't have enough. He played with his other toys and we read books instead.

Tokens Day 2

2010-02-16T19:53:00.002-06:00

The morning started off well with him earning 8 chips. He earned 1 for listening in school even earning a compliment on how improved his listening has been this week (it's still early). This evening, didn't go so well. He did earn a chip for putting his coat, hat, and gloves away. However, he left the table when eating, didn't use/try to use the potty, didn't listen about taking the medicine and threw a fit over it. Thus he lost 2 chips.

He ends the night with 3 chips, after trading 5 in to watch Dora.

Token reward system day 1

2010-02-15T19:57:00.002-06:00

Today was mostly effective. He had some trouble in the evening with taking his medicine but eventually took it earning a token. He however didn't listen very well when it came to getting ready for bed so he lost 2 chips. He earned 14 chips over the course of the day. He traded 5 chips in for a cartoon and another 5 for a candy treat. He doesn't have enough to watch a cartoon first thing in the morning so it'll be another cartoon free morning for him since I don't count up the chips until it's time to leave for school as opposed to as he does them. Let's see how long it takes him to catch on to this fact.

I love you so much Nati that...

2010-02-14T21:46:00.003-06:00

You're geting a new punishment/reward system. The rules for earning, losing, and redeeming poker chips in the new reward system have been written and posted to the living room wall.

We spent all weekend reviwing items in which he'd earn and lose points. Now that we have our poker chips ($10 from Target), we're all set to officially get started. Tomorrow the rules will be in effect.

Check back with us in 6 weeks to see how it's going.

Nati's Citizenship Party

2009-12-20T13:04:00.004-06:00

After his US readoption, we had a citizenship party filled with "american" food, the citizenship oath, and pledge of allegiance. He doesn't have his official papers yet but we did the party still. Here's a video of his swearing in. Oath was administered by his Grandma Dot.

Culture Day at Preschool

2009-12-01T21:51:00.003-06:00

Today was Nati's turn for culture day at preschool. All week he'll be the special helper and for 30 - 60 mins on a day convenient to the parent, we have to come in and present on our culture. Of course, we chose Ethiopia. Thanks to Sally, we had flags, suckers, and pencil drums to give to his classmates as souvenirs. She also picked up a copy of the children's book Kaldi and the Dancing Goats, the legend of Ethiopian coffee for me to read.

He and I both dressed him in traditional clothing. For a learning opportunity, I brought in a picture of a coffee bush and the red berries that grow on the bush. I also took some unroasted coffee beans, roasted coffee beans, and ground coffee so they could, touch, and smell the stages. The kids had a fabulous time learning about the animals that people use to get around Ethiopia, how to say hello and goodbye in Amharic, and all about coffee. And I survived my first experience of reading to preschoolers.

Here he is featured in his traditional clothing.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T13:19:00.003-06:00

Apple Picking

2009-11-01T13:05:00.003-06:00

Nati really enjoyed his day at the County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN with me and his Auntie "Greta" who's name is Henrietta. It's a ways from the city but well worth the trip.

US Adoption Day

2009-10-06T11:55:00.003-05:00

We went to court yesterday, October 5, to get the ball rolling on the US readoption. Here's a photo to capture all those in attendance including the judge. We were joined by Grandma Dot, Grandma Lena, Auntie Henrietta aka Auntie Greta, the judge, and Auntie Sharon.

I'd like to point out I deleted some of the other photos taken that day like his summons. But we do have video of it.

Everything should be wrapped up by November 16th which is very close to his ET adoption day of November 20th.

Nati's progress at bedtime

2009-10-01T13:45:00.002-05:00

Nati is making leaps and bounds with bedtime. Sunday night I asked him if I could move his little bed into his room and he said... YES! I was shocked. I knew he'd say no. I positioned it that he needed to move out so I could clean my room. There are twin beds in his room but I knew it'd be too much to ask to sleep in his own room. He said he wanted to help so I let him. He carried the pillow and the stuffed animals named Bear and Cat.

Sunday night (night 1) he lasted til 1:30 am. Monday (Night 2), I woke up at 3 to find him in my bed with the covers pulled over him. Tuesday (Night 3) was a full repeat of night 2. Wednesday (night 4) he didn't come in unitl 6:45 am. Yippee!

I'm making progress as well. My room isn't clean, that's another story, but I am sitting in a chair in his room for 10 - 15 mins after putting him to bed to wait til he falls asleep. That's working ou much better than the 1 - 2 hour of fitting over staying in the bed.

Now I just need to reorg the furniture so there's still room to move around in his room with 3 beds in it.

Progress all around.

My Senior Moment

2009-09-03T21:18:00.004-05:00

Nati and I drove to Dunkin Donuts for some bagels. I then drove him to school. About 11 am I remembered I'd left the bagel in the car. At 3, I went to the parking garage to get my car so I could pick him up and go to Funny Bugs at The Little Gym. No car in my parking spot! I thought...OMG my car got stolen or towed right out of my parking space. But it's private property and I don't have any tickets so that doesn't make any sense. Then I thought maybe I parked it in the back of the building and forgot to move it after 45 mins which is how long we can park in back. No car! Maybe I parked it on the street. No car! I couldn't remember where I'd left it.

Then it hit me. I drove Nati this morning and then walked home. I walked over to school. There say my car. 7 hours later it was still there in the 15 min drop off zone valid from 7 - 9 am, 4 - 6 pm. It wasn't towed. It was still running and not ticketed. Amen! Thank you Lord!

1st Day at the Beach

2009-08-15T20:32:00.003-05:00

Nati had a great time at the Air and Water show and walloying in the sand.

How an orphan changed my life...

2009-07-28T11:48:00.003-05:00

Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an adopted orphan child changed my life...

Adoption was always my first choice. I've never suffered from infertility. I suffer from not yet finding the right potential mate. But I wanted to be a mother and there was a little boy who needed a new mother and we we were united as a family 7 months ago when Nati was 2.5 years old.

My first choice was a toddler. I didn't want to change diapers and frankly didn't think I could afford them and the high price of daycare for a child younger than he.

Bonding was very easy with Nati. Nati was diagnosed initially with failure to thrive. He's now fully caught up and is excelling in areas. It's not all about nature. Nurture plays a HUGE part in the success of the child and that of the family.

My life and that of the rest of my family has been incredibly enriched. My son is smart, clever, loving, mischievous, stubborn, not good at sharing, and full of life and energy. He has melt downs the same way as any other 3 year old. I've been told by my family that he's just like me. Funny how that is. Because of him, I'm a much better person. I'm more loving, caring and compassionate. More patient. Less harsh.

Yes there are risks in adoption as there are risks of flying, driving, having your own child. If you're interested in adoption, I encourage you to first understand why you want to adopt then seek out a great agency. It's very easy to love an adopted child as much as your own. There are times I forget I didn't give birth to him.

Funny Nati Quotes

2009-07-26T21:57:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd share a few of the clever things Nati has said over the past 7 months.

- "Momma doesn't speak Amharic?" He asked his Ethiopian sitter Jan 2009
- "A few more mimmettes" What he says when he's not ready to get up March 2009
- " No Mom, don't do that. Say I'm sorry" March 2009
- "Where's pee pee?...That's not mine!" Following his circumcision July 2009
- "I want to go to Chicago...call me a yellow taxi"After 2 weeks with family without me July 2009

More single black women choosing to adopt

2009-07-01T11:23:00.002-05:00

Whether I married or not, adoption was going to be one of my options. But this is a great article on the choices some women have made.

Royal Knight Nati

2009-06-18T10:15:00.004-05:00

For the Knights and Princess Ball at school today. I made the cape, shirt, painted the hat, and cut and resized the leggings.

Look who's 3!

2009-06-08T22:23:00.001-05:00

The birthday boy!

Riding lesson # 1

2009-06-08T22:18:00.004-05:00

I tried to teach him how to ride a bike. Granted it was indoors because of the rain. Today wasn't a success but he sure looks good on it.

Finger in cake and tone deaf

2009-06-08T11:11:00.007-05:00

The family singing happy birthday and a little finger surprise at the end.

One year referral anniversary!

2009-05-06T09:53:00.003-05:00

It's been exactly one year since the email came with the news of a referral. I didn't answer any of the numbers Natalie knew to call. She had to email me to say call her.
Yes I remember what life was like before he entered my heart and my wallet. I cherish the time we've had together and look forward to many more years to come. And what life will be like after he exits my pocket book at 22. I'm not paying for grad school.

Playing in the water

2009-05-04T21:34:00.003-05:00

Nati highly enjoyed playing in the water at the Crown Fountains in Millenium Park. A photographer captured his good time.

Nati's black car!

2009-05-04T12:41:00.003-05:00

Nati has a new car...a 2008 Nissan Versa! We had been using Zipcar and Igo car sharing services. They've worked well but I'm tired of lugging a car seat around for all of HIS activities. Plus we'd reached the point were we were spending as much on the service as we would if we had a car payment and insurance and that was just for Sat activities. This will also make getting to church easier.

Used cars are great. I would have bought through Enterprise, where my cousin works, but I was too lazy to look for financing. We got the car from Carmax at a good rate. It gets fantastic gas mileage at 35 mpg! Trying to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible.

Now if the managment company for our condo would get around to assigning our parking space life would be sooooooooo much easier. It's been 4 business days already since I contacted them. Hop to it will ya!

Below are pictures of Nati's black car as he calls it. For me, it has an MP3 charger, port, and good leg room. I can use it when he's not demanding to hear This Old Man or Razupazu Toto (Kindermusik...Sat morning music class)

I never had a favorite flower

2009-03-29T18:31:00.004-05:00

Until now that is...Addis Ababa means New Flower. The Meskal daisy in Ethiopia symbolizes happiness. I'm the happiest and most blessed I've ever been. I can truly say, my favorite flower is the Meskal daisy or the Yellow Daisy as it's known in America.

I'm enjoying a vase of fresh daisies as I type this.

The scooter as leverage

2009-03-24T22:05:00.004-05:00

Nati got his scooter. When he saw it he said "wow!". He practiced all evening but never quite put it all together to make it glide. Not to fear, I used his having a scooter to my advantage. I told Nati "only big boys have scooters... Big boys sleep in their own bed...Big boys lay down in their own bed and fall asleep on their own without holding their Mother's hand. Are you a big boy?" Yes, he said. He finally fell asleep on his own without me in the room. Granted it was after 9 o'clock. But it's a start.

Yeah Nati

2009-03-24T12:14:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago one of Nati's classmates was moved from his class to the one for 3 1/2 year old although she just turned 3. She was much taller than the other kids and her language was more developed. But I figured he's only been speaking English a few months. He'll get there when he's been here for 6 months. But in the mean time, I'm been doing what the early childhood assessor suggested: making his vocabulary more sophisticated. And I've been trying to institute a sticker chore and reward system. Today, the director of his day care mentioned that she thinks he's ready to go to the older kids room in a few months. As for his vocabulary, she thinks it'll accelerate it when he gets with the bigger kids.

In addition, another one of his kids in his classroom has a scooter. He's younger than Nati. I had been resisting the scooter til he was about 5. But all the kids on the playground have one. He tried to ride the scooter of the boy on the playground that was 3. The boy's Dad said he was doing a good job for his first attempt. Maybe he was being nice or maybe he's really ready. Can I mention again his classmate is younger than he is and has a scooter. I'm so competitive.

I'm not going to be one of those hovering Moms. Or one that pushes him into competitive situations. But I'm competitive and he's getting a scooter later today.

Ethiopia Health and Demographics

2009-03-16T10:12:00.002-05:00

I keep reading these stats that seem unbelievably high to me about infant mortality, etc so the engineer in me went on a search. Things aren't as others represent on their website. Read for yourself the stats from the 2005 report on Ethiopia. It appears this survey is conducted every 5 years. Publications are available for other countries as well if you're interested at Measure DHS.

The boy is too much!

2009-03-13T13:21:00.003-05:00

Last night, I wanted to watch CSI but he didn't want to go to bed. Yes I have a DVR but that didn't matter. I put him into his bed and left the room. I checked on him periodically. Once CSI ended I went back into the bedroom and found him playing in my bed. The bigger item was waiting for me in the bathroom. He'd removed his diaper, pooped, and wiped his butt. He's 2 years old! He actually did a good job of wiping but I did it again and had him wash his hands. He even had a diaper free and accident free night. Yippeee!

He's gaining on me

2009-03-03T09:15:00.000-06:00

Nati loves to step on the scale. I remember first changing his clothes and Abby helping me pull the elastic bands inside his size 2T pants to where they would "fit" and then having to still put a belt on him. I also had to cuff some of the pants legs. Those days are long gone. The elastic buttons are in the first loop hole, the pants are cuffed, and he hasn't worn the best in some time. He's up to 29.4 lbs in almost 3 months (started at 26 lbs). His PJs are definitely snug fitting. No chance of suffocation in those things for being too loose. He'll definitely be ready for his 3T clothes in the spring just in time for his June birthday.

We've been sick

2009-02-17T10:48:00.000-06:00

Not much to report from the last few weeks. Nati and I are both sick. Of course I got it from him. He might have asthma. I'm currently collecting estimates on replacing the carpet with laminate flooring. The flooring that's been sitting in my apt since Sept will finally get put down. The bids are pretty varying in pricing. So many decisions. I hope we feel better soon.

Nati rockin it with Bruce

2009-02-01T19:39:00.000-06:00

Nati and Bruce rocked it out at halftime.

Nati's week that was

2009-02-01T18:40:00.001-06:00

Nati has his first week of daycare and his first visit to the dentist. He was very cooperative for the dentist. He loves to brush his teeth so that was expected.

Daycare went great. Although he had 2 accidents, once because he was napping and the other I think because the teacher in the playroom where he was might not have know what he was saying or it could have been because he was so busy playing he didn't think to tell her he had to go. He ate his snacks and lunch within the alloted time. On Friday when I arrived at the daycare, he was going head first down the indoor slide with another girl and having lots of fun. He doesn't cry when I drop him off. He's very happy to see me when I come in.

In the morning before going to daycare he likes to look out the window and lolly gag while eating. Thursday and Friday, I said to him eat up Nati so you can go to school. That got him moving and his food eaten in a hurry. It was a good week. He seems happy to be around other children and leave them behind when time to go.

Nati's ATIN for taxes arrived

2009-01-31T15:59:00.000-06:00

It took less than 4 weeks and the ATIN is. I can now do my taxes. I applied for the ATIN by completing IRS form W-7A. All you need to do is mail the completed form, a copy of the VISA page in your child's passport which is the I-551 stamp, and a copy of the letter from MOWA that starts with "To Whom It May Concern" and ends with was approved by the courts on x date.

I applied for the ATIN using the same name on his passport. After his readoption, I can get a SS# in his new American name and not worry about any name change issues for the SS# and getting issued a new card once his name is offically changed.

What my name means (numerology)

2009-01-30T13:40:00.000-06:00

There are 21 letters in your name. Those 21 letters total to 110. There are 9 vowels and 12 consonants in your name. What your first name means:
Latin: Female: Christian.
Greek: Female: Christian.
French: Female: Follower of Christ.
English: Female: A variant of Christina. In the 1950s, Christine was one of the three most common feminine names in Britain. Famous people: American tennis player Chris Lloyd was born Christine Evert.

Your number is: 2

The characteristics of #2 are: Cooperation, adaptability, consideration of others, partnering, mediating.

The expression or destiny for #2
A number 2 Expression gives you the tools to work very well with other people. Your destiny is in the role of the mediator and the peacemaker. In many ways you are dependent on others and seem to function best in a partnership or in some form of group activity. Modesty runs deep in your nature, and you can work comfortably without recognition of your accomplishments. Often, others get credit for your ideas, and this is of little real concern to your since you are such a willing team player. As you grow in this direction, you become sensitive to the feelings of others, you are ever diplomatic in handling complicated situations. Cooperative, courteous, and considerate, you have the capacity to become an outstanding facilitator. You know how to organize and handle people. You are a good detail person because you rarely overlook anything. Tactful and friendly, nearly everyone likes you.

The negative 2 personality can be over-sensitive and easily hurt. Too much of this number in your makeup can make you very shy and uncertain. Sometimes the excessive 2 energies makes one apathetic and somewhat indifferent to the job at hand; the ability to handle details is hampered in these cases.

Your Soul Urge number is: 5
A Soul Urge number of 5 means: The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated.
In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced.
You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person.

Your Inner Dream number is: 6
An Inner Dream number of 6 means: You dream of guiding and fostering the perfect family in the perfect home. You crave the devotion from offspring and a loving spouse. You picture yourself in the center of a successful domestic unit.

Want to learn about your birthday? Click here!

A first

2009-01-27T13:04:00.000-06:00

Nati has his first full day of daycare today. This morning while getting ready, I kept reminding him he was going to school. He kept saying Nati kool? Nati kool? Yes Nati, you're going to school. Koolbus? No we're going to walk. Train choo choo? No Nati, we're going to walk to school. Nati troller? No Nati, we're not taking the stroller. We're walking to school.

Can you tell his preference is to be carried or to be in the stroller?

He's sooo smart

2009-01-21T12:27:00.000-06:00

Nati said to the sitter in Amharic...Momma doesn't speak Amharic? No she said. He then said "oh".

Animal Sounds

2009-01-16T16:51:00.001-06:00

Nati and I have been together a little over 5 weeks. His words are coming more and more each day. We're using the Baby Bumblebee video and flashcard series recommended by my friend Landria a speech pathologist. He loves animals and to repeat the sounds they make. We just shot this video. We need to work on the pig and duck sounds, as well as my cable management skills, but they're still cute.

Does your child do this?

2009-01-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

Nati is now sleeping in his own room most of the night. If I've already gone to bed when he wakes up, he'll come into my room to see if I'm awake and then he'll go to the hall, turn on the light, and sit by the door. At first he was standing by the bed, but he doesn't seem to want to do that anymore. Is he trying to escape? Is he not ready to be in his own room?

He's no longer Nati Miki

2009-01-12T20:17:00.001-06:00

When in Ethiopia, there were a few Nati's so he was known as Nati Miki since his name was Nati and his birth family called him Miki. When I first met him he called himself Nati Miki. Tonight we had an exchange that went like this:

Me: Nati get back in the bed...Nati get back in the bed...Nati Miki get back in the bed.
Him: Nati Miki no...Nati (pointing at himself)
Me: Just Nati?
Him: Nati (pointing at himself)...Momma (him pointing at me).
Me: OK Nati
Him: the infamous eyebrow raise

Safety or evil parenting?

2009-01-10T21:36:00.000-06:00

Nati opens the refigerator probably 30 times a day. I'll walk into the kitchen and he will have rearranged the contents or pulled out something and is walking around with it. Today I installed a safety latch. It's not to keep him from eating, it's to keep the food from spoiling. I feel bad. But I don't have to find anymore half eaten jello containers in his room on the chair.

Lord Help Me!

2009-01-10T08:57:00.000-06:00

I say this as often as he says Momma. I need to count how many times he says it in an hour.

I have the bed to myself

2009-01-03T20:04:00.000-06:00

Tonight's the first night Nati is asleep in his bed in his room.

I hate United Airlines

2008-12-24T15:45:00.000-06:00

We departed Ethiopia Friday evening and arrived Saturday morning US time in DC. We flew Ethiopian Airlines into Washington Dulles and from there connected on United. Before we landed at Dulles Nati began screaming. He'd been so good on the flight. Talking to the other passengers and the flight attendants. The screaming began because he didn't want to put his seat belt on for landing. All of the female flight attendants came running (the ladies man thing again.) They promised him candy if he calmed down. He promptly quieted down and gladly accepted his 2 pieces of chocolate and ate 1.

We passed customs without a hitch. That process takes about 5 mins with the opening of the envelope and getting it in order. We stopped to take a picture under the Welcome to the United States of America sign. Nati is so little his didn't come out well. The girl behind me took one of us together but she zoomed in too far and the sign is cut off. But you get the idea...right?

We were first in line for the immigration interview. I wasn't asked a single question. The couple behind me was interviewed. Those are the breaks.

I retrieved our 3 bags, delivered our luggage to the transfer point, got our boarding passes, and was all set. We finally arrived back home in NYC. Without any luggage. We've got the bag with the souveniors. But the suitcases are missing and it has our coats in them. Oh well, the taxi agent let us skip to the front of the line. You can do that if you find a nice one and they see you have a child. Our stuff has left for Chicago for the relocation so we're staying at a hotel.

I should tell you it's now Monday and still no luggage. I'm hold up in a 150 sq ft hotel room in the dead of winter with a new kid, no coat, and no fresh under wear and socks. Someone shoot me. I'm tired of room service. I'm calling United every few hours to get an update. The story changes each and every time. With United apparently when your stuff is lost you have to file a claim each day it's lost. All the flights they have into and out of DC headed for NYC's 3 airports and still no luggage. One minute they've located my luggage and the next it's lost again. Are you kidding me? And to top it all off, you're talking to someone half way around the world on another continent about your luggage lost in the states. Since we don't have warm clothing they've offered to reimburse me 25% of the amount I spend up to 200. Nati's coat, hat, and scraf were new. How frustrating!

I finally got my stuff back. Almost all of the items are broken that could break. One of the cameras from one of the families that sent a care package is missing. I've also got a note that says my luggage was searched. I can't tell tell you how much of a mess the one suitcase is. The items that were on the bottom are now on the top and the items on the left are on the right. I looks like it wasn't packed at all. I told Susan Parr I preferred to fly American but it was only 25 to add the flight on with United using their rates. Certainly not their fault. They offered me $50 credit for my next flight. I asked the agent if they were crazy. They aren't responsible for contents in the suitcase. Just abnormal wear and tear. This was the first and last time I'm flying United. I going to investigate filing a small claim lawsuit against them.

Week in Ethiopia - Friday the last day

2008-12-24T15:20:00.000-06:00

Friday was our last day. I was sad to see our time come to an end but I was relieved to be going home. We stayed at Ayat House during our time there. I highly recommend it. Waguyu and Zemmet were very nice and accommodating. We shared a traditional meal with them for lunch Friday. On Thursday Zemmet offered Nati shuro and injera to calm him down but he wasn't having any of that. Waguyu and Zemmet played soccer with Nati and talked to him in Amharic. They've been a tremendous help in the transition. Nati has nearly destroyed the gutter on the house. He's knocked it off and I've promised to send Waguyu some gutter clips in various sizes in hopes that I can find a better fastener. If you're staying at Ayat House in January let me know so I can send the fasteners with you.

Nati awoke with a new attitude I guess. We met members of his birth family. They brought me a scarf and necklaces. Nati was given traditional outfits for various sizes as he grows, some traditional shoes, and a staph to hold in his hand when he wears the clothes. I was even given a fantastic gift of a book of family photos of Nati and family through the years. He's 2 1/2 now. There are pictures from his birth, baptism, birthdays, etc in there. Even from when his mom was pregnant. I'm told by Belay that a video is coming after they can burn a copy. It'll be a great gift for when he's older. At the end he said ciao, waved goodbye and we were on our way. No tears. I was surprised.

I stopped in to see the children Nati shared a bed with. The kids sleep 3 to a bed. Nati's a wild sleeper I don't know how they accomplish this. Low and behold Nati slept with the Ivy family boys. It's such a small world. Although I'm now in Chicago I used to live in Dallas. I've met Monica and Henry. We used to have seats near each other for the Dallas Summer Musicals. My good friend Tricia works with Henry.

Nati's favorite care taker and 2 others stopped in to say good bye. I was all prepared for another screaming fit and again at the end he took pictures, said ciao and waved goodbye. Not a single tear. I guess we're bonding and he's turning the page on this chapter of his life.

Tafessa drove us out to Dreamland to have one last dinner with Belay, Laura, David, and Zelly, and Eyasu their driver. Dreamland was beautiful.

I've got my souvenirs, new friends, lifetime memories, and a new kid. I'm all set for the next chapter.

Week in Ethiopia - Thursday

2008-12-24T15:12:00.001-06:00

Today consisted of mostly souvenir shopping. A trip to the Alert Hospital (leprosy hospital), Haile Sailesse gift shop, a ride through Mercardo, an area near the post office with lots of shops that barter, picking out postcards, and getting coffee. Lots of coffee. The night concluded with a traditional dinner night that includes several traditional dances. In one of the traditional dances the girl is turning so head so fast it looks like it's about to fly right off her neck. What's more amazing is how she didn't faint from dizziness once she was done. I was dizzy just watching her.

Nati didn't come along so he once again stayed with the same caregiver from Tuesday. When I returned Tuesday afternoon from souvenir shopping he wasn't all to thrilled to see me again. Or maybe it was that I left him again. I called Belay and said I didn't want to go to the dinner or that I wanted Nati to come along because I couldn't take another screaming fit. Belay thought since we'd return so late in the evening after Nati was asleep that all would be well. We arrived back at the house a little after 10pm. As I was putting Nati to bed he woke up and another screaming fit started. He eventually cried himself to sleep. When he's beginning to calm down his cry sounds more like a soft howl. It's actually a little funny. Not to him I'm sure but it is to me.

Week in Ethiopia - Day 3 embassy day

2008-12-24T13:34:00.001-06:00

Wednesday is jammed packed. We have our embassy appointments, a coffee ceremony at the baby house, and pass out care packages to the other children from their families waiting in America. Upon arrival at the baby house for the ceremony and care package delivery, Nati immediately had a tantrum brought on by confusion. He'd spent a few days with me at the guest house and now I was "returning him" or so he thought. I got to pass out packages to the babies and take pictures and Ryan delivered some of the others at the nearby house as we thought it'd cause more confusion to take Nati or leave him with a care taker. We stayed behind and were joined by Diborah and Faven. Nati had a great time playing with the girls (such a ladies man already). At the coffee ceremony he insisted on having his own plate of popcorn (he's just like me). The trend continued for kids stroking my hair. This time it was Diborah. She's so adorable I didn't mind.

We went to lunch at Top View restaurant. Nati borrowed Ryan's sunglasses. He had rice since he had lots of diarrhea. We met Belay at the US embassy. I got the male interviewer. He asked me to verify this was the child I was expecting and asked a few questions about Nati's family. It took less than 2 minutes then I was given his stamp of approval. Pretty painless.

The week in Ethiopia - Monday/Tuesday

2008-12-24T13:28:00.000-06:00

Days 2 and 3 started with me asking him if he had to pee for which he responded no but he really did. I gave him a bath in the sink and I think he thought I was trying to drown him as he held on for dear life. I helped him brush his teeth and he swallowed the toothpaste. I should have demonstrated. We enjoyed bagels for breakfast. We played a little, all in silence from him. On Monday, Bougeoisa (misspelled I'm sure) a care taker came over while I went out for lunch with Ryan. Nati laughed and played loudly with her and had a great time. After she left, he was back to giving me the silent treatment.

Tuesday we visited some orphanages and Nati got to come along on our first outing. He was pretty silent for most of it. At the co-ed orphanage, the little girls wanted to stroke my hair. Ryan laughed the entire time as we had the hair conversation earlier. Both days came to an end about 7.

The week in Ethiopia - Day 1

2008-12-24T13:17:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay. Here are the updates...

Sunday Dec 7th a little after 3:30 I got to finally meet Nati. The care givers brought him down and he let me take him outside to play. We took pictures and played with the boomerang. I managed to hit him in the head when I threw it. I'm sure he thought what the heck...She wants to be my mother and can't even manage to not hit me the first 10 mins I'm with her. We went back inside and took pictures with the other children and they all said chao to him. I began to change his clothes and his favorite care giver walked in and he started to really cry. She talked to him in Amharic about all the clothes, candy, toys, etc he'd have in America and she said something about my hair and he stroked my head a few times. I hate it when people other than my hair dresser touch my hair but I made it through. I finally managed to pry him away. He wouldn't stop crying so Abby invited us to visit with them and the kids (Marta, Enoch, and Ezra) and pick up some toys from Enoch. Other than shinti (pee) and ca-ca (poop). He didn't really say much else to me the entire rest of the day. At 6 we ate pizza and spaghetti. Around 7 I changed him into his PJs, read him a book, and put him into bed. He went right into a sleeping position, closed his eyes and day 1 came to an end.

I'm in Cairo

2008-12-06T13:43:00.000-06:00

Since I was so close to Eypt how could I not come on over. I took a camel ride to see the pyramids and the Sphinx. Took a boat ride down the Nile River, and even got to see King Tut's tomb at the museum. It's been a great trip...long and exhausting but well worth it. Here are a few pics from my day's trek through the desert.

Tomorrow I'm back in ET. Unfortunately their Internet has been shotty. Not sure I can blog but check back.

Day 1 in Addis

2008-12-05T19:06:00.000-06:00

Spent my first day and night in Addis. I'm at the Bejoe House which is very nice. It's close to the airport and since I'm now in Egypt that came in handy. I was doing well til the roosters started crowing. In the US urban cities we've got lumberjacks, sirens, and horn honking. I'm very use to that kind of noise and almost immune to it. It took me a few secs to figure out I was hearing a rooster and I even doubted it the first time it crowed.

My driver is Tessafaye. He took me to a lovely Parisian cafe for breakfast. I had a pancake which was good. Next we went to the top of the mountain, started the altitude pills 24 hours before arrival as suggested, and to see Lucy at the National Museum. Unfortunately Lucy wasn't in. She's on tour for 3 years in the states. I then got to meet Ryan and Marta at an italian restaurant for lunch. Marta pack the food away and she's so tiny. Amazing! I had the pizza margarita. Not NYC but not bad. The flatbread and hummus was good too.

I've now arrived in Egypt. I've got to see the Giza Pyramid, the Sphinx, and cruise the Nile. I can't wait!

Awaiting the connection

2008-12-03T16:53:00.000-06:00

I made it to DC. I've got 3 suitcases and 2 carryons. A big shout out to Eddie at United for not charging me for the extra luggage. A big BOO WHOO to ETA for making me cough up 210 for the extra luggage and weight. I'm also down to 1 carryon. That's not all that unfortunate as it was heavy. Let's all pray it makes it to ET unharmed as it has all the care packages in it. I stressed to the airline rep how important it is THAT particular bag makes it. Also, here's a tip...If flying ETA call ahead to the service center and tell them you have humanitarian aid and work out an arrangement. Don't take care of it at the airport as clearly it doesn't work in your favor. Good thing I can write this off.

t-1 til liftoff

2008-12-02T13:57:00.000-06:00

The tickets are here. I just need to finish packing, charge up the electronics, and clean up the place.

Thanksgiving and Christmas came early

2008-11-21T15:41:00.000-06:00

Praise be to God! Natalie had been trying to call me for a while today and finally emailed me. I had left my phone in my pocket as I just had my gallbladder removed and I've been trying to rest. She says...I have some news for you? Oh boy another delay is what I thought. I got the call proclaiming I'm a MOM! Boy will both of our lives be very different.

1 year anniversary today

2008-11-17T19:40:00.001-06:00

In the past year the following has occured:

Oil hits $100 a barrel
Eliot Spitzer Linked to Prostitution Ring
Snowfall detected on Mars
Fidel Castro resigns as President of Cuba
Gas at the pump hits $4.00 a gallon.
Obama elected president
The dow lost 4306 points
My baby came to the older kids foster care center 1 year ago today and still isn't home :-(

Oh What A Night...Yes We Did!

2008-11-05T08:40:00.000-06:00

We did it! Some photos from my excitement at Grant Park last night. Yes I was there for the history making event. I wasn't close enough to touch him or see if without the help of technology but I'll never forget 11/4/2008 at 10pm central the area of Jackson and Columbus Drive, Grant Park, Chicago. Roughly 60 degrees and 260,000 of my closest friends. Can you see me in the crowd?

I vote because

2008-11-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I've voted in every single presidential election since 18 and in most city/state elections. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about the politicians. I vote because my grandmother couldn't always vote. My family originted in the south and until 1965 most Blacks were disenfranchised. 1965 wasn't all that long before I was born. It's certainly been during the time of my aunts/uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc. I didn't like history class. But when it came to voting rights I did pay attention. I encourage you to follow the link to milestones you so know what it did for me, for you, and contributed to this historic day.

Obama Fever

2008-11-03T17:49:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited about tomorrow's election results I might not be able to sleep. I cast my absentee ballot weeks ago for NY as they don't early voting. I couldn't miss the chance to see history in person. I'm in Chicago. If only I had tickets to see Oprah, then I'd be all set. I've seen her before but it'd be nice again. Go OBAMA!

I was tagged

2008-10-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Shasta tagged me to answer 7 unique things about myself. Here we go.

1. Being an only child sucks. Everyone thinks you're spoiled. True enough. But the biggest thing is you'll never be an aunt or uncle unless you marry someone who's not an only child. With the divorce rate as high as it is, you'll probably only be an aunt or uncle temporarily.

2. One of the items on my life list is to visit every continent. So far I've been to Europe and Asia. I've got North America covered and soon I'll be in Africa. The plan is to visit Uruguay and take a boat trip over to Antartica so I knock out 2 continents in one trip and one day snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef.

3. My favorite things to eat are: vanilla/vanilla cupcakes of course, cornbread dressing, and Ted Drewes lime cretes.

4. I enjoy reading crime novels. Kate White and the Bailey Weggins series, Catherine Coulter and the FBI series, most John Grisham stuff, and Patrica Cornwell and the Kay Scarpetta series.

5. My favorite night time shows are: CSI:, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Cold Case, and Law & Order . The originals of both are still the best. Do you see a pattern emerging here?

6. I watch The Young and the Restless and General Hospital every day. Yes you read that right. I still watch soap operas. When I was younger these were my role models. I wanted to be rich like Victor Newman and educated like Ashley Abbott. I got the education part down. Still working on the $$$. But I've been blessed far beyond most people.

7. I would love to be on the Amazing Race reality TV show. Then I could see the world.

You're supposed to Tag 7 people. But I'm picking just a few less than that.

Sally, Robbin, and Catrina

Another delay

2008-10-15T12:26:00.000-05:00

I am sooooooooooo sick of all the BS. Another delay. I know that when, if, he finally does get here that I won't even remember this. But in the mean time...Good thing those window guards are installed. Just kidding but still.

Life is too short

2008-10-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

We lost my cousin, Kevin Foster, this week. Just another reminder of how short life can be. In the last 18 months, we've lost my friend Curt, a girl from college, my cousin. People still ask me why I wanted to adopt. One of the items on the life list is to be a mom, then I might as well pursue it now.

7 days to go

2008-10-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

That's the time left until my next scheduled court date. I have plenty to keep me busy in the mean time. The time will fly by, I'm sure

Can you put a ceiling on the price of safety?

2008-10-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

I live in a high rise. The #1 thing I've been worried about when making this apartment child proof is the windows. My apartment isn't on the first floor; therefore I have to keep the child from falling out. The advertisement I saw on the bus said something such as screens keep bugs out not kids in, use window guards. Well I knew that. I've been contacting the glass company repeatedly since July to get some guards installed. Well they finally installed them on Friday The materials he used were: a silicon glue gun and a strip of metal about 1 inch wide that he cut into strips about 5 inches long. He then glued 1 strip onto the inside frame and it prevents the window from opening more than 4 inches. I've got 7 windows. The installer was here 35 mins. For 35 mins of labor and materials that probably cost $10, my bill was $280. Are you kidding me?

I know if he fell out the window, I'd be kicking myself for not paying the fee. But come on...$280.

The AC if fixed

2008-09-19T08:21:00.002-05:00

I'm very excited. The A/C is fixed. I originally thought I'd need to buy a new one. Turns out the plug and socket were burned out. Total price to fix was a fraction of what a new one would costs. I'm super excited. Thank you Lord!

Yes I'm still here

2008-09-19T08:21:00.001-05:00

I've been really busy. I fell down the stairs and badly injured my ankle. I've had tons of x-rays and I found my foot in a boot as a result to stabilize and cushion so it could heel. I've just been hobbling around. My NYC apartment is a 4 story walkup and I'm on the 3rd floor. Needless to say, I've been preoccupied with how to get up and down the stairs safely leaving no energy for blogging or reading other people's either. But all is healed now. Still a little sore but not nearly as swollen. Last week I was able to wear a regular shoe.

Cool websites

2008-08-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

I found the most awesome website today. How walkable is your neighborhood? What's your score? Click here to find out. I'm a 95. I strive to be 100.

Oct 17th

2008-08-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

The new court date is Oct 17th.

We didn't make it through

2008-08-06T15:28:00.000-05:00

Need I say more.

T - 2

2008-08-04T08:35:00.001-05:00

The courts close in Ethiopia on Thursday. The last day of court cases will be Wednesday. Still hoping I'll get through by then but no guarantees. 2 more days of waiting to find out our fate.

Nesting

2008-07-27T14:26:00.000-05:00

No not me... But the pigeon outside my bathroom window that chose to build her nest on my window ledge. She's been sitting there for a week now. Maybe her babies will arrive the same day I'm told mine will. Let's all hope.

While I wait

2008-07-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

I might as well enjoy single life. All things considered, it was a GREAT weekend. One of my friends is visiting from Chicago. We saw the musical Passing Strange and it was wonderful. Unfortunatley the production is closing on Sunday. But fortunately for all of us Spike Lee is making it into a movie. That leads me to guess who I saw...Spike Lee and Phylicia Rashada....Who? You know, the Mom from The Cosby Show. I took a picure of her and my friend. Spike was out and about getting ready for the taping. He's quite short. Phylicia is very friendly.

Since I've been in NYC I've seen:
Woody Allen, Denzel Washington, Nigel from America's Next Top Model, Bill Gates, and Bill Clinton (got a picture), and now Phylicia and Spike.

Still Waiting

2008-07-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

I've gotten 2 calls from the unknown today. Neither have been the one I really truly want.

Not 7 but 10

2008-07-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

10 families got through court today. Not the 7 as I originally thought. I'm sure I'm just around the corner. Congratulations to the 10. I'm thrilled for you!

test

2008-07-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

Testing the email functionality.

7 families

2008-07-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

7 families made it through court. We don't know who all of them are yet. I can say congratulations to Chris and Shasta. Let's pray that Sally, Christina, Peggy, and I are all soon. This waiting is torturous.

Back on Track

2008-07-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

The adoption train is up and running again. Praise God, we're back on track.

Still At It

2008-07-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

My first craigslist posting for the wall unit was unsuccessful. I reposted today and got it sold. I figure I'll sell a lot of stuff in my apartment now. I've been walking around trying to see what I can get rid of. I sold a 5 tier shelving unit. I've got some text books from my MBA days. Maybe I'll inventory those tomorrow and post.

Clutter, clutter go away

2008-06-24T15:16:00.001-05:00

I've been busying myself over the last few weeks ridding my apartment of clutter. I've posted the large items on Craigslist that I want to sell. I figured what the heck since it doesn't cost me a fee to post there, as opposed to ebay. Check back to see how I do.

A first

2008-06-15T11:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been relatively boring. I did, however, make my first contribution to the Barack Obama campaign. What I was waiting for I'm really not sure. But I've done it now.

A Diverse World Composition

2008-06-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

If the entire world were a village of 100 people, what would it look like? Do you know? Here are a few facts about those 100 people courtesy of Dr Donella Meadows

57 Asian, 21 European, 14 from the Western Hemisphere, 8 African
52 Female, 48 Male
70 Non-white, 30 White
70 Non-Christian, 30 Christian
89 Straight, 11 Gay
6 people hold 59% of the world's worth (all from the US)
80 live in substandard housing
70 are unable to read
50 suffer from malnutrition
1 is near birth, 1 is near death
1 has a college education
1 has a computer

What are you doing to show cooperation, charity, compassion, acceptance, tolerance, hope, comfort, understanding, or appreciation? With over 6 billion people in the world, you do the math. It starts with you and me.

Court Part 1

2008-06-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

I just heard from Natalie. Today was my court date for those who may have forgot.

Baby's biological mother did come to the court today and relinquished her rights. I was all worried that she wouldn't show with it being so close to his birthday. Then Natalie tells me that a few days ago the birth mother and a few extended relatives came to the foster care center and had a little birthday party for him. They do allow the families to visit the kids up until they leave the country.

My file will still remain open while we await the finalization of court and MOWA's opinion.

Part 1 is done but we await the remaining parts.

This day in history

2008-06-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

Today, June 3, 2008 is a proud day in all of America. America will have our first ever Black Presidential nominee. Hillary Clinton will concede that Barack Obama has enough delegates to secure the nomination. Many have tried. Barack Obama has succeeded. With education, will, determination, and a lot of other adjectives I can't remember at the moment, the sometimes unimaginable and seemingly insurmountable becomes possible. This truly changes what it can mean to be Black in America. Congratulations to all Americans.

Happy Birthday Baby

2008-06-01T02:01:00.000-05:00

Today's the little guy's 2nd birthday. I can't imagine spending it in a foster care center. Maybe someone in ET will remember. On the bright side, he'll never have another away from home and hopefully this will be his last month away from his family. Here's to you kid!

Upcoming partial court proceeding

2008-05-31T17:05:00.000-05:00

I talked with my caseworker, Natalie, on Friday. She says that the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) that governs adoptions will be slightly delayed in rendering their opinion. Our court cases will continue for June 3. Normally MOWA issues their opinion the day before the court proceeding then the adoptions are finalized during the court proceeding. It's my understanding that the files for the proceedings will remain open and they will complete as much of the process on June 3 (or whenever your court date is) as they can and they will await the written opinion on a case to be issued by MOWA to finalize the adoption.

Lots of families in court and awaiting court are impacted by the delay. While I hate waiting, in the end, I will have the child I'm meant to have when I'm meant to have him.

Please pray for all the families but especially the children impacted.

The baby checklist

2008-05-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy bee...

All shots completed
My final payment is on its way to Gladney.
I registered at Babies R Us Tuesday
Planned out the gifts for the country staff and caretakers
Humanitarian Aid ordered and delivered
Informed dr of travel plans and scripts are ready for pickup for needed meds

Lots still left to do but the small things feel great.

Court Date Announcement

2008-05-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

I got this from my caseworker today...Let's pray it goes well.

"The court date is scheduled for June 3rd, which is a Tuesday.
I will be in contact with our in-country representatives on June 3rd and then will give you a phone call to let you know the results of the court appointment. We always hope that adoptive parents’ court appointments go through smoothly on the initial court date, but please be prepared for the possibility that your court date may be delayed and rescheduled. Delays do not always occur, but they are not uncommon. In the event that your court date is delayed and rescheduled, our in-country staff will provide us with as much information as they have about the reason for the delay.
Adoptive parents typically travel 2-3 weeks after their completed court dates in Ethiopia, and you be will be given your finalized travel dates once your court date is complete and approved. The time period in between the court date and your travel dates is required for our in-country representatives to obtain the court decree from the courts, your child’s Ethiopian birth certificate, and your child’s Ethiopian passport. All of those documents are needed in order to schedule the appointment that you will have at the U.S. Embassy while you are in Ethiopia .
Please let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll keep you updated."