KNOCKING THEM OUT!

Derebe keeps hitting his face on things.

Sometimes it's a pole. 

Sometimes it's his brother. 

One tooth out.  

One more loose.
A tear or two shed by this mama, realizing that this little guy is growing old!

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Sledding with some friends.  

Gorgeous, sunny day!

Could NOT have asked for better conditions.

Melkam Gena!

Um, yup, this is an actual update!  I've had several emails from people who drop by our inactive (!!!) blog occasionally...and they are wondering how the boys are doing.  :)  

Last night, we celebrated Ethiopian Christmas with many other families from around the area.  It's great fun seeing so many other adoptive families and local Ethiopians.  This celebration is one of the efforts by Ethiopians to help our kids (and entire families) hold on to at least a smidgen of culture, language, etc.  Something I'm so grateful for, because, quite honestly, it's hard to do!  

We had a fun-filled summer!  First we spent a couple days at the beach with Aaron's family and then flew down to San Francisco/Sacramento area to visit some friends.  In an odd way, it was like a one-year anniversary trip since our port of entry last year was San Francisco! We also spent a week in Kauai with part of my family.  The boys LOVE swimming and eating...and there really is no better place for both than Hawaii.  

Both boys started Montessori this year and are enjoying it immensely. I have to admit that I feel a little cheated and wish I was able to learn the way they do!   

They're almost citizens.  More money, more paperwork.  Finally done.  And we just wait. 

We had one of my old students babysit (first from outside the family!!!).  It's only been one time, but we're looking forward to more...haha.  Nevertheless, any adoptive family understands the benchmark there. 

If there's one thing we've learned as parents, it's that kids change!  So we're careful to characterize the boys, but I guess if we took a current day snapshot, Derebe strives to be responsible, honest, and loves interacting with people (and caring for little ones) while Cherenet is naturally silly, curious, and easy-going.  They are such great kids...I think one of the most rewarding parts of parenting is being able to picture these boys growing into stand up, respectable men.  :)  

Okay, I'm out!

THE SECRET POWER OF ORANGES

ME: Why do you think you've been getting busted so much lately?

D: Um, maybe...maybe it's because I eat too many oranges...

A LITTLE CRAZY

It's been way too wacky around here to blog at all. That's a big old story all by itself. It's almost midnight and I really want to hit the sack, but I must share this little smidge of awesome-ness. We just measured the boys the other day and C is the same height that D was a year ago. Then, we realized, how crazy that is...how much growth that is--in less than a year.  It's like he's grown an entire head length!  Look at that!  I do not understand how a body can do that. We HAD to get them back to back to document that one.

 

I don't really care how tall the boys get...not the point. What we do find amazing, is that his extreme growth (and no more orange hair!) is such a picture of what this whole last year has been, not just for the boys, but for us too. It's such a picture of how important the basics are. It's such a reminder to me to be grateful for all I have, and yet, keep it a distance from my heart so that it's easier to give it away.

A few days ago, I was tucking D in and he told me that he wanted to send his money to Ethiopia.  You know why? So that his cousin could buy food for breakfast and lunch. Because when he was in Ethiopia they only ate ONCE a day and were always hungry. It breaks my heart AND brings me great joy that this four-year-old has moments in which he is burdened for others. That's just it. Blessings of a Burdened Heart. I hope he heals, but I hope he never forgets... so that God can use his brokeness for good. I just know that he's going to be a blessing to so many who cross his path as his heart is to love and be loved.

DON'T LET THAT FACE FOOL YA...

Derebe had his first pee-wee soccer game on Saturday.  He was soooo looking forward to it and has been playing outside in the cold just "practicing" kicking his ball around.  Despite the face in the ONLY picture I got of him (and the bloody nose), he had a blast.  I have to say, we've got a hustler on our hands.  Or, in his words, "I worked HARD!"

And one of my favorite parts was when he saw his little cousin walk in and he jumped off the bench and ran over to hug her.  So cute, but let's hope that's not happening in ten years!

And the countdown begins for game #2.

IT'S PITIFUL, BUT THEY'RE IMPRESSED...

Yes, we live in the NW, but we don't really get snow here where we live.  Just tons of cloudy days and more than our fair share of wet blessings from above.  I like it though...by far, it pays off in year-round green and the MOST incredible summers ever!  However, we're all big fans of snow and LOVE when we actually get some.  Our snow is mostly pitiful, but still, beautiful...and the boys just think it's magical. 

On this day, the clouds were amazing...so moody!

Finally, "enough" snow to grease up the yard and justify breakin' out the sled.

Man and "Man's Best Friend" -- he'd follow him into fire, I think.

Even on days with less than this, the kiddos are overjoyed.

Love the winter, but I'm ready to get outside without needing to be all bundled up!  This morning was great...the sun popped out for a little while and we dropped everything to take advantage of it.  The boys have their eyes on that sandbox!

JUST STUFF...

Back to numbers because it's been a little wacky around here...fixing up a rental, re-entering into non-holiday normality, lots of courthouse/doctor visits...

1.  There really are some universal truths for all.  Aaron was wearing his slippers with socks on creating that oh-so-gross-camel-toe look.  Derebe looked at his feet, paused, and said, "Oh...you're wearing socks?" As if to say, "Uh, Dad, seriously?  That's kinda weird." He's only four-years-old and it rubbed him the wrong way...hehe.

2.  Derebe and I went out shopping the other day to have some bonding time.  We decided to go shopping because he's getting GIGANTIC and wasn't really fitting in any of his clothes.  Anyway, when we got home, he was looking at his new assortment of shirts/pants and said, "Wow, mommy, I'm getting taller...I'm growing biiiiiiig.  Almost have beard like Daddy! Aaaalmoooost!"   It's amazing.  The human body is just shockingly resilient when it gets what it needs.  D was telling us that he only ate once a day...which compared to many in this world, I suppose one meal is pretty good. Poor guy. Needless to say, food is VERY important to him still.  Check out these pics of the boys on the day we met at the end of June. AND then the black and white picture is them a few days ago in the SAME clothes!  Let's just say Cherenet's belly is poking out and Derebe's legs are getting long!  I remember that day how is pants were just sliding off his little bottom.  Not so much anymore...

3. The boys have started watching and doing this yoga for kids exercise video that goes through the alphabet and they are so stinking cute!  Nice to throw in some extra activity now that winter has lost it's novelty.  You know?!

4.  Went to Amharic class #2.  Mostly review with some new vocab.  Plus, a mystery solved.  Finally figured out why the boys used to call dogs "Wussychews" -- always strange to me because it doesn't sound like Amharic.  When you say something like woosha, it means dog.  And achu refers to a group.  So, we're thinking it means a pack of dogs...which would make sense. Technically, the boys spoke a tribal language, then Amharic, and then English -- with kid interpretation all mixed in all over the place.  Soooo, sometimes things are a mystery to us.  OR were.  Communication is pretty breezy lately, but I'm sad that they don't use some of their old Amharic words anymore. :(

5.  Lately, both the boys keep talking about babies.  Just randomly throughout the day, I hear baby talk.  Sometimes insisting that "it" comes from my belly and other times requesting an "Etopia" baby.  The other day, Derebe said, "Mommy, I want an Etopia baby, but I don't want a baby in my booty."  Yeah, I don't know what that means either.

Soon, I hope to post about our Ethiopian Christmas celebration.  Got some good video!