bedtime

Reading in the Big Blue Chair

(okay, so this is actually at naptime, but we do it at night too)

Mmmm, bath water

Turito

Hair care

P.J.s

Finding the package - aka bottle

(whoever is not doing bath hides the bottle in the chair. Turo will check during the day when we are in his room and can't quite figure out how the bottle gets there)

Rock, rock

(We still give Turo a bottle before naps and bed. It is one of the attachment things we actually have followed. I love this time because Turo holds still long enough for a cuddle.)

Swing

Yesterday as Turo and I played on the swings at the park, I was reminded of a moment from our first week together. It was Thursday, which was the day we visited our agency’s care centers with Turo. This was an emotional morning for everyone, and Turo sobbed as we drove away from the place he had spent half of his life. By the time we got to the restaurant for lunch, Turo was calmer, but still out of sorts. Jose walked him around the lovely grounds, we tried to feed him some lunch, but he was spent.

Finally, I took him in my arms for a stroll. Our wanderings led us to a hidden swing set nestled among the trees. With Turo against my chest, I began to swing. Finally, lulled by the warm sun and the sway of our bodies, he slept. As I held him in my arms, our hearts touching, I looked out over Addis Ababa. Often during the wait, I reminded myself “this moment is all there is.” Now, these words rang through my head because this too was fleeting. So I tried to breathe it all in. The city spread out below us, the heat from my sleeping child, the smell of Eucalyptus, the newness of motherhood, Africa. And for the first time in over two years, that moment was all there was.

Belly Button

Today Turo discovered his belly button.

Happy New Year

Friday marked the first day of 2002 in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian calendar is based on 13 months, so we kicked off the New Year with Wesley, Meredith and my mom. We’re tying to figure out ways to incorporate Ethiopian culture into our family activities and traditions. I found a great little Ethiopian resturant nearby and picked up an assortment of yummy food for everyone to try. The music, the smells, the art and the beautiful Amharic speaking waitress gave Turo and me a tiny piece of Ethiopia. Plus Turo melted my heart when he looked at the waitress, pointed to me and said, "mama." I know we'll return to this cozy spot frequently.

But I don’t want to eat injera on special holidays and think I’m doing enough. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to Turo’s first family and to Ethiopia to make sure he feels connected to his homeland in a meaningful way.

Water

I had easy access to clean water today. When I needed to clean, shower, boil, wash, drink or flush, the water was there. I didn’t have to think about it or worry about it. I didn’t have to plan my day around gathering water. I just turned a knob, or pushed a lever or flipped a switch and the water poured in.

For a billon people in the world, gathering water is a struggle. When we were in Ethiopia, I saw the need for clean water firsthand. I watched from our van as women collected water from a dirty stream along the road. Women, men, children and mules hauled orange and yellow jerry cans through the countryside. How far had they traveled for water? What were they not able to do because they had to collect water each day?

Charity:Water is doing amazing work in developing nations. By bringing water to rural communities, this organization transforms the lives of people one well at a time. Charity:Water has a big fundraising campaign in September if you want to check it out.

First Haircut (In the US)

Jose & Turo made a trip to the barbershop this morning. Based on the photo and video evidence, Turo did not dig this experience.

For Little Orange: Toddler Fun

Theresa will be off soon to pick up her little Orange in Ethiopia. Here are a few thoughts from us on playthings to bring.

For Ethiopia we brought little cars, a couple of stuffed animals, plastic connector things, finger puppets, a small nerf ball and a few books. What he loved to play with: drawers and our luggage. On the plane he enjoyed the tray table and the remote to the TV. We played with the other stuff too, but he wasn't interested in items that didn't do anything like the puppets and stuffed animals. He also liked eating goldfish out of a small ziplock because that could be opened and closed.

Fun with luggage

These are fun to pull apart and put together, but I have no idea what they're called.

Some other stuff that might be fun

Turo played with the caregiver's phone at the guest house, so he was a natural with this phone from Target. It makes noises and you can even record your own message.

Turo likes interactive board books with flaps, doors, fuzzy stuff, etc. He also likes board books with big pictures. He's really not into stories yet. He does like pointing to things and having me name what it is or he'll name the stuff he knows.

Instead of a boring ol' ball, this ball has cool glitter inside. Way more fun to roll, toss or spin.

These are a few of our current hits. As we discover more neat stuff, we will be sure to share.