Busy Boy

Turo has been described by more than one person as “busy.” The Kindermusik teacher asked if he ever slows down. Turo loves to explore. In a new place, he has to check it all out. He just has to know what opens and closes, what goes up and down, where doors lead, where noises come from and if things will push or pull. If other people are around, he will greet them and he may grab a hand or two. The kid has to thoroughly investigate every nook and cranny. Even at home he is continually making new discoveries. Countless times a day he grabs my hand and insists that I “na,” (we think this is Amharic for come).

He has been this way from our first encounter. Within thirty minutes of meeting us, Buturo was ready to inspect his new digs. For a week in Ethiopia, he wanted to see what was outside, down the stairs, in the kitchen, in the drawers, in the office. Sometimes we would take him in our room just because it was so tiring chasing him around the guesthouse.

His curiosity hasn’t lessened since our arrival in the U.S. Our hour at Border’s storytime today clearly illustrates this. I think he may have sat down for 30 seconds. He had to check out the story area, the outlets, the sliding cabinet, the adjustable bookshelves, the toy train, the little toys they keep at child level, a table (under which he crawled), the chairs and a couple of babies. He tried to play peek-a-boo with another mother, found one song so amusing he ran around shrieking and then initiated “run away from mama” which ended with both of us giggling hysterically.

My kid may be the one other mothers shake their heads at, but I’m trying to let go of my concern that he isn’t “following the rules” when we’re out in public. I think Turo is making up for 15 months in rather stark environments and at some point he’ll figure out some of the social norm stuff. (Anyway, this is what I’m telling myself when I’m exhausted from a day with my pint sized adventurer.)

While there are a few moments when I long for him to quietly play with blocks while I make dinner or put away the dishes or sweep or [insert household task made harder by curious toddler], I am usually amused by this little guy. I hope his delight in learning new things will only continue to develop. And I hope that I can keep up with him.

What does this do?

Cheerio? Yum.

On the move Baby

Ohh, something to open and close

"Na"

Tsehai Loves Learning

My sister, who is worldly and awesome, posted a request for links to Amharic children's programs on Couchsurfing (a website that matches travelers with couches). She received several responses and one person recommended Tsehai Loves Learning. Tsehai is an Amharic speaking giraffe who teaches kids about numbers, honesty and love. You can watch a YouTube clip of the show from the Tesehai website.

I ordered two DVDs and was excited to receive them quickly in the mail. I popped the first one and waited to see how Turo would react. He liked the music, but I couldn't tell if he recognized the Amharic. He watched for a couple of minutes, but he quickly moved to the next activity. I continued to watch since the episodes have English subtitles. The first DVD is about 40 minutes long and the second one is over an hour. They're really cute! As Turo's attention span increases, I think this will be a great way to keep him exposed to Amharic.

Turo sporting the outfit Aunt Katie brought back for him from the Middle East.

Country Mill

Today we visited the Country Mill with Turo. This family farm, run by one of my classmates, is right outside the town in which I grew up. I have many fond memories of this place. When I was young, my dad used to take me there when he'd come visit in October. Then I worked there for two falls during high school dipping caramel apples and bagging donuts. So, it was pretty special to return there with my family.

Pumpkins

Turo sized pumpkin

With Grandma Sharon

Family photo

G.G. lives down the road from the Mill, so we stopped to say "hi."

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.