Three Years Ago Today...

Three years ago we were at LAX, about to start our travels to Ethiopia. Armed with photos, passports, and nervous stomachs, we boarded the plane.

When I texted Steven at work yesterday to confirm the exact date, we had a brief exchange. He ended it with:


I've known them forever.

That Steven, he doesn't say much, but when he does...

Yeah, I feel that way too honey.

Two Years Ago

We met.

A Book in Their Hands

Dear Kololo Cuties,

Did you know that not only do you have family in Los Angeles, but you have family all over the country? If family are the people who love you the most, want the best for you, and would do anything to make your life better, then you have family in Maine, South Carolina, Upstate, Tenne ssee, further Upstate, Massachusetts, Washington, New York,  Georgia, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin, and pretty much every other state in the US, and in Canada, France, and the UK.

I wish you could have been there. People were talking about you all night; what you need, how they could help you. Ordinary extraordinary people. Mothers, fathers, readers, writers, artists, and educators.

Your school and library are fully funded, well beyond kindergarten. Tesfa and Ethiopia Reads will break ground in your village as soon as it stops raining, most likely in October.

Get some rest. You are going to need to be at your best to absorb all the new and wondrous things you'll see. Dust off your small hands, you're about to hold your first book.

Don't worry, I'll thank your family for you. It will be my pleasure.

Is This...? Is This...?

If you have I-Photo on your computer you may be using a relatively new feature there called Faces. The program magically scrolls through your photos and helps you categorize them using facial recognition.
I have folders there of Meazi and Melese. You can tag your photos, just like Facebook. Is this Meazi? It asks me, Is this Melese? Meazi may also be in the pictures below,  it tells me.

If you are like me and you traveled to Ethiopia you may have all of your trip photos in your I-Photo. If you are like me and you are just sitting there, organizing your stuff, you might find yourself suddenly overcome.

Is this Meazi?

Is this Melese?

 Melese may also be in the picture below.

It is a bit jarring to see these pop up amid some bright colorful pics of a friend's recent birthday party. Sometimes I have to look twice. I wonder about these kids, and how their day is going. I wonder if they have eaten, or if they are sick.

Just something I noticed. Try it. Batch your trip photos with your everyday photos, and start searching for the faces of your kiddos. Is that them?

Nightshirt

I woke up late today, 6 am. Since Saturday was the beginning of daylight savings time, I guess it was really my normal wake up time, 5am. I went to turn off my I-Phone alarm and heard the slap, slap, slap of Meazi's feet coming down the hallway. She was wearing a shirt I gave her to sleep in. It was a shirt I got in grammar school, the letters JULIE ironed on the back, a kind of baseball jersey with a white chest, and long purple arms. She had her gold sleep cap on. I joined her on the couch. She said, "Mommy, I want in." She climbed into my sleep shirt, Steven's shirt, a super soft grey cotton shirt he got from work, thin enough to sleep in, but with long sleeves to keep my arms warm during the cool night. She stuck her head up through the neck, her face now touching mine, her chest against mine. She put her head on my shoulder and we sat their together in his shirt, her in my shirt, the two of us a strange two-headed groggy person. We sat there silently for a moment and then she said, "They made you put Croq's on." She was taking about the orphanage and how they make you change your shoes, and put on a pair of their 'inside shoes'. I said, "Yes they did Meazi."

Melese woke up and called out for me.

If he hadn't, I would have stayed with her like that... forever.

Friday, August 14, 2009-Saturday, August 15th 2009- and Today.

Friday was our last day in Ethiopia. I woke up early and ran downstairs to see if the coffee was ready. It wasn't but I saw Tanya in the courtyard. The next group of families had arrived and Tanya was among them. I think I cried when I hugged her. And not just because she threw me that amazing virtual shower before ever meeting me. I think it was because it had been such an emotional week. I think it was because I had already met her beautiful boys. She looked out to the care center the same way I had just a week before.

Meazi was still out of sorts and we had Roza talk with her. Roza said Meazi was happy, liked us very much, and knew she was going on an airplane later in the day to America. I think Meazi just pretended to be okay.

We left mid day.


If you ask Meazi about the first flight, from Addis Ababa to Dubai, she will tell you over and over again how we had to sit in different 'carts'. Steven and Melese were in the row with the bassinet, and Meazi and I were in a row behind, and across from them. Meazi couldn't believe that we didn't all get to sit together. She was amazed by absolutely everything at her seat. She showed everything to the amiable college girl sitting next to her. The girl would nod and pretend to be as excited about the tray table, and the seat belt, etc. Then Meazi fell asleep. We have a short video clip (that I can't transfer to a mac) that captures me in my first fully relaxed, happy moment. It was as if I let go of everything . The plane doors had been securely locked, and I was headed home with my children. I haven't seen an image of me looking that peaceful in over a decade.

Once we got to Dubai we camped out at one of the pay-by-the-hour lounges.






Then it was just a mere 16 1/2 hours to Los Angeles.




How did they know to serve M&m's to our little M&m's? I ate this while Meazi was asleep. She still talks about that too. She was pissed.

I did save the M&m's for her though.

Steven just said to me now, that he had no idea how we were ever going to manage that flight. It wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Meazi only slept for about twenty minutes in the whole 16 1/2 hours. Melese cried a lot, but really it wasn't as bad as we imagined. The Emirates crew on the flight home, was nowhere near as nice as the flight crew had been on the way out. That kind of sucked. They also seemed to always exclude Meazi every time they went through the aisle passing out cool kids' stuff. I started muttering under my breath that they were racist. But we made it to LAX.

All of these people were waiting for us. I know that most social workers would recommend that you do not have a large group waiting for you at the airport. We had no idea so many people would come. Meazi will say to me from time to time, "Mom, can you believe all of my friends came to meet me at the airport? They are so kind. They must love me." So, yeah, if you are considering a big airport welcome, and have the generous, beautiful, friends and family whom are willing to participate, I say go for it.


We were home...
Nana had organized everything...

I introduced the kidlets to the pups...

Deb and Allen brought home our luggage. And this family brought us the world's best pizza.

And we rested...


Thank you for bearing with me and reading this. It has been totally cathartic to relive what was probably the biggest week of my entire life. It took me a year to be at a place where I felt like sharing.

Steven has a three week vacation starting this evening. It is the weekend. That means...


Saturday culture class and doggie yoga...

Sunday swim lessons...

Gardening...


'M' pancakes...


and the beginning of our 13th month as a family.

Keep on truckin'

Keep on truckin'

Say it with me...

Keep on truckin'

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thursday we spent time with the kids at the guest house. There was an injera cooking demonstration...


And a cooking class...


Remember my bracelet? This bracelet had been pulled and tugged by kid after kid at home in Los Angeles. It never broke. Meazi saw it and immediately plucked it from my wrist. She knew it belonged to her. Recognize her outfit?


While the kids napped, I went to AHOPE.

When I came back, it was time for the goodbye coffee ceremony. All of the other families were flying home on ET air and leaving that evening. We weren't leaving until Friday.





Later, back in our room, we saw a glimpse of what Meazi's personality was like...

Her mood changed quite a bit. She became scared again, so scared in fact that we called the social worker on call. It was Roza. I had fallen apart by this time too. I skipped the exit interviews each family was asked to do. Kiddos finally fell asleep. Roza came by the next morning.

I am leaving some things out. Some intentionally, and some because I just don't remember. I know we went shopping during our stay in Ethiopia, but I don't remember what days we went. If you are going, we found the most beautiful things at the Leprosy hospital shop. (Heidi just wrote about the place on her blog).

It is late and I am trying to think of something significant to say about this day we had in Ethiopia, but my mind is clouded . Today, the 2010 Wednesday, has been a tough day for Meazi. I am continually amazed at how anniversaries throw my children for a major loop. Meazi wore that care package outfit all day and night yesterday. She hasn't worn it in months. She is talking a lot. She seems very anxious. So, nothing profound to say about our last full day at the guest house. We continue to deal with all of it. In some ways I feel we haven't helped her at all.