On Saturday morning, Rob and I were brought into another world... the world of caring for black skin and hair. We are so blessed that Bethany, our agency, gives workshops on this sort of information. We were given two packed hours on what kinds of products to use, when to use them, and how to do make them work for our child's physical and emotional benefit. Of course, during the workshop I couldn't think of any questions; however, not all of the new information had sunk in. Thankfully, we saw our cousins, who have two sons adopted from Africa, and the boys' mother was able to review for me. (Thanks Auntie Kelly!) For our son's/daughter's arrival home, we will want the following products on hand: Dove body-wash, baby oil gel, Motions shampoo, and Pink oil. We were so excited after the seminar that we went out and bought a bottle of Pink oil already. We also got some pomade for future hair sculpting, which Rob will use for now.
I love learning. I love finding out how to make people more comfortable... most of the time. With our child, this process will be life-long, and it's fun to have already begun.
28.7.08
20.7.08
Ethiopian home food
Well, the wat was delicious! So spicy and so tasty. However, the injera was a flop. (You see me here making flour out of the teff grain that we found at Outpost.) I believe that I'm just going to order it from the Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant in the future. I think that we're going to make wat a Sunday dinner tradition, so we'll just pick up the injera on the way home from church each Sunday. While we ate, we had Ethiopian music beating through the house. I just love learning about other cultures and trying to experience them.
19.7.08
A baby's toy
During the process of compiling the dossier, Rob and I left off our "buy one gift a month" plan; but today, without work schedules to occupy us, we made a visit to a wonderland... the educational toy store in our barrio. Legos. Lincoln Logs. Wooden blocks. I was mesmerized. We had to keep reminding ourselves that our son or daughter will most likely be a baby, and so we ended up with...
(And no, it's not just a toy. It's a teether, as well.)
(And no, it's not just a toy. It's a teether, as well.)
17.7.08
Tickers
Our hearts are fine, bar(u?) Hashem. (Don Santi, ¿sabes cómo se dice "Thank God" en hebreo?) I'm talking about the little icon to the right. I had put one up to count the days since we turned in our dossier to the Waukesha branch, not because it was so momentous, but because I was starving for news. Today, however, I got an e-mail from our social worker saying that our dossier is already in Ethiopia. Wahoo! Yeehaw! Woot, woot! Hyperbolic expression of your choice! This means that the next time that our social worker calls us, it will be because she knows who our son/daughter is and has his/her information on the desk in front of her. Wahoo! Yeehaw! Woot, woot! Hyperbolic expression of your choice!
16.7.08
Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant - 2
We curiously walked into the austere room. No music. No booths. Two people finishing dinner. We obviously didn't need the reservation that Rob had made earlier in the day, and somehow the young lady that was running the floor knew that it was us... that we were the unnecessary reservation-makers.
Smiling warmly, she gave us our choice of tables, either at a mesob (above, minus the kid) or at a traditional American table. We chose the table, only because it came up higher. (Read: Less of a distance for food to fall.) The young lady, wearing an Ethiopian, loose-fitting, white shirt and white head-scarf, both embroidered, brought us water and the menus.
Wat is your only choice, but what a selection of different wats there was! (Hello Ato Seuss!) All sorts of meat and vegetarian options. All served on one injera per table, with a basket of more injera for the initial scooping up of the delicious, spicy stews. (Right hand only.)
Rob and I dug in to our respective wats. Mine was based on savory red lentils, spicy enough to enhance the taste, but not enough to be uncomfortable. It was the perfect flavor against the slightly sour injera. Rob had a beef wat, which he said was, "Delicious." We were also given smaller portions of the split pea and collard green wats. I'm not a fan of split peas, but I'm not against them either. The collard greens were a bit sour. Odd.
The menu suggested ending the meal with either Ethiopian honey wine or coffee, which is roasted, ground, and brewed right there, after you order (or so they say). It reminded me of Turkish coffee, thicker and tastier than your regular brew. It was served in the clay pot that you see with a miniature cup.
We will go back, and we will bring our friends. And if you come to our house in the near future, know that I'll be ordering injera from this restaurant to support the numerous wats I'll be trying to make. Rob will love this! There will be only one dish to wash. No individual plates and no silverware. I think that this makes Ethiopian food Rob's new favorite!
Smiling warmly, she gave us our choice of tables, either at a mesob (above, minus the kid) or at a traditional American table. We chose the table, only because it came up higher. (Read: Less of a distance for food to fall.) The young lady, wearing an Ethiopian, loose-fitting, white shirt and white head-scarf, both embroidered, brought us water and the menus.
Wat is your only choice, but what a selection of different wats there was! (Hello Ato Seuss!) All sorts of meat and vegetarian options. All served on one injera per table, with a basket of more injera for the initial scooping up of the delicious, spicy stews. (Right hand only.)
Rob and I dug in to our respective wats. Mine was based on savory red lentils, spicy enough to enhance the taste, but not enough to be uncomfortable. It was the perfect flavor against the slightly sour injera. Rob had a beef wat, which he said was, "Delicious." We were also given smaller portions of the split pea and collard green wats. I'm not a fan of split peas, but I'm not against them either. The collard greens were a bit sour. Odd.
The menu suggested ending the meal with either Ethiopian honey wine or coffee, which is roasted, ground, and brewed right there, after you order (or so they say). It reminded me of Turkish coffee, thicker and tastier than your regular brew. It was served in the clay pot that you see with a miniature cup.
We will go back, and we will bring our friends. And if you come to our house in the near future, know that I'll be ordering injera from this restaurant to support the numerous wats I'll be trying to make. Rob will love this! There will be only one dish to wash. No individual plates and no silverware. I think that this makes Ethiopian food Rob's new favorite!
Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant
Tonight, Rob and I are going to try our first Ethiopian food. I've learned of two restaurants in town, and we're going to start with the one for which I have found reviews... albeit only two. The Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant. I'll be sure to take notes so that I can describe the food à la Garlic and Sapphires.
14.7.08
Frustrated
From the forum, I know that there are now 31 dossiers (total... not just of those that participate in the forum) in Ethiopia. We still do not know where ours is. I can only pray (And would you too?) that ours was sent on Friday, as I know that one family's dossier did leave for Ethiopia on that day. Maybe our papers are travelling together.
God does know what He's doing. I have to recognize that He knows best. I just know that there are a lot of people along the way that affect our situation who may not be doing their best. I'm starting to contradict myself, aren't I?
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." I know this verse, and I read it thinking of us and of our child and his/her birthparents; however, I know that there is so much more involved... AND that I'm taking this verse out of context to try to calm myself. If you continue reading, you get: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." "The plans" are those of salvation, no? "... and will bring you back from captivity" (in Babylon, who is the one who entices us even through the book of Revelation).
Dependence. Connections. Ay.
God does know what He's doing. I have to recognize that He knows best. I just know that there are a lot of people along the way that affect our situation who may not be doing their best. I'm starting to contradict myself, aren't I?
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." I know this verse, and I read it thinking of us and of our child and his/her birthparents; however, I know that there is so much more involved... AND that I'm taking this verse out of context to try to calm myself. If you continue reading, you get: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." "The plans" are those of salvation, no? "... and will bring you back from captivity" (in Babylon, who is the one who entices us even through the book of Revelation).
Dependence. Connections. Ay.
10.7.08
Ethiopians!
Today I taught a gardening class at an adult day care center. When I walked in, I saw two women whom I would have guessed to be Ethiopian. But I didn't say anything, because I wasn't sure. During the course of my talk, I mentioned how I had planted one of the plants (stachys) that I had brought to show because I thought that it was kid-friendly, and then I mentioned the adoption. When I was asked from where and told, one of the facilitators said, "We have two women that work here that are from Ethiopia. I'll go get them." We were introduced and made very brief small talk. That was it.
Then, an hour later, the phone rang. It was the facilitator from the center calling to say that she had talked more with one of the ladies and she wanted to invite us to an Ethiopian picnic this coming weekend. They have one once a year in a park near our house and we are quite welcome, even without an Ethiopian in our family yet. She's also offered to show us the coffee ceremony.
So, we have an in and I'm excited. More to follow, I'm sure.
Then, an hour later, the phone rang. It was the facilitator from the center calling to say that she had talked more with one of the ladies and she wanted to invite us to an Ethiopian picnic this coming weekend. They have one once a year in a park near our house and we are quite welcome, even without an Ethiopian in our family yet. She's also offered to show us the coffee ceremony.
So, we have an in and I'm excited. More to follow, I'm sure.
8.7.08
Talent
Baby E.,
You are coming into a very talented family. Gramps throws city-style pizza dough, Awe-nty (head tilt) KK freestyles on the banjo and sings, I can play one song on the accordian and jig, Auntie Laca flies discs through the air, and your dad rides a roadster over very uneven terrain. The unrepresented family members are also very talented. What will you bring to our table?
Kid-approved.
We had a good feeling about this t-shirt, but now it's official: It's kid-approved. It's also educational. Rob practiced numbers and colors with his little second cousin.
1.7.08
Caring Hands
Thanks to the notification by a third party, Caring Hands, who hand-carried our dossier to and around D.C., we know that our papers have been authenticated and will soon be on their way to Ethiopia. Once they land, we are officially waiting. I can't wait to wait! God willing it won't be for long.
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