The Lemanski Diaries

I Can't Believe I am Saying This But...

2012-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

Corban is an eating machine!!

Last week was huge, HUGE in regard to Corban trying, eating and enjoying new foods.

We kicked off the week with a food therapy appointment, which now takes place every-other Monday afternoon. When I was packing Corban's food to take to the session, I grabbed some graham crackers and spread peanut butter on them. Corban has never really shown any interest in graham crackers and has consistently rejected peanut butter in every form, except for enjoying the occasional de la Rosa mazapanes. Most recently, about a week and a half ago, we attempted to sneak some peanut butter into one of his favorite foods- chocolate ice cream. The result was a confused little boy who nearly lost his stomach in the middle of a Baskin-Robbins. So, I have no idea why I thought it would be productive to send him off to therapy with both graham crackers and peanut butter, but I did. Also, to continue the madness, I threw some carrot sticks into his lunch box. We have been working on carrot sticks for a few months now with absolutely no progress at all. Corban tends to seek out strong-tasting foods (salty, sweet, spicy) and he prefers soft textures (with the exception of goldfish crackers and his favorite chips). Carrots fall into neither one of these categories, so it is no surprise that Corban has consistently rejected them. Two other foods I packed just for the heck of it were small pieces of banana and strawberry. These are two fruits Corban absolutely loved at one time but has gagged on, vomited over and consistently rejected over the past year or more. In case you think I find joy in setting Corban- and his speech therapist- up for disaster, I also packed a few items that he loves (his favorite chips, chocolate chips, yogurt and goldfish crackers) as well as a few foods he has recently begun accepting more regularly (pasta, turkey lunch meat, string cheese and pudding).

I dropped Corban off at his appointment and Eden and I walked to a nearby coffee shop in search of a 16 oz cup of patience, topped with foam. Imagine my surprise when we returned at the end of Corban's session and discovered all of the bananas, strawberries, graham crackers and peanut butter were gone. Gone! As in, tucked safely inside Corban's body, probably closing in on his stomach, on it's way to his small intestines. Not only that, but there Corban stood, carrot stick in hand, crunching away with his back teeth on carrots dipped in chocolate! Ok, the mixture is a bit odd, but I was ecstatic. My boy had just, willingly eaten peanut butter, accepted some awesome fruits and was enjoying a carrot stick! I considered, for a moment, that his therapist may actually be a witch and, deciding it would totally be worth it, I put that concern aside and showered Corban with praise and high-fives.

I also noticed that his container of treats- chocolate, chips and goldfish crackers- was untouched with the lid still firmly attached. I asked the therapist, "Miss Lisa," about this and she pointed to the pasta, pudding and turkey, explaining that she had use those foods for the treats! Those are all foods that, weeks ago, were in Corban's "No way, Jose" column and here she was using them as rewards for trying new foods! (!!!) I asked how the peanut butter crackers had gone over and she shrugged, saying he had gobbled them down without any balking or protest. Again, I looked at the therapist and glanced quickly around the room, considering the possibility that she dabbled in witchcraft. Maybe she just has a knack for this type of thing, works really well with Corban and is awesome at her job. I'll accept either explanation.

Later that night, Corban showed off his carrot-eating skills for daddy.

As the week went on, Corban's culinary exploration continued. He first showed curiosity and a willingness to eat pasta about 2 months ago when he saw "Cars" macaroni at the grocery store. After a bit of coaxing, he readily ate the noodles with butter and salt. Next, I introduced whole wheat noodles in various fun shapes: shells, rotini (calling them "combines"), and spaghetti (calling them "worms"). He accepted each, warily at first, but quickly gaining confidence. I tried offering a marinara sauce on the side for dipping, but he wasn't ready for that kind of madness quite yet. This week, on a whim, I decided to offer him one of my new favorite pasta sauces (a recent Costco discovery) a butternut squash marinara sauce. Corban did his usual "food rejection dance" when he saw the small bowl of sauce, but he became immediately curious when I offered a mini marshmallow as a bribe to try the sauce. He licked a bit off of his finger, smiled and declared, "It tastes like gingerbread cookies!" Ok crazy, as long as you like it. Over the next 2 hours- yes it took two hours- he proceeded to eat the entire plate of pasta along with every drop of sauce! He is definitely a "slow but steady" type of eater. This was Corban's first experience as a member of the "clean plate club" and we were all sooo excited! We cheered, danced and the high-fives were plentiful.

Corban ate an entire plate of pasta and loved his Dave's Butternut Squash sauce! (pardon the crazy smile)

Later in the week, we were cruising the aisles of a local natural food store when Corban's curious little voice squeaked, "Hey mama, what's that?" I looked and saw a box of tiny alphabet pasta, very similar to the kind found in alphabet soup.
Me: They look like tiny letters, buddy.

Corban: What the tiny letters for?

Me: They are letter noodles, for eating.

Corban: I wanna eat letter noodles.

Me: Suddenly it occurs to me that I have been scheming for a way to introduce soup to Corban and I may have stumbled upon my chance! Oh Corban, I'd love for you to eat those letter noodles, but you need to eat them with warm water. What do you think?

Corban: I want to eat letter noodles with warm water!

I don't think anyone, anywhere has snatched any grocery item off a shelf more quickly. I may have temporarily blacked out from sheer bliss and "came to" moments later to find the alphabet noodles in Corban's eager little hands. Corban was anxious to try his "alphabet noodles and warm water" and talked about it all the way home. So, of course, for lunch I poured the noodles in a cup of chicken stock, popped them in the microwave, and minutes later, Corban (and mommy) had his lunchtime wish- a bowl of warm alphabet soup! And you know what? He loved it! He ate about 2/3 of it before it was obvious he was just too tired to continue and needed a nap. Both kids went upstairs and settled in for sleepy time. About 10 minutes into his nap, Corban started crying and was yelling for me to bring him more alphabet soup! Corban never asks for more food. As a matter of fact, he used to ask to be put to bed in order to avoid meal times, so this was a wonderful turn of events! Of course, I didn't tell him that. I put my stern face on, poked my head into his room and said, "Corban, we already had lunch time and you ate alphabet soup. I am so glad you liked it, but lunch time is over and now it's nap time. When you wake up and we have snack time, you can have more alphabets for snack. Sleep tight, buddy. Love you." Then I closed his door and walked away doing a happy dance.

Corban's first taste of soup. There's no turning back now!

(My sD card ran out of room before he responded. But he said it tasted like "fruit" lol.)

So, to review, new foods tried and enjoyed in one awesome week: graham crackers, peanut butter, strawberry, banana, alphabet soup, pasta sauce, and carrots. WOW! I sit and look at that list and am near tears remembering where we were less than one year ago. I remember when I wrote this post only 8 months ago and felt as victorious and proud of my boy in that moment as I have felt all week. I am so thankful and relieved that we are no longer celebrating Corban simply touching food, but his interest, curiosity and acceptance of it.

Foto Friday

2012-02-10T21:38:00.000-08:00

Body Art, Toddler Style

2012-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

On a particularly cold and dreary day, I decided to break out the finger paints, cover our kitchen table in paper, and let the kids' creativity fly! What became immediately obvious is that the Lemanski Two's personal style slants away from Claude Monet and more toward Ami James. They pretty much only painted on the paper when directed to do so by Nathan or I, otherwise, they were busy transforming their cute little selves into living canvases.

Foto Friday

2012-02-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

A visit to daddy's work provided this glimpse into Eden's future. As I was capturing the moment, I realized that no matter what she looks like when she walks these halls as a student, I will always picture her this way.

Also, the end of January marked 6 months of having Eden home with us! Check out my 6 Month update on my personal blog here: 6 Months of Her

Foto Friday

2012-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ethiopian-American beauties. One home 6 months, the other, 5 days.

Foto Friday

2012-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Snuggles on a school day brought to you by Snomageddon 2012

Maple Snow Ice Cream

2012-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today is Snow Day 3 in the Lemanski House!

Over the last two days, we have been having as much fun as 1 or 2 inches will allow, but after we went to bed last night it started snowing. And it snowed and snowed and snowed. We woke up to a silent, white neighborhood covered in white powder. The snow reminded me of a few recipes I have been wanting to try out.

I had seen various recipes for maple snow candy or maple snow ice cream around the internet, but then yesterday, one of the bloggers I read regularly posted this recipe. It sounded perfect to me and now the weather had provided the main ingredient.

After breakfast, Nathan and I started the task of bundling up the kids to heard them outside. But first, Corban had to play the "I want to have fun but I also want to sabotage everything you are trying to do by acting like a 2-year-old" game.

This mostly involved asking me to help him get dressed and then immediately refusing to get into his snow gear. Then, asking for his "santa baby penguin hat" and then refusing to allow me to put his hat on. Then we played the "I want, no, nevermind, I don't want my boots on" game. These games are not a lot of fun; Corban is the only one who ever wants to play them but even he doesn't enjoy it.

So, after playing Corban's fun getting dressed game, we were ready to head outside and have some actual fun that everyone could enjoy.

And we did! This was the most snow either of the kids have ever seen. Corban and Eden played with Corban's dump truck and front loader, staying busy digging, pushing, filling and dumping. Our neighbors let us borrow a sled and Nathan and I took turns sliding the kids down the hill outside our door.

And after all that fun, it was time to put my new recipe to the test.

Mix together 2 cups milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar and 2 tbsp maple syrup. Add approx 15 cups of clean snow and mix until well-blended. Serve immediately.

This makes a lot! But, as long as there is snow outside, storage is pretty simple.

And no surprise, it was a huge hit! Definitely a new Lemanski Snow Day tradition!

A Weekend of Snow and a Lesson on Loving your Enemies

2012-01-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

We are knee-deep in the Martin Luther King Jr holiday and about ankle deep in snow here in King County, Washington.

We didn't get a lot of snow in the Pacific Northwest, but we got enough for two fun afternoons of playing and, of course, some adorable photos. Corban still fits in the same coat he wore last year, despite the fact that he has gained 7 lbs since last winter. Eden has been wearing her snow suit around the house as, until this weekend, she did not have any reason to wear it outside. She loves it's pink, cuddly softness and can often be seen carrying it around like a blanket. But, she finally learned it's true value this weekend! It kept her toasty warm as she played and played and fell and rolled and played and fell and played.

Today, as the nation slows down to celebrate the life, philosophy and legacy of the great American, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I sat down and read through his "I have a Dream" speech word-for-word. Then I wondered, is there another speech, as profound and worthy as this one, to share on this special day? One that rings as true, if not more so? Words from a great man just as worthy of passing along to the coming generations? I believe I found one. A sermon Dr. King preached in Alabama in 1957 calling "Loving your Enemies." This is a sermon we can each probably afford to hear more than once and a lesson we need to learn again and again.

I will post the sermon below; It is very long, but very profound and worth the 10 minutes it may take to read. After you have read, I am interested in your comments. Is it just as good as the more famous "I Have a Dream" speech? Better? Not quite the same caliber? Maybe relevant to a smaller audience? A larger one? I have a few thoughts, but I'd like to hear yours too!

Happy Snow Day 2012 and Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

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So I want to turn your attention to this subject: "Loving Your Enemies." It's so basic to me because it is a part of my basic philosophical and theological orientation—the whole idea of love, the whole philosophy of love. In the fifth chapter of the gospel as recorded by Saint Matthew, we read these very arresting words flowing from the lips of our Lord and Master: "Ye have heard that it has been said, 'Thou shall love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.' But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."

Certainly these are great words, words lifted to cosmic proportions. And over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go so far as to say that it just isn't possible to move out into the actual practice of this glorious command. They would go on to say that this is just additional proof that Jesus was an impractical idealist who never quite came down to earth. So the arguments abound. But far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist. The words of this text glitter in our eyes with a new urgency. Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies.

Now let me hasten to say that Jesus was very serious when he gave this command; he wasn't playing. He realized that it's hard to love your enemies. He realized that it's difficult to love those persons who seek to defeat you, those persons who say evil things about you. He realized that it was painfully hard, pressingly hard. But he wasn't playing. And we cannot dismiss this passage as just another example of Oriental hyperbole, just a sort of exaggeration to get over the point. This is a basic philosophy of all that we hear coming from the lips of our Master. Because Jesus wasn't playing; because he was serious. We have the Christian and moral responsibility to seek to discover the meaning of these words, and to discover how we can live out this command, and why we should live by this command.

Now first let us deal with this question, which is the practical question: How do you go about loving your enemies? I think the first thing is this: In order to love your enemies, you must begin by analyzing self. And I'm sure that seems strange to you, that I start out telling you this morning that you love your enemies by beginning with a look at self. It seems to me that that is the first and foremost way to come to an adequate discovery to the how of this situation.

Now, I'm aware of the fact that some people will not like you, not because of something you have done to them, but they just won't like you. I'm quite aware of that. Some people aren't going to like the way you walk; some people aren't going to like the way you talk. Some people aren't going to like you because you can do your job better than they can do theirs. Some people aren't going to like you because other people like you, and because you're popular, and because you're well-liked, they aren't going to like you. Some people aren't going to like you because your hair is a little shorter than theirs or your hair is a little longer than theirs. Some people aren't going to like you because your skin is a little brighter than theirs; and others aren't going to like you because your skin is a little darker than theirs. So that some people aren't going to like you. They're going to dislike you, not because of something that you've done to them, but because of various jealous reactions and other reactions that are so prevalent in human nature.

But after looking at these things and admitting these things, we must face the fact that an individual might dislike us because of something that we've done deep down in the past, some personality attribute that we possess, something that we've done deep down in the past and we've forgotten about it; but it was that something that aroused the hate response within the individual. That is why I say, begin with yourself. There might be something within you that arouses the tragic hate response in the other individual.

And this is what Jesus means when he said: "How is it that you can see the mote in your brother's eye and not see the beam in your own eye?" Or to put it in Moffatt's translation: "How is it that you see the splinter in your brother's eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye?" And this is one of the tragedies of human nature. So we begin to love our enemies and love those persons that hate us whether in collective life or individual life by looking at ourselves.

A second thing that an individual must do in seeking to love his enemy is to discover the element of good in his enemy, and everytime you begin to hate that person and think of hating that person, realize that there is some good there and look at those good points which will over-balance the bad points.

I've said to you on many occasions that each of us is something of a schizophrenic personality. We're split up and divided against ourselves. And there is something of a civil war going on within all of our lives. There is a recalcitrant South of our soul revolting against the North of our soul. And there is this continual struggle within the very structure of every individual life. There is something within all of us that causes us to cry out with Ovid, the Latin poet, "I see and approve the better things of life, but the evil things I do." There is something within all of us that causes us to cry out with Plato that the human personality is like a charioteer with two headstrong horses, each wanting to go in different directions. There is something within each of us that causes us to cry out with Goethe, "There is enough stuff in me to make both a gentleman and a rogue." There is something within each of us that causes us to cry out with Apostle Paul, "I see and approve the better things of life, but the evil things I do."

So somehow the "isness" of our present nature is out of harmony with the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts us. And this simply means this: That within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude toward individuals. The person who hates you most has some good in him; even the nation that hates you most has some good in it; even the race that hates you most has some good in it. And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every man and see deep down within him what religion calls "the image of God," you begin to love him in spite of. No matter what he does, you see God's image there. There is an element of goodness that he can never sluff off. Discover the element of good in your enemy. And as you seek to hate him, find the center of goodness and place your attention there and you will take a new attitude.

Another way that you love your enemy is this: When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it. There will come a time, in many instances, when the person who hates you most, the person who has misused you most, the person who has gossiped about you most, the person who has spread false rumors about you most, there will come a time when you will have an opportunity to defeat that person. It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job; it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life. That's the time you must not do it. That is the meaning of love. In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we talk about. It's not merely an emotional something. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems. Individuals who happen to be caught up in that system, you love, but you seek to defeat the system.

The Greek language, as I've said so often before, is very powerful at this point. It comes to our aid beautifully in giving us the real meaning and depth of the whole philosophy of love. And I think it is quite apropos at this point, for you see the Greek language has three words for love, interestingly enough. It talks about love as eros. That's one word for love. Eros is a sort of, aesthetic love. Plato talks about it a great deal in his dialogues, a sort of yearning of the soul for the realm of the gods. And it's come to us to be a sort of romantic love, though it's a beautiful love. Everybody has experienced eros in all of its beauty when you find some individual that is attractive to you and that you pour out all of your like and your love on that individual. That is eros, you see, and it's a powerful, beautiful love that is given to us through all of the beauty of literature; we read about it.

Then the Greek language talks about philia, and that's another type of love that's also beautiful. It is a sort of intimate affection between personal friends. And this is the type of love that you have for those persons that you're friendly with, your intimate friends, or people that you call on the telephone and you go by to have dinner with, and your roommate in college and that type of thing. It's a sort of reciprocal love. On this level, you like a person because that person likes you. You love on this level, because you are loved. You love on this level, because there's something about the person you love that is likeable to you. This too is a beautiful love. You can communicate with a person; you have certain things in common; you like to do things together. This is philia.

The Greek language comes out with another word for love. It is the word agape. And agape is more than eros; agape is more than philia; agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; it's what theologians would call the love of God working in the lives of men. And when you rise to love on this level, you begin to love men, not because they are likeable, but because God loves them. You look at every man, and you love him because you know God loves him. And he might be the worst person you've ever seen.

And this is what Jesus means, I think, in this very passage when he says, "Love your enemy." And it's significant that he does not say, "Like your enemy." Like is a sentimental something, an affectionate something. There are a lot of people that I find it difficult to like. I don't like what they do to me. I don't like what they say about me and other people. I don't like their attitudes. I don't like some of the things they're doing. I don't like them. But Jesus says love them. And love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does. This is what Jesus means when he says, "Love your enemy." This is the way to do it. When the opportunity presents itself when you can defeat your enemy, you must not do it.

Now for the few moments left, let us move from the practical how to the theoretical why. It's not only necessary to know how to go about loving your enemies, but also to go down into the question of why we should love our enemies. I think the first reason that we should love our enemies, and I think this was at the very center of Jesus' thinking, is this: that hate for hate only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit me and I hit you back and you hit me back and go on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum. [tapping on pulpit] It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that's the strong person. The strong person is the person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil. And that is the tragedy of hate, that it doesn't cut it off. It only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. Somebody must have religion enough and morality enough to cut it off and inject within the very structure of the universe that strong and powerful element of love.

I think I mentioned before that sometime ago my brother and I were driving one evening to Chattanooga, Tennessee, from Atlanta. He was driving the car. And for some reason the drivers were very discourteous that night. They didn't dim their lights; hardly any driver that passed by dimmed his lights. And I remember very vividly, my brother A. D. looked over and in a tone of anger said: "I know what I'm going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I'm going to fail to dim mine and pour them on in all of their power." And I looked at him right quick and said: "Oh no, don't do that. There'd be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody got to have some sense on this highway."

Somebody must have sense enough to dim the lights, and that is the trouble, isn't it? That as all of the civilizations of the world move up the highway of history, so many civilizations, having looked at other civilizations that refused to dim the lights, and they decided to refuse to dim theirs. And Toynbee tells that out of the twenty-two civilizations that have risen up, all but about seven have found themselves in the junkheap of destruction. It is because civilizations fail to have sense enough to dim the lights. And if somebody doesn't have sense enough to turn on the dim and beautiful and powerful lights of love in this world, the whole of our civilization will be plunged into the abyss of destruction. And we will all end up destroyed because nobody had any sense on the highway of history. Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral, ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love.

There's another reason why you should love your enemies, and that is because hate distorts the personality of the hater. We usually think of what hate does for the individual hated or the individuals hated or the groups hated. But it is even more tragic, it is even more ruinous and injurious to the individual who hates. You just begin hating somebody, and you will begin to do irrational things. You can't see straight when you hate. You can't walk straight when you hate. You can't stand upright. Your vision is distorted. There is nothing more tragic than to see an individual whose heart is filled with hate. He comes to the point that he becomes a pathological case. For the person who hates, you can stand up and see a person and that person can be beautiful, and you will call them ugly. For the person who hates, the beautiful becomes ugly and the ugly becomes beautiful. For the person who hates, the good becomes bad and the bad becomes good. For the person who hates, the true becomes false and the false becomes true. That's what hate does. You can't see right. The symbol of objectivity is lost. Hate destroys the very structure of the personality of the hater. [recording interrupted] Never hate, because it ends up in tragic, neurotic responses. Psychologists and psychiatrists are telling us today that the more we hate, the more we develop guilt feelings and we begin to subconsciously repress or consciously suppress certain emotions, and they all stack up in our subconscious selves and make for tragic, neurotic responses.

And may this not be the neuroses of many individuals as they confront life that that is an element of hate there. And modern psychology is calling on us now to love. But long before modern psychology came into being, the world's greatest psychologist who walked around the hills of Galilee told us to love. He looked at men and said: "Love your enemies; don't hate anybody." It's not enough for us to hate your friends because—to to love your friends—because when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative response to life and the universe; so love everybody. Hate at any point is a cancer that gnaws away at the very vital center of your life and your existence. It is like eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life. So Jesus says love, because hate destroys the hater as well as the hated.

Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That's why Jesus says, "Love your enemies." Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they're mistreating you. Here's the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don't do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can't stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they're mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they'll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That's love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There's something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.

I think of one of the best examples of this. We all remember the great president of this United States, Abraham Lincoln—these United States rather. You remember when Abraham Lincoln was running for president of the United States, there was a man who ran all around the country talking about Lincoln. He said a lot of bad things about Lincoln, a lot of unkind things. And sometimes he would get to the point that he would even talk about his looks, saying, "You don't want a tall, lanky, ignorant man like this as the president of the United States." He went on and on and on and went around with that type of attitude and wrote about it.

Finally, one day Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. And if you read the great biography of Lincoln, if you read the great works about him, you will discover that as every president comes to the point, he came to the point of having to choose a Cabinet. And then came the time for him to choose a Secretary of War. He looked across the nation, and decided to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. And when Abraham Lincoln stood around his advisors and mentioned this fact, they said to him: "Mr. Lincoln, are you a fool? Do you know what Mr. Stanton has been saying about you? Do you know what he has done, tried to do to you? Do you know that he has tried to defeat you on every hand? Do you know that, Mr. Lincoln? Did you read all of those derogatory statements that he made about you?" Abraham Lincoln stood before the advisors around him and said: "Oh yes, I know about it; I read about it; I've heard him myself. But after looking over the country, I find that he is the best man for the job."

Mr. Stanton did become Secretary of War, and a few months later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. And if you go to Washington, you will discover that one of the greatest words or statements ever made by, about Abraham Lincoln was made about this man Stanton. And as Abraham Lincoln came to the end of his life, Stanton stood up and said: "Now he belongs to the ages." And he made a beautiful statement concerning the character and the stature of this man. If Abraham Lincoln had hated Stanton, if Abraham Lincoln had answered everything Stanton said, Abraham Lincoln would have not transformed and redeemed Stanton. Stanton would have gone to his grave hating Lincoln, and Lincoln would have gone to his grave hating Stanton. But through the power of love Abraham Lincoln was able to redeem Stanton.

That's it. There is a power in love that our world has not discovered yet. Jesus discovered it centuries ago. Mahatma Gandhi of India discovered it a few years ago, but most men and most women never discover it. For they believe in hitting for hitting; they believe in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; they believe in hating for hating; but Jesus comes to us and says, "This isn't the way."

Love is the only way. Jesus discovered that.

Not only did Jesus discover it, even great military leaders discover that. One day as Napoleon came toward the end of his career and looked back across the years—the great Napoleon that at a very early age had all but conquered the world. He was not stopped until he became, till he moved out to the battle of Leipzig and then to Waterloo. But that same Napoleon one day stood back and looked across the years, and said: "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended upon force. But long ago Jesus started an empire that depended on love, and even to this day millions will die for him."

Yes, I can see Jesus walking around the hills and the valleys of Palestine. And I can see him looking out at the Roman Empire with all of her fascinating and intricate military machinery. But in the midst of that, I can hear him saying: "I will not use this method. Neither will I hate the Roman Empire." [Recording Interrupted]

And I'm proud to stand here in Dexter this morning and say that that army is still marching. It grew up from a group of eleven or twelve men to more than seven hundred million today. Because of the power and influence of the personality of this Christ, he was able to split history into a.d. and b.c. Because of his power, he was able to shake the hinges from the gates of the Roman Empire. And all around the world this morning, we can hear the glad echo of heaven ring:

Jesus shall reign wherever sun,
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom spreads from shore to shore,
Till moon shall wane and wax no more.
We can hear another chorus singing: "All hail the power of Jesus name!"
We can hear another chorus singing: "Hallelujah, hallelujah!
He's King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah, hallelujah!"
We can hear another choir singing:
In Christ there is no East or West.
In Him no North or South,
But one great Fellowship of Love
Throughout the whole wide world.

This is the only way.

And our civilization must discover that. Individuals must discover that as they deal with other individuals. There is a little tree planted on a little hill and on that tree hangs the most influential character that ever came in this world. But never feel that that tree is a meaningless drama that took place on the stages of history. Oh no, it is a telescope through which we look out into the long vista of eternity, and see the love of God breaking forth into time. It is an eternal reminder to a power-drunk generation that love is the only way. It is an eternal reminder to a generation depending on nuclear and atomic energy, a generation depending on physical violence, that love is the only creative, redemptive, transforming power in the universe.

So this morning, as I look into your eyes, and into the eyes of all of my brothers in Alabama and all over America and over the world, I say to you, "I love you. I would rather die than hate you." And I'm foolish enough to believe that through the power of this love somewhere, men of the most recalcitrant bent will be transformed. And then we will be in God's kingdom. We will be able to matriculate into the university of eternal life because we had the power to love our enemies, to bless those persons that cursed us, to even decide to be good to those persons who hated us, and we even prayed for those persons who despitefully used us.

Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes, to work out this controlling force of love, this controlling power that can solve every problem that we confront in all areas. Oh, we talk about politics; we talk about the problems facing our atomic civilization. Grant that all men will come together and discover that as we solve the crisis and solve these problems—the international problems, the problems of atomic energy, the problems of nuclear energy, and yes, even the race problem—let us join together in a great fellowship of love and bow down at the feet of Jesus. Give us this strong determination. In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray. Amen.

Foto Friday

2012-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Battle for the Toy Chest in Photos

Assemble Toy Chest

Pretty Proud of Himself

Eden poises herself to take her place as Queen of the Toy Chest

A war is waged

Reigning King

Lemanski Cousins

2012-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my photos of 2011 and realized this little jewel never made it's way onto our Family blog. What a shame, I could not allow that to stand. This is a photo of all of the cousins on the Lemanski side of the family, all of the Grandchildren of Karen Donovan and James Lemanski on one couch. You'd think, since the family is so small, we'd get these faces together more often. Well, I can promise you that we will be much better about it from now on!

Love these kids!

While looking at this photo, I suddenly found myself feeling incredibly sad that only one of the cousins in this photo will ever meet their Grandma Karen. She would absolutely adore every one of the little souls sitting on this couch and, if she were alive, she would have undoubtedly been physically present for this very moment. I don't know what causes the ebb and flow of grief. I don't understand why sometimes I recall a memory of Nathan's mom and smile to myself and why other times the memories bring tears. But I am certain that she would have treasured each one of these little people.

Karen, you would be so proud of your grandbabies. Kelsey is a beautiful, funny, smart(mouthed) girl. She is brilliant and has her mind set on being a lawyer. She has that Lemanski stubbornness too, so she'll likely reach this goal. She has your unwavering faith and your love of writing. Even though she is more comfortable in pants, on those rare occasions that she wears a dress, you would cry and blubber all over her, telling her how beautiful she is.

Jocelyn is sweet and funny. So much like Ryan, she would have you wrapped around her finger immediately. She will be 5 this year and absolutely loves reading, she can read entire books by herself. This little beauty is as mischievous as she is kind-hearted.

Corban is shockingly like Ryan as well, although definitely Nathan's son. He'd tell you all about "diggers" and then cuddle on your lap for story time. You would love his silly made-up words and, like Nathan, would completely encourage it.

Eden, wow. She is the girly girl you were waiting for. At one and a half, she would already join you at the mall. She loves all things girly- dolls, jewelry, clothes- and she actually cuddles up to boots and calls them "love loves." She loves to be sung to and snuggled. You would adore her.

Although you may not be present physically, you have left a beautiful legacy of joy, faith and a love of travel that will carry on to this generation through your sons. But still, we miss you.

Mama's Girl

2012-01-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

I was taking pictures today while the kids were spinning and dancing playfully with each other, enjoying a brief moment of sibling bliss.

As I looked through the photos, this one stopped me and I just stared.

What a beauty.

Her profile makes me catch my breath.

Is it possible to be overly-hopelessly-devoted-beyond-the-moon-in-love with a child?

Cuz I am.

Foto Friday

2012-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Oh these two....from Gimbi, Ethiopia to holding hands on a couch in Washington State. At times it is hard to reconcile their difficult beginnings with these shining, beautiful faces. What wonderful gifts these two are, to their families and to each other.

Corban was also present at this play date, he is out of sight of this shot, {doing what he has been doing all week} throwing a raging fit on the floor in front of the chair. These two would not let his drama ruin the moment.

Monthly Updates

2012-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

It has been 5 months since Eden first slept in her crib, under our roof. As each month passes, I write an update on my personal blog, My Outside Voice. As I read through the Monthly Updates last night, I realized they belong here on our family blog as well. The posts give great insight into our first few months as the Lemanski Family of 4 and detail Eden's progress individually and our progress as a family.

Not only do I ramble on and on in each post, but they also feature tons of adorable pictures.

What are you lookin' at? There are lots more pictures waiting for you on the Monthly Updates!

Foto Friday!

2011-12-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

I missed last week, so here are my two favorites from Christmas at my sister's house. These aren't the most "Christmassy" photos. They are just two snapshots of a Christmas day that is very dear to my heart. (Especially considering this is where I was at emotionally at this very same time last year)

Sneaky Pancakes

2011-12-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

Now that Corban is eating "real" foods and meal supplement shakes are a thing of the past, making sure he eats a balanced meal and is getting all of the nutrition he needs from his foods has become a semi-neurotic obsession of mine. My main goal is to get Corban to eat nutrition-packed foods while keeping meal times happy and low stress. For a kid with some severe eating aversions, this is no small task.

Enter the Sneaky Chef.

I may actually send this woman flowers on National Awesome Day (yeah, it's a real thing), because not only are her ideas for sneaking superfoods into every day meals super awesome, but she is making me into a super awesome mom by sharing her awesomeness! Awesome! (I just wanted to say it one more time.)

Orange puree: Sweet potatoes and carrots

Corban's new favorite breakfast food are pancakes. And, if I slather them with Nu.tella, they go down pretty easily. (We have recently switched over to Fair Trade {read: Slave-Free} chocolate in our house and I will soon need to start making my own slave-free Nu.tella once we run out of the last enormous Cost.co canister.)

Anyway, pancakes are an easy go-to breakfast, and the Sneaky Chef has a few free pancake recipes on her blog. My favorite part about these particular recipes are that she utilizes boxed pancake mix! How much easier can you get then store bought pancake mix? I do make my own batter from time-to-time, but it's nice to have an easy, fast, go-to recipe. I quickly perused her pancake recipes and noted I had all ingredients necessary to make her banana pancakes. Bingo!

After adding 1/2 cup to the batter

The key ingredient to her recipes are her purees. This particular pancake called for her orange puree. So, I got busy making peeling, chopping and steaming! With the puree ready, I was able to quickly whip up a batch of these delectable pancakes for my hungry brood.

What I love about the idea of hiding vitamins and veggies in my children's food is that I can rest easy knowing they are getting the nutrition they need, and enjoy the freedom of introducing veggies in a fun, easy-going manner that will increase Corban's likelihood of trying- and liking- his them at his own pace.

"Here buddy, try some of these carrots. They are orange and crunchy! Do you know what animal eats carrots? That's right, bunnies! Like your friend Country. Look at Country eating the carrot. Now you should try it!" {No, you don't want to try the carrot? Well that's fine because there are 3 carrots hidden in those pancakes you are eating! Mommy win!}

My goal with Corban is to keep meal time fun while giving him healthy options. Removing the stress involved with forcing him to eat veggies opens the door for them to be introduced in fun ways when he is ready.

Those pancakes are suspiciously orange-looking!

It was no surprise that our good eater loved them.
But watching her eat 4 WHOLE PANCAKES was a bit of a surprise!

This was the real test. He needed to eat them off of a toothpick
(a source of security for him) but he willingly took them on his own
and didn't need us to feed him. (A HUGE encouragement).

They really were very good. And you'd never know they are packed with veggies!

I will regularly be trying, and reviewing, many more of the Sneaky Chef's recipes right here!

Food Therapy Update

2011-12-23T03:46:00.000-08:00

{I haven't yet gotten around to posting the last of our Thanksgiving photos to my blog. So, I will do it here. These photos are purely for your enjoyment and have nothing to do with this post.}

Life has been so busy, and our days so full, that I haven't taken the time to write a new post about Corban's eating since August. I am happy to report that Corban is doing an AMAZING job in eating therapy. He is trying very hard, being extremely brave and responds so well to his therapists encouragement. She continually describes him as "a brave, sweet boy" and has been very pleased with the progress he has made in the last few months.

In June, when he had his evaluation, he would only eat yogurt and drink his meal supplement shakes. I actually celebrated a personal victory this same month after getting Corban to touch a piece of bread. It took about 2 months of working with him every day for him to actually voluntarily touch a piece of bread and it was such a big deal that I blogged about it. The first few therapy sessions were all about him allowing a variety of foods in his personal space. We worked with him at home and he quickly advanced to touching food with either his finger or a tool such as a toothpick or utensil. He still wasn't eating any foods in eating therapy. The therapist isn't a miracle worker, after all, she was working within her own human abilities. As therapy progressed, he allowed food to touch him on his skin, traveling closer and closer to his face until he was eventually kissing nearly all of the food. Many foods still made him very anxious and initiated his gag reflex at the touch. Anything with a texture did this. Applesauce was a huge offender. As was anything with a chewy texture.

Corban continued to make great strides, but in August, when Eden came home, he was still not eating anything new. Then, a few weeks into August, Corban got really brave and decided to start biting down on his food. At first he wasn't chewing it. Just one bite and then he's spit it out. But, during one session he got really really super extra brave and chewed a piece of bread until he swallowed it! Nathan and I were amazed! It was a sign that he was becoming less fearful of food and was finally willing to work past his gag reflex.

Since August, he has absolutely taken off. He is open to trying nearly any very basic food or one ingredient dish. After a short period of building up to putting it in his mouth, he is willing to lick or bite most foods. He still spits out a lot of food. He may spit something out immediately after tasting it. He may chew it a while and then panic momentarily and spit out a glob of food and saliva. Sometimes he stores food in his cheek until he has too much to swallow and will spit it all out. But, more and more, he chews and swallows very small bites of many different foods. Did you catch what I just said?! He is chewing, swallowing and digesting actual foods!

Corban has made such great strides that Miss Lisa declared that his next meeting could be his last! I had a moment of panic, then realized that Corban really has made an incredible amount of progress in the past 6 months. I requested that we continue to see her once a month, and she was happy to accommodate me. Going from weekly appointments to quitting cold turkey was not something that I was prepared to do. I needed a patch or some special Lisa gum or something. One appointment a month may be just the patch needed to keep Corban progressing at his current rate.

Now that he is eating some foods, we have decided to stop feeding him his meal replacement shakes. This is a very scary thing for me. Corban is nearly 3 and weighs only 27 lbs. His weight has always been an issue and his special meal replacement shakes - packing over 300 cal in each 8 oz serving- have been a saving grace for us. It bridged the gap between the nutrition Corban was getting from his limited diet and the nutrition his busy little body actually needed. It was also a source of security and convenience for us; we would simply give him a shake if he was having an especially difficult eating day.

However, now that he is asking for certain foods and actually eating them, cutting his shakes from his diet keeps him from filling up on all that lab-created food and helps him feel hungry for real, identifiable foods. We have only been doing this for the past 4 days and it is already working exactly as we had hoped. Corban is able to recognize when he is hungry (something he was not able to do before therapy) and ask for food! His favorite food right now are "chip sandwiches." Sandwich bread is still a bit difficult for him to chew, chew, chew, chew and swallow so, we aren't quite ready for real sandwiches yet. But, his therapist makes little sandwiches out of the turkey meat and cheese layered on his favorite rice and bean chips. He loves them! It may seem like an odd meal. But, usually his lunch consists of a bowl of yogurt and a meal replacement shake, while being distracted with the iPad. Now, with absolutely no distractions, he is sitting and eating protein-packed chips, turkey meat, cheese, a small bowl of yogurt and washing it all down with almond milk or some sort of superfood juice.

At his last birthday, I never would have dared to imagine we would be at this point in 2011. Corban, our dear boy, you are such a gift and we are so proud of you!

Foto Friday

2011-12-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

We have taken our eyes off of Santa and the mall madness and refocused

on the teenage mother, the stable and the Baby King.

{Happy 3rd week of Advent}

Foto Friday

2011-12-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

Semi-Cooperative Christmas Dress Photos

Corban's Thanksgiving Wish

2011-12-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

Corban's first time riding a tractor. Words failed him, but Uncle Max was his favorite person for the rest of the trip!

{I should never be allowed to film video; I constantly trip over myself. As a result, the shaky footage may induce vomiting. Consider yourself warned.}

Rewind: Thanksgiving Part 1

2011-12-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

We are already knee deep in Advent and I have yet to write a post about our Thanksgiving trip to Eastern Washington. I have a ton of pictures to share, so I will post them here in no particular order.

This trip, 5 hours door-to-door, was the longest we have taken since Eden came home. It required traveling over a mountain pass at the end of November, which kept my husband up at nights worrying about icy roads and inattentive drivers. In order to be prepared, he downloaded an app to receive pass alerts on his cell phone and I bought a roadside emergency kit. The day of our trip, I packed enough food to keep us all alive for up to 2 days in case of an accident, bad roads, or an avalanche. Oh, you think we overdid it a bit? It's funny, trips like this never worried either of us before, but now, with our most precious treasures in tow (that would be our children, not our iPad and DSLR), we were a wee bit obsessive about ensuring we made the trip successfully.

The drive went better than we would have even dared to hope. The kids barely made a fuss at all, except for a road-side diaper change in Vantage. With no access to a changing table, we had to change diapers in tandem in the car, with the doors open. The November wind whipped through the 4Runner, leaving Eden with her first case of goosebumps and I heard her shout, "COLD!" for the first time. But, after only about 5 minutes, diapered, bundled and buckled once again, we were back on the road and made only one more stop during the last 2 1/2 hours of the trip.

Once in Eastern Washington, we were greeted by Nathan's Auntie Moe and Uncle Max with cold Mexican beers and spicy homemade tacos. These people speak my husband's love language loud and clear. With fully bellies, we unpacked the 4Runner, which was filled with an obscene amount of clothing, gear and food. It is mind-boggling the amount of "necessities" required on a 4 day, 3 night trip when half of the travelers are toddlers.

Dream in Action

Nathan's Uncle's family has farmed their land in Eastern Washington since the family settled the area in the 1800s. The original homestead has decayed; a few logs are all that are left. In the early 1900s, a new house was built. This is the home Max's father and all of his aunts and uncles were born in. That building is now used as a shop and another farm house was built in the 1950s by Max's parents. It was originally a one-room schoolhouse, and rooms were added as the years passed and the family grew. Max grew up in the "new" farm house and he and Maureen moved in after they were married. They continued to live on the farm after their son, Brian, was born until about 6 years ago when they moved into town. Brian and his wife, Alia, now live there together. Five generations on the same piece of land, growing up in homes built feet apart. There is something timeless, haunting, beautiful, eternal, and hopeful about living life this way. So close to the land, so close to family, so close to your own history. Things for which I have no basis of comparison.

No time for smiles, farming is serious business

Thanksgiving began with bacon, eggs and strong coffee. After a lazy breakfast,we bundled up and headed out to check on the cattle. Our mission was to show Corban a real tractor and boy did his Uncle Max deliver! The family's cattle was grazing on another family's farm. Usually, at this point in the year, there is snow on the ground- keeping the winter wheat insulated and the grass hidden. When the cows can't get to the grass, the farmers truck hay bales out to the fields and roll it out for the cattle to eat. That was not the case on this trip. As we drove out to the farm, the fields were golden and the sky was blue. But, Uncle Max had promised cows and tractors and men like Max never go back on their word.

Did anyone happen to notice where those cows went?

Max and Corban hopped on a tractor and loaded a truck with hay. We drove out to one of the "feeding spots" and Max tooted the horn on the pickup. He laughed out loud, "They are going to think I've gone crazy. They have plenty of food." Nevertheless, when the cows heard the horn on the "feed truck" they came running! We rolled out the bale and the kids giggled and squealed as they patted the cows and stomped around in the tall grass. We even met the two bulls- Sally and Alfie. You know you are one tough bull when you can hold your horns tall while being called Sally, which I was assured was short for Salvador.

Rolling out the bale. Or, as Corban insists on calling it, "The male"

Sally the Bull

I liked this pretty lady

Riding in the back with Daddy

Shotgun

We visited with the woman who lives on the farm, an old friend of the family's and a woman who has known Nathan, and his mom, for a very long time. Her husband and Max grew up as close friends before he lost a battle with cancer a few years ago. She continues to live on her husband's family's farm and keeps goats and even a donkey as outdoor pets, right outside her back door. After catching up on each other's families, we headed back to town. It was Thanksgiving after all, there was turkey to be devoured.

A few hours later, after a quiet morning on a chilly farm, we found ourselves in a warm home, smelling of turkey, ham and all the trimmings, surrounded by the easy smiles of family and old friends. After dinner, Nathan and I took a walk to the town park with his youngest brother, Ryan, and his wife and daughter. Lindsey and I chatted while the cousins ran ahead and the brothers caught up on life.

This is what we had come for. This is why we made the trip. To slow down. To sit with family that lives too far away. To share meals and small moments. For cousins to make new memories and share secrets. For men to remember they were brothers first. For one generation to help create the memories of the next.

Foto Friday

2011-11-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

{Thankful Friday}

....For sunny fall mornings

....For little boots and big smiles

....Rough farmer hands holding on tight to little fingers

....Wet, pink cow noses

....Noisy tractors delivering hay bales

....For hard-worked land that yields food and memories

....For days like this, that make the world a little bigger and family a little closer

Foto Friday

2011-11-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

My favorite toddlers enjoying my favorite season.

Foto Friday

2011-11-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful, sunny fall week here in the PNW which has left me with too many adorable photos to choose just one for today's post.

So, here you have Foto Friday: A Week in Photos:

Why do I always get the best photos while he is in "Time Out"?

No leaves, so I let them dance around and throw wood chips in the air....just this once.

When I count my blessings, I count her twice.

Hero Worship in Action

Riding bikes {smile}

Happy Veteran's Day!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

This was Eden's first Halloween. I remember last year, as I went through the motions of all the festivities, my thoughts stayed with a little girl - only 6 months old- in Ethiopia. Now here she is, in the flesh! No longer a beautiful little face in a photograph or a series of health and developmental reports. She is here and very real. She carved pumpkins, dressed as a giraffe, went trick-or-treating and I ate up every moment with my two beautiful American kiddos.

Cleaning out the pumpkins at home before the big family pumpkin carving party.

She wasn't overly impressed with this particular part of the experience.

The only picture I got of the two of them together with the pumpkin guts.
Corban spent most of the time gagging and running from the room.

All clean and ready to be carved, but still not impressed.

Every year my dad's side of the family gets together to carve pumpkins and feast on chili and cornbread. The last few years we have added a few fun games and a costume contest for the kids. Everyone carves a pumpkin and eats their fill of chili and dessert!

Carving pumpkins in the garage

The guys take this very seriously

Finished projects

My kiddos performed a post-pumpkin-lighting catwalk.

Eden wore her costume, Corban declined .

The following weekend was Halloween. What I love most about this day is that it feels like the kick-off to the holidays. Halloween leads to my personal favorite holiday: Thanksgiving (!), which feeds directly into the joy and goodwill of Christmas, followed immediately by the excitement of New Year's Day. And who doesn't love a new beginning?

Anyway, as I already said, Eden was a giraffe for Halloween, the costume Corban wore on his first Halloween (at only 7 months old!). Corban was supposed to be an adorable dinosaur. I found his costume at my favorite consignment store and was sure he'd love it because, thanks to PBS and their show The Dinosaur Train, he seems to be in love with all things dinosaur. However, a love of cartoon dinosaurs apparently does not always translate into a desire to become a dinosaur, because Corban refused to allow the costume anywhere near him. The night before Halloween, determined for my 2 year old to wear some form of costume, I purchased a cheap black sweatsuit decorated with a glow-in-the-dark skeleton. After some coaxing, Corban finally succumbed to my bribes and was declared ready to join his sister in the festivities.

We headed over to the home of some very good friends of ours. They also have a son and daughter and we all get together at least once a month, usually more often. We started trick-or-treating in their neighborhood before heading back to our house where my mom was waiting to trick-or-treat with her grandgoblins. It took Eden about 2 houses to realize that trick-or-treating is the most awesome American tradition ever! Corban stuck pretty close to his daddy for a while but eventually got into the spirit of the evening and was running house to house and knocking excitedly on doors.

Daddy and his handsome little skeleton and snuggly giraffe

One is super excited and one is clearly just humoring the parents

This was her first piece of candy. She was shocked and amazed!

Some nice lady patiently waiting for Corban to mutter "Trick or treat"
and stammer out a "Thank you" while lil sis looks on, ready to run to the next house!

She loved every second. This little girl is full of surprises!

The whole crew, Harrison The Ninja, Eden the Giraffe, Corban the Skeleton
and Emily the Skeleton Princess Kitty is at the door, still collecting her candy.

My blurry, adorable first-born skeleton

My beautiful little giraffe posing with our pumpkins

Grandma joined us at the end of the night!

Foto Friday

2011-11-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Foto Friday

2011-10-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I think that's true big brother love in his eyes.

Zoku

2011-10-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan's Dad and Stepmom, Sheilah, sent a great gift to welcome Eden to the family; A Zoku popsicle maker. Now, you may be thinking, "A popsicle maker? I have an ice tray in my freezer and kool.aid packets in my cupboard; what's so great about a popsicle maker?" And if you said, that, you would be showing that you are currently as ignorant to the world of gourmet popsicles as we were a few months ago.

This thing is awesome.

It is like an ice cream maker, in that there is a freezing container that you keep in the icebox. It has three slots to pour our flavors into and it makes three popsicles in nine minutes. Did you get that? Nine minutes! And so far, we have made three batches at a time- totaling 9 popsicles- before the Zoku is too warm and needs to be rinsed and re-frozen.

Along with the Zoku, they sent a book full of yummy recipes; we have tried 5 or 6 of them so far. My favorite is the "Summer Morning" popsicle with honeydew, lime, and basil. Refreshing. But a close second is the Chai Tea, only we triple the recipe. Heavenly. The flavor that has been the biggest hit with kids (and my dad!) so far is the orange, mango outside with the vanilla center. Kind of like a creamsicle, but better tasting and I actually know exactly what goes into it. Tonight, Nathan made a cherry-vanilla popsicle, covered in chocolate with a cherry on top! This is a whole new world of popsicles!

I'll say it again; this thing is awesome.

We have had friends over a few times and made these with the kids. Without fail, the adults have been just as excited- if not more- as the kiddos! Jim and Sheilah could not have chosen a more perfect gift for this family.

Now, enjoy an onslaught of photos of our kiddos enjoying the Zoku during a recent visit from my dad.

It passed the test with our picky eater!

And that tongue means she likes it too!

Nathan's most recent masterpiece!

I never tire of seeing this happy face.

We have a few recipes pre-made and sitting in the freezer just waiting for company. Anyone interested?

Foto Friday

2011-10-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Such Imagination

2011-10-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long imaginary friends last, and I do not want to forget the cuteness that has reigned in this house over the last few days. So, here are some more moments with Country.

They are inseparable. We kiss Country goodnight right along with Corban and I was asked to bid him farewell before I left the house last night. He even joins Corban at the table during meals; here you see Country in Corban's hand while he drinks his evening shake.

On Tuesday evening, Corban was playing with his big metal Ton.ka truck. Suddenly he decided it would be a great idea to run the truck into our sliding glass door at full speed. He was told not to do it again and warned he would lose his truck. Of course, he ran the truck into the door immediately following this warning. So, Nathan followed through and took his truck away. As soon as Nathan picked up the truck, Corban sprang to his feet and shrieked, "I want the bunny rabbit!"

Apparently, Country had been hitching a ride in the back of his Ton.ka truck.

I think I fell in love with Nathan all over again when, without skipping a beat, he turned around, held out the truck and said, "Ok buddy, come get Country." Without any hesitation, Corban ran to the truck, scooped up his beloved friend, and went back to playing....with only one hand, of course.

Here is a video of Corban showing off his new friend. From this video you will learn:

My son is adorable
Country is very real to him
Corban may be ADHD, but he knows not to leave the table unless he is excused.

A Little Bit Country

2011-10-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

What do you see below?

Just photos of an impossibly adorable boy taken by a bad cell phone camera?

Not according to that impossibly adorable boy.

Introducing....

Country the Bunny! Corban's first imaginary friend. He introduced Nathan to him last night just after story time. He is, apparently, a white bunny rabbit who enjoys spending his days riding along in Corban's left hand, or being pulled on his tractor-trailer during lunch time.

Can this sweet boy get any more adorable?

Foto Friday

2011-10-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Some kids like to sleep with cuddly things like stuffed animals and soft blankies

Fall Kick-Off: The Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

We are now entering into my favorite time of the year, not taking the gloomy weather into account. Of course, summer is my favorite season, with the long nights and the warm days. But, fall, with it's scarves and fuzzy boots, apple cider, crisp mornings and easy smiles leave me feeling almost as warm.

I firmly believe the only way to begin this Season of Holidays, is by visiting every pumpkin patch within a 50 mile radius. Nathan and I love us a good pumpkin patch; tromping through the fields, riding tractors, eating our weight in kettle korn, drinking cider and taking a ridiculous number of pictures.

This year, the first pumpkin patch we visited was Craven's Farm with our friends, Lindsey, Brady and their little cutie, Devin. We had a great time at this pumpkin patch last year and we were not let down this year! Of course, there was an extra little sweetie pie in the group this year. You would never guess this was Eden's first time at a pumpkin patch, she spent a majority of her time marching around like she owned the place.

This is such a fun place. The parking is free, there are a variety of yummy fall treats to munch on, an espresso stand (Praise the Lord!), a hay ride, two corn mazes and tons of fun little attractions for kids. Oh yeah, and the pumpkin patches. It's basically like one ridiculously huge photo-op. And you know how much we love us some photo-ops! (See: 18 months of Foto Fridays.)

Brady and Lindsey are great friends of ours and Devin and Corban always have a such a fun time together. This year the boy's favorite features were the pirate ship and the hay ride; no surprise there. But Eden surprised me by swearing her everlasting love to a speedboat. She sat in the driver's seat, playing with the steering wheel and grinning like a girl who had just been given a pony on Christmas morning. It was adorable. Until we "encouraged" her to move on. Oh the screaming. And the shrieking. And the tears. Thank goodness for the hay ride and fistfulls of kettle korn.

So, for two years in a row, this farm- and the company- has been a hit! I guess we have ourselves a tradition!

My Punkins

Hayride (Corban was too busy eyeing the kettle korn to smile for a pic)

"One Kettle Korn the size of my 2 year old please. Thank you."

"Sharing" the Super cool, rusted out tractor

Eden, the Speedboat Captain

Oh, this girl.

Not quite sure why a Pirate Ship for children needs a stripper pole. Nathan insists it's an "exercise pole."

Put it in "R" for "race," right dad?

Jumping!

Cutest Tractor Mechanic

Pumpkin Patch Princess

Trying to pick up the giant pumpkins

Waving at the tractor

We came all the way here for these? I don't get it.

I'll take that one.

Already walking just like Grandma Lynda

Foto Friday

2011-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's Pumpkin Patch time! I have a great post in the works with lots of pictures. But, for now, you'll have to just settle for one:

If you just can't stand it, you can visit my friend's blog for a few more pix, but I'll have my own post up soon. Keep checking back!

Foto Friday

2011-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent a few hours in The Emerald City and couldn't resist stopping by our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, The Tagla Cafe. This was Eden's first taste of Ethiopian food outside of our house since she has been home. I am pretty sure she loved it.

Meanwhile, Corban munched on his favorite GF chips and enjoyed a meal supplement shake. Cheers!

* By the way, the Doro Wat tasted quite a bit different this time, I think they changed their spices up a bit. A little disappointing, but the veggie platter is the best in town-- just like the service!

Being Boys

2011-09-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

I love that these two have each other.

Foto Friday!

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

"...[and she] treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart."

Up Where The Air is Clear

2011-09-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite

And send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite!

Fair Time!

2011-09-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I, Katherine and mom and all 4 of the kids all trekked out to "Do the Puyallup" this Sunday. It looked like it might rain, but we chanced it anyway and had a great time! The weather held out, but the clouds were ominous enough that they kept the crowds away, so there were hardly any lines to wait in! Score!

This year the fair was a big deal for us!Corban and Levi were finally tall enough to participate in their first fair rides and Eden and Ethan were along to share in the excitement. Although Eden wasn't quite old enough or big enough to join the big boys in their adventures, she seemed content to point at Corban on the rides and waive at him enthusiastically. (Have I mentioned how much she loves her big brother?)

Here are Corban and Levi, waiting excitedly for their first ever fair ride!

There they go! They were so brave and I can't believe how excited I was! I am pretty sure they were both convinced they were actually driving the car.

Next up, the motorcycles were a big hit! Notice Corban's cheezy smile? He turns it on every time he sees my camera.

I never knew the fair had helicopter rides, but the moment the boys saw them, there was no going back. And when the ride was over, Corban said, "Corban go waaay uuuup in the ky!!"

Last year, we were really disappointed when we found out Corban was too small to ride this train. We had to settle for just watching it go by. Luckily, Corban was too young to realize what he was missing out on, and was content to wave and squeal. This year, being "at least 36 inches tall," he was finally able to ride his first train!

Even though Eden wasn't able to ride along with Corban, she still had plenty of smiles to share with everyone who stopped to talk with her.

While riding the train, Grandma noticed that there were pony rides. She walked up to me immediately after disembarking from the train and said, "They have pony rides! Can the boys go?" She was wide-eyed and her face was pure excitement. Eden finally got to enjoy a ride, but Levi chose to sit this one out.

Next up, the canoe ride! Corban and Levi look like our very own "Lewis and Clark" in this one, and they were both really excited about going through the tepee tunnels! I was shocked when their boat remained right side up, I was pretty sure Levi would have it flipped over in no time.

After lunch there was the petting zoo. Corban was careful to pet the baby duck with one finger only, just as he was told. And he made sure everyone else within earshot knew as well.

They were so excited about the first motorcycle ride, that when we saw this one, with bikes that went up and down, we thought they'd love them! I think we should have quit while we were ahead, the random bucking motion was a bit too much for them. After this, Levi was done with the rides and went to wait in line to see Dora and Boots!

But, Corban wasn't quite done yet. Grandma had seen this ride earlier, and knew it was perfect for him.

She was right, he loved it! "The dump trucks! The dump trucks are dumpin'!" Yes, they are buddy, and you're going to be riding in one.

I already can't wait until next year! I want to see these boys on a roller coaster!

Foto Friday!

2011-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

This week it's a video! Nothing special, just my daughter being her adorable self and making me laugh.

Foto Friday!

2011-09-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

All mom wanted was a sweet picture with her and all 4 of her Grandbabies. It seemed like a reasonable request.

Apparently they didn't think so.

Sharing, Biting and Time Outs

2011-09-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

Eden has been doing a lot of biting lately.

Wait, let me back up. Let's not put all the blame on the Princess.

Corban doesn't like his little sister playing with his toys, (He believes all of the toys in the house to be his toys), so he is prone to grabbing his precious toys out of his sister's hand. In response, she is prone to biting him.

If he wasn't struggling so hard to get the toy out of her hand, she wouldn't have the opportunity to bite him.

Just sayin'.

Anyway, Eden has been biting quite a bit lately. It is very difficult to curb a behavior like this in a little child who needs correction, but who doesn't have a history of trust built with those who do the correcting. We have tried many different things to curb her biting; "Do overs" and distractions have been our go-to tools. But, the other day, Eden bit Corban without any provocation and he just stared up at his daddy with a hurt look on his face, waiting for justice to be served.

So, Daddy did something new and tried a little time out with Eden. More of a "time in" really, as punishments that isolate adopted children rarely produce the intended outcome. So, while she had her super, awful, terrible "time in", Corban was able to play uninterrupted without having to worry about his sister grabbing at all of his toys.

Once her lesson was learned and she and Daddy had a nice hug, she went back to playing. A few minutes later, while watching them play from the kitchen, Nathan saw Eden reach for one of Corban's toys. Nathan kept watching, wondering what would happen next, expecting a battle. Instead, Corban immediately put his hand up to her mouth, tempting her to bite him.

He knew if she bit him, she'd get another Super Awful Terrible Time In and he'd get another minute of playing by himself. The kid is no fool.

I think they are going to be just fine.

Foto Friday!

2011-09-02T08:03:00.001-07:00

Big Brother Corban is officially 2 1/2 today. Time really does fly.

Foto Friday

2011-08-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Corban's recipe for the perfect Slide

Step 1: Approach the most ideal slide

Step 2: Hang from the bar located directly above the slide.

(If the slide in question does not have such a bar, then it is not the most ideal slide)

Step 3: Drop down onto or near the slide

Step 4: Enjoy the ride

Repeat as necessary.

That's What He Said

2011-08-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Corban is saying all sorts of funny stuff these days, and they are worth sharing. If there is no one left out there to read it, (since it seems my lurkers have moved on now that Baby Girl is home) then they are worth preserving here on our family blog.

One conversation we have over and over, several times a day, is the source of every little sounds he hears.

We are going along, enjoying our day, when all of a sudden Corban hears something. Maybe it's the television or a train. It could be the ice maker or running water. Lately it's been a car or a motorcycle. But, all of a sudden his eyes get wide and an intensely serious look crosses his face. He looks me square in the eye and says, in a whisper, Do you hear that? I am morally obligated to answer. If I don't answer immediately, he will ask over and over until I do. I have tested this. He asked me 6 times in a row, getting more intense with each question, before I finally gave in. My reply is usually a, Yes! or, I did! or, something of the like. To which he immediately responds (still in a whisper, regardless of the setting), What was that? His script is the same no matter the sound. At this point, I have two options, I can either tell him the source of the sound, It's a train, buddy! Or I can lob the question back at him, I don't know Corban, what was that? If the source of the sound in truly unknown to him he will reply, It's uuuhhhh.....followed by a pause for me to fill with the answer to his question. If he knows the cause he will say, in a very animated, awestruck voice, It's a traaaaaain! or if it's something really exciting, It's the ice makerrrr!

"What is that? It's a piiiiido (spider)"

Nathan recently had this experience with Corban in, of all places, a men's restroom. Corban had thrown up on himself while we were shopping at the grocery store. No, he wasn't sick. He just filled his mouth too full of chips and the child has a very advanced gag reflex. So Nathan rushed him to the restroom, took him into a stall, stripped him down and attempted the best washing job that a bag of Cost.co wipes can manage. Later, when we were home and Corban was once again vomit-free and wearing clothing, Nathan relayed the following conversation.

Corban sees a man's shoes under the stall and attempts to crouch down and get a look.
Nathan: Corban, don't do that baby. Stand still and don't move.
Corban: (whispers) Do you see that?
Nathan: Yes, it's shoes.
Corban: (whispers in an awestruck voice) It's a maaaaaaan!
The man flushes the toilet.
Corban: (Whispers) Do you hear that?
Nathan: Yes
Corban: (Whispers) What was that?
Nathan: The toilet
Corban: (Whispers in an awestruck voice) It was waaaaater!
The man washes his hands and uses the automatic dryer to wash his hands.
Corban: Genuinely afraid of the unknown noise, clutches his chest and, with wide eyes, asks, What was that?
Nathan: It's the blower.
Corban: What's it doing?
Nathan: It's blowing.
Corban: The blower's blow-in'!

These are the types of shenanigans I feel need to be shared.

Also, Corban is deep into a Thomas the Train fascination. He also loves Thomas' friends. Every train he sees (whether a toy or a real train) is either Thomas, Percy, Salty, Charles, Emily, or another of the dozens of trains from the television show. The narrator often talks about Thomas being a very useful engine. Corban also has a talking Percy toy that says Percy is a very useful engine. Corban loves this line, although he doesn't quite understand it. He thinks the narrator is saying that Thomas is a very beautiful engine. So, every now and then he will pick up one of his toy trains and exclaim in a sweet voice, It's a very beautiful engine! The other day, we were at the Drs. office, when a nurse, thinking Corban would like to do some coloring to pass the time, handed him some crayons and a picture of Iron Man. Corban took it and announced he was going to color the very beautiful maaaaaan!

I love this kid!

He is obsessed with construction machinery. I don't have any idea when this began, but we cannot pass a bulldozer, front loader, backhoe or crane without Corban yelling out in awe the type and color of the machine in eyesight. Surprisingly, there is a lot of construction going on around us! It seems like every car ride is an opportunity for Corban to spy one of his beloved machines. Because I have no idea what their real titles are, the first few times we saw a backhoe, I called it a "digger." You know, because of that huge shovel on the front for....digging. So, that is what Corban calls them. Diggers. This is what usually happens when he sees one:

Corban: AN ORANGE DIGGER!!!
Me: Oh yeah!
Corban: What is the orange digger doin'?
Me: I don't know, what is it doing?
Corban: The digger's dig-gin'!

Every. Single.Time.

Priceless.

Every now and again Corban thinks he'd like to start potty training. This usually happens when he really wants to eat chocolate, because every time I change his diaper I tell him, "If you go potty in the toilet, Mommy will give you chocolate!" He has gone potty in the toilet on a few occasions- and been rewarded with chocolate for his accomplishments- but he really isn't very interested yet. Yesterday, after spending the night at my mom's house, Corban suddenly must have had the urge to eat some chocolate because the following conversation took place:

Corban: Corban want need chocolate!
Me: How do we get chocolate, buddy?
Corban: Go Grandma's house!

Apparently she bought chocolate ice cream AND chocolate chips for snack time at her house! How is a mommy supposed to compete with that?

He is also very, very two-years-old right now. So, we hear a lot of Corban do it! and Corban do it self!

But those aren't nearly as cute and memorable as the others.

Foto Friday!

2011-08-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

With all of the fun and chaos going on around here, coupled with our camera being in the shop, I can't seem to keep track of Foto Fridays! So...here is Foto Friday: Sabbath Edition!

Corban helping daddy tend his beautiful garden.

Splash Park

2011-08-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Day 1, not so sure

It seems summer has descended on the Pacific Northwest once again. Every few weeks, just when we think our beloved sun is forever lost behind the dark, looming clouds, she decides to surprise us with an unexpected 3-day visit. This has been going on all summer, 3-4 weeks of overcast weather followed by 2-3 days of sun. I have to admit, I am having a hard time appreciating all our precipitation, even with the knowledge that other parts of our country, and the world, are in desperate need of rain.

That water is cold!

Last week the sun was warm and bright for two days in a row. The Lemanski family, tired of being cooped up in the house during the "cocooning period" of our adoption, (not that I'm complaining! Please don't take that as complaining) decided to check out a local park that includes a small water area for younger children. This is Corban's favorite park throughout the rest of the year- and deservedly so, it has a lot of really great attractions. A small slide for the little ones, and two HUGE slides for older kids, a merry-go-round, a sand and water feature, drums and xylophones to play, and lots lots more. But, on this rare 80 degree day, we were headed for the water.

As close as she was going to get, but she loved it.

Corban had a great time playing in the water, drinking the water, screaming at the water, running around the water, splashing in the water, kicking the water. You get the idea. He loved the water. Eden was very suspicious of the entire situation. It wasn't overly-crowded, but it was by far the biggest crowd she had seen since her arrival. Also, each new experience brings with it the stress of the unknown. What is this place? Why are we here? Who are those people over there? How far am I from home? Am I going back home? Am I going to be staying here? Are they leaving me with one of these people? Oh, our poor girl. A life of transitions causes so many questions when faced with the unknown. Eden remained glued to my hip, playing with the water and giggling, until Corban had his fill of fun. We climbed back into the car and, to Eden's relief, returned home.

Surprised by a big squirt

The following day, the heat remained (thankfully) so we decided to make a return trip to the park. We had no idea how Eden would react, but I figured I could hold her again if she was still unsure. We packed a few snacks and figured, if all went well, we'd play and have snack time by the water.

Well, Eden surprised us again! This time, she recognized the park. She knew what was going on. She knew the water was wet and that it made her smile. She knew her brother played in it and giggled. She knew we were going to stick close and that, for the most part, the unknown people would leave her alone. She knew this was temporary and that we would leave this place and return home. She had a blast! She walked and toddled and ran between Nathan and I. She splashed in the water and giggled. She played until she was exhausted and then she and Corban sat in the grass, warming themselves in the sun, and shared a snack.

It is amazing how quickly this precious girl learns to trust. How a few answered questions can change her outlook on a new experience. With her insecurities tended to, she was free to let go and have fun; and that is exactly what she did.

Day 1, enjoying the water while attached to my hip

Big Brother having a great time

Spraying his new friend. This was exciting, as usually the big kids dominate these toys

Excitedly walking toward the park on Day 2, with Mt Rainier in the background.

Food Therapy: August Update

2011-08-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

Therapy Meal

Corban has been attending Feeding Therapy regularly for about 5 weeks now. After struggling with our insurance company we finally found a therapist that (1) Works very well with Corban; (2) We like; and (3) our insurance will cover. Jackpot! Corban's progress over the past 3 sessions has been nothing short of phenomenal. Let me explain to you how this works so you can get an idea of how hard our boy is working!

We show up to the session with a little sack lunch for Corban. He has a standing appointment time at 3 PM on Wednesdays, so he has just woken up from him nap and is ready to eat! I try and pack an array of foods of different textures to give them something to work with. Usually his meal contains some combination of the following: tortillas, cheese, toast, some type of fruit and/or berry, apple sauce, chips and yogurt. We are supposed to pack foods that he will likely reject along with food he will eat. Of the foods listed above, he will only eat yogurt and chips.

Corban's therapy table at home

For their first session, they worked on touching all the foods. He had to touch each one and he completely surprised Nathan and I by doing just that! A few foods he had to be tricked into touching. For example, he had absolutely no intention of touching a sliced apple, but then she dropped one into his shirt and he had to fish it out. He gagged a little at first, but he didn't throw up (huge bonus if you know anything about our boy)! He put it in the "all done container" without any more drama. Just like the apples, he was having a hard time with the apple sauce as well. When she wiped it on his arm Nathan and I shot terrified glaces at each other and braced for the vomit explosion. But again, our amazing boy surprised us by calmly asking for a "new rag" (a clean towel) and wiping it off his arm. She did this over and over, which, at first, stressed us out and made us feel like she was a bit too pushy, but we ultimately decided she was going to be perfect for him.

He has picked his place mat and
he's ready to go!

During their second session, she worked on having him put all of the food on his face and even kiss or lick each piece. Again, he totally shocked us by allowing the food on his hand, arm, shoulder, cheek and then, on or near his mouth! He kissed almost all of the food. He still didn't really like the apple sauce getting too close, but as he got more nervous, she made it more fun. She put the apple sauce on his arm and covered it with shaving cream-- which went over pretty well. Basically, she figures out what he wants the most, whether it be a certain food, or a newly-discovered toy- and holds it ransom until he performs one of his new tricks. For most foods, it works really well. He really knocked our socks off by playing "peek-a-boo" with a few pieces- putting them in his mouth and closing it briefly before spitting them out in the "all done container." This may not seem like a big deal to people who have kids who actually like food. But, this was unbelievable to us. There are still a few things (zucchini, for example) that spike his stress level so high, we have yet to figure out how to make him even acknowledge its existence, much less touch it or allow it anywhere near his mouth. But, it is clear he really enjoys himself and actually finds his therapy sessions to be fun. Last week, when he and Nathan came home he ran to me with a huge smile on his face and said, "Corban had fun playing applesauce!" I was blown away!

And therapy is in session!

This last week was nothing short of miraculous. His therapist had a lofty goal- for him to put the food in his mouth and either lick or bite each piece. Bite.Each.Piece. And you know what? He did it! Not with all of the food, but with some of it! He licked the cheese cubes, he rubbed them back and forth on his tongue over and over until he couldn't handle it anymore and gagged. He also bit the tortillas! Like, he actually bit down on them! He used his molars and ripped them "just like a dog" (as his therapist described it). He also crunched the cheer.i.os and other crunchy foods with his front teeth. And remember when I made a big deal about him finally touching a piece of bread after working with him every morning for two solid months? Well, he actually bit of a piece of bread! He was just about to spit it out when he realized there was nutella on it; so he chewed and chewed and chewed some more then swallowed a bit of it before spitting out the rest. He swallowed bread! This woman is like the miracle worker! Am I using enough exclamation points and italics? Can you tell how excited I am? This is awesome!

All that drool coming from that big smile
can only mean one thing;
he's actually having fun!

And the best part? He came home and proudly declared, "Corban had fun eatin' bread." Melt.My.Heart.

So, Corban has now officially eaten a new food during food therapy. And it only took 5 weeks! I thought it would take 6 months at least. This may seem like slow progress, but no matter the speed, this proud mama only sees the progress. (Please remind me of this statement if my attitude changes in the near future.)

*This should be obvious, but in case the pictures confuse you, he goes to a therapy center for his actual food therapy once a week. These pictures were taken in our kitchen during one of daddy's at-home sessions.

Foto Friday

2011-08-12T08:33:00.001-07:00

Rockin' the pink jellies and Mt Rainier is peeking over Corban's shoulder.

Foto Friday!

2011-08-05T12:06:00.001-07:00

Siblings

2011-08-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

They are finding their places and striking a balance. I have to give it to these two, they are both stronger and more forgiving of each other than I gave them credit for. Eden thinks Corban is hilarious, most of the time. And Corban enjoys performing for her, showing her how to take "big bites" of food from spoons that double as airplanes, and how to properly use his train set. There was lots of giggling today and only a little bit of pushing and screaming.

Here are a few examples of how sweet and resilient these two are:

Yesterday, while I made dinner, Nathan was upstairs with the kiddos in Corban's room. It was time to start the bbq so Nathan asked Corban, "Corban, do you want to come downstairs and help daddy with the bbq?" Corban answered, "Corban come downstairs, help daddy." Then turned to Eden and said, "C'mon sissy!" (And yes, sissy did in fact, c'mon).

After his nap today, Corban asked to watch his favorite TV show, "Caillou." He asked specifically for the episode about Caillou being a big brother to his little sister, Rosie. Nathan told him, "Caillou is Rosie's big brother like Corban is Eden's big brother." Then, Corban looked down at himself, pointed to his chest and said, "Corban is big brother."

We played a bit in our yard today, which required Eden to walk around on grass for the first time. She was not a fan. She froze and cried, demanding to be picked up. So, I sat her on my lap while Corban played on his little slide. He climbed up and peeked at sissy through some slats and started making faces at her. She though it was hilarious and had to get a better look. She jumped up from my lap and toddled over to the slide, braving those scary blades of grass, in order to reach through the slats and touch his face, shrieking with delight.

I love my kids!

First bath at home. She will be taking her baths in this small tub until we get
her intestinal issues cleared up.

I got both of the kids (and myself) fed, cleaned, moisturized
dressed and out of the house early for Eden's Drs appt today.
I thought that deserved a photo. Don't mind her grumpy face,
brought to you by that awful, terrible grass.

Cutie Pies on the way to the doctor. I didn't even bother taking a picture on
the way home. She just sat there, whimpering and glaring at me. And, I
really couldn't blame her.

Home

2011-07-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

7.30.2011

Foto Friday!

2011-07-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I lost my sD card full of photos from our trip to North Carolina last week. Luckily, I traded pix with my Aunt before we left, so I will get the pictures via email soon and will be able to write a loooong post about our time in the sun with family. It was perfect. In the meantime, I have a few pictures that I emailed to Nathan in Ethiopia, and picked these two to share with you for Foto Friday. Enjoy!

We went to an awesome model train show in Hendersonville, NC. At the end, they had a Thomas and Emily train that the kids could control. Corban, who was already having a great time, nearly lost his mind when he saw the Thomas trains. Here he is watching Emily go by and saying, "Emmmmmmly!"

On the way to N.C. we had a long layover in Michigan. Corban looked out of the windows and pointed out every single plane. I kid you not. Then, after shouting, "Airflane!" He would proudly point out, "And airflane shadow!"

When You Are Away

2011-07-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine wrote up a little post like this recently and I thought it was cute. Here's my version:

When you are away...

I stay up even later than usual.
I read Corban the extra bedtime book he always asks for.
I check my e-mail obsessively.
I cook the foods you don't like (everything that includes the word "cheese" in one or more ingredient)
Aside from the above-mentioned food, I eat pretty healthy (ice cream isn't as fun without you)
I triple check the doors and windows before bed.
I hug Corban more often (and I already hug him a lot!)
When we are running errands, I subconsciously choose your car a majority of the time.
When something funny happens, I reach for my phone to call you without thinking.
Every night is bath night
I am constantly aware of what time it is where you are
I buy things for you, even though you won't enjoy them right away
I realize that after 6 years of marriage, my day just doesn't feel complete without you.

Foto Tuesday!

2011-07-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Juggling 3 time zones and 2 continents kept me from posting Foto Friday on time (again). I am sure one look at the photo below and all will be forgiven.

Too Much Cute. Oh, and Embassy.

2011-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth 1000 words. So, here are 10,000 words describing how adorable this kid is.

Also, today I met with the Embassy and we have been cleared for takeoff! I don’t want to say it was uneventful, because being told you can bring your child home 12 months after receiving their referral is a big event. However, it was anticlimactic. Which is good, and it was a positive experience overall. It is a very nice building, I’m told the old Embassy was falling apart. This is all marble and fanciness. We had an interview scheduled for 9am, and when we walked into the waiting room I saw a sign above the hallway at on the other side of the room indicating that both the interview room and restrooms were down that corridor.

I actually pictured, behind the brightly lit hallway, a dark room with a single bare bulb hanging over a table set in the middle of the room. Maybe I’d be tied to the chair, maybe I wouldn’t be. They might play “Good Embassy Agent, Bad Embassy Agent.” Eden would definitely be crying, and for some reason when they offered me a cigarette I’d accept, but they still wouldn’t give it to me. Oh, and everyone would lean over the table to talk to me with a Russian accent.

It turns out, it really is like waiting at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I never even saw that interview room. There were probably around 200 chairs there in front of a counter of about 14 narrow windows. Every chair was full. When you walk past security (for the second time), you push the button to take a ticket. There were 4 buttons to push, and as soon as an officer saw Eden, he asked, “Adoption?” I said yes, and he pushed letter “B” for me. I was number “B401.” There were two flat-screen televisions playing an American news channel, and a red lightboard displaying the number that corresponded with the announcement on the intercom. Most numbers that were called were “A” ticket holders – Ethiopian citizens who were getting their Visa to enter the US.

There were only 3 families there for adoption. Our lawyer, Abdissa, said that there were usually many, many more. Mondays tend to be slow even in Ethiopia, I guess. A “Little Tykes” plastic playhouse and slide dominated one corner of the room. After maybe 15 minutes of waiting, Abdissa excitedly motioned for me to follow him and we went to window number 8, where a smiling young lady asked me to raise my right hand and swear that every document was true to the best of my knowledge. Then she asked me four easy questions, had me sign something, and rapidly stamped three documents before saying, “Congratulations, everything is finished. As far as Ethiopia is concerned adoptions are irreversible. You can return on Wednesday at 10am to pick up her passport and travel documents.” She then held up the burgundy colored passport with Eden’s little mugshot in it to show me it had already been prepared.

And that was that. Abdissa congratulated me, and I can fly out on Friday with Eden’s IR3 Visa, which means she will be a US Citizen the moment she lands on US soil. To celebrate, I had a hamburger for dinner and shared some french fries with my daughter while once again reminding her that this is vacation food, we don’t eat like this at home. So, we’re set! I can’t believe it’s actually over! Adoptions really do happen! It’s not just a paperwork hobby we tell our friends about!

And now, the REAL work begins…FINALLY!

The Silk Factory

2011-07-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

This morning we ventured out of the guest house to visit Sabahar, a silk factory here in Addis. But, just because it’s in Addis doesn’t mean it’s nearby. This city is enormous. It took about half an hour to get there, and over an hour to get back. We didn’t realize it, but we chose graduation day to cross the city. On the way there, we commented on the number of rose vendors we saw on the street corners. On the way back, we saw graduates in cap and gown from the university carrying those roses. Lots of them. There were about 20,000 graduates today. And their families. Ten thousand undergrads alone. Major roads were blocked off for security reasons because the Prime Minister speaks at graduation, so all traffic was diverted to the spot next to our van.

However, the silk factory was nothing like what I had pictured, and well worth the trip. I imagined a concrete building or warehouse with looms and moths flying around, and maybe a corner with a cage full of silk worms, and then a shop sectioned off in the corner to buy the finished product.

Not at all! When we entered the property, we stepped into the most peaceful place I’ve seen yet in Addis Ababa. The grounds were well manicured with stone walls, terraces, and steps twisting throughout the complex. The rock steps were covered with moss, and flowers and potted plants were hidden everywhere. As soon as we entered the gate, a kind old man used a lot of body language to direct us to the gift shop.

There, we found a tall woman wearing a silk headscarf (big surprise) standing behind a table set in the middle of the room. She was helping some German tourists, responding to them in German, and when we asked if we could tour the place, she replied in perfect English. We were allowed to show ourselves around – it was a self-guided tour. That means for the most part we had no idea what we were looking at. But, it was so quiet and peaceful that if I were to stay here in Addis for any length of time with my family, I would have to plan regular visits here for a picnic lunch. It was free to enter, though I doubt many people leave without spending something.

In the courtyard beyond the entrance, silk cocoons were draped on racks with moths still in them. The moths looked like they were in various stages of emergence from the cocoons, but there was no movement. Later we entered a room with neat little squares of silk, and I assume these are harvested from the silk-worm room, but that is the only place we were not allowed to visit. I don’t really understand the process, but it was all so fascinating.

There was one large room with about twenty chairs and spinning wheels in it. There were three women working in there, and they allowed me to take their picture. Here they use as much cotton as silk in their products, and they were spinning both when we went inside. The scarves you can buy at the gift shop range from 100% silk to 100% cotton and several blends in between. Prices varied depending on the blend, the size, and number of colors used. The colors came from all natural sources, like coffee, indigo, and a variety of other plants. There was so much to see, I took way too many pictures. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

And where was little Eden Gudetu during this exploration, you ask? Taking a nap in her baby snuggie! She woke up just as we finalized our purchases in the gift shop and then had her lunch in the van on the long ride home.

If ever you find yourself in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I recommend stopping by here for the freshest air available in this city – especially if you have a curly-haired little girl who might like to protect her latest style with a silk headscarf!

Our Neighborhood…

2011-07-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Eden has been absolutely adorable during or stay, still staying close to me but slowly warming up to some more familiar faces. She is the entertainment for the guest house, even trying to mimic her first Justin Bieber song (thanks a lot for that one, Olivia). We are on the downhill side of our stay here in Addis. Today is Friday, and in exactly one week we will be getting on a plane to begin our 32-hour journey back to Seattle. Embassy is on Monday, and the week will pass quickly from there. Most families are only here for a week, so CHI already has activities planned for our “Embassy Week.”

Monday is Embassy, our interview is at 9am (we are 10 hours ahead of the West Coast if you want to pray for us at that time – more for the waiting-with-a-baby than anything else). Then, shopping and a city tour. Tuesday, we will visit the National Museum at 10am, then lunch at the Thomas Center (which I’ve done a couple times already, great to meet so many other CHI and YWAM families!), and a farewell party at 5:30pm that same day. Then, dinner at Hibir or Yod Abysinia Hotel. Wednesday, we pick up Eden’s passport and visa and travel documents at the Embassy at 10am. Mental note: verify that the visa expiration date is well after we land, BEFORE leaving the Embassy. Then we see the CHI doctor. Thursday is for packing and wrapping things up. Friday, we say goodbye and spend the day around the guest house neighborhood before flying out that evening.

Today, a couple who lives near me will be arriving for their court date next week. Hopefully this weekend we can get together. We actually will be flying out on the exact same itinerary back to Seattle, so at least I’ll have some company on the long trip home (besides Eden, of course). That will make the trip a little less trying. I also fully intend to treat myself to a hurkin’ Cinnabon when we land in DC, and I shall gluttonously eat every bite.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to go to the Silk Factory here in Addis with a woman and her sister who have arrived for Embassy. They are from Central Washington and heard about this factory before leaving. I guess they offer free tours of the silk worms and moths, the silk making process, and then have a little shop for you to purchase scarves and such. It should be interesting!

As promised, however, here are some pictures from around the neighborhood.

Like most houses here, the guest house itself is a walled compound. The front of a house never sits adjacent to a street, there is always a wall with a gate, and usually razor wire or broken glass on the top of the wall. Behind the wall, there is a courtyard and then the house and any other outbuildings. When I step onto our patio, I can look down to see our own courtyard and driveway. Directly across from that is a blue and gold gate. That’s where the alpha dog of the neighborhood lives. You can usually hear him barking and fighting as you try to fall asleep, and sometimes his growls blend with the morning call to prayer from the city center.

Cows and sheep often eat the grass growing along the sides of the walled homes, so we have pets. Not what you would expect to find in a city this large. Down the muddy alley – which has a couple small shops about the size of a queen bed where you can buy a Coke or Fanta – you find more people and noise. There are people walking everywhere all the time; there is a very busy street just one block away. Here are some snapshots from that street, I took a walk down it with Eden a couple times to grab a cold drink, or browse some of the small stores. Sometimes when it is time for her morning nap, I’ll strap her in the Ergo baby carrier (I call it the baby snuggie) and throw a backpack on my back and we’re off. She wakes up on the way home, so we stop in a café for her snack and my beverage. It’s a nice little routine. Like all blog posts, you can click the pictures to see larger, more detailed versions.

The mosaic above this storefront features the obelisk of Axum. Look it up, it’s a source of national pride.

A café around the corner of our guest house.

Really, this is what most of the street looks like. It’s very … functional. The cobblestone sidewalk is a new addition, and there are little saplings planted the entire length of the road about 15 feet apart. That should look nice when they’re all grown in.

The local meat market.

A Chinese Hotel. Pretty.

Good deal. You like. Buy here.

An Orthodox church near the Thomas Center office. I had one of the boys take this picture while I fed Eden. He took about 65 pictures. This one was pretty good.

While we were getting ready for bed, I guess she thought her hair was messy. She found a headband and put it on all by herself. Isn’t she pretty?

Eden really has been amazingly calm and easy-going during this trip. I’ll admit, yesterday was pretty rough on everyone. She decided that screaming and breathing were synonymous, and basically if she was conscious she was fussing. All day. Girls can scream really loud, too. And the echoes are amazing when the building is made of concrete and tile. One couple told me that they were actually kind of relieved to see that she can be difficult, since for two weeks she has been setting unrealistic expectations for their own children. It all stemmed from this stupid little molar that came really close to breaking the surface yesterday. It hasn’t come up yet, but today she was back to her peaceful, playful nature – still obsessing about her shoes and different bows or clips she can try to stick in her hair. She’s a fun little kid, I can’t wait for everyone to meet her!

Props to the Ethio-Korean Healthcare System

2011-07-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

We are a YWAM family, which means we are also a CHI family. CHI is the agency through which YWAM operates in Ethiopia.

Once our children pass court, they move from any of YWAM’s four orphanages in the rural outlying areas to CHI’s Thomas Center in Addis Ababa. Kind of like the kid’s book Country Mouse, City Mouse. Both YWAM and CHI take exceptional care of their children, really some of the best emotional and medical attention available in Ethiopia. Last week, I picked up Eden Gudetu from the Thomas Center. That evening everything was normal, but the next day, her diapers took a turn down a dark and twisty alley I wish I had never visited. It was not pretty and did not make me feel safe. That’s about all I’ll say about that.

The children at the Thomas Center receive regular attention and checkups from the agency’s doctor. Unfortunately, Eden’s symptoms “downstairs” started after I picked her up. Since the doctor sees the children weekly and I’m here for so long, Abdissa already had scheduled a checkup for me on Wednesday (tomorrow). However, when I called him with my concerns regarding Eden’s intestinal health, he was quick to make immediate arrangements.

The solution: a driver and representative from CHI would pick me up and take me to the Korean Hospital about three blocks away from me here in Addis. This morning, a jeep pulled up with three people in it. A refined middle-aged Ethiopian woman sat in the front seat, rolled down her window, and with a big smile said, “Guuuudeeetuuuuu!” followed by, “Hello, Gudetu’s Father!” The driver is a kind man with a gold tooth, slightly older than me, who had taken me on several errands in Addis already.

In the back seat, a young, stylish woman sat with her purse and brightly colored, ornate head scarf loosely draped over her head. I climbed in with my backpack/diaper bag and Eden in my arms. Once I shut the door, this young woman smiled brightly while reaching toward Eden and sang her name, “Gu-de-tu! Gu-de-tu!” Eden responded by flinging herself backward, whining loudly, and then she whipped herself around and hugged me tightly.

This woman sitting next to me screamed, “Oh! AHHH!” and in shocked amazement covered her big smile with both hands. She then turned to the front seat and rapidly said something in Amharic to the CHI representative. Both the driver and the CHI rep quickly turned to look at me and Eden in the back seat, with astonished but amused smiles. She translated for me, saying, “This is Gudetu’s nanny. She has been caring for her for several months while Gudetu was at the Thomas Center,” and with a big smile, “she cannot believe Gudetu will not come to her.” It seems that Abdissa had arranged for a familiar face to soothe Eden during her hospital visit, but as far as this little girl was concerned, she already had one. (That would be me).

I entered the hospital with the CHI representative, while the driver took Eden’s former nanny home. The hospital itself is large and modern, with a giant stone beside the entrance, a scripture etched across its face. It is a Christian missionary hospital from Korea. Many “Ethiopian Heroes” fought alongside Korea during the Korean war, and the two countries have enjoyed a close political friendship ever since. Inside, the placards beside each door and above every hallway were written in English and Amharic. Internal Medicine. General Surgery. Pharmacy. I was instructed to wait in one of the many chairs lining the walls of the main hallway.

I sat there with my daughter, while patients and hospital staff watched me with great curiosity. Many smiled at me, many more remained stoic and dignified. Some turned away as soon as I looked at them as if they had not been staring. Parents walking by with their children pointed and had their kids look at me to say “Hi!” in English. A few Korean parents were walking around, their small children following behind with large surgical masks on their faces. This waiting area was a fascinating cross-section of Ethiopian society, with skin tones ranging from alabaster to onyx and everything in between. Muslim women in brightly colored headscarves. Young, modern women with makeup and jewelry accompanying their parents in traditional gowns and scarves. Young men in leather jackets and jeans, and old men with beards and tunics. One ancient old man sat across from me with a long, gray beard and a white headscarf that fell over his shoulders. He was wrapped in a large, traditional, white linen cloth that reached down to his sandals and was spread wide over the seats on either side of him, so that he was shaped like a white pyramid with a bright red and gold pattern along the base. He did not move a muscle the entire time he sat there. After about 10 minutes, a man – presumably his son – came to help him stand up. The old man’s trousers fell down, and three men quickly gathered around to pull them back up while little kids giggled. All the while, one Ethiopian boy of about 8 years old in a wheelchair was zipping around the hospital in a white gown wearing dark sunglasses. Every time he raced by me, he would smile and give me a head nod as if to say, “Hey. We’re both cool. I know.”

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the woman from CHI returned and guided me into a small exam room. The nurse spoke no English, but motioned for me to sit Eden on the scale. Next to the scale, a two-foot wide book sat on the counter with the simple words, Treatment For Children Exposed To HIV.

After weighing her, we went across the hall to see the doctor. The woman from CHI greeted her with many Amharic words and many more air-kisses, followed by an embrace. The CHI rep then started explaining my concerns in Amharic. I heard, “Clickity click click click Adopta clickity click America click click.” The doctor smiled at me and then in English said, “She has gotten so big!” It seems she had seen Eden once before.

She pulled out Eden’s medical chart and started asking me lots of questions – to describe my observations and interactions with Eden, whether or not she was feverish, how well she’s eating, if she’s vomiting, the standard pre-exam conversation. She then examined Eden on the table, who cried the entire time she was not in my arms.

In the end, she wrote a prescription for the most pressing concern. However, the doctor was concerned enough to request a follow up. She wrote two prescriptions for me today. One for the initial treatment which should take only 3 days to clear up. The other prescription simply said, “STOOL.”

So, I have my rubber gloves and miscellaneous collection materials. I am to get a stool sample, call CHI, and the driver will take me, the sample, and the STOOL prescription to the lab around the corner from our guest house. They will run a fecal and call the doctor with the results, and at that time I will get one last prescription if necessary.

After we left the office, my CHI liaison had me wait again in the hallway while she filled the prescription at the pharmacy. Then she went to get the driver. He still hadn’t returned, and in that time Eden had fallen asleep on my shoulder. As we were waiting for the driver, the CHI representative asked if she could help me. “That’s okay,” I responded. She asked again, “Can I help you?” and pointed to Eden. “I don’t need any help, but thank you.” The dignity and pride of the Ethiopian people etched into this woman’s face only barely stopped her smile, and with a smirk and twinkle in her eye she walked away.

Now, I am at the guest house waiting for this kid to finish her nap. A lunch has been arranged for CHI families at the Thomas Center office, and she should be up just in time to get her ready. The hardest part is still ahead though. I keep looking at my latex gloves sitting on the nightstand. It won’t be a problem, but it won’t be fun either. And that is just one of the many facets of parenthood.

So for now, my thanks go out to CHI, Korea, the hospital staff, and Ethiopia in general. You have all made me feel so welcome and my stay in this beautiful country better than I could have expected. Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter! Now, it’s my turn.

_________________________________________________________________

I had meant to take pictures of the hospital and such, but I left the SD card in the laptop at the guest house. The pictures here are simply snapshots of the past two days. The hospital is within walking distance, so stay tuned for a “tour of the neighborhood” update; I will include pictures then.

So, Why Are You There For So Long?

2011-07-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

I have now been in Ethiopia for five days. A week from tomorrow is our Embassy appointment, and a few days later we begin the long journey home.

Some people have wondered or asked out loud, “Why are you there for so long?” That’s a good question, and there are moments here when I ask myself the same thing.

The short answer: why not? One of the perks (or, necessities) of being a teacher means having two months off in the summer. Our embassy appointment isn’t until the last week of this month. If I didn’t travel to Ethiopia until that week, then this whole time our little girl would continue to stay at The Thomas Center here in Addis Ababa. Don’t get me wrong, she is loved on and very well cared for at the TC. It is good, but it is not family. This little girl has a family now and it’s high time she lives with them. Ideally, the whole family would travel to be with her during this LAST leg of our wait. But, anyone who knows our family understands that Corban’s food situation is … well … complicated. He would not eat while in Ethiopia. And, why put TWO kids through that travel experience if it’s not absolutely necessary?

So, with my time off I have the option to spend my days at home, or with her while we wait for our embassy appointment. This is something we had talked about doing anyway – coming a week or two early to get to know her before flying. That way, when we put her through the confusion and trauma of international travel, I will be seen as a familiar, safe face rather than the enemy and source of all her problems. That won’t happen until she’s thirteen.

Additionally, when we’re home and everything looks, feels, and smells so different than it did back home, I will be her link to everything that she once understood.

And really, it’s not much more of a challenge than staying in a hotel with your family while on vacation. It’s just like going to Disneyland with your kids, but it’s the lamest Disneyland ever because we never go on the rides and dad is always trying to get online to talk to mom and I’m pretty sure his clothes are dirty.

The guest house is kind of fun in that it functions a lot like a hostel. There are people from everywhere coming and going – you meet families from literally all over the world. There are two guest houses on opposite sides of the same block. Guest house number one, where the “office” and land-line telephone are located, houses most of the European and Canadian families. Guest house number two is all American, all the time. There are three of us from the West Coast, and a couple from Indianapolis arrived just today. It’s nice to share meals and stories with these people, even planning outings with some couples and “play dates” for those like me, who just took custody of young children. This hasn’t happened yet because Eden and I are just now starting to understand the expectations we have of one another, but we’re talking about it. This week I have plans with the Frenchman to take a walk with our daughters. It’s pretty much a nonstop party here.

Today, however, was not about socializing or getting out of the guest house. It was about hair. Tsebay helped me do her hair today (pronounced kind of like “suh-bye", but the “ts” sounds exactly like the end of the word cats). She looked at Eden’s hair yesterday, clicked her tongue and sympathetically said to me, “I will help you do her hair. When she is more comfortable and can sit with me, I will do this.”

So today at breakfast, Tsebay took her off my lap. “You need to give your father a break,” she told Eden. That little girl was not having it, flailing and crying and screaming. So Tsebay went to guest house number one to bring over Enata, Tsebay’s niece, and close to Eden’s age. I put her on the floor so the girls could interact and play, but Eden just wanted me to hold her.

Finally, Tsebay just picked her up and took this crying, clingy child outside to distract her and calm her down, I quickly finished my breakfast while Tsebay brought her back in and started taking out her old braids. Halfway through the process, Eden saw me and started crying again. So, I asked if I could take over while Tsebay was sitting there so she could show me how to take out the braids without breaking or knotting her hair. Then I took her upstairs to wash her hair, detangle, and moisturize those little locks.

When I brought my clean, fresh-smelling kid down with her soft, tangle-free curls, Tsebay got to work. I tried hard to pay attention and learn the steps, but it’s painfully clear that this is one area I neglected to prepare for before signing on to be this kid’s sole caregiver for three weeks. Tsebay would use the end of the comb to draw out lines on her head, and I would hold her hair down while Tsebay’s fingers of fury braided the rows. The only reason Eden allowed this: a strawberry sucker. Pretty sure it was the first one of her life. Every now and then, Eden would turn around to see who was messing with her hair, start to fuss, and calm down only when I pressed her hair back down and pulled her closer to me.

The end result though: adorable. She’s a very pretty girl and somehow I think she already knows it. She spent the next couple of hours having me take her tennis shoes on and off, and pulling magazines off the coffee table, pointing at one particular dress over and over. I fear this is only the beginning…

So, to sum up my day: hair, shoes, dresses. I am officially the father of a little girl.

Foto Friday!

2011-07-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

According to her shirt, this is our "All American Boy" laying on her daddy's chest at the Thomas Center on Day 1 of the rest of our lives!

It’s Always Sunny …

2011-07-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the airport, the woman who runs the guest house picked me up and apologized for the weather, “You came during our winter.”
Admittedly, it is colder than I had expected, even after checking the forecast before leaving. I should have brought more long sleeves and a heavier jacket. Definitely more socks.
But, I didn’t come here for a tan. I came here for our little Tsehai, – our little Sunshine. I am so glad I did and to spend this time with her. There is so much I want to share and describe from the two short days we’ve spent together, but the internet connection simply isn’t reliable enough. Here is a taste, though, of my week so far.

We are all smiles up here! The only time she really gets upset is when she’s hungry or tired OR if her mouth is bothering her, which can take her from mid-giggle to sobs and crocodile tears, while pushing her fingers into her mouth. I think she is cutting another molar. She has one already, it looks like a small pile of white steak knives. That thing is SHARP! I can only imagine how painful it must be for another one of those things to be pushing upward. Thankfully I have Tylenol with me, though I imagine she would prefer something stronger. Does Johnson & Johnson make Children’s Morphine Tablets?
More updates to come!

Just Like Her Big Brother!

2011-07-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Just before Nathan picked up Eden Gudetu from the Thomas Center, I received an "incident report" that she had fallen and hit her head while playing. The report said that "medical intervention" had been administered in the form of a cold compress. Attached was a very pitiful picture of a very beautiful girl with a very sad little bruise on her forehead. (At least I can blame the nannies for this fall! No mommy guilt on this one.)

It reminded me of a picture of her big brother at about the same age after he took his first spill. If I recall, Corban's accident occurred just after he had started walking on his own with some confidence, but was still a bit unsteady on his feet. According to Nathan, this is exactly where Eden Gudetu is right now! She loves cruising around on the furniture in the Guest House; but if he sits on the floor and spreads his arms wide, she will walk, a bit unsteady, but giggling, right into her daddy's arms!! Oh, my heart longs to see these moments with my own eyes! I am so glad her daddy is in Ethiopia to be a part of her first precious steps.

As always, feel free to click to see this photo enlarged

There Is A Crib In My Room

2011-07-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

I made it safely to Addis Ababa. I left on a red-eye on Monday, flew six hours to Washington, DC, waited four hours, and then flew 13 hours to Ethiopia, to check into my guest house on Wednesday morning. That sounds like a long time. When I look at a map though, I’m pretty impressed I got here that fast. We’ll see how I feel about that on the way home when there’s an angry toddler on my lap, maliciously planning what she will do during her teenage years to pay me back for that experience.
Melissa followed me every step of the way online, she was able to watch my plane in real-time cross the Atlantic, skirt along the coast of France before flying over Europe and the Mediterranean, then over the Sahara Desert and cross North Sudan into Ethiopian airspace. Every time she checked my position she wrote a little blurb in an email she was drafting, with an update on what was happening at home during that part of my flight. Once I landed she sent it to me. She’s so sweet and thoughtful! I am a lucky man.
Once I settled in my room I freshened up a bit, made a couple of phone calls, took a nap, and had a bite to eat. Tomorrow morning I will have a light breakfast with delicious, strong Ethiopian coffee and will go to the Thomas Center at 9:30 to pick up my daughter. Tonight, I’ll be going through her suitcase and packing her day bag with the basics. Finally, this kid is going to be with her family, even if it is just me!
Now the big question: What the heck are we going to do for the next couple of weeks?

Another Generation

2011-07-09T02:09:00.000-07:00

I still need to write a post about "Corban's Best Day Ever," but can't seem to find the sD card that is holding all the pictures hostage. However, I have another great day to write about, so without further ado...

The majority of the people Nathan and I spend time with, our friends, are relatively new to our lives. They are people we met in college or since graduating, through work or other activities. But we do still have a few friends from our childhood- high school and before- that remain an important part of our lives. Last month, I had the opportunity to spend a few precious hours with two very special ladies.

Jasmine and ReNate. Jasmine and I met our Freshman year in High School. We remained strong friends all four years and then traveled across the state where we attended WSU together. Some of my best memories of high school involve Jasmine; as well as most of my most memorable, crazy, wish-I-could-forget memories of college. ReNate and I shared many friends in high school and traveled in similar circles, but somehow managed to not actually meet each other until college.

I love these women.

Because of life: marriage, children, relationships, school, and military service, we are no longer all living in the same city- not even in the same part of the country. But so much of who I am today stems from who I was becoming when these women were a daily part of my life. They have taught me so much about friendship, pursuing our passions, holding tightly to what is most important, forgiveness, faith and reconciliation.

It is not often that we are able to get together, but when we get the opportunity, I soak up every moment. We recently spent some time wrangling our wild group on the very waterfront where we used to gossip about classmates and try to dissect the minds and hearts of teenage boys.

It's so hard to believe that the three of us are now a band of 7 (8 really, next time we are all together, Baby Girl will be a part of this group)! I am so thankful to still have these women in my life and more importantly, my children's lives. As I watch our boys run, scream, throw rocks and build bunkers, I am in awe of what we have come through in order to be in this place, together. I can't wait to see what is in store for us. Corban is much younger than the big boys, but they are still so kind and playful toward him. Eden and Sanaa will be a year apart, and I can just imagine them becoming friends like their mamas. I hope they are as kind, compassionate and forgiving toward one another as we have been to each other.

Beautiful Little Sanaa

My little man, in his happiest of places, surrounded by rocks!

Our boys- two smiling one screaming (happily)

Boys being boys

Handsome little cheese ball

Rock bunkers require serious concentration

Heart-breaker

Takai decided he wanted to copy Corban and Stephon is just being his adorable self.

And just like that, picture time is OVER!

Foto Friday!

2011-07-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Foto Friday

2011-07-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

My little Monkey. He doesn't conform to society's norms regarding the purpose of pacifiers.

Another Nursery!

2011-06-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today, after 3 weeks of work, I put the finishing touches on Baby Girl's room. This little project would have taken me about a week in the old days, before I had a "Big Helper," but Corban insisted on telling me the names of all the tools, in English and Spanish, throwing the hammer across the room, pointing to various deadly objects while yelling, "dangerous," and kept me on my toes climbing up and down (and up and down and up and down and up and down) the ladder. Despite all of Corban's help, Nathan and I managed to hang the last picture today.

Here are a few of my favorite photos. The color just refuses to photograph well, but it is a very bright green. When we originally decorated this space as our "Guest Room" we used a lot of photos and souvenirs from our year in Belize, so we chose a bright, Caribbean color for the walls. When it came time to turn it into a nursery, I decided to just keep the color and make it work for a little girl. I broke up the green with big 6 inch "Princess Ivory" stripes on one of the larger walls. I continued that color on all of the wood-colored trim, painting the base and crown molding as well as her closet doors and the main door to her room.

I do believe there are more photos of her in this room than photos of Corban in our entire house! I guess since she isn't physically occupying her room yet, I subconsciously placed her here in photo form. This is something I realized after I was finished.

Without further ado....

View from the hallway. You can see Nathan's Crown Molding

From the back wall. Check out those newly-painted doors!

Her closet is ready!

A few more detailed shots-

A picture I found and fell in love with to the left
and wall decals that speak my heart!

Gorgeous cross-stitch from my Auntie Reda. Looooove this!

Finally, a crib of her own.
With photos of her at 6 months, 9 months, 13 months and 14 months

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall....

A few small treasures of her own.

Curious about what Corban's nursery looked like?
Check out Nathan's post from more than 2 years ago! Making Room!

Foto Friday!

2011-06-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Just 4 days late! Can you tell my mind is somewhere else these days?

Last Friday was pretty much Corban's best day ever. I will be back soon to tell you why it was so great!

Father's Day Recap

2011-06-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was tough this year, with one of our children very. very far away, I found it very difficult to remain in the moment and enjoy Sunday for the fun and beautiful day it was. I giggled nervously throughout the singing and message at church while wiping tears off of my cheeks. I probably looked and sounded like a total mess. Every time someone would say the word "dad" or "father" I would picture our daughter playing in her crib, totally oblivious to the fact that she even had a father somewhere who loved her and I would completely fall apart. So to the guy in the basketball shorts sitting to my right, no, I was not crying because you came in late and forced me to give up my aisle seat and move to the seats in the middle of our row. (Did you notice how I skillfully make this Father's Day post all about me, my emotions and my needs? I am enough of an egomaniac to do it, but not so far gone that I won't call myself out on it.)

Aside from my weird estrogen-charged emotions, Father's Day was a lot of fun and lasted all weekend long in the Lemanski House. I love Father's Day. I like to plan little things all weekend so that Nathan feels special and knows how much I appreciate his relationship to our son and his role as my partner in parenting. He is an especially fantastic dad, and I want to make sure he knows that I notice.

So, "Dad's Weekend" started with a super yummy dinner on Friday night, one of Nathan's favorites. Then, on Saturday he woke up to breakfast. He had to attend a graduation, but afterward we spent the day as a family. Mom came over that evening to watch Corban and Nathan and I went out to eat. I picked the restaurant, but I knew he wouldn't mind. He has been asking me to try a Korean BBQ restaurant nearby for about a year. He likes it because there is a grill in the middle of the table with actual wood chips in it and the waiter brings you an enormous platter piled high with raw meat for you to grill yourself. Fire and raw meat, no wonder he loves it!

Sunday morning started with church. I didn't make him breakfast on Sunday, unless you count me putting two pieces of bread in the toaster and saying, "There is nutella on the counter, I have to do my makeup." I feel like that could count as making breakfast on a regular day, but not Father's Day. After church, Corban napped and I prepared a picnic basket for a dinner I had planned for my dad, stepmom, brother and little sister. Once Corban was up and fed, we headed to the Zoo where we met the rest of the family and spent a fun few hours pointing at animals, looking for animals, laughing at animals, "ooohing and aaahhhhing" over animals, sometimes pitying animals, taking pictures of animals, and running after Corban. The Zoo had a special exhibit called, "The Scoop on Poop," so we also learned how to identify animals by their poop, touched a fossilized t-rex poop, watched a video of a rhino actually going poop, and learned all about different mating rituals involving poop. Can I just say that everyone in that place was acting exactly like a middle schooler (it wasn't just us)!

After a few hours at the zoo everyone was pretty hungry and it was time for the picnic! So we piled back in our cars and drove to a nearby wooded area with a beautiful view of the Puget Sound and hungrily dug in! It was simple, tasty picnic food: fried chicken, watermelon, chips, lemonade and a yummy dessert. After we ate, Dad opened a few gifts and then we all packed back into our cars and headed home.

It was a wonderful weekend to just really focus on our little family and to show appreciation to the dads in my life. Conversations turned to our far-away daughter every now and then. Usually it was just curious questions regarding when she would be home. Questions to which we can only reply, "soon, we hope." I distinctly remember talking to Nathan last year on Father's Day, telling him next year he'd have TWO kids! We were right, in our hearts and on paper, we do have two children. We just assumed they would be under the same roof by now. Soon though, it won't be long now.

Happy Father's Day to my dad and to my husband. I hope you felt loved on your special day!

The Gang minus me and Gramma @ the Zoo

Corban and Uncle Nathaniel

Poop brings out the middle school kid in all of us

Checking out the otters with Grampa

Gramma and Grampa

My Baby's Daddy

Feeding Therapy

2011-06-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kissing his apple.

Last week was Corban's first food therapy evaluation. I have been dreading and looking forward to this appointment since I first started trying to get him into a program in January. I was so nervous for what the evaluation would look like and so excited to get some direction regarding where to go with all of Corban's issues with food.

The Occupational Therapist (OT) who conducted the eval was awesome! She engaged Corban, played with him, got down on his level and interacted in a goofy, lighthearted way that sucked him in immediately. He was so responsive to her and about 15 mins into the appointment I realized everything was going to be just fine.

After an hour and a half of watching her work her magic, she had some very interesting insights to share. First, Corban fights having to touch food. So, she encouraged us to make mealtime fun and inspire him to interact more with his food. This means touching his food, talking about his food, manipulating his food with his hands, in essence, playing with his food. I was tempted to interject with a Happy Gilmore style, "But...mom...but, mom...but Mama says never to play with your food" but then thought better of it because it totally made sense. I had been doing this a little bit in the last few months in my attempt to get him to touch bread- which as you know, he finally did a few weeks ago- but for the most part, we have been doing the exact opposite. Corban doesn't want to be around food, so we just strap him in his chair and distract him while shoveling yogurt into his mouth as quickly as possible. But, in order to get Corban to appreciate food, we need to expose him to it and get him to pay attention to it. Go figure.

I cannot describe how emotional this photo makes me.
For him to be touching cheese and tortillas less than
1 week after his evaluation is truly miraculous!

As I have already mentioned, it took me months to wear down his defenses enough to touch a piece of bread (which he does without protest every day, by the way!), but by using the techniques the OT modeled for me, he is touching all sorts of food!! He is not actually eating any of it, mind you. But, FYI, touching food is an important step between hating the sight of it and swallowing it. While some food he will touch directly- with his fingers- some of it bothers him so much that he can only touch it with a utensil, another piece of food (a pretzel for example), or a toothpick. But this is huge! Before this appointment, he literally would only touch chips. He was even bothered when yogurt would touch him. Now, by modeling food play, he is touching tons of stuff!!

He looks a little disgusted, but he's
touching food!

The OT also gave me some literature on the steps involved in the eating process. People, there are 32 steps to eating a bit of food! 32 steps! Most of your kids are little over-achievers and have this whole "eating thing" down pat, but my little guy has shown that he lags behind in this particular area. The steps range from "being in the same room" with a piece of food to "chewing and swallowing...independently." For most foods, Corban is at step 9: "uses utensils or container to serve self onto plate/space" or step 15: "touches food with fingertips." It is amazing to me as I look at this list, how far Corban has come in a very short amount of time. It is also a little overwhelming to see how far he still has to go.

The most important achievement thus far, is that Corban did not vomit during the evaluation and has not vomited at all due to being around food since the appointment. He used to vomit while watching other people eat or when certain foods came into his "space." He has had a few gagging incidents while touching new foods, but nothing worse. I know this sounds odd, but it is truly amazing. This is a kid who threw up while watching his cousin eat via Skype and once after stepping on a piece of onion. Not to mention that just two weeks ago he was reduced to panicked screams and tears at the sight of a slice of bread.

The all-done container. This food will
either be eaten by us, or offered again
the following day.

Another genius tip the OT gave me was the "All Done Container." I love this thing. We use it after we are done eating, when it is time to get up from the table. I take out the "all done container" and he clears his entire plate into it. The draw here is that he will touch the food when he knows he is, in essence, throwing it away. He has to use his hands to clear his plate and if there is anything that he is really resisting touching with his hands, even after much encouragement, he may use a utensil to put it in the "all done container." The only thing that he truly won't touch with his bare hands are chopped apples.

The OT recommended he continue therapy via a group eating program. From the progress he made during the appointment and at home since that time, I believe group eating therapy will be perfect for him. Of course, the program approved by our insurance has a 6-8 month wait list but we have found a great program much closer to our home with a few classes Corban can join fairly soon. Unfortunately, it is out of our network, so begins our game of tug-of-war with our medical insurance company. (yippee!)

In the meantime, I am optimistic at the progress he has already made and the tips shared by his OT. She is pretty confident that with regular therapy (in office and at home) we will see marked improvement in his eating.

At this point, my only regret is that we didn't do this a year ago!

Making his cheese "slide" off the apple.

Foto Friday

2011-06-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

Corban Touched Bread!

2011-06-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

( The photos have absolutely nothing to do with Corban touching bread)

That may seem an odd title for a post. But, that's what happened today. Corban, although he didn't want to, against his better judgement, touched two pieces of bread this morning.

Every morning Corban excitedly asks me to make toast. At times he actually insists on it. I pull out his special gf (gluetn-free) toaster and grab a piece of gf bread from the freezer while he pushes one of the chairs from the kitchen table up to the counter. He stands there directing the operation, waiting to push the lever down and make the bread disappear. He never touches the bread. I always ask him to put the bread in the toaster and it always sends him into tears. I eventually concede, load the toast myself, and grab the toppings (AKA: things that make the toast look really good so my non-eating child will try at least one bite) As soon as the jar of nutella comes out of the pantry he yells, "Spoon please!" at the top of his lungs. While we wait for the toast to pop up, he takes teeny tiny bits of nutella.

As soon as the toast pops up, Corban tells me how he'd like it cut that morning, it's usually either, "two triangles" or "three triangles." Then, he sits at the table and I place the plate of buttery toast topped with warm nutella in front of him and he just sits there refusing to take a bite for about 20 minutes. I don't even try and make him eat this any more. I just give him the opportunity every morning without pressure and hope that one day he will decide to take a bite of toast.

Well, things went a bit differently this morning. I placed the piece of bread on the counter and asked Corban to put it in the toaster, just like every morning. Again, like every morning, Corban shook his head and resisted. Only, this morning he touched the bread for a second while saying "no." I had a friend visiting, so she, Nathan and I all cheered and clapped and praised him for touching the bread and then encouraged him as a group to put it in the toaster. In a few short seconds I saw expressions of panic, confusion and then resolve on Corban's face. Then, he picked up that piece of bread and put it in the toaster!! Of course, we all cheered! Corban smiled briefly and then spent the next 2 minutes waiting for the toast and wiping his hand on the counter and on his jammies, trying to get the feel of dreaded bread off of his hand.

So, that's what happened at the Lemanski house this morning. We had a little clapping party because Corban touched a piece of bread, and I felt like we had conquered an enormous mountain!

Just think of how excited I will be when he actually takes a bite! I think a toast parade would be in order to mark an occasion that momentous.

Foto Friday!

2011-06-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tumbling Around Inside the Awesome Red Ball, Edition

More Memorial Day Photos

2011-06-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

The "Big Boys" and their first experience with s'mores: (you can click on the photos for more detail)

1- Roasting the mallow with Grampa

2- First Taste

3- Another bite

4- He likes it!

1- Roasting the mallow with Grampa

2- Showing him the s'more

3- Concerned with what happened to the chocolate

4- No thanks, Grampa. Can you lick this yucky mallow off my fingers?

Sword fighting

Levi's got bow hunting skills

Only MY son would pout while sitting next to a marshmallow.

Inspecting his hands after his close encounter with a s'more.

At just 3 months Ethan is so close sitting up on his own!

Levi and his new favorite Uncle.

Levi discovering Uncle Nathaniel's tattoos- He saw this one and asked, "Letters on the hand?" So cute

I love him

New Daddy, Joe and Baby Mason

S'mores make everyone happy!

Blowing Bubbles with Uncle Nathaniel

Love this

Family Fun!

Levi is quite the kicker!

Yup! We were there too

(and isn't Nathan so handsome?)

Foto Friday!

2011-06-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

C'mon this is just getting ridiculous. He's like, the most beautiful boy who ever existed.