4/26-28/10 - "Stay"cation

Mike requested a couple days off and ended up having four and a half days off in a row - stay-cation time!

We began the week with a visit to the library (the boys liked wearing the headphones and listening to part of a story the best) and then got lunch from Sammies, our favorite burger place.

Tuesday found us using our Kohl's Children's Museum tickets (thanks Gail, Karen, and Beth!) and the boys had a blast!

playing on the crane:

beating on a drum:

pushing a lever to inflate a nylon tube:

mopping the floor:

getting a sandwich ready at Potbellys:

taking care of sick animals (notice how John Eyob is using the syringe, this is the way I give our cat medicine each morning in her mouth!):

pushing the giant plastic push pins:

playing in the middle of a car table:

the giant train table:

pretending to drive the train:

One of their favorite places, the car room:

looking at baby chicks:

Another favorite spot, the grocery store section:

And hands down, their favorite, the water works!

Wednesday Fun - Independence Grove:

The boys loved climbing up the rock wall climb to get to this slide.

Look at these muscles!

Wow, my balance is great!

Mommy's Boys:

John Eyob pushing our friend Eleanor:

What a great stay-cation! Good Night! Sleep Tight!! Thank Jesus for the day and see you in the morning light!!!

(And thanks Julie, Sarah, and Danna for the cute African sheets - the boys love them and John Eyob has claimed the coordinating fleece blanket for himself!)

4/20/10 - Home for Two Months

I cannot believe two months have gone by with the boys being here (and really longer than that because I'm not getting this post done until May!) At times it seems like they have always been here and the process of getting them here seems so far away!

They are doing so beyond what I had imagined and even more than I had prayed for.

Shortly before leaving for Ethiopia and after lots of reading of all the adjustment and attachment issues and challenges that could be before us, a thought ran across my heart, "Wow, Lord, wouldn't it be great if there weren't any issues!" Of course, I knew this couldn't possibly be the case - a 3 and 4 year old moving half way around the world to live somewhere they have never seen with people they have never met except in pictures and experience new sights, sounds, and smells. Not to mention a 38 year old and 52 year old first time Mom and Dad. Now way!

How God must have snickered as He heard my prayer!! The boys have been attached to us since our first game of chase in Ethiopia. There is no question that we are Mommy-a and Ababa to them and they are our sons, children born in our hearts. And adjustment issues, what adjustment? Except for the first few days, there have been no major issues. They are happy and healthy. Thank you Lord - I could not ask for more!

And there are little changes: John Eyob will refer more often to himself as John and his brother as Ryan. Yes, these are the American names we chose for them, but I don't know how I feel about him not including the name Eyob as often! And Mike is often called "Daddy" instead of Ababa while "Mom" has just started being said instead of Mommy-a. We see lots more "cars" and not mack-e-naws. I don't know how I feel about that! And I don't even like to think about the day their accent begins to fade!!

So as they change and grow and develop and learn, I am thankful for a God who does not change and is the same today, tomorrow, and forever, and I am blessed beyond measure by the plans He has for me!

Yellow and Orange Days

So I know the title says "day" but if you look closely at what the boys are waering in the pictures, you'll notice that sometimes, it's really "days!"

Yellow day began with a project that practiced the fine motor skills of cutting and glueing. The boys cut small strips of yellow paper and glued them to a long piece of black paper - this was our road.

Then they peeled and placed yellow stickers (a gift from my cousin Dan's wife Ginger and a big hit!) on their road.

Another day found us making sun masks. The boys paiting a paper plate yellow, more fine motor practice and expeience with paint and paintbrushes.

You are my sunshine!

Moving onto orange day, we started by making orange fish with paper plates. The boys each painted two paper plates orange.

After the plates were dry, Daddy cut them and stapled fins on to make fish shapes.

Then the boys picked up and glued on (more fine motor practice) a google eye, orange beads of various sizes and an orange feather and pom pom ball.

Showing off their projects!

Time for oobleck!

First measure 1 and 1/2 cups corn starch.

Then add 1 cup water - ours was dyed orange.

Mix together carefully, adding more corn starch if needed.

The play and get messy!!

I realize this post is a bit technical in its description, but that's the teacher in me coming out!!