Cool Video

I watched this on Hulu the other day. It's pretty insightful. A good video to watch for info on Ethiopia, it's history and Rastafari itself. Worth the watch.

On a walk outside!

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Part II

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Part III

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Snowpacolypse 2010. Day One. Blizzard Three. Pre Snow Fall.

2010 DC Blizzard!

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Advice for the Traveler.

It's funny, after I wrote that last post, I called my mom and shared how I actually felt like I remembered so little of our trip to Addis. The drive from the airport to the guest house was really the last chance my eyes had at taking in my surroundings without my mind and heart dominating my senses. Looking back, I think what surprises me the most is how much I blocked out, just due to the trauma of the circumstances. Our introduction to the girls was anything but smooth, so my week was really spent trying to solidify a connection with them. That took over everything else in my mind. I was so thankful to have support with me. Not only to be there as that, but to help me remember (and in some cases remember for me) as much as possible about the trip.
Thankfully, I DO remember clearly my meeting with Ababa and our trip to Hosanna. While it was emotional, it was something that I knew I needed to make space in my busy mind for. It was more important to remember that than it was to put any amount of energy into anything else, including emotions. It was something I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to do and I am grateful that my mind allowed me to keep that one.
For that reason, I would strongly suggest that whether your child was abandon or relinquished, if you have the chance, meet the person that brought them in. In some cases, this may even be a birth parent or relative that will deny knowledge of the child's circumstances. It's not that you want to interrogate, but your children will want answers in the future- you want those answers for them. It may even be possible to get a photograph of that person. Document as much as you can, in as many ways as you can.
I remember planning for the trip in every way that I could and I remember being told that nothing could REALLY prepare me for what was coming. How true that was! Toddler adoption and sibling adoption is FAR different than picking up an infant. Emotionally and physically you are spent, wrung, and left hanging out to dry by the end of the week. It's amazing what the human spirit can survive and I just remember being SOOOOO focused on what the girls were going through and had gone through, that I completely neglected to recognize where I was at until we were about 14 hours into the flight home.
I'm not sure how I could have done things much differently, given where we all were, but I should have figured SOMETHING out, because that flight home was tough.
That said- HAVE SUPPORT !!! Make sure you have AT LEAST one person come with you. This can be a partner, a spouse, a friend. It doesn't matter who, as long as they can do what you need (preferably without you having to tell them), and be sensitive to YOU. You'll be focused on the kids, the baby, your surroundings, and everything illogical. Somebody needs to be the logistical work mule of the trip. LOL! Funny, but very true.
On the same note, don't expect that the support will provide you with any space. Especially if you have an older child/ren, you may find that separation from you is not an option. I mean- NOT AN OPTION. This is a good sign and something that you think you'll be thankful for right now. Believe me, when you are there, a 5 minute shower, or even two minutes on the toilet by yourself is PRECIOUS!!! Emotionally, you WILL need it, so if you get a chance and don't even feel like you need it- TAKE IT!
OK- enough about that.
Packing tips: pack as light as you can. You'll be there a week and clothing can wash. You can pick a lot of things up at local markets in Addis and you will regret not getting more items from ET to bring home while you are there. Bring an extra suitcase and plenty of extra spending money (both for donations and shopping). You can find stuff online once you're home, but it is FAR more expensive than what you would pay there.

• Clothing- for yourself, you know your sizes, pack two of each thing and rotate. It'll save a ton of room. For the kiddos- think small- no.... more likely, think tiny. Go by the weight they give you, not the age. These kids are SMALL! Bring 3-4 of each thing (except diapers, bring lots of them) and wash them. Oh, and bring a couple plastic diapers to put over the real deal on the flights (I've heard they can be a big help).
• Cameras, batteries, sound recorder (sounds of nursery/songs etc), memory chips- a must.
• Journal- although you'll likely have too much information coming in, to process it fast enough, let alone write as fast as you can try to think through it. Still, bring it.
• Have your questions written down. ALL of them. From medical history to birth history, to region where the child was born, care in the orphanage, daily routines, things that sooth, foods, smells, sounds. Make note and record all of it. It will be something you will use at home and will also expose any existing family to the culture that your new child has been in.
• Wipes, sanitary lotion, pur water packets, wipes, hair ties (work for all sorts of things), wipes, ziplock baggies (big and small), wipes oh, and did I say wipes. :) Just to clarify, don't just get baby wipes, get sanitary wipes. Oh, and the sanitary lotion/hand stuff that dries- the kids in the orphanage love it and the centers can always use any extra.
• Bubbles, another hit with the kiddos.
• Ear plugs. Bring them. You can rotate using them with your support person. The last thing you'll need is less sleep then you'll already be struggling to get.
• Benadryl. Children's- bring it too. Try it before you get on the plane though, sometimes it backfires. You don't have to use it, but folks- it's a 20+ hour flight home. You may wish you had it.
• Giardia. It's real. It will likely happen. Be proactive with your doctor, pre-trip. Be careful on the trip, but just plan on treating it when you get home. Between the showers, the baths, and the other kids, it's pretty likely to happen. Especially if you are adopting toddlers!
• Donations. Bring them. In fact, that empty suitcase I told you to bring, fill it with donations. Ask what the needs are and bring what you can.
• Food. Peanut butter- bit hit. Cheerios- always a safe bet. Sweet isn't big over there. Oranges, Bananas, Pancakes are HUGE hits. Buy some Injera and have it ready at home (Separate pieces between wax paper and freeze it in zip locs).
• Music! Bring it. An Ipod, an MP3 player, whatever you can fit. This is therapy for you and for the kids if they are old enough. I remember the girls sitting for hours just being dumbfounded by music in their ears. It could also be soothing to babies if you had some quiet music in it.
• Cell phones- toddlers love them. Bring a pretend phone for them that makes noise and has music. The staff have phones that they let the kids play with. That will be a big help with toddlers as well.

If you are bringing home an older child, check with the center and see what kind of videos they have been exposed to. For us it was Sesame Street, so the girls got REALLY excited to see Elmo when we got home. We have also found that Leap Frog stuff is a HUGE resource. The Letter Factory, Word Factory and Math Circus videos work a lot on basic sounds, meanings, enunciation, etc. Also, while Barney is annoying, he is very clear in his speech, talks about the basic habits in American life and there is a lot diversity with the kids in the show. All things you'll want to be looking for.
Books- if you have kids at home, and especially if you live in a smaller, predominately white community, make sure that you have LOTS of books, music, art, videos- all of it with a lot of diversity. It will help the whole family. Start looking around, you have a lot of  unrecognized "white" culture surrounding you. Begin to notice it now and it will be easier to be sensitive to your choices later.
Resources- find them now. Your children will need people of their same race and home country to pull on and ask questions of. Make sure you begin those connections now. They will need them, and so will you, as they get older. From hair-care, to racial prejudice, there will be things that you just WILL NOT understand- so if you are any other race or heritage than the child you are adopting- be honest with yourself and prepare.
That is really all I can think of at the moment, although I am sure there are a million other things. Use the list of items to pack that your agency gives you. Carry multiple copies of visas, passports and adoption info in case luggage gets lost. Do your best and trust that you will make it home, even if you are covered in spit up, poop and have ringing ears. You'll make it home, and you'll survive.

Arriving in Addis.

OK- so here are Jodi's questions;

What country did you adopt from?  And when you stepped of the plane.... and headed towards your first destination in that country.... what were your first impressions of the country?  What should we expect?

Let me begin by saying that there are NO words that could do justice to this experience, the country or Africa itself. I can't tell you how many times I heard this prior to travel and how true it is.
OK, so we adopted from Ethiopia and while Garrett wasn't able to come with me, my Mom and Sister-In-Law were wonderful enough to be my support during the week. As for the arrival....
Ya know, any time you travel internationally a new culture can be a little intimidating. To some, arrival at the airport might make one feel a bit like they are walking around in a room full of vampires that could kill them at any moment, and while that is not likely to happen, it still keeps them on edge a bit. To others, it's not quite so life threatening.
That said, I remember stepping off the place and IMMEDIATELY recognizing that we were the minority. We were different in just about EVERY way. There was the obvious color of skin, but it was also in the languages we heard, the smells, the sounds, the pace, the fabrics, EVERYTHING and that was in the airport! It was overwhelming to the senses and for a very short time, distracted me from the reason for our trip. It wasn't until after we actually left the airport that my eyes began to take in, what would be a week full of emotional memories. 
I remember the smell. I can close my eyes and still smell it. The fresh air, after being in that packed airport seemed unlike any air I had ever breathed. It was the smell of .... well Africa. The smell of warm, clean, dry earth, the opportunity of a new beginning. Almost like a chance at a fresh start was given to you as soon as you stepped foot on Ethiopian soil and inhaled. It was wonderfully amazing. I had no experience of the culture itself yet, but it was as if the hope and joy of the people was palpable in the air.
It was late at night when we flew in so we saw little of the city itself when we flew over Addis. We got in the van and once we got on the road it was hard to recognize that we were even in a city for the first few miles. Lights were minimal and there were hardly any buildings in sight. When we finally did begin to see real structures they seemed to be placed in the middle of nowhere. All we saw was mismatched metal fencing that blocked our view of much else. There were few people on the streets, but the majority of those that were there were beggars with severe physical impairments. For them to be out in daylight would be unacceptable.

          (much of the city is being developed so there are vast spaces of emptiness throughout)

The silence of the city was deafening. It was unlike any city I had ever been in. The night life was either non-existent, or tucked away off the main road. The roar of the van was the only sound we heard other than our voices as we made conversation with the driver while trying to visually take in what we could.
The further we drove the brighter it got, but make no mistake, the dim yellow lights were spread pretty far apart. There were a few tall buildings, most with lights off. Roads we drove on were paved with no lines to separate lanes. Traffic lights were few. We may have gone through 3 in our entire trip to the guest house.
Roads off the main road were dirt and gravel. We were in the city, but much of it has yet to be paved (and it has vastly improved in the years prior to our trip). It was maybe 15 minutes of driving before we pulled off the main road and drove bumpily for another few minutes passing compounds and private homes along the way. We pulled up to a metal gate that was opened for us in welcome to the guest house. 
 We settled in for the night and prepared for the days ahead. 

 The city in daylight looks much more alive and busy than at night. It's amazing what a little sunlight will do!