We will forever be in debt to the amazing group of angels who live and work at Horizon House in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who cared for and loved our little Giovanni until we arrived to take him to his new forever home! So we never forget these wonderful individuals here are their names....
Administrative Staff
Dr. Tsegaye (President)
Sister Tirhas (Head Nurse/Coordinator)
Mulat (Translator/Driver/Coordinator)
Leah (House Manager)
Ato Fitsum (Vice President)
Sister Askale (not there when we were there)
Nannies (HH2)
Gidey
Yauesh
Abebech
Abeba
Nannies (HH1)
Mulu
Amarech
Bejunesh
Menetewabe
Alsa
Guards
Wosen
Wongel
Alemu
Eshetu
Yesake
Cooks & Kitchen Staff
Rebka
Eneye
Senedu
Mekedes
Shaskey
Alem
Taxi Driver
Yohannes
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Day #4 - Exhausted - Yet Still Can't Sleep
Things are going great over here in Ethiopia and I just can't say enough good things about the WHFC staff...if there are angels walking among us - you will surely find them at Horizon House!
I don't know if we just lucked out - or if all adopting families are just amazingly friendly by nature - but, we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all those traveling with us. Although we all come from very diverse backgrounds we have that one common thread that has resulted in an immediate sense of community. Thank goodness for that, as this whole journey to create and/or expand our families is easily as emotionally and physically exhausting as if we had given birth to these children.
It is 5:00 a.m. here and of course I can't sleep - still too excited! I'm hoping tomorrow when we are with our Mesfin we will get to sit down with Sister Tirhas and have her translate some things to him for us - he is almost 5 years old, very smart, speaks both Oromic and Amharic fluently - but alas, no English. So, I'm hoping Sister Tirhas will be able to translate to him what is going to happen on Friday. I'm also hoping that between Sister and I we can create an effective way for him to sign certain things to us to communicate with us on our journey home.
Yonas (our wonderful driver) will pick us up at 9:30 this morning (Wednesday) and take us over to Horizon House. We'll spend the morning with Mesfin, watch him eat lunch (and say their prayers), then we'll eat lunch at the guest house again as the food and the fellowship are both terrific. Then we will do some shopping this afternoon when the big kids take their naps.
Tomorrow is our birth family visit. We are getting picked up from the hotel at 6:00 a.m. and driving to Asela to meet Mesfin's birth family. We are really looking forward to this and hope we get some information that will be important to Mesfin when he gets older. If all goes as planned (in the world of adoption...does that ever really happen?) - we hope to be able to get back to the hotel before dark tomorrow night.
Friday is the coffee ceremony. In reviewing everyone's travel plans it looks like the ceremony will be held in the mid-afternoon. I've been busy in our room preparing little gift bags for all the nannies and staff - I know I'm going to be an emotional wreck both tomorrow and Friday so I am trying to get everything done while I can today.
I don't know if we just lucked out - or if all adopting families are just amazingly friendly by nature - but, we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all those traveling with us. Although we all come from very diverse backgrounds we have that one common thread that has resulted in an immediate sense of community. Thank goodness for that, as this whole journey to create and/or expand our families is easily as emotionally and physically exhausting as if we had given birth to these children.
It is 5:00 a.m. here and of course I can't sleep - still too excited! I'm hoping tomorrow when we are with our Mesfin we will get to sit down with Sister Tirhas and have her translate some things to him for us - he is almost 5 years old, very smart, speaks both Oromic and Amharic fluently - but alas, no English. So, I'm hoping Sister Tirhas will be able to translate to him what is going to happen on Friday. I'm also hoping that between Sister and I we can create an effective way for him to sign certain things to us to communicate with us on our journey home.
Yonas (our wonderful driver) will pick us up at 9:30 this morning (Wednesday) and take us over to Horizon House. We'll spend the morning with Mesfin, watch him eat lunch (and say their prayers), then we'll eat lunch at the guest house again as the food and the fellowship are both terrific. Then we will do some shopping this afternoon when the big kids take their naps.
Tomorrow is our birth family visit. We are getting picked up from the hotel at 6:00 a.m. and driving to Asela to meet Mesfin's birth family. We are really looking forward to this and hope we get some information that will be important to Mesfin when he gets older. If all goes as planned (in the world of adoption...does that ever really happen?) - we hope to be able to get back to the hotel before dark tomorrow night.
Friday is the coffee ceremony. In reviewing everyone's travel plans it looks like the ceremony will be held in the mid-afternoon. I've been busy in our room preparing little gift bags for all the nannies and staff - I know I'm going to be an emotional wreck both tomorrow and Friday so I am trying to get everything done while I can today.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Day #3 - First Mistake As A Mum
Okay, I did it...I made my very first mistake as Mesfin's (Giovanni's) Mum. I knew it was going to happen and I expect many more to come - what I wasn't expecting is that it would happen on Day #3 of our lives together!
When we arrived at Horizon House for the very first time and spent time with all the "older" kids one of the first things we noticed is how much the children enjoyed the new toys all the parents had brought - balloons to inflate - deflate - then inflate over and over again, bubbles to blow, chalk to write with on the concrete, etc. etc. The second thing we noticed is that there is a drastic difference between "community" property and "personal" property.
This is completely understandable when you consider that these kids have literally lost everything in their short-lived lives. They have lost their parents, their families, their friends, their homes, their community...and soon their country of birth. Everything is communal property at an orphanage - it has to be...there is no possible way to effectively run a home with that many children when all you have to work with is lots of love from a dedicated staff and very few resources.
On DAY #1 (November 29, 2009) our nephew Ben gave our little Mesfin (Giovanni) a matchbox - a little car. Ben also gave him the watch he was wearing and a bracelet he had handmade for him. Mesfin (Giovanni) was beyond thrilled! He walked around with his two hands held out in front of him - one with the watch on it, the other with his new bracelet - as if he was wearing the most precious of jewels. He had fun kicking the soccer ball with us, running around chasing bubbles with the other children, and watching all the activity going on around him while sitting on my lap...but, it was his new possessions that brought him the most joy.
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DAY #2 (November 30, 2009) - we rush to the US Embassy for our visa appointment. He wore his new outfit we had brought him and his new watch (which he checks every so often as if he has an important meeting that he just can't miss) and his bracelet. His matchbox was nowhere to be found, but Ben had brought him a school bus matchbox so all was well. Nick and I brought him a little blue backpack that we had packed with crayons, activity books, a cool water jug, a little ball, games, even a banana, etc., etc. specifically to keep him occupied at the Embassy. He loved it! At the Embassy he shared his new stickers with all the other kids and their parents - placing the stickers on their hands and for a lucky few - on their foreheads. He was beaming! When we left him that afternoon at Horizon House, we took the blue backpack with us to the hotel - which he seemed quite relieved about.
DAY #3 (December 1, 2009) - we arrive at Horizon House in the morning and Mesfin (Giovanni) came bounding out of the building and jumped into my arms and gave me a huge bear hug and kiss on my cheek - he then jumped from my arms into Nick's and did the same to him. He was still wearing his Embassy outfit (which is amazingly clean and without a wrinkle) - but had his crocs on instead of his leather sandals (he walked kind of funny in them yesterday - they look like they fit him perfectly - just think he is used to wearing crocs). He still had on his watch and his bracelet. His matchbox car and school bus are nowhere to be found...but, Ben had brought him a matchbox helicopter that he immediately stuck into the pocket on his shirt. He was happy!
When we arrived at Horizon House for the very first time and spent time with all the "older" kids one of the first things we noticed is how much the children enjoyed the new toys all the parents had brought - balloons to inflate - deflate - then inflate over and over again, bubbles to blow, chalk to write with on the concrete, etc. etc. The second thing we noticed is that there is a drastic difference between "community" property and "personal" property.
This is completely understandable when you consider that these kids have literally lost everything in their short-lived lives. They have lost their parents, their families, their friends, their homes, their community...and soon their country of birth. Everything is communal property at an orphanage - it has to be...there is no possible way to effectively run a home with that many children when all you have to work with is lots of love from a dedicated staff and very few resources.
On DAY #1 (November 29, 2009) our nephew Ben gave our little Mesfin (Giovanni) a matchbox - a little car. Ben also gave him the watch he was wearing and a bracelet he had handmade for him. Mesfin (Giovanni) was beyond thrilled! He walked around with his two hands held out in front of him - one with the watch on it, the other with his new bracelet - as if he was wearing the most precious of jewels. He had fun kicking the soccer ball with us, running around chasing bubbles with the other children, and watching all the activity going on around him while sitting on my lap...but, it was his new possessions that brought him the most joy.
.JPG)
DAY #2 (November 30, 2009) - we rush to the US Embassy for our visa appointment. He wore his new outfit we had brought him and his new watch (which he checks every so often as if he has an important meeting that he just can't miss) and his bracelet. His matchbox was nowhere to be found, but Ben had brought him a school bus matchbox so all was well. Nick and I brought him a little blue backpack that we had packed with crayons, activity books, a cool water jug, a little ball, games, even a banana, etc., etc. specifically to keep him occupied at the Embassy. He loved it! At the Embassy he shared his new stickers with all the other kids and their parents - placing the stickers on their hands and for a lucky few - on their foreheads. He was beaming! When we left him that afternoon at Horizon House, we took the blue backpack with us to the hotel - which he seemed quite relieved about.
DAY #3 (December 1, 2009) - we arrive at Horizon House in the morning and Mesfin (Giovanni) came bounding out of the building and jumped into my arms and gave me a huge bear hug and kiss on my cheek - he then jumped from my arms into Nick's and did the same to him. He was still wearing his Embassy outfit (which is amazingly clean and without a wrinkle) - but had his crocs on instead of his leather sandals (he walked kind of funny in them yesterday - they look like they fit him perfectly - just think he is used to wearing crocs). He still had on his watch and his bracelet. His matchbox car and school bus are nowhere to be found...but, Ben had brought him a matchbox helicopter that he immediately stuck into the pocket on his shirt. He was happy!
.JPG)
I had also brought along his little blue backpack. I showed him some photos I had printed out at the hotel of him and his friends and he had so much fun showing all his friends (this was especially fun for us to see and hear because it's the first time we have heard him speak in long sentences - granted we don't understand a word he said, but it's great to just hear what his voice sounds like!).
Then he saw his backpack and motioned to have me open it - he took out his yellow crayon box and pad of white paper. His Aunt Tami (an amazing artist) drew a dog and a cat which he loved watching her draw. (Not sure if I mentioned in my other emails - we found out while waiting at the Embassy visit that Mesfin does not yet know how to hold a crayon or pencil - but, he does enjoy watching others draw pictures for him.)
As Tami drew, some of the other children came over to see what she was drawing and then that is when I did it...I made my very first mistake as his Mum...I moved his crayons over so the other children could draw some pictures on the pad of paper as well. His demeanor immediately changed from sheer joy to absolute devastation. He struck his fist out several times (thankfully, not actually hitting anyone) at the group of kids and shed some tears (more tears of anger than sadness).
I tried to communicate that he needed to share with the others. I realized later that it wasn't the fact that the other kids were coloring - it was the fact that they were coloring with HIS crayons on HIS pad of paper. The only possessions in his world that were truly his. I went and got a brand new box of "communal" crayons and opened it for the other kids - but, the damage was done. He was no longer in love with his yellow box of crayons. His tears didn't last long, but his whole being was deflated. He took out a little game from his blue backpack and sat quietly beside me and let me show him how to arrange his pieces - but there was no joy.
Mulat arrived and I asked him to please translate to Mesfin (Giovanni) that his blue packback and everything in it was his - but, that he needed to share with the others. Mesfin looked at Mulat the whole time he was talking, but didn't respond back. When Mulat was finished, Mesfin went over and sat down on one of the chairs against the wall - just sitting. When Ben went over and sat next to him - Mesfin slowly took off his new watch and dutifully gave it back to Ben. I realized that he had taken what Mulat had said to him to mean that ALL that we had given to him was now communal property...it was no longer "just his".
Ben took the watch and placed it back on Mesfin's (Giovanni's) wrist...but, I could tell its value had changed significantly in the eyes of one little boy. We watched while the kids ate lunch - Mesfin sat at the table, but today he did not say the prayer with all the other children, nor did he eat. He just sat, with an occasional tear running down his cheek. We had to leave as they take their naps right after lunch...so, that's how we left him...just sitting, still no joy.
LESSON: Children learn the art of sharing very quickly at an orphanage. Yet, what they most desperately seek is the sense of ownership. (For "non-orphans" the reverse is the norm.)
IF I HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER: Upon arriving at Horizon House, I would have brought his blue backpack into the guest house and brought him inside to play with his new possessions with just us - no other children around that he would have to share with.
TODAY I WILL: Bring his backpack with us - I will put it into the guest house - then I will go get Mesfin and hopefully Sister Tirhas or Mulat who can translate for me as I want to explain to Mesfin that everything in his blue backpack is his and he doesn't have to share anything with anyone unless he want to.
What I hope for is that our little Mesfin (Giovanni) is good at forgiving for I am quite certain this was just the first of many, many mistakes his Mum will make on our journey together!
Day #2 - Ethiopian Restaurant
We all went to the authentic Ethiopian restaurant earlier tonight (Monday-Day #2)...what a wonderful evening! Although I still have not acquired a true love of Ethiopian food...boy, do I love watching and listening to the dancers and musicians perform dances in costumes to music all from each region of Ethiopia! Some of our group members even got up and danced with the dancers! (I took plenty of pictures and video to use as blackmail to help pay for our next adoption!) I believe everyone had a great time and we were all much more relaxed now that our Embassy appointments were done!
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The performances are great...however, we did all decide to leave before all of the regions had been covered (exhausted parents you know?)...we didn't get to see the Oromo region dance which is where our little Mesfin (Giovanni) is from. I did get to see it last year when I was here and it is quite amazing! The men wear lion-like head-dresses and the women twirl their heads around so fast and in such extreme circles you are absolutely certain they will end up with self-inflicted shaken baby syndrome! I will have to see if any families who have traveled before have any good pictures of that particular dance as I would love to add them to Mesfin's (Giovanni's) album!
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We will spend tomorrow morning and early afternoon at HH2 with Mesfin (Giovanni) and the other older kids. We brought a little mini Canon Selphy photo printer with us so I have printed out some photos of the older kids to bring to them tomorrow as they love looking at themselves!! Then we are going to try to do a little shopping in the afternoon while they nap. We are going to have Yonas (the driver) take us to a good place to try to find Mesfin (Giovanni) a traditional white gauze shirt with the beautiful embroidery around the neck to wear at the coffee ceremony on Friday. I remember seeing them last year so hopefully we'll have luck finding one today!
Thursday we drive to Asela for our birth family visit. I have the photo album ready, the letter to his birth mother ready, and I am having the list of questions emailed to me that I left on my computer back home. You know how WHFC says to pick out like 5 questions that you REALLY want to have answer to...okay, I am at about 52 and counting!! I just keep thinking of little things that we all talk about as a family and would love for Mesfin (Giovanni) to know the answers to those same questions. I believe that all of the families traveling in our group have really appreciated the birth family visits - however, I got the impression that for a couple they left with few answers to their questions. Wish me luck!!
Will keep you all posted!
.JPG)
The performances are great...however, we did all decide to leave before all of the regions had been covered (exhausted parents you know?)...we didn't get to see the Oromo region dance which is where our little Mesfin (Giovanni) is from. I did get to see it last year when I was here and it is quite amazing! The men wear lion-like head-dresses and the women twirl their heads around so fast and in such extreme circles you are absolutely certain they will end up with self-inflicted shaken baby syndrome! I will have to see if any families who have traveled before have any good pictures of that particular dance as I would love to add them to Mesfin's (Giovanni's) album!
.JPG)
We will spend tomorrow morning and early afternoon at HH2 with Mesfin (Giovanni) and the other older kids. We brought a little mini Canon Selphy photo printer with us so I have printed out some photos of the older kids to bring to them tomorrow as they love looking at themselves!! Then we are going to try to do a little shopping in the afternoon while they nap. We are going to have Yonas (the driver) take us to a good place to try to find Mesfin (Giovanni) a traditional white gauze shirt with the beautiful embroidery around the neck to wear at the coffee ceremony on Friday. I remember seeing them last year so hopefully we'll have luck finding one today!
Thursday we drive to Asela for our birth family visit. I have the photo album ready, the letter to his birth mother ready, and I am having the list of questions emailed to me that I left on my computer back home. You know how WHFC says to pick out like 5 questions that you REALLY want to have answer to...okay, I am at about 52 and counting!! I just keep thinking of little things that we all talk about as a family and would love for Mesfin (Giovanni) to know the answers to those same questions. I believe that all of the families traveling in our group have really appreciated the birth family visits - however, I got the impression that for a couple they left with few answers to their questions. Wish me luck!!
Will keep you all posted!
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