Losing ground

It is very late as my days are fuller than my blogging time. I will have to catch up some when I get home. The important meeting with Brooke is delayed until tomorrow. We will also enroll her in English school. She will go everyday when high school gets out at lunch. 

We were able to visit two orphanages today for two seperate reasons. It was a blessing to see the new one that I had never visited before.

I am going to leave you with a picture from the teff shop. Teff is the grain used to make injura, the standard Ethiopian bread that doubles as silverwear. They were loading the second camel, the first camel and donkeys were loaded and ready. 

Have too much to say

Today was very full and tomorrow promises to be even fuller. I will just tell about the big event of the day, which was Brooke's dental visit. She had an extra eye tooth which needed to be removed. We were told that an appointment was unnecessary. When we arrived at the very small, but nice, hospital, there was a full waiting room. We paid $2 for a dental exam and there was no paperwork to be filled out. We barely sat down and were called back. I do not know if our lack of a wait was due to foreign privilege or we really were the only dental patients in the waiting room. Back in the room, the dentist spoke excellent English, which seems like such a treat when you become accustomed to having everything translated and are often concerned what may become lost in translation. 

She agreed the tooth needed to be removed and told us to come back at 2:00. Of course I verified that she meant that very day and she did. We went on a picnic lunch in the countryside (pictures above and below) and headed back. 

The cost of the Novocain and extraction was $7.50. Filling the antibiotics and pain meds at the pharmacy was $25. The irony is that we asked the driver to help us find her soft food and juice, so she could have something on her stomach for the medicine. He stopped at an actual grocery store. Let me tell you, we would all be much thinner if Walmart had these prices! The cost of a small package of soft cookie/bread and a small juice was $9. These were both Dollar Tree packages in America. This is why most Ethiopians will never set foot in an actual grocery store in their life time. It was a first for Brooke and probably a last for me.

So, the end result is in Ethiopia, snacks are more costly than dental work -

something to think about! 

Finally, here is a quick shot of my view during the dental procedure. I must comment that Debs and I both found it a little surprising that in the hospital bathroom, the only soap choice was Windex. If you tip a birr (5 cents), they will

squirt it on your hands for you! 

Please say a prayer for us tomorrow, we are going to the official area adoption office for an appointment that I did not request. Two years ago, I requested and begged and was denied. I just ask for clear direction and clear answers tomorrow for Brooke and I!

  Jenny

Adama

I I

We spent our first full day in Adama with Brooke. We have been blessed with a very helpful translator to travel with us. When we asked Brooke what she would like to do, that she hasn't been able to, she said it was to go and see the river. The river is called Awash and it charges an admission as a spa, because it has hot-springs. The cultural differences between Ethiopia and America are vast but I've never been as puzzled as I was today at the "spa". Brooke wanted to bathe in the hot-springs and brought a bathing suit. There are clearly marked men and women sides to the hot springs as clothes were also purely optional. There was a open dressing room, single shower to shower in freezing cold water required before soaking in super hot hot springs. As a bonus, there were three squatty-potties, one with a large rock that you could use to hold the door closed (my personal preference.) What was so cultural different were the men and teen boys who kept strolling through the women areas and there was no alarm. They never went down to the hot springs, yet the bathers were clearly visible from the points where the men walked. The walking around attire ranged from full Muslim burkas to wet undergarments with scarves wrapped like towels. It was interesting. What else is so unAmerican is the gorgeous hotel cottages they are building, with probably hefty rental fees, yet the ground everywhere is littered with garbage. There is no attempt to keep the ground or river clean. 

As I doubt you are thinking, the best part of the spa experience, is the feeding of the monkeys. While they are wild, they have learned that visitors often bring bananas and they have gotten quite tame. After a briefing from a trusted Bethesda Doctor, I learned monkeys can have rabies, so I had sworn off getting that close. Today's adventure, however,  put a monkey in my lap - quite literally. We bought many large bunches of bananas and the little boogers aren't real patient. After feeding them for some time, when we got back in the van, they would attempt to board with us. The driver had a stick to keep them out. In an effort to feed the last few bananas to a few approaching monkeys from my window opposite of the door, I opened it and threw a banana to a monkey. In a split second, another monkey swung through the window, into my lap and was face to face with me. My hysterical scream didn't faze him in the least and he only exited when I threw the banana out the window. He dove after it. I don't have a photo of that but I think I was doing mental math of the cost of being medically evacuated due to potential rabies contraction from the very monkeys I had been warned about. Here's a shot of the monkeys, although our videoes are much more fun. 

I seem to have no control of where the pictures place themselves, so just look around for what makes sense. We had an interesting police stop on the way to the resort also. The police waved us over when driving past. In previous visits, they generally just ask where the pale faced visitors are from and then smile that we are from America and let us continue. Profiling is alive and well in Africa; we cause a lot of trouble just being so pale. This time the police did not ask us anything but we're very firm with our driver and obviously demanding something he did not have. He showed his lisence and registration but the officer was obviously not impressed. After some time on the side of the road, the translator told us that he was legally required to have a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher in the vehicle to legally transport  foreigners. We found that quite hysterical,  as the seatbelts cut out of the van was not a problem, but they wanted to make sure we had band-aids on board! Again, different culture. 

Please humor me with this photo of Deb taking advantage of the spa facilities and washing her feet in the lovely accommodations while Brooke soaked in the springs. I had left her my purse and Brooke's backpack with her while I had journeyed to the squatty, so she was loaded down like a pack mule. I know you are thinking that we are living it up here now!

In spite of pushing the monkey picture lower and lower, I want to show us with Brooke at the river edge. Brooke has never gotten in water, even a swimming pool, and is quite frightened of the idea. 

That is all tonight, tomorrow we are going to attempt to get in with a dentist here in Adama; Brooke has double eye teeth and needs two pulled. The driver said an appointment isn't needed, so we will see. I wanted to go shopping along the market, but I really don't think we can here. We have not seen any other whites and the prices drastically increase when we walk near anything. I think it's better going in Addis for shopping. 

Here's the monkeys and it's time for me to crawl under my mosquito net.

Frankfurt

I  successfully found my way from the airport to the subway, and then into the general station for the hop on/hop off bus tour. The tour was rather disappointing as they gave random facts, but most of the tour time was in silence. They also ignored the Jewish ghetto wall and museum that I was most interested in. It was still more interesting than sitting in the airport however, so I'm happy I did it. 

I would go broke living in the land of water closets! They are $1 for each potty stop and always required carrying my suitcase down a flight of stairs. Where I bought lunch, I thought I might get a break, but it was still a flight of stairs and fifty cents. (I guess technically, that's a bit of a break!) I'm back at the airport to begin the all night flight to Ethiopia; I'm tired. 

Oh, No, No, No

The night before last, as I was preparing for my early morning trip to DC, Alei made a surprise visit home. I heard her voice from the kitchen as she came through the living room. When she rounded the corner, however, all I could say was, "no, no, no - I leave for Ethiopia this weekend!" Alei, holding a beagle, quickly assured me that she was going to take care of this stray. This doggie showed up at a friends neighbor's house and had been living in a kennel in the backyard for six weeks while they unsuccessfully tried to find her previous family. Alei felt so sorry for her that she volunteered to take her.

Elijah photo bombed my picture, then looked at it and said, "uh, lets' try that again without the glasses"

 Alei gave her a bath, borrowed a kennel, and took the pitiful,  nervous dog home. Alei isn't going to keep her, as beagles need a fenced yard and a more available owner, but she will be a nice pet for someone as she appears to be  house broken. Alei, being a softy, let her sleep next to her bed, rather than in the kennel. 

I tried to name her Gladys but Alei didn't love it; it's better if we don't name her anyway!

                                                                               Jenny 

Back to the Barnyard and On to DC

One thing is for sure - I will be better prepared for animal provisions before the next snow storm! In previous years, when the water froze, we just hauled it frequently from the house. That so doesn't work for a cow that appears to drink 30-50 gallons a day. Secondly, this was the first year we decided to do the round bales of hay in the field. That was all great until it snowed two feed and even if we could have dug the hay out, it was frozen. Thankfully, we had a back up bale in the horse trailer, but it was not fun ripping off large chunks of it frozen each day to feed the animals. Once the feed store opened, I went and bought two compressed bales for the tune of $17 each. Since the animals eat one a day, I desperately need to have an emergency supply in the barn from the Amish for $7-$8 a bale. 

I am typing this blog while I wait for my passport in DC. I was not super excited when they cancelled my Monday appointment due to the storm.  Since it was last Thursday when they cancelled, I asked if I could come that day or Friday before the storm hit. They told me that there were no walk-ins and they couldn't get me in until today. They also reassured me that flying out 48 hours later wasn't a problem. They told me to be here by 10 for my 1:30 appointment. Being an over-achiever, I arrived at 8:30 and was about 50th in line. Their first announcement was that they were on a three hour delay and weren't opening until 11. Their second appointment was their staff had "on optional work day" so they may not be able to open at all, unless staff decided to come that day. It didn't sound very encouraging. Much to my dismay also, they were organizing by appointment people and walk-ins. I would have waked in a full two weeks ago if they had told me that I could! 

Once they opened, it was rather chaotic. At first they said they would only see people flying out today or tomorrow. The clamor from the crowd added anyone with an appointment. Well, that's logical since the appointment should work for something. Once they opened, I made the cut for having an appointment and waited through about four lines. There were plenty of workers by 11 so I'm assuming they are paid by the hour instead of salary. 

Once mine was processed, she asked me if I could return tomorrow to

pick it up. I told her that I lived two hours away and needed to just wait today. She went off to her supervisor and returned to tell me that her supervisor would only approve that if I lived over 100 miles away. I started to tell her that it was close, but I have a lot of children and my husband was out of town. She looked at her computer screen and announced, "oh you live 131 miles away, we are good." I don't think it's that far but I'm not one to argue. I'm now waiting until their early closing hour of 3:00 and I should be able to pick up my passport shortly before closing. I am hoping nothing goes wrong in the final processing! I'm the meantime, Starbucks didn't have any tables available, so I'm sitting in a nearby hotel lobby that I parked in the garage underneath. I guess I don't look homeless, since no one has questioned my sitting here. I am quite  tired, however, but I guess if I took a nap, then I may looks slightly homeless. I wish I liked coffee. 

Blizzard Time

 I was one of the crazy people out driving as the DC blizzard rolled in. I did buy water, etc, but I was also just trying to pack in a therapy run and errands before I leave for Ethiopia. I do not know how to explain Walmart, but I stood in the longest return line ever; I am not sure how the snow affected returns, but it was worse than after Christmas.

The most stressful part about this storm is that DC has delayed my emergency passport appointment from Monday all the way until Thursday. My plane ticket out is Saturday, so I am prepared to sit there until it is handed to me over being mailed. I'm sure it's going to be a long day; I just hope that I am successful!

The cold is rather challending with the animals. We do not have freeze-proof water options so we currently haul lots of water from the house each day. Our other plan is to build a cow shelter in the field, but since that hasn't happened, I have to bring Mooster in the barn at night. That means I have been locking Chewy the donkey and four goats in one stall and Mooster and Vinny, the stud goat, in the other stall. Today we cleared out the food/milking stall and relocated the goats to it. So Chewy and Mooster have their own stalls and the goats are together in the third. It seems like it will be a much more workable arrangement. The highlight to the animals is the night time feed when I give them grain and a large pine tree. I can not even tell you how thankful I am that we are surrounded by 100 acres of pine trees, because the animals love them and they are natural de-wormers. Mooster will actually pass on the grain to start on the tree and that is saying a lot since she acts crazy when the grain comes out.

 The downside of keeping about 14 roosters to roam and eat bugs is that they all moved into the barn since the cold hit. One has taken up residence on the pressure washer handle every night, another in Elijah's motorized jeep seat and several around the wheel barrow sides. At least they are quiet, while the guineas come squawking in and out at ear-shattering decibels. I have started feeding them all chicken feed and corn in the evenings as well, so they just run around your feet while you are trying to tend to the "real" animals.

I remember well how nice the barn was a dozen years ago before I had animals to stink it up, but I am really thankful that they have such nice accommodations for days like this. Much like the children, they don't show gratitude, but I would worry about them in lesser conditions.

Blog Book and Boys

For several years I have planned on printing this blog into books for the kids to look back and read like a scrap book. Unfortunately, I also have an older blog out in blog land (on Xanga) that I can not figure out how to do anything with since the book companies do not service them. While I contemplate some solution for that, I printed the first one from Our Plans Multiplied. I hoped to do the entire year of 2010 in one book, but the max pages only got me through nine months. I am planning on ordering a book from time to time when they have a good sale. The kids have enjoyed looking at it, although there are posts about the struggles of raising some of them that concern me to have them read. (This post will be one of them.)

 

Here is what has stuck with me after flipping through and reading different posts - February 02, 2010 - "Discouraged in the Land of Parenting Little Boys." I don't want to quote the whole thing but it listed the frustrations of living with James and Ben for one week. It consisted of Ben pulling the fire alarm at the Y, resulting in 250 people being evacuated (150 from the swim team). It went on to the tales of stolen food, including sandwich bags packed with rice, that resulted in one boy getting sick and the other just making a mess on the carpet. The concluding story was James leading and LOSING his little sisters in the woods and Ben swinging a large shovel and gashing James' eye brow open. Ben then came in and started school like nothing happened while James came back to the door with his face covered in blood requiring medical attention.

Since this was almost exactly six years ago, when the boys were 8 and 9, you would think we could look back and laugh; but honestly, things aren't much different. Day after day we are still dealing with impulsive actions carried out with little regard to the consequences. Stolen food would be a daily issue if I didn't have a locked storage room for the high theft items. At the age of 14 and 15, the boys require supervision. We do not leave them home alone, nor would ever put them in charge of a younger sibling. There are a variety of reasons they suffer from the challenges they face, all related to the traumatic beginnings  - one in foster care in VA and the other in the Bush of Liberia. Unfortunately, I could frequently write a new blog post and title it - "Discouraged in the Land of Parenting Big Boys." And if I am going to be perfectly honest,  it is more concerning and more discouraging to me six years later that we are still here.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

Yikes! and Why I am Still in America

 

So, I have a true story, about myself. Turns out that I need to come to terms with the reality that my 45 year old eyes can not see small print any longer. Before this story, my biggest concern was overdosing a child with cough medicine in the middle of the night, but now I realize that my lack of close eye-site is a bit more concerning.

 

My sister and I had (yes, HAD) tickets to travel to Ethiopia yesterday. The hardest thing I ever do is prepare my family for me to be gone for a week. Honestly, every trip, I swear that it will be my last. This trip required elaborate plans for the week that I was gone. I lined up child care for the days that JD could not be home during the day, I got a substitute and went over the week for the CC class I tutor on Tuesdays, I cancelled and rearranged doctor and therapy appointments. I shopped ahead, cleaned, caught up the laundry and prepared some frozen meals for JD. Finally, I drew him a weekly chart of where people needed to be when and what to thaw for dinner what day.

 

The last few days before leaving, I packed. I gathered my money belt and passport and was working on the cash that has to be carried to pay different people. I pulled out my sister's passport as well and told her to double check that it was the current one. I then told her that my passport expires this December so I would be getting a new one this year. Debra casually looked at it, started yelling, "No, Jen, No!" She was carrying on that it was expired and what were we going to do. I tried to calm her down and get her to realize that I had all year to renew it. She then realized that I couldn't see and what I read as 2016 was actually 2015. Yes, the night before our trip, I found out that my passport had expired only a few weeks before. After a frantic search that there is no way on God's green earth to get a one day passport on a Saturday, we realized that I could not get on the plane. (Need I mention that JD was finishing up the six hour drive to take Julia to a friend's house for the week?) 

 

I would not have blamed my sister for leaving me home the next day, but she instead spent HOURS on the phone with the airlines to reschedule our entire trip. She had a ticket with another airline to leave Ethiopia and travel to Asia, and she had to rearrange those as well.  You would think that in the end, this would have cost us several hundred dollars since the tickets were nonrefundable, but it really did not. I also have a walk in passport appointment in DC next Monday, and they assure me that I will be issued a new passport in the four days I will have until my second chance to leave the country.

 

In some aspects, things actually lined up smoother that the first time we made plans. JD gets home from one trip the day before I have to leave and then leaves again the morning after I get back, BUT the kids will have a home-based parent. The airline tickets decreased in price and the schedule there seems to work just as well if not better.

 

I am believing there is a reason that I did not see the date correctly, until too late to correct it, and the new dates are when we need to be overseas, rather than our previous ones. In the meantime, I can put an extra meal or two in the freezer for JD and pack a bit more organized!

 

The whole thing has been rather humbling and I may purchase a second pair of reading glasses so that I can actually find a pair when I come in contact with small print! The sad part of the story is that Alayna and Nathan did leave yesterday back to their home in San Diego. We already miss them!

 

So, new plan- I will be leaving for Ethiopia two weeks from today.

 

The beginning stages for suitcase rearranging.

 
 
 
 
 

Early Birthday Because Momma is Leaving the Country!

 We celebrated Tori's birthday a little early this year, because I am actually going to be in Ethiopia on her real birthday.  My sister and I am leaving next weekend to spend a week with Brooke at her orphanage. Due to how the schedule had to work, I am actually gone for both Tori and Bella's birthdays. So, we had a party for Tori yesterday and I am scheduling a combo. party for Bella and a few others when I get back home. JD will be in charge of pizza and presents on the real days, (which means I need to buy and wrap them this week!) 

We had a nice get together with dinner, cake and some s'more making around the campfire.

Happy 11th birthday Tori-bug!