Sunday Snow Fun!

Making a snow angel in her sandbox


We had a hefty winter blast in our area that started on Friday evening. For the first time in I don't know how long, the forecasters were right! Between Friday evening and Saturday night, our area received a nice "dusting" of snow. It was the light, powdery type, so there was a lot of blowing and drifting. I received a call on Friday night letting me know that our office would be closed on Saturday (woo hoo! I miss my childhood snow days)!

We tried to get Alina Jayne to play outside on Saturday, but she informed us "no thanks guys, it is too deep out there, that is not fun snow." Finally today we talked her into going outside for a while. We got well over a foot of snow, although it is hard to tell in the pics after our German Shepherds had a great time running around the yard flattening the snow out! I have to say, Alina Jayne was right. It wasn't the "fun snow." It was too powdery to make snowballs or a snowman-but it was nice to spend some time outside anyway! The hot cocoa afterward was even better :O)

Let's make a snowman!!!

Alina Jayne with Heidi & Rommel

I told you this wasn't good snow-can't make a snowman, can we go in now?

January 7th, 2009-MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Melkam Gena & Timkat!

Nope. I have not lost my mind-it is Christmas time in Ethiopia!

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. Since Ethiopia recognizes the ancient Julian calendar, Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, the Feast of the Epiphany, instead of December 25th.

Christmas is a major holiday in Ethiopia, where more than half of the population is Orthodox Christian. It is a day when families attend church. The day before Ganna, people fast all day, and then attend an early morning Mass on January 7th. Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It is somewhat like the game of hockey played here, except it is played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball.

The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season may include doro wat- a thick, spicy stew of chicken and vegetables. The wat is traditionally served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera (the flat, spongy sourdough bread) which is used to both serve the food and as an edible “spoon” to scoop up the wat.

Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. Children and adults walk to church services in a procession. The priests wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.

The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event. A percussion instrument called a sistrum (tinkling metal disks) and a long, T-shaped prayer stick called a makamiya, taps out the walking beat, and also serves as a support for the priest during the long church service that follows. Church officials (called dabtaras) study hard to learn the musical chants, known as melekets, for the ceremony. During Timkat, the Ethiopian men play another game called yeferas guks. During this game, they ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other.

Unlike Christmas in the United States, Ganna (as well as Timkat) are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If an Ethiopian Child receives a gift at all, it is usually a small gift of simple clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season.


Hopefully next year we will be celebrating our *usual* Christmas, as well as Ethiopian Christmas. Since we are so early in the Ethiopia adoption process, we did not have an actual celebration this year. I tend to be very careful-not wanting to “jinx” anything. I did the same thing when we waited for Alina Jayne’s referral from China. I learned all about the culture, customs, and traditions, and of course, blogged about them. However, I did not feel comfortable celebrating the holidays until Alina Jayne was home. Yes, Matt thinks I am crazy! I still plan to practice some Ethiopian cooking while we wait.

Another holiday/celebration is fast approaching. Ms. Alina Jayne will be turning 4 on February 1st, and Chinese New Year is on January 26th this year. We will probably celebrate her birthday and CNY at the same time. We’ll post photos then.

A Girl & Her Papa

On Friday night as I got Alina Jayne out of the bathtub, she mentioned that she could not see any stars that night-we have a tradition of saying the whole "Star Light, Star Bright" poem every time we see the first star in the sky. She always proceeds to tell me what her wish is "I wish for my Papa."

Well, on Friday, when she told me she could not see any stars, I told her that was okay. She informed me "No Mama, I need the stars....I need to tell them thank you for my Papa. I love my Papa, he is sooooo good, I am sooooo thankful for my Papa."
Well kiddo, we are too!

When Alina Jayne came home from China, Papa was not at all happy that she was going to be going to daycare, and he made that perfectly clear to us. But there was a problem, since Matt and I both work full-time, we had no other choice. He volunteered to watch her (he was preparing to retire after working for GM for 42 years), but we were quite sure he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Sure, he had an 11 year old Granddaughter that he and my Mom helped raise, as well as 5 additional younger Grandkids-but a 15 month old child plucked from the only country, people, food, culture & language she had ever known, was a whole different story!

Well, guess what? Alina Jayne lasted exactly 3.5 hours in daycare (over the course of 3 days) and we knew she would never make it there. Papa INSISTED he watch her "for a few months-until she got adjusted." We agreed, and when few months passed, we started looking at daycare centers again. Papa refused to allow her to go "until she was old enough to tell us if she was unhappy there." We finally caved and enrolled her in pre-school this past September-and yes, he is still disappointed! If we would have let him have his way, she'd stay with him and he'd home school her!

However, to give credit where credit is due-anyone who truly who knows us and Alina Jayne, knows that the reason she is the loving, caring, adjusted, intuitive, intelligent,(albeit at times)feisty child she is today-is BECAUSE of Papa.

....if he had not decided that this child needed someone to give his undivided attention to; someone to meet her needs when she was unsure of everything around her-Alina Jayne would not be the Alina Jayne she is today............

"Thanks Papa" seems so insignificant.

Alina Jayne & Papa- the night he drove us home from the airport after we arrived from China

We found this note from Papa on our fridge after he brought us home from the airport (the cherries are a work of art from niece Claudia)

Happy 2009!

Here we are on the first day of 2009. Not a lot going on in our home today, since a certain almost 4 year old did not want to go to sleep last night-and here we thought she'd not be able to stay awake to ring in the New Year! Wrong. She not only stayed up to welcome 2009, but managed to keep us awake until well after 2AM! This is one tired family today.

We stayed home for New Years Eve. Matt's Dad & Stepmom came up and we had our Christmas with them. We just had appetizers and drinks last night-and Patty (aka Grammy) brought shrimp cocktail for the Hunan Princess. That child can eat her weight in shrimp (this is why we haven't given her lobster yet). It was a really nice visit, but Patty has bronchitis and they ended up leaving around 9:00. We'll be getting together again soon, as Yours Truly forgot to give them their gifts from us! I almost forgot their card and pic of Alina Jayne, but after Matt reminded me 10 or 100 times, I did remember that-Brain fog is my defense.

Tomorrow it is back to work for me. Matt and Alina Jayne have been off since 12/19, but Mama on the other hand has worked. Fortunately I was off early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, and we are closed on Christmas and New Years Days. There have not been too many patients on the schedule, so it has not been hectic. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful to have a job in this shaky economy, but I have had my moments of feeling sorry for myself, knowing I am missing out on time at home with my family. I certainly could have taken the time off, but I chose to save my time so I have hours in the bank to pay for my time off when our baby comes home from Ethiopia, so it is all good. Wow. That sounds so beautiful.

Here's wishing everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous 2009, and hoping this year brings us news of our newest family member.

Happy New Year!


Grammy, Alina Jayne & Grampy-New Years Eve

"PLEASE Mama, No More Pics" New Years Day

The Birds & The Bees (According to a 3 1/2 Year Old)

So last night Alina Jayne and I were in her bedroom getting her clothes out for today-she saw the chairs we have for her new sibling's room, and asked "Mama, where is my new baby sister & when is she gonna come home with us?" At this point, we no longer tell her that she is likely to end up with a new *brother* since she doesn't want to hear that, so I told her that her new sister is still in Ethiopia, and it could be a long time before she is home. She asked "Is someone feeding her? Are they taking good care of her?" I assured her that she is being cared for, and that she may even still be inside her "Tummy Mama's" tummy (this is what she calls her Birthmother). She seemed relieved and said "Oh good, then she is getting food from her Tummy Mama's tummy." Then she asked me "Mama, I wasn't inside your tummy, was I?" We talk about this quite often, but she still asks me. I reminded her that she was inside her China Tummy Mama's tummy, and that while she was growing there, she was in my heart. Of course she said "I really wanted to be in YOUR tummy-am I too big now?" I assured her that she was too big-then the BIG question came-

"Mama, how DID I get out of my Tummy Mama's tummy??? How did she get me out of there?" Now, let me say, I am well prepared to discuss the birds and the bees with an older child, but I was in no way prepared for THIS discussion! After I choked on my words for a second, the best I could come up with was "Well, it was a lot of hard work, she just pushed really hard and you came out." She really seemed to buy this story and said "Oh, yeah Mama, you are RIGHT! She went like this" (and proceeded to gag-like a cat choking on a hairball) " and I came out!!" She suddenly stopped for a second to reflect on the mental image and said "Oh my goodness! I hope she didn't get spit on me!!!"

I am still recovering today............................

Merry Christmas!

What a great Christmas we had! It was not a big production at all-Alina Jayne did not need anything, and wanted everything, so this house was an easy stop for Santa. Her big things right now are anything ballerina/princess themed, play make-up, anything she can play with in the bath tub, and music. Pretty easy for the elves to fulfill that order.

Luckily (for Mama) she did not get up at the crack of dawn-we actually had to wake her up around 10AM! We told her Santa had been here, and asked if she wanted to see what presents he brought, but she told us "no thanks, not right now, I'm really tired" and pulled the blankets over her head! She finally rolled out of bed at 10:30, and gingerly opened each package-she was trying to keep each piece of wrapping paper intact, so she could re-use it! "Mama, keep this paper whole so we can use it again!" I guess we did not realize our daughter was such a conservationist!

Papa came over for dinner and to open the gift Alina Jayne bought him at her pre-school's shopping day-although she already told him what it was the day she bought it! In fact, she told ALL of us what she bought for us. When we wrapped the gifts for Matt, one was a pair of slippers. The other night he was getting ready for bed, and she says "Daddy, why are you wearing those old slippers? Don't you want to wear your NEW ones?"

Matt bought necklaces for Alina Jayne and I-each the half of a Mother/Daughter Heart. As we watched Alina Jayne open her gifts this AM, it hit me-this is our third Christmas together. How time flies. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for her referral. Now we go to sleep and wake up with her everyday. What a blessing. My family is the reason my heart beats, the reason I feel complete. I tell Alina Jayne that she makes my heart happy. The joy in my life is because of my family.

I was able to spend Christmas at home with my Husband, Daughter and my Father. I cannot think of any better gifts....................

Merry Christmas to all!

SAVE THE WRAPPING PAPER!
The Ballerina/Princess & Her Daddy

The Ballerina/Princess & Her Papa

She Did Her Own Hair & Makeup!

Papa........

Mother & Daughter

Ho Ho Ho!!!!!

 

...........We finally took Alina Jayne to the local Children's Wonderland. In our defense, she just did not seem interested at all the last two years. Now she is in pre-school and they celebrate all of the holidays, so she was curious this year. This is an event that her Daddy and I went to as children, so we were happy to be able to take her. It was a perfect night for the trip. We had a fairly severe snow/ice storm during the previous 24 hours, and most events were canceled. We decided to brave the elements, and we were rewarded with a fairly empty exhibit-and NO lineup to see Santa! This was also something she had absolutely NO interest in during the last two years, and we really were not sure she would be open to sitting with Santa this year. However, she surprised both Daddy and I, and decided to sit on his lap (she had said she would sit on Mama's lap while Mama sat on Santa's lap-so I was VERY happy when she decided to fly solo)! She had terrible "hat hair" and Mama was ill-prepared for a photo-op-not a hairbrush to be found! It's okay, I still think she looks beautiful-maybe a tad bit apprehensive, but still beautiful.

There were all kinds of exhibits-traditional gingerbread houses, a Candy Land theme, North Pole, and an exhibit of Christmas around the world. She was so excited to see a display of "Her China." She kept trying to touch the doll's hair-I had to explain that it was just to look at, but she REALLY wanted to touch it. I finally had to tell her that the doll's hair felt just like hers. She finally decided she didn't need to touch it when she realized she could actually ride the North Pole Express!

Due to the bad weather, she missed day two of her school's 2 days of Christmas parties. The teachers were afraid they might be closed on Friday, so they sent home her "gifts" for Mama and Daddy. One was a Christmas ornament with her picture inside, the other was a Christmas card with her picture. What a precious gift.

Only 4 days until Christmas-she keeps asking if it is Christmas today. It is so much fun this year-now that she is actually really excited about the whole thing. I cannot believe Santa would want to travel in this weather. We had to venture out in the frigid weather this AM (and when I say frigid, I mean it is 4 degrees, winds 30-40mph and a wind chill of -20.) The traction control light kept coming on in my car. So I pulled over to consult the owner's manual-and what did I hear from the back seat while I was reading? "Mama, what are you waiting for? Come on, let's get moving, I have a hair appointment!!!"

Brrrrrrrr..........More later :O)

 

Doesn't she look a tad unsure?

 

First Pre-School Christmas Pic

 

"This is Great!"

 

"ALL ABOARD!"

 

Christmas in China

 

Feels like the North Pole HERE today!

Wednesday Tip: Secret of the Slender Chinese

We started to worry that Alina Jayne was getting too fond of playing computer and X-box games. While I think noggin.com and PBS Kidsplay are fine in moderation, the idea of a nearly 4 year old into X-box gaming does give rise to concern. The other day I walked into the living room to find her planted squarely in front of the TV playing a game. It was the whole picture that concerned me-vegging in front of the TV, game controller in hand, oblivious to the world around her. We had a talk with her and explained she needed to do other fun things around the house that do not involve the TV. It is no surprise that she was less than thrilled, but she was okay with it.

A few days later she asked "Mama, can you put the 'ectercise' movie on so I can work out?" I thought this was a much better idea, so I plopped in the Jilian Michaels 30-Day Shred-and Alina Jayne completed the entire 20 minute workout-complete with hand weights!

When I took the pics off the camera, I was not sure which aspect of the photos were more entertaining. The fact that she insists on stripping down to her undies and tee-shirt so she has "ectercise clothes on," the fact that she has her own set of hand weights (she asked us to buy them for her), or the fact that she had obviously applied lipstick prior to her workout. It is oh so important to look good when you sweat!

Happy Wednesday :O)

Another Sweet Sunday (and Saturday too)!

We had another great weekend at home. On Saturday we made a gingerbread house (or a gingerman house as Alina Jayne calls them). I am so not creative, so I have to give the credit to Wilton for this one. If their kit was not so easy to use, this project would never have happened.....well, it might have if I tried to do it from scratch and Matt had been home to bail me out. But he was not, so I bought a Wilton kit. The house was pre-assembled, so it just needed to be frosted and decorated. All of the decorations were included, but we did use a few extra things we had on hand at home. ALL of the decorating was done by Ms. Alina Jayne. Trust me, it would not look this good if *I* had done it!

On Sunday Matt made breakfast for us-with the help of Alina Jayne of course. She does a very good job cracking the eggs(without leaving shells behind)-and adding the milk and whisking, etc. She and Papa make scrambled eggs all the time, so she knows what she is doing. We also baked and decorated another batch of "gingermen" cookies. We might be finished baking around here until it is time to get ready for Christmas dinner.

The Chef

The Chef & her Daddy

Oh, Christmas shopping is finished. I also do the shopping for the grandkids for my Dad, and that is finished as well. Alina Jayne was super easy to buy for-she does not need a thing, but she wants EVERYTHING she sees. The dialogue around here has gone something like this the last 3 mos:

A: "Mama, Daddy, come in here RIGHT NOW!"
(we run into the room thinking something is wrong)

A: (Calm as can be) "I want that, can you buy that for me?"

M/D: "You'd better put it on your list for Santa"

A: "No thanks, he's too busy making presents on the moon, you can buy it, right Mama/Daddy?"

I mean it, she wants everything she sees. The one time she beckoned us, she wanted us to buy her a money clip she saw on TV. I am afraid she is officially Americanized.

Have a great end of the weekend and week.

The fine details

Her finished masterpiece

Back of her gingerman house

Gingerman house side #1
Gingerman house side #2

The Rock Star (aka princess)

Sweet Sunday

Since this is a new blog this year, I realized I needed to add a pic of Alina Jayne's Chinese Christmas tree. I got the idea from my friend Kat, who has two beauties adopted from China. So the first year she was home from China, I decided to make her tree a Hunan Chili Pepper Tree-to honor our Spicy Girl's homeland. It is a fiber optic tree (but you really can't tell that in the pic), then I added the chili pepper lights. When we were in China we bought some cloisonne ornaments, and we give her a new one every year to hang on her tree. In 2006 we gave her a stocking, 2007 was a snowman, and this year it is a bulb with Chinese knotting cord. I just found out that my Dad bought us another table top tree, so that one will be dedicated to Ethiopia for our new baby!!!!!!!!

We have had a delightfully peaceful weekend. This was my weekend off, so Friday night I decided that I would not have any agenda-anything that got done would be great, anything left undone was fine too. We did not get up early either Saturday or Sunday (well, Matt did-he went to work), and we even stayed in our jammies ALL day on Saturday. We decided to spend our time playing games, cooking and napping.

Today was cookie day. Alina Jayne has been begging me to make "gingermen" cookies. So I thought-wow, we could do that this year instead of cutouts. We spent part of the afternoon baking and decorating-what a blast! At one point while we were baking, I had to run out to Matt's shop to retrieve the cookie sheets I used to flat freeze the garden veggies at summer's end (you can see how much baking I have done lately-I never even missed them until today!) When I came back into the house, I saw that Alina Jayne had not only rolled a chunk of cookie dough out and cut out 3 gingerbread men all by herself and put them onto the cookie sheet-but she had ALSO FLOURED THE THE PASTY BOARD FIRST!

Off to play Candyland. I will never win, my daughter cheats! Keeps a few cards tucked away under her bum in case she's close to winning and needs to move two spots. It's okay, I'm a good sport, and she admits she doesn't play fairly-at least she doesn't lie about it!

So Serious!

See???


Aren't These The Best Looking Cookies You've Ever Seen?