Meko

Do you remember him from this post? Tsega finally met Mekonnen for the first time!

I also got to meet Rachael's daughter Evie and regret not getting her picture.

Mekonnen is a dear boy, my boys whispered to me after he left, "Mom he is very polite, he said "Please" more than any other kid we ever met!"

I know this is so over used but it really did feel surreal to have Rachael and I sitting together watching all of our children play together.

 This is her "I am very bashful" look.

 And now this is her "You are going to do what?!" look.

 It already looks like it is not going to happen, I knew it would be such a long shot. It was nice to see all of our hearts were/are open to it.  I am glad that I found out early that it is not going to happen because I was already daydreaming about Seg having a "twin" sister (they are only a few months apart).

 She loves her apples.

 She also loves to do whatever I am doing. I pull her right up to the sink and she does the dishes with me. She insisted on wearing this coat and still had her head wrap on from her nap. I love how serious she takes her dish washing task!

 I made this years ago for the kids and was beginning to wonder if the kids were even getting anything from it, and then out of the blue they wanted to play "Who can find all the words first". " True, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellence, worthy of praise, dwell on these things" from Philippians 4:8 We had so much fun and even if that is the only time we play it, the memory makes it worth it!

 Trying to teach them about the battlefield of the mind.

 She is getting so old.

 Seven years old with eight right around the corner.

I have been trying to remember how old I was when I stopped playing with dolls and how much longer I have to make things for her and catch her in the middle of tea parties with friends (both real and crocheted). 

That thought has sent me into a flurry of sewing things for her. I have two vintage dress patterns from 1960 that will not fit her next year so I have been busy with that.

I have this happy reminder on my desk:

"Don't cry because it is over

Smile because it happened"  Dr. Seuss

It is not over, I think Jeff is at the very best age, I love him at 12, and Éti is a trip at 9, Coco is wonderful at 7 so full of imagination, and Seg is still a baby..these are all the best ages I think and I wish I could just freeze them!!

Mother's Day

This was one of the best Mother's day in my memory.

The kids made me breakfast in bed, sloshing coffee all the way up the stairs and big proud smiles handing me the plate. 

What I loved this year was how much work they put into what they gave to me.

Chloe made me a pop up card with a handwritten song she wrote for me.

Forever hungry Étienne, made me a Lego flower and a card (using quite a bit of puffy paint on the cover) I knew it was his even when there was no signature because after the cover which said "Happy Mother's day I love you Mom", I turned the page and read... well I will let you read it for yourself. 

 Jeff wrote a 20 page comic that ended in the Mom adopting a sad fish who had no parents. He spent the entire afternoon Saturday working on this comic.

Steve grilled shrimp and plantains and served it with a side of avocados.  While we were eating in the backyard Seg wanted to sit in one of our camping chairs and I looked over and saw that she was trying to sit just like Daddy!

 Steve called all the kids together in the afternoon and told them that someone asked me, today, Mother's Day, if i would be willing to adopt a little baby girl who needs a family.

When I was asked I said "Yes" knowing Steve would agree and then asked Steve. He said "Yes" without hesitation, and later all the kids said "Yes" before he was even finished giving the details.

It would be beyond a miracle if all the details work out and we really do adopt this little baby, but it was the most wonderful Mother's day gift to hear the kids say "Yes, we want to adopt again".

Even if we never adopt again, knowing that my kids believe in adoption, understand it, and support it is beyond incredible to me. They share our heartbeat.

I looked at the boys, because they are all asking for an older boy, and I said "Really, you mean it?" and Jeff said "Mom, look at her" and he nodded to Seg "Look how happy she is, how could we not give that to a baby who needs it".

blossoms

Recently we had a different car. A car borrowed from a friend. More importantly, a car with a sunroof.

I drove the car on Monday and knew, right away, what I wanted to do with it.

I thought about it all week.

On Friday I asked Coco, "Do you want to go somewhere with mommy?"

It was a last minute decision to ask her, I had envisioned a quiet drive alone.

It was a long week where I felt selfish and impatient, and as though I spent all my energies correcting and redirecting the kids with no real progress.

She looked up from the Calico Critters she was playing with and said, "Where are you going?"

I stretched out my hand and replied "Do you trust me?"

Off we went in search of high blossoms

I was the driver.  She was the scout.  Sitting up in the front seat like a big girl, looking down side streets.

"I see one Mom, I think it's a pink one!"

 I would park under the tree as close as I could get, and then lean our seats way back. We held hands and commented on how beautiful the view was.

I opened the sun roof and let her reach up and touch the blossoms.

She brought a few home, carrying them in her hand with the greatest care.

"Oh Mommy, wait until you see the view from my side!" she said and reached for my camera.

I watched her trying to steady the heavy camera over her face, squinting into the view finder.

I was wondering if someday we would have this in common...

"Can I have a copy of this for my room?" She asked

I smiled, and she knew that meant, "Yes, baby you can."

I smiled too because having her with me was so much better than being alone.

Today

Feeling so very important with her pockets.