It's hard for us to believe, but we've already been home with Simon for just over one month. It's been lots of fun and Simon has enjoyed tons of new experiences, meeting family and friends and becoming a city kid.
My words can never do justice to all that we are experiencing, so instead, I'll let these pictures speak a thousand (give or take) words.
ps - yes I know I still need to respond to being tagged and to post my 7 random things... it's coming....
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
a year in the life
Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog (it all started here).
Like so many things in life, there is a part of me that feels as if this past year has gone by so quickly, and yet in many other ways, it feels as if we have lived a lifetime in these last 365 days. We had just started completing our paperwork when we created guzo: ethiopia, and now we are home with Simon Alemayheu, fully entrenched in this new chapter of our lives.
On the "year flying by quickly" side of me, I know I still owe many details on our time in Ethiopia, pictures from the trip, emails/calls to family and friends, and posts about life as a family of 4 (3 humans, one dog who thinks he is human).... I genuinely hope to accomplish all of these things, but I never seem to have the time these days. I am sorry for this and hope you will all forgive me, especially if you are among the ever growing group of people who I owe a call or email response to. Oh, and I've been "tagged" by a few people interested in learning a few surprising facts about me. I promise I will take you up on the tag and get a post up here soon with some random facts. Really - I will!! Life is good these days, but I am still working on finding balance in my new role as a mom - or at least something close to balance, as I recognize that I may never quite get it completely ;)
And as for living a lifetime in a year, well, let's see... in the last twelve months we've traveled: together to St. Lucia, India, Bhutan, Dubai, and Ethiopia; separately to Germany, South Africa, and Jordan... welcomed a new nephew... ventured into the adoption blogging community and met some wonderful new friends... started another guzo... I cooked dinner for Ryan for the first (and only) time (yes, sad, but true)... found a new apartment (did I mention we are in the process of buying a new apartment?)... and most significantly, of course, completed our adoption and welcomed the most amazing little boy into our lives!
Speaking of Simon... he has also accomplished quite a bit recently. So I will leave you with some of Simon's thoughts and observations about life in the Big Apple (in his words):
Like so many things in life, there is a part of me that feels as if this past year has gone by so quickly, and yet in many other ways, it feels as if we have lived a lifetime in these last 365 days. We had just started completing our paperwork when we created guzo: ethiopia, and now we are home with Simon Alemayheu, fully entrenched in this new chapter of our lives.
On the "year flying by quickly" side of me, I know I still owe many details on our time in Ethiopia, pictures from the trip, emails/calls to family and friends, and posts about life as a family of 4 (3 humans, one dog who thinks he is human).... I genuinely hope to accomplish all of these things, but I never seem to have the time these days. I am sorry for this and hope you will all forgive me, especially if you are among the ever growing group of people who I owe a call or email response to. Oh, and I've been "tagged" by a few people interested in learning a few surprising facts about me. I promise I will take you up on the tag and get a post up here soon with some random facts. Really - I will!! Life is good these days, but I am still working on finding balance in my new role as a mom - or at least something close to balance, as I recognize that I may never quite get it completely ;)
And as for living a lifetime in a year, well, let's see... in the last twelve months we've traveled: together to St. Lucia, India, Bhutan, Dubai, and Ethiopia; separately to Germany, South Africa, and Jordan... welcomed a new nephew... ventured into the adoption blogging community and met some wonderful new friends... started another guzo... I cooked dinner for Ryan for the first (and only) time (yes, sad, but true)... found a new apartment (did I mention we are in the process of buying a new apartment?)... and most significantly, of course, completed our adoption and welcomed the most amazing little boy into our lives!
Speaking of Simon... he has also accomplished quite a bit recently. So I will leave you with some of Simon's thoughts and observations about life in the Big Apple (in his words):
- I am a ladies man. All the ladies ooh and aah when they see me. I happily respond with a big grin and a little shrug of the shoulders.
- Food is good. Really, really good. I'm cool with all the pureed stuff, but what I really want is whatever is on Mom's plate. And I cannot wait until Mom will let me have some coffee. I jump up and down and wave my arms and grunt when she's drinking her coffee, but she still won't let me have any. Hmm.
- Standing is fun. I can't really do it without help, but I would stand all day long if Mom or Dad would help me.
- Kelly Ripa is pretty. She is waaaay more fun to watch on TV than Sesame Street or cartoons.
- I can put both hands with all my fingers in my mouth at the same time.
- When Mom and Dad point that video camera thing in my direction, it means I am doing something that will embarass me in about 12 years... so I should stop.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Living on the ej: Special Campaign Edition
ej here.. happy to bring you a special edition of Living on the EJ: Campaign for No Change at Home, brought to you by the Council for a Doggie Democracy.
Last I wrote, I was having a bit of meltdown because I wasn't getting my typical canine therapy outlet. But I am here today to tell you that while my protest lives on, those days of instability are over.
I am here before you today to tell you that while mistakes were clearly made, lessons have been learned and those responsible have been held accountable. So now is the time to look past this insignificant step down the wrong path and look towards the future.
It's been said that those that don't dwell on the past don't remember when they repeat it. And that's what my campaign for no change is all about. Living on the ej means living for the moment. When we pass that blob of purple goo on the street that smells promising, we snatch it. If it's no good, well, we just spit it out and move on. When that person loitering on the corner doesn't coo at us as we pass, we give a quick Arf to let him know who's boss.
Just this morning, I could have passed by a wretched pile of garbage outside my building, but I didn't. I squirmed and stretched the leash to give it a full inspection and was rewarded with a nibble of scrumptious old, dried up beef jerky. That's living on the ej.
But this campaign isn't really about me. It's about THAT ONE.
By now, it's quite obvious that the he is here, and fittingly, the blog media has run rampant with the news of his every move. The pictures, the comments, the videos... I haven't seen any video cameras at any of my campaign stops lately. But I'm not complaining. This is just typical media bias.
He can sit up? Yippee. Can he shake hands? My opponent simply does not have the limb coordination experience that I have.
He smiles all the time at people. Congratulations. Is he going to just smile when Alexis takes one of his squeaky blocks next time she comes over? Sometimes you have to stand strong and stand up for what is right. These are serious times. And that means NOT smiling at people sometimes.
But really, my friends, all this focus on the media is just a distraction from the real crisis at hand.
So I am hereby suspending my campaign to focus on the issue that really matters to dogs everywhere across this great nation. They are being lost everywhere that a cute kid joins a family. The numbers are dwindling so fast that there is a danger that even the very knowledge of their existence could fade away and disappear if we don't act soon. It may already be too late for some households. And to this, I say to you, my fellow four-legged friends, Not on my watch.
If you look at my long record of legislative proposals, you'll see I'm no champion of big government. And I'm not interested in needless over-regulation. But something must be done or this crisis could spiral us downward into a deep, dark, desperate depression.
What I'm talking about is simple to understand:
Belly rubs, baby, belly rubs.
Thank you and may God Bless Dogs.
Arf!
ej
Last I wrote, I was having a bit of meltdown because I wasn't getting my typical canine therapy outlet. But I am here today to tell you that while my protest lives on, those days of instability are over.
I am here before you today to tell you that while mistakes were clearly made, lessons have been learned and those responsible have been held accountable. So now is the time to look past this insignificant step down the wrong path and look towards the future.
It's been said that those that don't dwell on the past don't remember when they repeat it. And that's what my campaign for no change is all about. Living on the ej means living for the moment. When we pass that blob of purple goo on the street that smells promising, we snatch it. If it's no good, well, we just spit it out and move on. When that person loitering on the corner doesn't coo at us as we pass, we give a quick Arf to let him know who's boss.
Just this morning, I could have passed by a wretched pile of garbage outside my building, but I didn't. I squirmed and stretched the leash to give it a full inspection and was rewarded with a nibble of scrumptious old, dried up beef jerky. That's living on the ej.
But this campaign isn't really about me. It's about THAT ONE.
By now, it's quite obvious that the he is here, and fittingly, the blog media has run rampant with the news of his every move. The pictures, the comments, the videos... I haven't seen any video cameras at any of my campaign stops lately. But I'm not complaining. This is just typical media bias.He can sit up? Yippee. Can he shake hands? My opponent simply does not have the limb coordination experience that I have.
He smiles all the time at people. Congratulations. Is he going to just smile when Alexis takes one of his squeaky blocks next time she comes over? Sometimes you have to stand strong and stand up for what is right. These are serious times. And that means NOT smiling at people sometimes.
But really, my friends, all this focus on the media is just a distraction from the real crisis at hand.
So I am hereby suspending my campaign to focus on the issue that really matters to dogs everywhere across this great nation. They are being lost everywhere that a cute kid joins a family. The numbers are dwindling so fast that there is a danger that even the very knowledge of their existence could fade away and disappear if we don't act soon. It may already be too late for some households. And to this, I say to you, my fellow four-legged friends, Not on my watch.
If you look at my long record of legislative proposals, you'll see I'm no champion of big government. And I'm not interested in needless over-regulation. But something must be done or this crisis could spiral us downward into a deep, dark, desperate depression.
What I'm talking about is simple to understand:
Belly rubs, baby, belly rubs.
Thank you and may God Bless Dogs.
Arf!
ej
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
more catching up
This post is dedicated to Jennifer, who might be the only person still checking in, as I know that we've been pretty bad about posting since we returned home.
So where to begin???
First... huge congrats to Jana and Heather who both recently received Nov. 3 court dates! I had the great pleasure of meeting both of their little girls when I was in Ethiopia and I am so excited that they might get to meet their beautiful and sweet little ones (and each other :) ) soon. My fingers are crossed for a successful court date for both of them. (Jana was actually put on the waitlist the same day as we were and she has supported me throughout our process, so I am especially thrilled to see her and Michael finally reaching the end of this journey.)
Also, a lot of families who did not make it through the courts before they closed in early August have rescheduled court dates later this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for them. They have been waiting a long, long time to meet their children.
What else??
Well... lots.
Simon - who we met exactly one month ago and who turned eight months yesterday - is doing great!! Really, really terrific.
His parents... not quite as great. Ryan and I both managed to stay healthy throughout our trip to Ethiopia, but pretty much from the day we got home, we've been battling some (minor) health issues. We're not talking about anything serious, but let's just say in the approximately three weeks that we've been back, there has probably only been a day or two where neither of us was suffering from a stomach virus or migraine or fever or something. So it's been a bit of a rough start to this new phase of our lives and it's taking us a little time to get ourselves on track.
But it's not all bad. Not at all.
Simon has been able to meet my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nephews and some friends. Ry's parents are arriving this weekend, so he will be able to spend some quality time with his other grandparents very soon and I know he's looking forward to that!
The weather in New York is still fantastic and Simon has been enjoying family strolls in downtown Manhattan and taking EJ for walks.
Speaking of which... EJ has been pretty good about the new addition to the family too. I'm not saying he's thrilled exactly with all the changes, but he is very curious about Simon and he likes to lie down next to him (sometimes on top of him - we're working on this) and generally to be wherever Simon is. Simon is also learning to like EJ. So far nothing makes him giggle as much as watching EJ play fetch. If we could just teach Simon to "pet" and not "grab," I think the two of them would be the best of friends.
Simon and I are also taking a music class. I'm not sure Simon actually cares much about the music, but he definitely loves being with the other kids and playing with (i.e. chewing) the musical instruments. And the bubbles. Each class ends by dimming the lights, playing a lullaby-esque song, and blowing bubbles. Simon definitely digs the bubbles. And I am definitely going to get some bubbles for the apartment to distract him when he starts getting fussy. Who knew??
So the last month has had its ups and downs. And can I say that I cannot believe it's only been a month since we met this amazing little boy?? On the one hand it feels like time is flying, but on the other, I feel like we have lived so much life in this past one month. Incredible.
And lots of new encounters and adventures still lie ahead.
Finally, I have a zillion pictures to organize and I know I still owe more posts on our trip to Ethiopia and more details on life back in the big apple and I will try to be a better blogger and get these up here soon.
In the meantime, a few random pictures to tide you over....
(this one's for you Jeff!)
So where to begin???
First... huge congrats to Jana and Heather who both recently received Nov. 3 court dates! I had the great pleasure of meeting both of their little girls when I was in Ethiopia and I am so excited that they might get to meet their beautiful and sweet little ones (and each other :) ) soon. My fingers are crossed for a successful court date for both of them. (Jana was actually put on the waitlist the same day as we were and she has supported me throughout our process, so I am especially thrilled to see her and Michael finally reaching the end of this journey.)
Also, a lot of families who did not make it through the courts before they closed in early August have rescheduled court dates later this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for them. They have been waiting a long, long time to meet their children.
What else??
Well... lots.
Simon - who we met exactly one month ago and who turned eight months yesterday - is doing great!! Really, really terrific.
His parents... not quite as great. Ryan and I both managed to stay healthy throughout our trip to Ethiopia, but pretty much from the day we got home, we've been battling some (minor) health issues. We're not talking about anything serious, but let's just say in the approximately three weeks that we've been back, there has probably only been a day or two where neither of us was suffering from a stomach virus or migraine or fever or something. So it's been a bit of a rough start to this new phase of our lives and it's taking us a little time to get ourselves on track.
But it's not all bad. Not at all.
Simon has been able to meet my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and nephews and some friends. Ry's parents are arriving this weekend, so he will be able to spend some quality time with his other grandparents very soon and I know he's looking forward to that!
The weather in New York is still fantastic and Simon has been enjoying family strolls in downtown Manhattan and taking EJ for walks.
Speaking of which... EJ has been pretty good about the new addition to the family too. I'm not saying he's thrilled exactly with all the changes, but he is very curious about Simon and he likes to lie down next to him (sometimes on top of him - we're working on this) and generally to be wherever Simon is. Simon is also learning to like EJ. So far nothing makes him giggle as much as watching EJ play fetch. If we could just teach Simon to "pet" and not "grab," I think the two of them would be the best of friends.
Simon and I are also taking a music class. I'm not sure Simon actually cares much about the music, but he definitely loves being with the other kids and playing with (i.e. chewing) the musical instruments. And the bubbles. Each class ends by dimming the lights, playing a lullaby-esque song, and blowing bubbles. Simon definitely digs the bubbles. And I am definitely going to get some bubbles for the apartment to distract him when he starts getting fussy. Who knew??
So the last month has had its ups and downs. And can I say that I cannot believe it's only been a month since we met this amazing little boy?? On the one hand it feels like time is flying, but on the other, I feel like we have lived so much life in this past one month. Incredible.
And lots of new encounters and adventures still lie ahead.
Finally, I have a zillion pictures to organize and I know I still owe more posts on our trip to Ethiopia and more details on life back in the big apple and I will try to be a better blogger and get these up here soon.
In the meantime, a few random pictures to tide you over....
(this one's for you Jeff!)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
catching up: part one
I know, I know... we've been a little slow in updating guzo since our return. It feels like the last few weeks have been a crazy, whirlwind dream, and I'm still trying to comprehend our new reality. And finding the words to describe everything is almost impossible!!
In terms of the actual trip, I don't think any of my words can do it justice. We very much enjoyed our time in Ethiopia and look forward to going back over the years with Simon so that he can continue to learn about and appreciate his homeland. The people, the city, the culture... they are a part of us now.
Addis Ababa is a sprawling, bustling city. There is great poverty and there is also tons of construction, signs of new business and opportunity. It was not quite what I had expected, although I cannot tell you what exactly it was I did expect.... Having traveled during the rainy season, we were also greeted by land that was so green and vibrant; it was hard to imagine a country that suffers from serious drought at other times of the year, though we know this is a very harsh reality for the people there. Oh, and previous travelers were not kidding when they describe the poor air quality in the city. The smell of diesel is so, so strong, that my throat burned and my lungs felt congested for much of our stay.
Due to the generosity of Grace, we were lucky enough to stay at Ayat House with Grace and her family when our original travel arrangements had to be changed due to new in-country travel guidelines. Ayat's owner, Wagayu, is a gracious host who wants to make sure that all the families who stay there are comfortable and cared for. Wagayu was also hosting some of his family members from Europe and kept apologizing to us for "neglecting" us, but I didn't feel neglected in the least! We felt very fortunate to have shared this part of our journey with the Kirks and Wagayu.
Travis and Joanna were in NYC while we were in Ethiopia (go figure!), so we did not get to meet them, and Belay was only in country for the first 2 days of our stay, so we did not have much opportunity to get to know him. We spent lots of time, however, with Ryan and Abby Brown (probably too much if you ask Ryan B!) and also with Phillip Garret (Frank Garret's college age son who is spending a few months there helping out and learning about the program). They really are terrific and care so much for the children in Ethiopia. We will be working with Ryan to raise money for a yet-t0-be-determined project for the boys at the Kolfe facility, so stay tuned. Ryan is dedicated to making life better for these boys who are often forgotten by others.
Speaking of the boys of Kolfe... We are not supposed to post pictures, which is a shame, because if you could see them, you would see wonderful, sweet, generous young men. Our visit to Kolfe was absolutely one of the best experiences we had in Ethiopia. Despite every hardship, these boys are kind, funny, engaging, and full of life.
Within a few minutes of our arrival at Kolfe, the boys had swooped up Simon (and my camera, which I retrieved about 150 pictures and a dead battery later!), grabbed my hand, and regaled me with a tour of the facility and questions about my life and home... stories about their studies.. and, of course, boasting about their soccer skills!! They are all in school and interested in learning about and seeing the world. I hope they will all get the opportunity. Certainly, they deserve it. I know that our future visits to Ethiopia will for sure include more visits to Kolfe!!
Since my little boy is beckoning, I will have to stop here for now. But I promise to write more about our trip, as well as our return home very soon.
In terms of the actual trip, I don't think any of my words can do it justice. We very much enjoyed our time in Ethiopia and look forward to going back over the years with Simon so that he can continue to learn about and appreciate his homeland. The people, the city, the culture... they are a part of us now.
Addis Ababa is a sprawling, bustling city. There is great poverty and there is also tons of construction, signs of new business and opportunity. It was not quite what I had expected, although I cannot tell you what exactly it was I did expect.... Having traveled during the rainy season, we were also greeted by land that was so green and vibrant; it was hard to imagine a country that suffers from serious drought at other times of the year, though we know this is a very harsh reality for the people there. Oh, and previous travelers were not kidding when they describe the poor air quality in the city. The smell of diesel is so, so strong, that my throat burned and my lungs felt congested for much of our stay.
Due to the generosity of Grace, we were lucky enough to stay at Ayat House with Grace and her family when our original travel arrangements had to be changed due to new in-country travel guidelines. Ayat's owner, Wagayu, is a gracious host who wants to make sure that all the families who stay there are comfortable and cared for. Wagayu was also hosting some of his family members from Europe and kept apologizing to us for "neglecting" us, but I didn't feel neglected in the least! We felt very fortunate to have shared this part of our journey with the Kirks and Wagayu.
Travis and Joanna were in NYC while we were in Ethiopia (go figure!), so we did not get to meet them, and Belay was only in country for the first 2 days of our stay, so we did not have much opportunity to get to know him. We spent lots of time, however, with Ryan and Abby Brown (probably too much if you ask Ryan B!) and also with Phillip Garret (Frank Garret's college age son who is spending a few months there helping out and learning about the program). They really are terrific and care so much for the children in Ethiopia. We will be working with Ryan to raise money for a yet-t0-be-determined project for the boys at the Kolfe facility, so stay tuned. Ryan is dedicated to making life better for these boys who are often forgotten by others.
Speaking of the boys of Kolfe... We are not supposed to post pictures, which is a shame, because if you could see them, you would see wonderful, sweet, generous young men. Our visit to Kolfe was absolutely one of the best experiences we had in Ethiopia. Despite every hardship, these boys are kind, funny, engaging, and full of life.
Within a few minutes of our arrival at Kolfe, the boys had swooped up Simon (and my camera, which I retrieved about 150 pictures and a dead battery later!), grabbed my hand, and regaled me with a tour of the facility and questions about my life and home... stories about their studies.. and, of course, boasting about their soccer skills!! They are all in school and interested in learning about and seeing the world. I hope they will all get the opportunity. Certainly, they deserve it. I know that our future visits to Ethiopia will for sure include more visits to Kolfe!!
Since my little boy is beckoning, I will have to stop here for now. But I promise to write more about our trip, as well as our return home very soon.
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