mesob mischief and miscellany

I really want to write a post about race, but I'm a little bit scared I don't have time tonight, so instead I will share this photo of Z at the YWAM Ethiopia Melkam Genna event last weekend:



This week has been ever-so-slightly better than last week. Progress! I am taking extra time each day to remind Z that he is loved and safe; I hope it is sinking in.

Last week I was at the Ethiopian market by our house and struck up a conversation with another patron. He asked if Z was adopted, and then asked what part of Ethiopia he was from. As it turned out, this man was from a town just 20 minutes from Z's birth place! He was so excited to tell me that there are many Ethiopians from that region in Seattle and he invited me to come to his church. I cracked up when he pointed to Z and told me, "I have two small children at home and they look just like him!" We exchanged contact information and I'm hoping we can connect again soon. I continue to be amazed by the friendliness and hospitality of the Ethiopian community here! What a blessing for families like ours.

Stay tuned for heavier stuff (maybe)...

*Mesob is the Amharic word for the woven basket that Z is sitting in. :)

7 quick takes

[My first time participating in any kind of 'link up'... yeah, big time stuff.]

1. I can't stop thinking about the last book I finished, Conceiving Parenthood by Amy Laura Hall. It took me almost 9 months to read, mostly because it was pretty heavy and academic, which makes it hard to read for a person who gets interrupted approximately every 10 seconds. But I made it through and I'm glad I did. The book is basically an overview of the changing conceptions of family life / reproduction / parenting throughout the 20th century in mainstream American culture. Fascinating. And also, yikes.



2. I was late to the Pinterest party but now that I've arrived I am finding it to be every bit as delightful and time-sucking as promised. However I'm excited to report that I have actually done one of the projects I pinned! And it was sort of crafty! And I didn't completely screw it up! I'm as shocked as you are.


jersey knit headband


headbands & belts I'm hoping to sell at our preschool holiday fair

3. Do you ever think about people's blogging selves as being separate from their actual selves? Lately I've been more and more aware of the separation between who we are online and who we really are. I try to be honest and real here, but this blog does not authentically capture the full extent of who I am or what my family is like. And I am very OK with that because for one thing, it's public, and for another, if human beings and their relationships could be fully captured by a website... well that would just be sad.

4. The other day I was having leftover spaghetti for lunch and Z asked for a bite. Spaghetti is one of the only things he has loved to eat since we first met him and I got all nostalgic as I spoon-fed him a few bites. He was looking up at me with the sweetest expression and marinara sauce on his nose and I don't think I've ever loved him more.

5. None of the kids have school today so we're going swimming at the Y with friends. I'm hoping to keep the kids in the water a lot this winter so we don't lose all the progress we made over the summer and in Hawaii. D in particular made huge strides in Hawaii and can now swim at least 15 yards independently. Maybe I'll have 2 on the swim team next summer??



6. This weekend we are stopping by our agency's international adoption training for a bit to share some of our experiences with prospective adoptive parents. I'm excited! And kinda nervous.

7. Last Saturday was the annual fall leaf rake in the backyard. This was the first year when the boys were old enough to actually be reasonably helpful (well, 2 out of 3 anyway). We raked, piled, ran, jumped, and took the obligatory photos, followed by hot chocolate and hot tubbing at Nana & Papa's.

things i am loving right now

Sequence For Kids -- My awesome in-laws bought this for D's birthday and I am pretty sure we have averaged about 10 games per day since then. It is simple enough for D to play without help, but requires enough strategy that N also enjoys it. (OK, OK, I like it too and may or may not get super competitive while playing against my 4 year old and 6 year old.)

Sistema Lunch Cube -- I picked up this lunch box organizer over the summer in anticipation of N's first year of eating lunch at school, and it rocks. It has space for a sandwich and two snack-size compartments big enough to fit fruit, string cheese, crackers, etc. Packing a whole lunch without a single plastic baggie makes me happy!

Heated Mattress Pad -- There is nothing better on a chilly fall night than crawling into toasty warm flannel sheets! This was a Christmas present from Jon last year and it is probably my favorite gift ever.

This Picture --


This Video -- Z counts to ten! (With a little help encouragement)



Thrifting -- A few other blog friends have inspired me to hit up the thrift store scene and I'm hooked. Today I got N a pair of Keen sandals for $6 and a super cute dress for me for $5, plus a book D loves for $0.65. Can't beat that. Besides the cheapness (which I'm all about), I love not worrying about whether I might be supporting child labor / sweatshops with my purchase.


New-to-me dress

No Diapers -- Completely of his own volition, Z is officially 'tells-me-when-he-needs-to-go-and-doesn't-need-reminders' potty trained! Not having to change dirty diapers more than makes up for the slight inconvenience of having to dash to the potty with Z when we're out and about. (P.S. If I believed in karma this would totally fit, because let me tell you I have put enough blood, sweat, and tears into potty training one of my other kiddos to last a lifetime!)


Undies!

Leslie Patricelli Books -- I started checking out Patricelli's board books at the library a few months ago and they have quickly become some of my very favorite toddler books. They have simple pictures and few words per page but they almost always make me laugh out loud on first reading. The one we picked up today, called "Happy Baby Sad Baby", had a subtle reference to the snowsuit scene in the classic film "A Christmas Story" that cracked me up. If your life includes humans from the under 5 crowd, these books are a guaranteed hit.

Dukem Market -- I was regularly driving about 30 minutes each way to buy injera and Ethiopian spices until a few weeks ago when a preschool dad (who happens to be Ethiopian) chuckled at me and asked why I don't go to Dukem Market. Huh? Turns out there's an Ethiopian market just a few miles from my house right by just about every other store I ever go to! Perfect for a day like today, when I was out running errands and wondering what to make for dinner -- stopped in for injera, already had ingredients for misr wat at home, super easy and yummy dinner.

Fast Drugs -- Z started tugging on his ear Monday night and woke up Tuesday with a fever. By mid-morning we were seeing the doctor and he got his first dose of antibiotics to treat a mild ear infection a few hours later, all covered by our insurance. If this does not seem amazing to you, count yourself very blessed to be in the vast, vast minority world-wide.

Hawaii -- My parents are treating their kids, kids' spouses, and grandboys to a week in Maui starting in less than 24 hours! Have I mentioned how much I love them? I mean, like, really, really love them? Can't wait.

I'm loving way more things, but I need to go pack now -- Aloha!