Gator Days

The boys have been having a love affair with their gators since we got them. Tirfe was totally mesmerized and timid at first. I never would have thought to put her in the passenger seat until next year. But she had other ideas. She practically leaps out of my arms and onto the gator when she sees it. Arlo loves to give her a ride around the yard for a bit. It is so cute when you see them driving away. She is super buckled in, and I usually follow close behind. She is so content on there, especially when she has her biggest bro snuggling her. I didn't have enough light, so Arlo and T are mostly shadows, but you get the idea. What you miss is the big smile on Tirfe's face when they stop. This totally captures Aesa's personality, he is so funny.

the three peas briefing

A random post and some cute pictures as another great summer weekend comes to an end (Monday is part of our weekend too). We have officially converted to cloth diaps, and it's great. We are using the litte g's with cloth inserts, cute and simple. Tirfe is continuing to grow and blossom in so many ways. She is pulling up on anything she can get ahold of. The boys are continuing their steadfast adoration of her. When we go somewhere to visit with people we know, Arlo is always asking who has met Tirfe and who hasn't so he can rush over and show off his sister. This afternoon he ran errands with Andy for a while and when he got back T was up from her nap; his first question (after he comes to find us in her room) is, "How long has she been up?" He wants to make sure he didn't miss anything. Tonite he took her for a ride on his gator (which she now LOVES, practically leaping out of our arms to get at it...it is going to be so funny when she can walk and get her little self where she wants to go- she has definate plans!), he wraps his arm around her shoulders and snuggles her close with one arm while he drives with the other arm. It is too much. We got it on video tonite, I will try to post some shots of it soon! Aesa remains his funny, happy, dancing self. He got a new bed today which he is thrilled about, even if (as he noted) it isn't as big as Arlo's.

T Speaks

Ignore all the stuff in the foyer, I just got back form the store and was overcome with a need to capture cuteness (and share). She had just crawled all the way from the kitchen and I tried to catch a bit of that, but she had something to say instead!

Our Month in Review

It has been a month since we came home with Tirfe. It has flown by. It has been a really good, loving, bonding month for all five of us. The focus on bonding for our family has been really great, everything else can wait (and it usually does anyway, but now I can do it guilt free and feel good about it!). As our laundry goes unfolded and laying on the kitchen table, I am on the floor playing with the kids, laughing at their sweet and funny personalities and feeling so content with our family. Arlo and Aesa continue to do great with Tirfe, they love her so much, sometimes they are a too-in-her-face with their love, but it is manageable with gentle reminders.

We have had a busy month. We've been swimming most sunny days at my parents house. Arlo is becoming more skilled every time we go, and Aesa is floating around in waterwings. So far, it seems, Arlo is immune to the sting of belly flopping (or face flopping as he often seems to do). Tirfe LOVES the pool.

We also had to put our dog, Dexter, down this month. So sad. We noticed he seemed sick when we returned from Ethiopia, and took him in. He had lyme's disease and a tumor the size of a two liter bottle in his abdomen. We tried hefty antibiotics, and drained the tumor, but it was too much, pushing on his lungs. He wasn't eating or drinking. Our local vet couldn't confirm that the tumor was cancerous, but it was definately going to be the end of him without surgery. Andy didn't think he could survive the surgery, so he made the very difficult decision to take Dexter in and have him put down. Ugh. He was a GREAT dog, the happiest, jumpiest, easiest black lab ever to swim the Kinni. Oh, we will miss him. We are talking with Arlo about death as a result. He is so smart, so intuitive. It is deep stuff and he is handling it well. Trying to put our beliefs into terms that a child could understand without terrifying him was daunting to us, but Arlo takes the information, asks another question, explains it back to us and thinks about if for a day or two. Then he'll ask another question. He misses Dexter in spurts, and feels sad when it hits him. He has taken to diving for balls and sticks in Nana's pool because that is what Dexter liked to do (in the River). It feels good to have this conversation started, a relief that we have the foundation to expand on.

Tirfe has learned so much this month. When we met her in Ethiopia, she was a smiley little lady who could roll over and rock on her hands an knees. Since we have been home she has gotten a tooth (actually, while we were in ET with her), mastered sitting up, crawling, clapping, waving, pointing, and drinking her bottle. She loves finger food and prefers it over baby food. She drinks juice from a sippy every now and then and is extremely proud of herself. She is the smiliest baby I have ever known. She never stops, and it is so cute. It's a nose wrinkled, eyebrow raised, eyes sparkling and smiling as well, gums exposed, wide open mouthed smile. She even wakes up smiley, I am trying to figure out her secret so I can master that one too.

The boys are continuing to mesh really well together. They both seem bigger, more independent, and more willing to comprimise since T came home. Our time together has been quality and quantity lately, so great.

My real objective was to get some new pictures on the blog, I looked at it today and felt ashamed how few I have shared so far! I have so many cute ones with funny stories behind them.

Wishing for health and happiness for you and your families!

are you melting?

Arlo: "Mom, I think Tirfe just said 'mama'" "Are you melting?"

Me: "Yeah." "Who said I would melt?"

Arlo: "Daddy. He was trying to teach Tirfe to say mama, because he said you would melt. He was right."

Me (...mel-ting.......)

Blissful Summer

(* read my rant at the the bottom of my post....yarg I am not a techie!)

We've been having a great time with the kids the last few weeks. Our routine is unfolding and things are meshing. The only time that I am struggling with timing is naptime for the boys. Arlo is outgrowing naps, but still really benefits from them. He has a hard time laying down if Tirfe is up, and keeps Aesa up if they lay together, but needs my attention 100% of the time after 3pm if he doesn't rest a little. So I either end up with two tired, napless boys, and a tiny break for myself (with the added bonus of their room somehow getting extremely messy while they are "napping"), or one boy who naps and one boy who asks me "what do you think we should do right now?" a dozen times while I try to take a shower or anything else I need to accomplish. Each day is a little different. I am trying to look at the bright side, everything seems to work out in the end, tired, rested, whatever. It is a bit of a juggling act though. All of this has been going on long before Tirfe came home, they will outgrow it one day.

Tirfe is doing really well. She has mastered sitting up now, it is awesome, I love that she can engage in her world from a new vantage point and have so much more control over her activities. I love the sitting baby stage. She is so proud. Her list of accomplishments this week also include waving bye-bye, clapping (personal favorite), and high fives. We are pretty sure she will be crawling soon. She is really close, loves to rock on her hands and knees, panting and squeeling (adorable).

Arlo and Aesa are still enjoying her a ton. They love it when she "talks" to them, they are thrilled if she laughs at them. So far the only jealousy I have seen has been from Arlo when Tirfe was so busy laughing at Aesa that she didn't see the cool moves Arlo was doing, he was a little heartbroken over it. This was one of the days he did not nap. His mood swing led to a break in the bedroom which was followed by an hour and a half accidental (on his part) nap that totally restored his more pleasant demenor. It worked for me.

Arlo loves to be a part of everything Tirfe is doing. He picks out her clothes in the morning, usually some beautiful dress like one of her traditional Ethiopian dresses that is two sizes too big right now. He even tried on her green one that is bigger, hilarious. He has to give her zerberts on her belly while I hang her upside down before she can lay down for naps or the night. Tirfe thouroughly enjoys it, almost all the time. It is so fun watching their bonds grow and solidify, so amazing and rewarding.

Last night we went to a concert in the park. It was a tad loud, but Tirfe held out for quite a while. They boys were much less interested than she was. They found a pile of sandy soil and filled their hats over and over and over so they could make a pile. Whatever keeps them busy. Aesa played with a stick in the sand next to the sidewalk for at least a half-hour. If he'd had a hose we'd have been set for the evening.

(*i type and type and type whilst I have a minute or two to myself, due to tv induced catotonics or actual sleeep (ha!) at naptime, and then I am left with a post that is not only discombobulated, but unpleasantly paragraphed and all bunched and mushed in the picture category. SO, I say, to myself. I will post shorter, more frequent, less pictified entries. It is the only solution. I will really try. Maybe i can hit my stride and stop trying to post at either naptime or in the middle of the night. hehehe. We'll see.) For now, I appologize for the weird layout.

sweetness

We're home! Our trip was awesome and amazing, just like Ethiopia and all the people we met on our trip. I don't have any words of wisdom that others haven't already shared on what to pack or how much money to bring, just be ready to open your heart and your mind and let the goodness of Ethiopia flow into you. I am sure my body will be processing the trip for the rest of my life. It was powerful in so many ways, especially emotionally. It was viceral. I wouldn't change a thing about our trip and look forward to the next one. I'm only sad that Tirfe won't remember her first 8 months in Ethiopia more vividly, but I know for certain it is part of her and she will carry it in her soul always, it is in the fiber of her being. Thank goodness. Ethiopia and Tirfe are quite beautiful and dynamic. I will always ponder with amazement and sadness the way this little lady became my daughter. I will ponder her beauty and amazing spirit as well.

Our time at home has been equally as amazing. The boys are doing great with Tirfe, loving her and playing with her all day long. Arlo can't get enough of her and asks to hold her all the time, then when I come to take her he says, "just a little longer..." too cute! The adjustment so far has been a breeze for us all, it seems we were ready for number five in this family, she fits and we are better than ever. The boys are getting along great with the extra sibling, they aren't going head to head as often fighting for attention. I guess there is just more love now, more goodness, more giggles and tickles, more joy. I know I feel it. I think they do too!

Today Tirfe played pirates with the boys (and had her very own pirate sword curtosy of Arlo), she also enjoyed a brief stints as a very immobile super spy, she played tools with the boys (hammering happily), and she was offered a ride on a gator once or twice (which I politely declined on her behalf, at least for now...). It is really fun at our house. I love it. Tirfe and I watched the boys make mud pools in the backyard yesterday with the hose and some shovels (big yard+ shovel=endless fun for kids!) I can tell she will be right there with them as soon as possible. These big brothers make the transition so much easier for Tirfe, they are so genuine, loving, and entertaining. They fill the house with their energy. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we are going to have sooo much fun together.

Ok, think I am done oooozing joy. But it is really pretty fun and lovely right now. teehee. (Check back with me when three kids have the flu at the same time this winter....)

xo