I'm very scared. Our agency just called to let us know that our sweet DD#2 is sick. She may or may not have been in the hospital (now in the children's home) and they don't know any other details. I just want to go and get her NOW. Please send positive and healthy thoughts her way?

Why is it that when I decide I must lose flab and get into shape, it is right then that I eat more? I came to the conclusion (albeit late) last week that I must get into shape so that I don't pass out carrying our newest darling daughter home from Ethiopia. That very same day I ate an entire package of Twizzlers. Is it some biological defect where the word 'diet' or 'excersize' signals my brain to stuff as much fattening food as possible into my gaping maw? Is it a physio-psychological defect caused by exposure to Twinkies and Spacefood Sticks as a child? Or, sadly, is it just a severe lack of willpower on my part? I'm leaning towards the latter. I type this as I sit waiting for a double batch of fresh blueberry muffins to finish baking.

On the adoption front, we go tomorrow to get our fingerprints done! Yay! DD #1 is very excited at the possibility of fingerprints, due to watching Harriet The Spy 12,000 times. Hoping that we are approved asap! We are still trying to clean out our homeoffice, which will soon be the girls' room. It's turning out to be quite a job, as we are a family of packrats. Really, how much craft supply stuff does one family need? Not more than 3 boxes surely. So this week is the week to finish cleaning out the room. Then next week we will paint. DD#1 has decided that it must be a duplicate of her old room: blue walls with white clouds, grass and flowers along the bottom, butterflies and dragonflies on walls, and stars on the ceiling. Wish me luck.

Now, on another subject... a friend of mine brought up an interesting subject on her blog http://sometimeswedo.blogspot.com/ about when another girl or girls are mean to or don't like your daughter. This is a subject close to my heart as I was one of those girls that others were mean to and I know that my daughters, only because they look different than the lilywhite folks around here, will experience it as well. Fortunately I was able to 'turn the other cheek' so to speak, and just move on to my other friends. I can't tell you that it didn't hurt though, and frankly even now I can feel the sting of those first rejections. I've tried to raise DD#1 (and will try with DD#2) with a strong sense of self, compassion for others, and the ability to stand up for herself. I continue to try not to react with anger or beligerance when faced with a negative comment or action. We've both tried to be nonjudgemental around her, which is sometimes hard because we have been judgemental in the past. DD#1 is such a beautiful and pure soul that I would rather kill or be killed than to snuff that, and I will fight tooth and nail not to let others do it either. That's why I want her to have a sense of who she is and what is important. We've faced a bully already (hard to believe that it was in preschool, but guess they're everywhere) and I've gotten her to see that he must be in pain or sad to have to make others feel so bad and to be so mean. I hope that is the right way to handle it. Any thoughts?

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Got our fingerprint appointment for next week! Time has been running up to a month for approval, so everyone cross their fingers please. Here is another adorable picture of our littlest girl.

I know, it's been way too long since my last update and even that was rather pathetic. Have to admit, I've never been very good at waiting so this waiting to go to Ethiopia is practically killing me! We've sent everything in to the agency and are now waiting (yes, that horrible word again!) for US Immigration to approve and fingerprint us. Wouldn't you know that our last fingerprints just expired?! Now, generally speaking, one would think that fingerprints would not have changed in a year, nor would a fairly boring couple from rural NH have spent that year honing our skills as white slavers or international jewel thieves. Our tax dollars hard at work.

So, in the mean time...I am trying to wade through all the junk/stuff/crap in our office (soon to be the girls' bedroom: pink with Tinkerbell on the walls) so that I can paint it next week. I hope you are crossing your fingers for me since I will need all the help I can get to focus and finish it! Well, I will add some more details later, but am preparing for a playdate with the very popular Nicholas this morning. Must shower and convince the Princess to change out of her cheerleader pajamas.

Here are a few more pictures of our new daughter that a very lovely and generous friend (Julie) took while she was in Addis last week. Thanks Julie!

This is our small video montage of our newest darling, coming home in October! More on that later, but take a look at our sweet Freweyne at
Kaly's Baby Sister, Freweyne.......

Preparations...

We are counting down now to mid september when the Ethiopian courts open. I should say that we are counting down until all our paperwork is in to US immigration for approval and then the package is off to Ethiopia for court procedures. Truly, we can't wait to see our new little girl and DD#1 is waaaaaaay too excited!

Meanwhile, life goes on. Yesterday and today were spent at the beach with a Quebec family we met at the beach last summer. They come every year and we have daughters the same age. They are lovely people and we all wish they lived a bit closer. The picture at the top is of the two girls jumping waves. Next summer we will have two daughters jumping waves with their canadian friend!

My video montage of DD#1's first year home

She's a joy. We're in Heaven. And now I've set it to music! :) (Just click on 'Our Kalkidan')


Our Kalkidan