On The Fly - A Parenting Blog

Happy Birthday Estifanos!

Susan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:19:33 +0000

Happy 7th Birthday to my oldest son. The last four years have sped by. It seems like just yesterday that I met my baby boy in Ethiopia who clung to me, as he started his new life in America. He always wanted to be my side. Now as someone said the other day he is a little man. I love to watch him play soccer, baseball, skateboard, and spend time with his friends. Three trips to Ethiopia and four kids later I am changed. Meron, Estifanos, Kayeso and Yordie inspire me everyday. I love being their Mom, and am blessed with this journey life has taken me on. Life has taught me that we can never plan because things change. The change that comes will be a million times better than anything we could of planned or dreamed of.

Elmo Birthday and Easter Baskets

Susan — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:23:53 +0000

Ten new things I have experienced with Kayeso in the last month
10. His favorite color is orange, or he just loves saying orange I don’t know.
9. He loves to describe whether we are inside or outside and the temperature of the weather hot or cold.
8. Kayeso is learning his letters and numbers. He drew a y for the first time today.
7. Kayeso loves to watch the same shows over and over right now. He mostly likes Curious George and Cailou.
He is upset because Yordie doesn’t want to be Rosie when he plays Cailou. She says, “I’m not a baby.”
6. Thursdays he spends time with my parents, Nana and Papa, so instead of it being Thursday it is Papa Day when he wakes up. Nana is a little bummed.
5. His favorite phrase is “Kayeso do it.”
4. Kayeso rode a skateboard for the first time and loved it.
3. Kayeso loves to eat at Carl’s Junior. He starts saying “Happy Happy Happy”as we approach.
2. Kayeso loved Easter. He talked about his basket for two weeks before Easter everyday. He wanted to know when it would be Basket Day.
1. Kayeso turns 5 on May 18th. We are having breakfast with Elmo and Friends at Sea World for his Birthday. He says on Elmo Day Kayeso is 5.

We went and got our court date on Friday for the readoption.It will be May 14th. Wow how quick. For those in California you can definitely do it yourself

“I can’t do that.”

Susan — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:57:57 +0000

This is Kayeso’s new favorite phrase of the week. It usually refers to cleaning up a mess he has made. We are sorry for any delays in updates on our crazy life. It has been a hectic couple of months. I am back at work, baseball season, soccer practices, gym classes, and Chuck E Cheese Birthday parties. Kayeso is in preschool 3 days a week with Yordie and he will be starting kindergarten in the fall. He has learned so much English. His favorite show right now is “Team Work” Wonder Pets I guess is harder to say. I can’t beleive it has not even been 3 months since he came home. He has learned to ride a bike, and do puzzles, and spends time with friends. He loves playing with his friends at school, brother and sisters, and his gymnastics class he takes with Yordie. He is doing great. Our other kids area adjusting well to the last addition to our family.
I can’t believe the school year is quickly coming to an end. Meron will be 8 next month. Wow! Estifanos is finishing up kindergarten, and Yordie well our little Ethiopian princess will be four in May and is always keeping us busy. Crazy how they grow.

Here are some new photos of Kayeso

Susan — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:50:13 +0000

By popular demand:

The Communication Gap

Susan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:48:04 +0000

People often ask Brian and I how it is communicating with an older child in the first few weeks home. I have realized that although at times it is challenging it is also not a major obstacle. You can communicate with Amharic that you know, and hand signals are key in the early weeks. Many things are just understood through nonverbal communication.

I watched my new 4 year old son playing in the yard at my parents’ house today with my 3 1/2 year old daughter. As they played and talked to each other language was not important. They enjoyed being together, and they enjoyed each other as people even though they don’t speak the same language. Their laughter and smiles said so much. The brother my daughter had wished for was now here with her, and that was all that is important.

10 New Things I have Gotten to Experience with Kayeso This Week

Susan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:36:54 +0000

10. His excitement on riding on a flying mechana “an airplane.” It looks like a flying car.
9. Turning on and off Light switches 100 times a day.
8. Wearing our shoes to bed. Can’t take off those Elmo shoes Mom gave us.
7. His obession with watching the Food Network 24 hours a day.
6. Looking at himself in every mirror possible.
5. His first experience with self flushing toilets.
4. Learning how to use a drinking fountain, and that we don’t wash our hands in it.
3. The look on his face when he learned that his sandles light up.
2. Riding the escalator 100 million times at the Washington airport.
1. Watching his love for glow sticks at our neighbor’s New Year’s Party last night.
I am so glad to have my baby home with us, and that we have completed our family. I am just trying to enjoy every minute in the chaos with my 4 beautiful children.

We Are Home

Susan — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:29:58 +0000

We got home last night with our beautiful new son Kayeso. It has been an amazing journey to Ethiopia. We got to spend a week learning about him and his culture. We were able to travel south to Arbegona and meet with his birth family. That was a trip of a lifetime. We also traveled with several other amazing families who shared this journey with us. We are so grateful to have our family be complete.

Ethiopia Here We Come

Susan — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:24:58 +0000

I feel like we are running a marathon. We are leaving in 5 days to go get Kayeso. We both go through the range of emotions on a daily basis. We are excited, then anxious, constantly stressed, scared, hopeful, and excited again.

We are getting on a plane Thursday night after we have both worked up until hours before we leave. We have had to get everything ready for the kids for Christmas. They will miss us while we are away, but excited to spend the holidays with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They also opened their Wii from us last night which made everything okay of course.

As we embark on this last adoption I am excited for the future. Although I know it will be tiring to have 4 kids that range in age from 3-7 I know our family will be amazing. I am so excited to meet my new son, and hold him for the first time. What more could I have asked for for Christmas this year.

Pictures!

Susan — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:43:50 +0000

Kayeso Is Coming Home

Susan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:55:13 +0000

We are proud to announce that we made it through court, and Kayeso is coming home. We are traveling to Ethiopis on 12/18 to get our new son. The wait is finally over. WOO HOO!! Although Santa will have to visit our other three kiddos at my parents house we are all so eexcited for this amazing Christmas miracle. We welcome Kayeso to our family. We are fianlly complete.