So, we are home! I just have been too busy to write! But it is now 6 in the morning, I have been up since 5:30 and I thought I would take this opportunity to blog a few things and post a few pictures!
I am happy to be home! I always thought I wanted to be a world traveler and to see all the different sites in the world. I think I have decided now that spending the rest of my life only vacationing in Florida is now my favorite option. Basically, I seem to pick up any sort of food/water born illness to quickly... it is good to be home where I can drink out of the tap!
The kids are doing great! They really are! They have adjusted remarkably well! We flew in at noon on Saturday and they were so excited about all the new things (the cars, the backyard, their rooms) that they stayed awake and finally crashed around 7pm (which would be 2am their time). And so far they are up around 7 and in bed around 8, so that makes a lot of things a lot easier!
Meals are still really interesting. Yemane and Yonas will eat anything put in front of them but Selamawit if a VERY picky eater and seems to only eat bread if she can help it. So we are working on making her not so picky! We have white bread in the house, but we usually only have wheat... so I think when we switch back over to just wheat she may not be in such a hurry to only eat bread!
They all seem to know the routine really well! We went to church yesterday and that went well! They are used to really long services, so the 1 hour sacrament meeting is not too bad for them! They all seemed to enjoy primary, particularly music time! Yemane broke down crying half way through his class and they brought him to me. Poor thing! I really could not blame him! He does not understand hardly any English and it was probably so overwhelming! When we got him into the van to go home, he fell asleep. So I think being sleepy had a lot to do with it as well!
Yonas is really good with all things sports. He has some great soccar skills and he watched a little bit of Nolan & Lettie's t-ball game, came home, and threw a ball in the air and hit it! Levi was impressed! He has great form and everything!
Selamawit lost a tooth yesterday, it just popped out in the middle of church. It was not in the best shape, so I don't think it took too much to fall out. We did not do the tooth fiary because she would not understand. But it just occured to me as I am typing this that NOLAN will understand, so I may need to put on a facade that the tooth fairy came just so he will not wonder why she did not come!
The main stressful part of having the new kids is the language barrier. For me at least. Today we are going to try to learn the words for certain feelings. I have a worksheet printed out with the basics on it (happy, mad, sad, sick, scared) so hopefully it may help them to be able to communicate their feelings. I am hoping to catch Sesame Street today as well and talk about the letter A. Catching them up for school is going to be hard, but we will do our best and we have the whole summer, so that is good! Yonas seems very anxious to learn, Selamawit... not so much!
Oh, and we were calling Selamawit "Salie", with the a sounding like "ah" instead of "aye". But then we realized it is so close to Callie and they both respond when I say either name. So we may transition her to her middle name, whatever we end up choosing that to be... but I think the most likely choice is going to be "Macie". Selamawit is a mouthful for an American, especially if you try to say it right! We may have to transition Yemane as well, because that is not said how you would think either. But that is something I would do very slowly. But it really does not take kids but so long... heck, all our other kids have about 10 nicknames a piece that they all respond to. Heck, Callie responds just as well to "Wallice"!
So, any ideas for boy names?
Well, I better figure out breakfast before the troops wake up! Here are some pictures! I will make a shutterfly album of Ethiopia pictures soon for you guys to see!
Trying to use a straw for the first time:
At home, with a ton of kids:
6 comments:
I am so glad that you are home and things are going good! It looks like they are so happy!
You are amazing Audra! I hope everything goes well and good luck with the language stuff! Love ya!
I'm happy to hear an update! And the pictures of all the kids together are great! Can't wait to see everyone in a couple of months!
I wish I could be there. I can't wait until July. Someone else really couldn't wait.
what an experience! good luck with your little girl.. i was a stubborn picky one and i know that was a pain for my parents...
Audra & Levi we are so happy for you and your family!! You absolutely have the cutest children, all 7 of them!!
I am so glad that you all made it home safely. How fun to have your new kids! You guys are amazing and I know those kids will love being part of your family. Also, I love how you have the bedroom painted!
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