Monday, April 27, 2009

So many firsts!

I am so touched that so many friends are keeping up with our journey on this blog.  I will apologize for all of the spelling errors.  Not my usual style but I will trust no one is grading me at home.  I also head back to work tomorrow and wanted to get one more under the belt.  Tonight's offering is a list of my top five fun "firsts" since coming to the U.S.  Adopting older children is interesting.  Instead of having firsts (first steps, first words, first haircuts, etc) spread out over weeks months and years, we get them rapid fire.  Like 100 a day!  I am constantly kicking myself for not having a camera!  Not to mention all of the firsts for Lynn and me including a child losing a tooth tonight and running outside to throw it on the roof.  Cool!

However, before I launch into the blog, I must confess that we hit a couple bumps along the way yesterday.  So "Leave it to Beaver" we are not.  The day started off with a bad night's sleep for everyone, a bad cold for Tarikua and a rookie mistake by dad the day before.  Therefore, I start with this pledge.  "I Dad, father to one son and three beautiful, strong young ladies, hereby pledge that I will henceforth never take two girls shopping for clothes and shoes allowing them to have matching outfits for church the following morning unless I have also picked up a third matching outfit for the daughter not attending the shopping expedition. This shall especially hold true when the odd girl out is Tarikua and the older girls are eager to show said youngest sibling that they are fancy, pretty and well- attired for church.  I acknowledge that a young girl's expectation to accessorize and match is a God given right.  I further acknowledge that the same purple Crocs worn for five straight days are not an acceptable substitute when Zenash and Savannah have received pretty whit flats.  Moreover, I shall henceforth heed the advice of daughters in attendance on said shopping expedition, especially when said daughters either hold up shoes and say, 'Dad.  Tarikua?' and/or say 'Dad, shouldn't we get something for Tarikua too?'  When both daughters independently make said statements, I shall obey thinking not of such petty things as the mortgage or utility bills. Under no circumstances should my response to advice from said older daughters be 'Oh, I'm sure she has something at home.' In the event I break this solemn oath I shall henceforth deserve any temper tantrums offered." Dumb, dumb, dumb...  Here is tonight's Top Five Firsts for Zenash and Tarikua:

5)  Speed Bumps-  first trip to the park today.  Many firsts including slides, swings and chasing ducks (until an animal control officer arrived and Dad changed the game to avoid a badge giving us a stern talking to).  But lets be honest who doesn't like to chase a duck.  And if you've never actually seen a duck it really makes the quacking and chasing all the more fun!  Plus crossing the green metal grate bridge was also a riot!  Both girls giggling and clinging to my hands, not sure what would happen next.   But the piece de resistance of a first outing to the park with Dad......?
Speed bumps, seriously.  Speed bumps were met with howls of laughter and "again! again!"  I did laps in the car and the laughter was multiplied when I would do a countdown.  Priceless!

4)  Water guns-  it was hot yesterday and the water guns came out.  I was concerned that my more reserved daughter might not like getting wet.  Wrong!  I have raised Savannah to be a strong girl and don't intend on raising shrinking violets.  No worries.  These girls brandished water guns like Navy Seals and soaked any kid willing to engage.  An accidental squirt hit the old man and when I responded with a smile I was finished.  Why does Dad always get the bad water gun?  I mean really, couldn't I get the Super Soaker just once?  

3)  Escalators- this happened at the airport. The way the girls laughed uncontrollably and wobbled off and on to the steps, they looked like drunken conventioneers at a Las Vegas casino. 

2)  Electric Car Windows and other gadgets-  the car windows are in constant motion.  Every light is on in the house.  The food processor is just about dead.  There are CD's in the DVD player.  And, for my Facebook friends, the garbage disposal appears to be down for the count.  It is either a coffee bean or a rock in there.  Live and learn I suppose.

1)  Walmart- and finally the above-described first trip to Walmart with my big girls.  (Apologies to Tarikua) On Saturday Z had lost her shoe in the river (a whole different blog) and it was the only pair we had for her.  Off to Walmart with instructions from Mom to find sandals, dress shoes and tennies.  My sweet Zenash walked into her first Walmart and her jaw dropped. Savannah grabbed her hand and said, "You are going to love this!" Uh oh.!   Zenash walked into the shoe aisles and picked up a pair of old school nursing style shoes. "Dad. Look!"  Savannah took the shoes from her and said "Oh, no, no, no."  And my sweet Zenash received her first lesson in being a picky shoe shopper.  (This lesson last an hour and a half... seriously.)  However, after finding a pair of flip flops to replace the pair now two feet deep in river muck, Zenash ran to the men's shoe aisle.  "Dad.  Look!" I smiled and said "Nice."  Another pair.  "Dad. Look!" I smiled again.  "I have some sort of like that.  Did I wear to Embassy?"  Furrowed, frustrated brow.  Another pair. "Dad.  Look!"  And it dawns on me.  I just put flip flops in the cart for Zenash and Savannah (the little manipulator) and her response was that I should have shoes too.  So sweet.  However the crowning moment was when both girls found matching lime green high heels and teetered up and down the aisles giggling and nearly toppling.  New sisters.  Sweet little girls.  However, rather quickly the began to stabilize and suddenly they were walking in them just fine.  I wasn't ready for that as I watched them both grow before my eyes. "Dad, can we get them? We can walk in them!"  "Not yet" I responded as I pulled them into a tight bear hug.  "Daddy isn't ready yet."  I held Zenash's face in my hand and said, "I've only had you a few days."  I then turned to Savannah and held her face in my other hand and said, "And I feel like I've only had you a few days too."  I looked at them and whispered, "Just be my little girls a little while longer."  Savannah grinned, hugged me and said "OK" and instinctively Zenash followed suit.  Heaven.


3 comments:

  1. Bob - again you made me cry -- STOP IT! haa I love the family picture you've added!! Isn't it funny the things that they find interesting here in America. I love the speedbump story. (and I love you went back to do it over just to hear them laugh) We're so happy they are now home w/ their forever family. And if you need any help as "normal" life w/ work and all get crazy -- call us!!

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  2. That last part about the shoes got me all teary too! sniff, sniff

    I'm glad you're getting a good dose of giggles to go with your bumps.

    Beth ~ (Mahelet and Yodit's mom)

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  3. Very cool! Keep the stories coming! We love it!!!!

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