Out of Africa

new blog

2010-08-04T09:27:00.003+09:00

Hello Friends!

I decided that is was time to shut this blog down, there won't be any more posts here....

move on over to jojojunkie! to get the latest and greatest jojo happenings!

see you there!

Dawn
aka the jojojunkie

homework

2010-05-25T11:30:00.004+09:00

Every Friday JoJo gets homework. He loves homework. He checks his bag when we get home and his homework better be in there, cos if it's not...all hell is gonna break loose!

He used to get coloring pages. now he gets to do tracing. have a look at these, he did this last night and yes I can be caught "helping" him sometimes, but I did NOT help him at all with these ones! It's all him!!

what do you think?

.genius.

videos

2010-03-19T13:53:00.004+09:00

a few videos of my sweetie pie...

a little driving video one morning on the way to work/school

ABCs and MOVE IT!

2010-02-24T13:47:00.003+09:00

christmas 09

2010-01-06T14:39:00.005+09:00

here are some photos from christmas!

airplane!

his "skills" board
tigger from nana, and he's orange!

"eeeuw get that thing away from me!"

he warmed up to him in the end.

poor tigger
yaay an Ernie flashlight book!

yaaay triangular crayons! that don't roll!

yippi!

he also got a shirt from nana and a few more books. We are encouraging reading, and it's working!

it took so long to post this because JoJo is not taking naps anymore so I don't get my usual 1-2 hrs of me time on the weekends....and he's a total....TOTAL mommys boy.....won't leave me alone for 5 seconds. Can't even go take a pee by myself anymore. If I am out of his sight for 1 minute, all I hear is "mama, mama". sigh. I know I know. before you know it he'll be going to prom, so I try not to complain too much. For now, I just use up all my leave from work to take days off so I can get things (like this) done. big sigh.

But, that's my boy and wouldn't have it any other way!

wiggle time!

2009-12-08T10:34:00.004+09:00

here's a couple of videos of JoJo's two favorite things, the wiggles and......dancing!!
enjoy!

and in this one, don't worry about him flipping over the back of the couch, he does that ALL
the time, he's quite a little acrobat really.

my boy has got some moves doesn't he?

a little update

2009-11-27T08:45:00.004+09:00

and I need more of it, well actually I need more of me. I have not had time to blog, as you can see. I don't have time to post pictures either. I just don't have time. Every spare moment I have I spend playing with my son. He wants his Mama ALL the time. I don't get time to cook, because like I said, it's always mama, mama, mama....but it's OK. You can rest assured that if I am not on the computer, I am with my son (and my husband too!).

If I need to do chores or something, or errands, I usually have to take the day off from work. But anyway, a little update on JoJo sans pictures (cos I don't have time to post them, plus I am writing this at work (ah-hem, in my break of course) cos my pictures are on my puter at home.

School:
JoJo moved to the Pink Rose B room, from 2 1/2 to 3 yr olds. The teacher said they don't take naps in this class. Well, I had to have a little talk with her and you know, I respect teachers, so I asked her what her opinion was about this, did she think it was too early for this age group to stop taking naps. She said it was, but it was the Principals decision. I voiced my concern (JoJo NEEDS his naps) and she said she will let him take a nap if he needs it. He will also be taking Japanese lessons in December. Cool!

Speech:
JoJo can almost copy any word that we say to him. He knows letters by sight and pointing them out and his number, mostly 1-10, by counting but still working on by sight. He is saying YES alot more now, more than he says NO, which is good! Well, he says YETH for Yes, so we are working on his "S's" alot. He knows all the names of the Wiggles now, and when its night night, it's like the Waltons in our house, "G'night Greg Wiggle" "G'Night Murray Wiggle"...well you get the idea.
When he's finished eating he says "DONE!", before eating he says "PRAY"....and you better not start eating until we pray or ELSE! lol.

Social:
Very shy around people he knows and VERY friendly around people he doesn't know! Isn't that weird? When we go shopping, he waves at people and says "Hi" and shows them whatever he is holding....very friendly. Yet, people he sees all the time, he will not look at them or say anything!

Potty Training:
Well, there is none basically. We talk about pee and poo and he sits on the potty chair to "pee" and he gets tissue and wipes, but he actually doesn't pee. At least it's a start I guess. I have noticed he is mostly dry in the mornings. He can take off his pants and his pull up and put his pants back on. He is getting there. We are not in a rush though. It'll happen when it happens.

Food:
We call him Bento-Boy. He loooooves bentos. Anything with rice, he will eat. Although he is becoming a bit of a meat lover lately (sorry Beth! <- my vegetarian friend). He's gone off mandarin oranges, which he used to love. He now loves Rice Crackers. For drink, it's water flavored with Crystal light strawberry/banana or when we are out, it's Aquarius, Vitamin Water or Peach Water.

He is now 36" and can reach light switches, which he thinks is the best thing since sliced bread and busts out in fits of hysterics everytime he can turn the light on. He loves to play with balls, kick, throw you name it. He loves his alphabet letters in the shower, his plastic animals, esp. the Elephant. Anything with an Elephant he loves it. He even loves the letter "E" and you can guess why right! He loves Elmo and Ernie, and sometimes Bob the Builder and a couple of Thomas the Tank Engine, but, alas, the Wiggles are now #1, Barney is #2 (thank you Lord!).

JoJo is the entertainer. He loves dancing and singing. He will do it anywhere, anytime. We'll be at the park and then suddenly he'll stop to sing a tune or do a little dance. It's crazy funny. Oh and talk about drama KING....when he gets upset or doesn't get his way...he will run and dramatically fall down on the carpet, face down and sulk. We just ignore him. He wants attention and he's not getting it, not from me anyway. We don't encourage that type of behaviour and he knows it. He doesn't very often get time outs, he's a very good boy most of the time. When he makes a mess, we make him clean it up, when he hits us or bites (not very often) we tell him NO and make him say sorry. When he crayons on the furniture, I give him a wipe to clean it up. He is learning what is right and what is wrong and he does understand a lot more that what we think. His memory amazes me sometimes, he'll remember what you told him the day before, or where you put something and he will go and get it.

And more than anything, when I am at work, I miss him. I wouldn't change anything for anything, it's perfect the way it is.

length of service awards!

2009-10-26T08:44:00.003+09:00

My husband and I got our length of service award last week! He got his 15 years and I got my 10! woo hoo! We LOVE the company we work for, here in Okinawa. Marine Corps Community Services ROCKS!! Here's a few photos from the luncheon we attended, along with 100 other employees who received awards, there was even a 25, 30 and 35 yr award! way to go!!

can you tell we are a bunch of goons?

Clive's proud moment, getting his award from
our fabulous leader, Mr. Pauli!!

what this photo is really saying is "please stop
taking photos of me or else!!"

Congratulations to everyone who got awards!
MCCS Okinawa ROCKS!

Ernie? HaHaHa....Bye!

2009-10-14T14:12:00.005+09:00

this is toooo cute.
JoJo picks up his sesame street remote control and uses it as a phone.
He calls Elmo, or Ernie, says something in JoJo language then laughs, then says "Bye".....listen carefully.....(turn your volume up too)

here's a short version:

here's the best one....

cutie pie huh?

miracle

2009-10-12T14:30:00.000+09:00

JoJo had his check up on Friday.
you can see how it went...

Here's a pic of his x-rays from his first visit back in April (that's 2009 folks, just 6 mths ago)....

and

are you ready?

this was his x-ray taken on Friday...

YEAH GET A LOAD OF THAT!!!!!!!!!

Are they straight or what?

NO MORE BRACES FOR JOJO!!!

YEAH!!!!!!!!

our wonderful team of Dr's below:

standing up next to JoJo is Kiwa, our translator (she wants to come

to JoJo's birthday party next year!), nurse on the floor on the left (sorry

I cannot remember her name, she was the lady we always gave our

appointment card to, and Dr. Kinjo!!! we love him.

our next appointment....

Sep 2010!!!!

Thank you God for making this possible, for this miracle.

I heart faces - excited!

2009-10-12T14:12:00.000+09:00

this weeks theme is "excited", here's one of JoJo and Daddy together, check out all the other great photos, click the logo above the picture. Good luck to all the other entries! Can't wait to check them all out!

Zoo & Aquarium

2009-10-07T15:33:00.000+09:00

I am way behind on posts, sorry. Here are some pictures from labor day weekend when we went to the zoo (I think, it's kind of a blur now....lol) and then a couple of weeks ago, maybe 3...we went to Churaumi Aquarium. Coincidently, we went to Churaumi the same time LAST year, so I guess this was our 2nd Annual Aquarium trip and now it's going to be a tradition to visit the aquarium, every year, in September! woo hoo.

check out the pics

I just love this photo, this is at the Zoo

A RARE occasion of JoJo NOT wearing an orange T-Shirt

Okinawa Zoo "Kodomo No Kuni"

At Torii Beach

At the Aquarium

JoJo in the mist (the mist shoots out from the vents in the ground to

cool people off, it's quite refreshing!)

waiting for the mist again (and again, and again, and again)

in front of the HUGE aquarium (2nd largest in the world!)

Ahhh, this is what happened afterwards.....one tired little boy...

We have a long weekend coming up and I don't have any plans (yet). We have JoJo's follow up appointment at the medical center on Friday to check his legs. He hasn't been wearing his braces, they are just too small for him now, his toes really stick out over the edge! I hope and pray that the x-rays show major improvement and he won't have to wear braces ever again!

We are teaching JoJo manners at the moment, especially to say "please", "thank you" and "excuse me". The other day, I don't know when or what it was, but Daddy handed him something at the table, and JoJo said "thank you Daddy!" ALL BY HIMSELF!!! woo hoooooooo!! My boy is brilliant.

One more thing...in the car on the way home last night:

Me to JoJo: Do you love Ju? (his brother)

JoJo: YES!!

Me: Do you love Mama?

JoJo: YES!!

Me: Do you love Daddy?

JoJo: DADDY!!!

hahaha, thought that was funny!

I ♥ Faces - Blue

2009-09-29T15:53:00.001+09:00

OK I said I wasn't going to enter this week, cos my little guy loves orange, and he is always wearing orange, but I did find this one, kinda cute right? He does look handsome in blue I must admit. Let me know what you think :-)
Check out all the other blue photos by clicking the link above!

I ♥ Faces - Candid

2009-09-22T10:19:00.006+09:00

Click here for a larger picture

JoJo's first trip down the big slide - his face just says it all!
Check out all the other great (and they ARE great!) photos by clicking on the logo below!

I ♥ Faces - Contemplative

2009-09-14T16:54:00.000+09:00

This weeks contest is a category called "Contemplative". I think I found a perfect expression of JoJo playing in the sand. He was in a grumpy mood that day we went to the beach, all he wanted to do was play with the sand, and he was totally engrossed in what he was doing...

Check out all the other cool photos by clicking the logo above!

three words

2009-09-02T15:34:00.001+09:00

Quick blog about last night.

Clive was in the kitchen putting together the new oven we had delivered (yaay for home cooked meals!) and JoJo went over to him and said.......

"What you doing?"

So exciting! My brilliant little man put three words together! Blog worthy don't you think?

orange!

2009-08-31T09:37:00.000+09:00

or "R-Ju" as JoJo calls it. We are going through the "only wants things of a certain color" phase. Yep.

And it's ORANGE!

Orange Toys, orange clothes, orange food, orange orange orange orange orange!!! He LOVES orange.

First thing he says in the morning when he wakes up is "R-Ju". It's soooo easy to get him dressed in the morning, all I have to say is "shall we go and find your orange shirt?" then he runs, happily I might add, into the room to find his orange shirt. We only have 4 of them that are orange so it's getting a bit tricky to always have a clean one on hand, but we have managed so far. He started getting the dirty ones out of the laundry basket so I had to hide them, lol. And the orange phase goes hand in hand with the changing of clothes 6 times a day phase.

Last night for his snack, AND this morning, he wanted.....guess what? Yep, mandarin ORANGES! I know its just a phase, already did the research, it's a coping technique that children use to gain some control in a big, confusing world.

AND he is also OBSESSED with ERNIE from Sesame Street. I had to print out stickers and put them on his diapers, otherwise he won't let me change his diaper!

Ernie is also orange by the way.

house warming

2009-08-30T14:23:00.009+09:00

We moved into our new house, actually 2 months ago now. To celebrate we had a few of Clive's friends from work over, with their kids. We set up the kiddie pool, weather was perfect, food was great, the company was even better :-)

outside with the gang

Yama

Kai (Naomi's son, who is 3-isn't he cute?)

Nakasone, Enokawa and Yama
Bob and his daughter
JoJo and Enokawa (JoJo just loves him to pieces, went to him straight

away, all smiles and giggles)
our new living room/kitchen

entry way

kitchen/dining room

after dark "ROCK BAND!"

notice JoJo tuning his guitar and watching

Bob for some tips

Naomi and son Kai

JoJo and Nakasone
look at that face, like you don't know
you are cute (JoJo that is, not you Nakasone! just kidding!)

Nakasone's kids, I can't spell their names sorry

cool birthday presents!!

THE MANY FACES OF JOJO

the "look mom, is this cute?" face

the "please let me play with the knife" face

the " I can't believe you said no" face

the "getting ready to pray" face
the "you better give me that knife or else" face

the "this is an AWESOME PARTY MOM!" face

Oh and just a TWO kudos for JoJo today, who is just brilliant. Well, no matter what he does I think it's brilliant. Today at church, when he was in the play room, they said "if all the kids played like JoJo it would be great". They said he plays so well by himself OR with other kids and he shares! Well, we have been working on "sharing" and it's working! yaay.

And....usually when he takes his naps, he wakes up crying and stays in the room until I go get him. Well, yesterday I explained to him that he didn't have to stay in the room and cry, he could get up and open the door and come out to find us. I didn't know if he understood that or not. Well, today, after his nap, he opened the door, and came running out really fast to find us. Oh and he shut the door behind himself too. He is just brilliant!!! Way to go JoJo!!

Oh yeah and 1 more thing...he can drink from a cup. We have been practicing that too and he is finally getting the hang of it!

I swear everytime he wakes up he can amaze me!

who says that?

2009-08-19T10:44:00.002+09:00

Ok so I didn't know whether to blog about this or just facebook it...well, seeing as my blog posts end up on facebook anyway (I think) I thought I'd just blog about it. (plus my facebook is blocked at work!).

So, Julius came back from summer break from Mainland and we saw him on Monday for the first time in several weeks. JoJo just ABSOlutely ADORES him. I mean ADORES him. Julius is always a bit distant, won't hug him, play with him....etc etc. Hmmm.

so, Clive has a little "chat" with him, not just about that but about other things too that needed to be chatted about.

Julius FINALLY spills the beans and said that his mother TOLD him this: "don't play with JoJo, he's not your brother".

Who says that? This really bothers me. That someone could be THAT mean THAT cruel to say such a thing...Who in their right mind would say that? I just don't understand it.

First of all to tell him that he is not allowed to play with JoJo and SECOND, telling him that he is not his brother.

I have lots of words right now, not good ones mind you, ok just one good one...

pray.

celebrating one year

2009-08-01T15:41:00.004+09:00

It has been one year since Yohannes officially became our son.

Officially.

August 1, 2008
We were there at the court in Ethiopia, with his biological mother, standing before the judge, shaking and nervous and praying in our hearts that everything would be ok. And it was.

Yohannes means God Is Gracious and He is indeed. thank you Lord for giving me one year with my precious son. thank you. during the past year I have learned patience, selflessness, unconditional love, self control, faithfulness, humbleness and last but not least, sleeplessness. thank you Lord for all these things. continue to teach me and be patient with me as I continue on this road of motherhood. thank you dear Lord for your unconditional love and for your wonderful gift.

Yohannes one year ago:

Yohannes today:

jojo in action!!

2009-07-17T16:25:00.006+09:00

piano player or dancer? or both?

definately a dancer...

or a writer? Journalist perhaps?

or possibly an actor?

definately Theatre!! (this one cracks me up!)

2nd haircut

2009-07-13T16:04:00.003+09:00

This time went waaaaaay better than the first. This time I strapped him into his booster seat! No escape! Ha! Then I gave him his favorite rice ball to eat. Then after that, I had a little talk with him. I told him exactly what I was going to do and that seemed to help ALOT.

here are some pics of his 2nd haircut.

can he get any cuter?

round 1 & other stuff

2009-07-10T09:03:00.006+09:00

a couple of weeks ago we went to this HUGE 7 story sports and games complex for kids called "Round 1". They only had this one section for toddlers, and after about 3o mins JoJo warmed up to the place and actually started having fun instead of pouting. You can stay for 90mins and it costs about $15. We won't be going here very often because it's expensive!

JoJo loved covering himself with these soft squishy shapes

see Daddy, THIS is the way you ride a tricycle...
I can't believe you didn't know that!

jumping off the steps!

other stuff:

the big red car
JoJo LOVES this thing
plays with it EVERY day
it plays Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car (his fav song!)

taking a sneaky video of his legs
(towards the end you will see his legs and
how straight they are getting!)

and finally

his expression when I asked him

if he was going to be a good boy

"mommy, you are SO funny"

of course not!

braces update

2009-07-06T07:30:00.003+09:00

JoJo had his 3 month check up on Friday (July 3). When he first got his braces 3 months ago the doctor said "they might not work" and he may have to wear them for 5+ years. Well I gave this over to God 3 months ago and prayed that JoJo would only wear the braces for as long as God said, not the doctor or anyone else.

If you have any doubt in your mind that God can heal, I hope this will change your mind, because God HAS healed. He has done it. JoJo's legs are now within the normal range and he only has to wear his braces for....

6 more months!!!

JoJo's right leg was worse than his left leg, his left leg is completely straight now and his right leg has gone from a 204 degree angle to 104!!!!!! In 3 months!!!!!!!!! now THAT my friends IS A MIRACLE. It is a miracle.

This is a testament to the power of prayer and of FAITH.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Put your hope and your faith in God and He will do the rest.

what time is it?

2009-06-24T13:26:00.002+09:00

Scene from last night, about 20 minutes before bed time:

(JoJo is dancing to the Wiggles)
Daddy: Ok JoJo, it's almost bedtime (Daddy looking at watch). You have 20 minutes, ok?
JoJo: still dancing, nodding "yes" and smiling, while pointing fingers doing the twist.
Daddy: tapping watch with raised eyebrows looking at JoJo
JoJo: stops dancing. Points to Daddy's watch.
Daddy: You want my watch to play with? (Likes to play with daddy's watch sometimes)
JoJo: Nodding yes and smiling.
Daddy: (taking off watch). Ok then, here you go.
JoJo: runs as fast as he can into the hallway to put the watch on the side table, out of sight!

Didn't want to "play" with the watch....just didn't want Daddy to see what time it was so he wouldn't have to go to bed.....

smart kid or what?

can you point your fingers and do the twist?

2009-06-16T19:51:00.003+09:00

because if you can't, then JoJo can show you how....

here is a recent photo from the other night, he now likes to be covered up with blankets. he never used to before.

wiggles

2009-06-07T12:52:00.003+09:00

Ooooh I am such a bad blogger lately. I barely have any time to post anymore, but little man is taking a nap so I must blog while there's time!

Barney is being kicked to the curb (sorry Barney) and the Wiggles are moving in! Yippee! Don't get me wrong, love Barney, but it's so refreshing to watch something NEW for a change! The favorite songs now are Toot toot chugga chugga big red car and Zardo Zap. He loves Hot Potato ( sung to Peanut Butter Jelly Time, yeah, don't ask).

So here's some photos to keep you updated on what's shakin...

he has the cutest smile

this is what the braces did to his feet. Bad braces!
His next check up is July 3! He has been wearing his braces
for 2 months now.

this is where he sleeps. On the floor. On a Futon.
In our bedroom. It's padded all around him because
he moves so much in his sleep.

this is us having some wiggle time

oh yeah and our 9mth post placement report is due this month!

Can you believe it's been 9 months!! WOW!!!!!

singing something

2009-06-02T13:51:00.002+09:00

bad recording becos it's done with a cell phone but at least you get the idea.

here's JoJo and I walking towards the play area. He is quite happily singing something to himself and has the arm movements to go with it. I am sure it's one of the many many many songs that I sing to him ALL the time, now it's stuck in his head.

You will have to turn your volume WAY UP to hear him just ever so slightly.

that's my boy!

first hair cut

2009-05-25T20:29:00.003+09:00

well, it could have turned out better if it weren't for the moving target who would not keep still for 1 second. Screaming and pitching a fit the whole time, it was horrible! I started cutting Clive's hair first, and JJ was fascinated...and asked me to do his, so I started, and lo and behold less than 5 seconds later the screaming started...and wiggling and kicking and screaming and oh yeah, screaming. The neighbors must have thought we were torchering him or something. It was horrible, way worse than what I expected. So, don't judge the haircut ok. Yes it's uneven. Yes it will grow. Yes I'll do better next time. If there is a next time that is. Seriously contemplating an afro right now :-)

ok so here's the final result:

if it wasn't for the painful combing out every morning I'd leave it long, but I must admit, he is cute with his new short crop, don't you think?

I ♥ Faces - Laughter!

2009-05-12T07:58:00.004+09:00

I found a real cute pic of JoJo laughing, the expression on his face just makes me smile. It's not really a sharp clear photo but I feel that it's just "in the moment" if you know what I mean. I hope you like it as much as I do! Click on the above logo to see all the other amazing entries!

tricycle

2009-05-09T10:29:00.005+09:00

instructions from daddy, "now here's where you put your feet"

"whatever daddy....mama, daddy's crazy...
can you come get me please?"

"hmmphhh, they said this was gonna be fun...I don't
think so!"

"aha, the easy way to get off...just lean to one side"

"I really don't like these pedal thingies, I have to
push them around, that's too much work!"

"ok that's it crazy people, I've had enough, get me
off this contraption!"

and there you have it
JoJo vs. Tricycle

Tricycle Won

daycare update

2009-05-08T08:52:00.002+09:00

JoJo's class of 22 kids now has 3 teachers!! yaay. That makes me feel alot better.
just had to blog it.

daycare concern

2009-04-27T16:33:00.003+09:00

JoJo's daycare class has been growing and growing. He is currently in the Sunflower room for 2-3 year olds. There used to be 10 kids in there. Now there's 22. Still only 2 teachers. I am concerned about this.

The school on base is basically the same cost, provide the same things, same hours etc. They have 3 toddler room, 2 are with 10 kids each, with 2 teachers in each room, and 1 has 5 kids with 1 teacher. I like that.

I am not sure if they have any type of curriculum like they do off base or wonder if it's basically just a babysitting service?

Clive is dead set about keeping him off base. I want what's best for JoJo, I don't care where it is. I might go and tour the on base facility, show up unexpected and walk around, see what the kids are up to, what the teachers are like etc and just go from there.

I really do not like the fact that JoJo is in a classroom with 21 other 2-3 year olds and just 2 teachers!

learning the alphabet

2009-04-21T08:19:00.002+09:00

Here's a little update on JoJo...he's learning the alphabet! yaay!

We have alphabet flash cards, fridge magnets, play mat, foam shapes for the bathtub, puzzle blocks....and he LOVES it. He got his fridge magnets the other day and he almost hyperventilated when he saw them. He LOVES learning the letters!!

So far he recognizes A, D, E, J, M, O, P, Z by saying the letter when we point to it or asking him to find it. When we say "J" is for "JoJo" he screams with delight and jumps up and down. He points to the "E" and says "Elephant"! Isn't that just awesome? My gosh, he makes me soooo proud. And I'll say it again, and again, he didn't start learning English until he was 17mths old! In my eyes, he is doing remarkably well. When he was eating his bento the other day (by the way, he can say "bento"), he had a hard boiled egg cut in half, and he looked at it, and saw the yellowy yolk part and said "O", because it looked like the shape of an "O".

We are also working on numbers, climbing steps and counting. He can usually repeat the numbers after me, but doesn't quite recognize them by sight yet. When I say "one", he says "TWO!". How's that? I tell him all the time I am so proud of him and what a big boy he is and that he is so smart!

I ♥ Faces - Easter/Spring (amateurs)

2009-04-13T20:29:00.005+09:00

UPDATE (4/19/09)
I won 2nd Place! wooh hoo!
I am stoked now, what an honor! Thank you I ♥ faces.
check out all the other great entries here

Yaay another photo! It's Easter/Spring theme at I ♥ Faces this week and they have an Amateur category and Kids category (if you're not an amateur).

I took this photo of my son, Yohannes, this past Sunday and it does remind me of spring, the flowers are just budding behind him and the sun peaking through the trees. Let me know what you think!

Check out all the other fabulous fotos by clicking the above logo.

open your eyes!!!

2009-04-13T12:33:00.002+09:00

Ok quick post, just came back from lunch with my sweetie, here we are at our fav. restaurant, The Rose Garden. I was snapping pics with my cell phone, to pass the time. You can see here my sweetie is a bit of a joker....nice smile but look at those closed eyes....I can't even see them. So I told him "next time, open your eyes!!!" so he said OK....

and this is what I got..........

he's so funny.....

birthday photos

2009-04-11T12:50:00.004+09:00

here are the cupcakes I made, my first ever!

and goody bags for the kids

JoJo's classroom and his classmates and teachers

all his friends

I thought this was really nice

trying to touch the burning candle...(don't worry, he didn't)

loving that video camera

JoJo was a little overwhelmed but soon got into the swing of things

Mr. Kana (JoJo's teacher) and Ms. Yumi the owner

the gang

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY JOJO!!
we love you
Mommy & Daddy

happy birthday

2009-04-08T20:36:00.002+09:00

to my sweet boy, who turned 2 today!

We had a party for him at the school, I have yet to download the trillion of photos that we took and my friend Tracy took, so I will post those hopefully by this weekend. JoJo didn't really know what was going on, he cried for the first 20 minutes or so, then he saw the cup cakes and cheered right up!

I also want to make sure I acknowledge his first mother, his birth mom, today, who is always in my prayers and I think about her all the time. All the time. I always wonder how she is doing, and if there was someway, anyway, that she could get photos or updates of how her precious son, our precious son, is doing. She gave him life, and she cared and nurtured him for the first 14 months of his life until she made that hard decision to place him for adoption. Hard doesn't even seem to be a befitting enough word to describe what she must have gone through to do that.

Zinash, I pray especially today, the birth day of our son, that the Lord will protect you and keep you and that you know in your heart that he is very much loved and cared for and that we will keep our promise to love him with all our hearts.

Until we meet again.

dancing and bathtime

2009-04-07T13:14:00.004+09:00

here's JoJo dancing to you know who, some pretty neat footwork going on there...

who'd have thought this was the same little boy who was afraid of water 3 months ago and screamed every time he took a shower?

braces update

2009-04-05T12:17:00.005+09:00

We did go back on March 27th to get the braces fitted and we also purchased the shoes to go with the braces, they are a little bigger than what he usually wears but ALOT wider. We went back April 3rd, this past Friday to actually get the braces and put them on. Of course JoJo fell asleep 10 minutes before we got there so we had to wake him up. He surprised us and hardly cried at all, even though he saw "that man" again (the man who made the casts on his legs).

So time to put the braces on. I'll have to tell you, on the inside I just wanted to snatch him up and leave and kiss him all over, but I knew I had to be strong, for him, because I know in the end when I am teaching him to reach for the stars and don't let anything stop him from reaching his goals, I don't want to be the one that stopped him from reaching his goals...by not doing this for him.

He was just amazing, he let everyone pull and twist and tighten and take off and put back on and fiddle and take photos with hardly a tear (I say hardly becos there were some). But not at all as bad as what I was expecting. We went outside into the waiting area because the doctor wanted to see him walk around in them a bit. There were a lot of people and yes they looked, but I didn't care! I was proud and I was hoping MORE people would look at my amazing son walking in his braces and these huge shoes, like it was NOTHING. Sure he fell over, but Mommy and Daddy just told him to get back up, no problem.

We'll be going back again this Friday for more x-rays and a check up then every month after that until........GOD says.

Friday night JoJo slept really well! I was amazed. He is so resilient and when I look at him I am just so PROUD of him and I thank GOD for being so compassionate and hearing our prayers. JoJo is learning to walk in them, yes he falls over quite a bit and wants to be carried more so now than ever, but he is doing really well. Thank you for all your prayers.

Here are some photos the day we got home:

now does this look like a 2 year old who just got braces on both legs?

am I your "staaah".... mommy?

here they are - the strap in the middle of the legs is the one
that has to be tight. The white plastic thing near his knee at the side
is where he was getting sore, so we put some gauze underneath it
and it seemed to help

I only wish the soles were more flexible, they are kind of stiff and make it more difficult to walk in. Imagine having a flat piece of wood strapped to the bottom of your foot and try walking on it. JoJo is walking like a zombie right now but he CAN bend his legs if he wants to, he just needs practice. He is getting better at it every day.

And he IS my little "staaah". A very bright shiny one.

I ♥ Faces - Pets & Pouting!

2009-03-31T21:41:00.005+09:00

Ok so I thought I wouldn't enter this weeks contest due to lack of time, but, I did find one photo that I do love of our cat "Izzy". As you can see, I love close-ups and she does take a good photo. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :-). There are 2 categories this week, the other being "Pouting".

Don't forget to check out the other entries by clicking on the link above.

Here's "Izzy"

Here's my "Pouting" entry: (I left the scratch marks on his face, because he just got tore up that day and that's why he was holding his head, not really a bottom lip pout but it's the only one I could find...

i choose b

2009-03-30T07:59:00.009+09:00

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean
on your own understanding" Prov. 3:5

JoJo got fitted for his braces on Friday, screamed through the whole thing, but then, who wouldn't. He gets them this Friday to wear permanently. Please pray for him that he will adjust quickly to them, and that they will do what they are supposed to do so he won't have to wear them long. Pray for our patience and strength as there may be many a sleepless night ahead. I see that I have 2 choices:

a. I can either be weary and feel sorry for him, for us, that we have to go through this, and I can ask "why?" and not understand, and say it's not fair and how much of an inconvenience this is all going to be, and I can try and control the future...

OR...

b. I can say this...God is able. We KNOW the power of prayer and of healing and that this is out of our control and in GODS HANDS...we cast our cares upon Him because He DOES care for us. God supplies all our needs and in the end, when it's all said and done, God will get the glory! We all go through trials and tribulations, but with our trust in GOD we always make it through. Always. He does love me and he loves you as well. Trust and life gets much better!

you know which one I choose...

first place

2009-03-29T13:16:00.002+09:00

I am very happy to announce that my photo was picked as FIRST PLACE in the I ♥ Faces photo contest - no flash (adult entry)! Woo Hoo! I am so psyched! Check out this link to see the top ten winners, they are such awesome photos, these people are very talented!

Thank you I ♥ Faces for choosing my photo! you guys rock!

I ♥ Faces - No Flash!

2009-03-24T13:07:00.005+09:00

So I thought I'd have a bash at this photography contest that goes weekly, they have different themes which makes it fun! Click on the button above to check out more entries. I am by no means a pro at this, I just got my D80 but I want to learn to make my photos even better and I ♥ Faces is a great place to do it.

So, here's my entry for KIDS: (yes you've seen this before, It's my blog header!!)

and an entry for ADULTS: (my handsome husband!)

speech

2009-03-23T08:04:00.004+09:00

Sorry no pictures yet, but I will post some soon I promise.

Here's a little update on how JoJo is doing with his words. He can recognize the shapes "circle" and "star" and he says "kirkle" for circle, it's really quite cute. When we do flash cards, he can do almost all of them now, I ask him to show me the "blank" and he gives it to me. He can almost say "elephant" and "zebra"...he says "eeeeeehhhh-pant" and "ba". He closes his hands now when we pray and shuts his eyes for like 2 seconds (yes I peek at him) and I gently close his eyelids with my hands. At the end he still says "men", for "Amen" but that's ok. He knows who his brother is and can say "Ju" for "Julius". Oh and he can say "Izzy" although it sort of sounds like "itthhhhy" for our cat. He says "dada" AND "daddy" but he only says "mama" but I am not complaining! He can say "Bar-dey" for "Barney".

He put two words together the other day and said "bye daddy". Yaaay!

He loves running, we think he might be a runner one day OR a football player the way he holds onto that ball! He loves to have us stand next to him, then he says "go!" and we race to the other side of the room, or around the kitchen table (several times).

Several times a day we sit at the computer and go through a trillion photos, he especially LOVES looking at Daddy, Mama, Ju, Izzy and the Elephant we saw at Honolulu Zoo.

When we are at the park, he loves jumping off of things. This is how it goes, he gets up on the step, then he says "mama" and points to the space next to him, so I get up on the step next to him. Then he jumps off the step with both feet, then he turns around and holds my hands and helps me jump off the step, HOW CUTE IS THAT?
He is such a little helper.

*edited to add:
I almost forgot!! He ate lettuce! AND tomatoes! AND a piece of red pepper!
It was our 6 yr anniversary yesterday and we wanted to just go to the park and get some fresh air with JoJo, well it started raining, and as it was close to dinner time, we decided to just go to our fav. restaurant instead...The Rose Garden (yeah Missy, Me You and RG SOON!!) JoJo did pretty good behaving himself (isn't it funny when you go to a restaurant and you sit down and then promptly move everything to the other side of the table so your little one can't grab it!). We think he ate it because of the dressing, which is Japanese and DE-LISH! Hmmm, but I bet you $5 that if we made it at home WITH the same dressing, he wouldn't eat it. That's how it goes.

with all i am

2009-03-18T11:01:00.002+09:00

I cherish Tuesdays. Tuesdays are the day that I get a precious 20 minutes alone time with God. And guess what. God shows up. And why? Because I invite Him. After taking Julius home at 8:30pm, I get to drive back which takes about 20 minutes. Just me, with God. I love it. I ALWAYS listen to this song "With All I Am" by Hillsong, and I ALWAYS cry because it touches me so much, because I think of how awesome God is. God is just an awesome God isn't He? And that 20 minutes is soooo precious to me. It's not much time I know. I know I should be spending more time with Him, and He knows that I know that He knows. I think of JoJo and what he'll have to go through and I feel sad but I thank God anyway.

childrens medical center udpate

2009-03-16T19:42:00.002+09:00

We had an appt. today at the Childrens Medical Center down in Naha, we were there for 4 hours and I had NO idea we were going to do so much stuff at once, but we did! Our appt. was 0930, we got to see the doc. at 1020. After he took a look at JoJo's legs, which JoJo didn't like one bit, we went to go get x-rays done. After that, went back to see the doc. Now apparently the degree of the angle of the tibia and thigh bone should be around 170, JoJo's is over 200. He said anything over 200 requires braces. The inside angle of the knee cap bone was also 26 and 21 degrees, not sure what that means. With his legs straight the doctor could fit three fingers between them where the knees are. After that we went to get his blood drawn for vit. D deficiency but that takes 3 days for the results. However the doctor strongly suspects Blounts Disease. We waited for 1 hour after the blood draw (it was their lunch time) and then went back in to the doctor. Another man came in (that JoJo did not like very much) and he took casts of JoJos feet and one leg. JoJo cried through the whole thing, poor thing and having no nap did not help either. The braces should be ready in about 4 weeks and we have to go back on 27th to get temp. ones.

The doctor was not very optimistic about the braces actually working (which I was not happy about), and he might need to have an operation when he's much older, around 10 years old. He will have to wear the braces 24 hrs a day (what no break?) for at least 6 months to see if they are having any affect. Also he may have to wear them until he's 6 or 7 years old? hmmmm...

We saw a picture of them, they look like straps really and I couldn't see how they would straighten his legs but I guess they do. They will cost about $1500. The doctor was very nice and we had a really nice lady doctor called Kiwa who translated for us the whole time and she even got us a discount on our parking fee! yeah go Kiwa! She said she will be there next time (thank goodness, we would have been there ALOT longer if it wasn't for her).

All in all the experience was good, we even ate in the little cafe/rest. they had there and they have a little play area outside with slides and ridy things. Everything is in Japanese, no english and the reception staff do not speak english. Just thought I'd update you all on how it went!

Of course I am worried how this is going to affect JoJo, having to wear these things on both legs 24 hours a day, I don't want him to have to go through ANYthing, he's my little boy. But, I know he's tough and he has great parents to help him through this :-)

medical update

2009-03-11T08:33:00.002+09:00

here's an update to this update

We decided to make an appointment off base and take JoJo to the Childrens Medical Center down in Naha. Come to find out that the lovely U.S Naval Hospital Ortho only deal with sports type injuries. I did call the USNH on Monday like I was supposed to, it was busy, called again, and again, and again, finally got through on Wednesday, only to be told to call back on March 18th because there were no appointments for March, and they can't make any appointments for April until March 18th. Huh? whatever. It's just as well. So I asked my friend Yuko to call the CMC for me and make an appointment, and we got one for MONDAY 16th MARCH at 0930!!!!!! Go Figure!! AND with an ENGLISH speaking doctor. Yaaay! A REAL doctor!!

I'll let you know how it goes.

school report #1

2009-03-10T12:15:00.007+09:00

JoJo is making great progress in school, he is very friendly and smiles alot, and all the girls love him and want to kiss up on him already, so I hear from the teachers, they think he's quite adorable. Everytime I go to pick him up I usually try and sneak up on him, but usually one of the other kids rat me out by saying "JoJo, your mommy's here!!!!", then he turns and runs towards me, (low behold any kid that gets in the way), exclaiming "momma" "momma" with a big huge sweet smile. BEST feeling in the world...

(you should be able to click on it to make it larger so you can read it)

"no's" and "nose"

2009-03-07T12:12:00.006+09:00

At lot going on these past few days. JoJo is really sick with a cold, he was sent home from school on Wednesday afternoon, temp 101. I had initially taken 2 days leave on Thursday and Friday, you know, to get that long list of to-do things done. Well, no such luck. JoJo was home sick Thursday and Friday, and today also. Temp is up and down like a yo-yo, I am following him around with a tissue, my new name btw is "perpetual-nose-wiper". At least he can sort-of blow his nose when I ask him to. He has a terrible cough as well. We have been giving him motrin and tylenol, it keeps the temp at bay, but it's still up there. uggh, I hate it when he's sick, but he's my little trooper! He is still smiling.

Also, he will be 23 months tomorrow and it's also our 6 months pp report tomorrow! Yaay! With our new social worker. I had to answer 40 essay type questions, lovely. Still, I am quite use to paperwork now!

And we have a couple more "firsts".

JoJo kicked the ball with his foot today! Yaay my soccer player!

And JoJo said "NO" for the first time last night when I went to wipe his nose. Uggh, isn't it a little early for the "no's"? Well, here they come.

So, anyway, hopefully I'll be able to breathe soon and get to do what I was supposed to be doing these past couple of days, but my son is more important, I would drop everything to take care of him first.

where JoJo goes to school

2009-02-27T12:40:00.003+09:00

This is where my little man goes to learn lots of new things everyday! Santa Monica International Kids School. There's about 10-14 kids in his class with 2 teachers. Classes start at 9am and end at 3pm, they do lots of singing and dancing (and learning too!) JoJo even has homework every Friday! (tracing dotted lines and coloring-both of which he refuses to do!). It's very hard to get an almost 2 yr old to sit down and do homework! The teachers always tell me "mommy, he eats so much", which he does, he has a very good appetite, he loves those bentos.

front of the school

front steps

Ms. Yumi, Owner

JoJos' classroom on the right (Sunflower Room)

the playground

Tuition is Y56,000 a month, and at last weeks yen rate, that was $640! (choking). But we also do before and after school care because we both work AND this includes LUNCH and 2 snacks and drinks. He is very happy here, and we are happy that he is happy.

appointment update

2009-02-26T09:49:00.003+09:00

well, just like I thought, we have a referral to orthopedics and have to call Monday to make an appointment, hopefully we won't have to wait long to get in.

The dr. said they will probably take lots of measurements of his bones and over a certain period, see if they are straightening on their own, if not, then JoJo will have to wear braces. But he is young and I am glad we are doing this early and not waiting. The two most common diseases that cause bowing are Rickets and Blount's disease. I am doing lots of reading and research on both!

Yes I know it's normal for toddler's to have bowed legs, but JoJo's are excessively bowed and he falls over alot because of it, so we want to take care of this sooner rather than later.

thank you all for your support

and the award goes to...

2009-02-25T14:22:00.003+09:00

ME!!

ha!

I won an award!

"if life hands you lemons, make lemonade"

Lemonade Award Rules:

The purpose of this award is to give it to someone who is showing gratitude or a good attitude within their life or blog: put the logo on your blog, nominate at least 7 blogs that show great attitude and/or gratitude, link to your nominees, let them know they have received the award by commenting on their blog, and share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.

Thank you to my friend Jillienne who gave me the award, I love reading her blog, you should go check it out! Now I have the award, I have one thing to say.......

..........."SHOW ME THE MONEY!' hahaha.
(hey, what is life without a little humor?)

Ok, so back to business...I am nominating 7 other bloggers who have an attitude of gratitude, or just an attitude (good one that is)....and the nominees are....

Jen (who blogs every single day, is Mommy to 2 adorable kids, Lilah and Zeki and I love her blog too!)
Lindy (mommy to Dessi, who is too cute by the way, I love reading about her life in Senegal)
Jocelyn (mommy to dear sweet Pacey, I think JoJo has a crush already)
Christy (mommy to baby Eli, an Ethiopian King)
Diane (mommy to Sabrina who is just turned 20mths!)
Victoria (who is an artist and very dear friend who gives me lots of encouragement!)
and last but not least, I have to give an award to my friends Tracy, Missy, Elizabeth, Yuko, Staci, and Lezlie.
is that cheating? Well they don't have blogs but their attitudes are awesome and they make me smile every single day. Thank you!

Tomorrow is JoJo's appointment. We will be squeezing lemons and making some lemonade :-)

chatterbox

2009-02-24T15:26:00.001+09:00

JoJo just looooooves sitting with me while I am on the computer, and we look at lots (and lots and lots) of photos. He points to "daddy", "ma-ma" AND "Jo-Jo", "barney", can almost say "izzy" for our youngest cat (they are the same age actually, 22mths!). and he can almost say "jaxi" and "kitty" for our other two cats.

This video was taken with my NEW FlipMino HD, which is ok I guess, the software wouldn't work with my dinosaur computer, but I can convert the file to WMV at least and post it here.

All night long JoJo points to me and says "mama", points to Clive and says "daddy" and taps his shoulder and says "JoJo", and he does this ALL NIGHT let me tell you. But I don't mind, I love it! He also shares his food, and we all have to have whatever he has, so if it's a cookie, he gives one to me and one to Clive and points to mine and says "ma-ma", well, you get my drift.

password protecting

2009-02-23T07:28:00.006+09:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about protecting my blog, just cos there's so many people out there reading it and I don't know who you are. I do love my trusty followers of course (Jen, Jillienne, Diane, Elizabeth, Missy, Victoria, Christy, Lindy) who always drop by and spend some time and send an encouraging word in the comments section, which I love. When I get to write JoJo's lifebook, I'll be featuring some of those comments!

The main reason for protecting the blog is that JoJo has a doctor's appointment this Thursday and although I do want to document his diagnosis, "whatever" it may be, I want to keep it between us, family and friends. I have been praying and continue to pray and I don't want JoJo to have to endure anything, but I do know God chose us to be his parents and He won't give us anything we can't handle. God is a God of the impossible after all. I will of course write more after Thursday, but I know we will need to see a specialist and there will be more doctor's appointments after that. It's nothing life threatening so don't worry, just want to keep it private :-) and even if it's nothing, I will still keep the blog protected.

So, if you would like to continue to read the blog, please drop a line with your email address and I'll add you.

Date Night and Random

2009-02-22T14:25:00.005+09:00

This is the first chance I have had to post about date night! JoJo did wonderfully at Lezlie's house, he cried for the first 2 minutes then played the whole time, we are so proud of him! Lezlie loved having him so much, she wants to babysit again!! Ok, April 11th here we come!!!

Here are a few photos from the evening...

my cell phone and blackberry, you know, just in case :-)
(ok we called our babysitter as soon as we got there, ok)

oooh, that looks interesting over there!

Clive trying to make sweet music

traditional okinawan costume

A little "Taste of Asia" for you!

Some Random photos from this week:

Happy = being on Daddy's shoulders and holding his nose
(that's the way we roll in Oki)

Happy= a slide and a soccer ball, what more is there?

Happy=posing for photo's before I do something
really mischievious

Happy=chillin' in my car seat and watching Barney

at the same time

I ♥ this guy!

2009-02-18T09:14:00.003+09:00

Teeth Brushing Success - well, sort of

2009-02-13T08:09:00.008+09:00

After a week of holding him down and brushing his teeth, he finally, finally let Daddy do it this morning without holding him down!! yaaay! He's been watching a Sesame street video where some kids are brushing their teeth and also I have been showing him Barney's sparkling white teeth and how white and awesome they look, because Barney brushes his teeth ALL the time.

Let's see if it continues, it sure beats holding him in a headlock.

Mealtime Madness

2009-02-10T10:51:00.005+09:00

It's true although Clive would disagree. I really don't like cooking, so needless to say, when it comes to FOOD, I have NO IDEA what to feed anyone. The first few weeks poor JoJo lived on bananas and mac and cheese. Now he is getting to eat what we eat. I need a menu plan for the week!!!

I am the one that does the cooking, if there's any cooking to be done that is and I usually take care of JoJo during mealtimes aswell. So here's what I have so far...

Monday ????
Tuesday Pizza/Pasta (we see Julius on Tuesdays and this is what he likes)
Wednesday Bento!! (JoJo LOVES LOVES LOVES Bento's!)
Thursday ????
Friday Curry (JoJo loves curry)
Saturday free for all
Sunday Spaghetti Sundays

So there you have it, totally unoriginal and BLAH. Still need ideas for Mon and Thur and I desperately need variety!!!! I have no imagination whatsoever and I HATE IT when Clive asks me every single day "what's for dinner", I just cringe!!!

Now bear in mind we both work full time and we don't usually get home until 530-6pmish and JoJo is STARVING, he wants to eat as soon as he gets home!! arrrghhhhH!! I have a small japanese stove (2 gas rings and an oven that can only fit 6 cookies on a baking sheet).

I also don't have the imagination, inclination or motivation to do something like THIS:

or this:

cute aren't they?

although I applaud anyone who has the time and creativity to do something like this, I just wish I did.

So, I say all that to say this, does anyone "out there" in bloggoland have any ideas that are easy, quick and nutritious (did I say "easy"?) to feed my starving husband and child every day?

PLEEEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teeth Brushing (update)

2009-02-06T09:11:00.006+09:00

Ok so yes I am a wuss, I didn't brush Barney's teeth. Let me tell you my husband is a no-nonsense kind of guy. He's not into bribes or songs or let's make it fun. He's a "get it done or else" kinda guy. Yep. No joke. He is hardcore.

So this is how it went.

In the bathroom, daddy held him across his legs (flat) and held his arms, mommy came in armed with toothbrush and brushed his teeth (when he opened his mouth because he was crying). He tried to clamp down a couple of times but I think I got them all.

I know it might take a while, but it's just like the shower/bath battle we had. "you're going to have a shower "anyway" so you might as well stop fighting and enjoy it". And he did. He realized that no matter what, he was getting a shower. He could cry and have a horrible experience OR he can choose to have fun. Now you should hear them both in the shower, it's always giggles and screams of laughter.

I just hope teeth brushing is going to turn out the same way, because one way or another, he has to brush his teeth, the hard way, or the easy way.

3 things I am going to do that might help also: get a mirror to put behind the faucet so he can see himself brushing. Get more "fun" toothbrushes, and get a small cup so he can learn to rinse and spit.

and yes, maybe a bribe or two (or three).

Teeth Brushing (or the lack of)

2009-02-04T11:09:00.006+09:00

Yes, ok, I have thought of the bribery option, but we won't go there. JoJo does not want to "brush" his teeth. All he does is suck on the toothbrush and bite down on it. I know we are in for a battle here and we will have to force him because it's really important to have his teeth clean.

I have heard electric toothbrushes might do the trick, or pinning him down will definately do the trick too (although not relishing that method). I guess we'll just have to try "everything" and see what works!

Tonight I will take Barney to the bathroom and brush his teeth, and see if that works. JoJo loves Barney so he might be a role model for him? I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, if anyone has any tried and true tricks, I mean, methods for getting an almost 2yr old to brush his teeth properly, PUH-LEASE let me know!!!

Adoption tax credit anyone?

2009-02-02T11:05:00.004+09:00

Ok so what's up with the "must be living with you for 6 months of the year" deal? So it's OK if the child was BORN on Dec. 31st, but not ADOPTED? What the he** is up with that? My son lived with me for 4 months in 2008 but because he did not live with me for more than 6 months I cannot claim him on my taxes but I could if he was BORN ANYTIME DURING 2008!!!!! get the heck out of here.

What is WRONG with this country?

Ooooh this makes me sooooo angry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omurice - It's a recipe!

2009-01-30T13:01:00.006+09:00

Here's one for ya! Yohannes LOVES this stuff, he will eat it ALL if we let him. I asked my friend YUKO to send me the recipe, so I just HAD to share it because it's SO GOOD!!!

Omurice is a Japanese word for "omelet and rice." Seasoned and fried rice is wrapped or topped by omelet. Omurice was invented in Japan, and it became a popular dish.

Eggs (size L) 2 for per person
Ketchup enough to color the rice, taste as you add Chicken
Onion ¼ per person
Rice 1 rice bowl full per person *warm up before cooking
Butter or Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Any of the veggie you like: Green pepper, mushrooms, carrots, just remember to chop them in to tiny tiny pieces, esp. for kids!!
24cm frying pan prepared
Cold Rootbeer

Chop veggies like mad.
Cut chicken to small pieces.
Heat pan, add butter or a few swish of olive oil (olive oil makes your body think its full, go ahead fool your body)
Sauté your madly-cut veggies & drop chicken. Keep stirring until slightly brown
Sauté with passion, like you're witnessing the birth of a new species.
Sprinkle S&P to season and add ketchup! now? Yes, now!
Add rice and stir fry!! Keep on high heat and don’t stop working.
More ketchup? Go ahead, The more ketchup is fried, the sweeter it gets!! Taste and add, taste and add.
Empty the pan, put the rice aside. Now It’s time for eggs!
Open rootbeer. Drink ...ahhh life is good.
Crack those eggs and mix, pour in the greased pan! Make sure the pan is well heated before the dash.
Stir vigorously until half cooked. (bottom is cooked still raw on top)
Bring back the rice and place them in the middle, wrap on both sides with eggs.
Cover with a plate, turn it up side down.
Voila!! Om Rice that can fool even a Japanese.

So, he's not your son?

2009-01-29T12:00:00.003+09:00

Well we have had some interesting conversations with various people since we adopted Yohannes, who by the way, happens to also be our son. I guess people don't really know what they are saying or think about what they are saying before they say it, some are quite innocent, some are not so. Some hurt, some make me laugh, some make me think about buying a T-Shirt with the words "Yes- he is my son" printed on it. But I don't hold it against them either.

Most Japanese people will just ask with a surprised look "your baby?" and I will politely smile and nod yes. Here's a recent conversation with a taxi driver in Hawaii:

TD: "so where are you guys from"
Me: " we are from Japan, but I was born in England"
TD: (to my husband) "you look like you are from Nigeria"
Clive: "Me? no...not me"
Me: "he is from Jamaica!"
TD: "really? oh wow. I am from Somalia!"
Me: " oh wow, really, our son is from Ethiopia!"
TD: "oh, so he's not your son?"
Me: "uh....yes.....he IS our son"

ok change the subject, lovely weather isn't it?

So I looked up the definition of Son in the dictionary
1 a: a human male offspring especially of human beings b: a male adopted child c: a human male descendant

and there you have it, he IS my son.

Tulip to Sunflower

2009-01-28T20:47:00.003+09:00

JoJo attends the Santa Monica International School and he is currently in the Tulip Room for 1-2 yr olds. He turns 2 in April. Ms. Yumi, the owner talked to me yesterday and said they want to move him up to the Sunflower room next month, with the 2-3 year olds because he is doing so well and "doesn't need to be with the babies anymore". Get a load of that!!

Ok it's more tuition, but still, I am very happy that he is doing well and moving on up!

Go JoJo!!!

37,317 Miles

2009-01-27T14:22:00.007+09:00

And our travels are finally over, well, not over over, but over for this part of our journey.

Congratulations to
Yohannes Clive Benbow
the newest member of the US Citizen population!

woot woot!
Jan. 21st, 2009

Ok, so rewind back up to 37,317 miles. That's how far we have traveled since August 2008 to meet our baby boy, pick up our baby boy and then travel to the US for his citizenship. Since we traveled on an IR3 visa, he became a USC as soon as we landed.

So, considering the earth is only 24,902 miles around (yes I thought it would be more than that too), we can say we have traveled around the world and a half! And we are done done done with all this flying. After this he gets his own seat!

I won't bore you with ALL the details of the trip, well, maybe just a few highlights...

The Secret Envelope...(twilight music in background)....hand carried and not left out of my sight and kept under lock and key since September 08. This is the brown envelope that is sealed and stamped and had a picture of JoJo on the front that was ONLY to be given to US Immigration upon landing in Honolulu. So, we get there, hand in the envelope and after about 10 minutes the guy comes up to me and asks me for the "cover sheet". Huh-Hum.....the "cover sheet?" I say, there was no cover sheet. Yes, he said, it should have been attached to the outside and lists everything in the packet. Hmmmppphh. I looked blankly at him. Luckily it wasn't that of a big deal, but still, because of that, he had to make it up himself, going through every single piece of paper in the packet which took over an hour. Not a good start, but after it was done, we went up to his counter, he said to Yohannes "you are now a US Citizen", so we held up his arms and shouted "woo hooooo!!!!!!!!". The immigration man was really nice, he was adopted himself he told us.

By the way, this is all at 0700 in the morning and we couldn't check into our hotel until 3pm. So we drove around with our friend Dale until check in and then we all CRASHED.

Our appt. was at 1000 the next day at USCIS. We got there and our photos were not acceptable so we had to go across the street to get more done and also pay the $420 in CASH for the CoC. They told us they would call us the next day or day after to let us know when our inteview was. I was a little worried because we only had 3 days to get the CoC AND his US Passport. We got back to our hotel room and there was a message that our interview was at 1pm the next day! Woo Hoo! That was good news. We postponed our plans to go to the zoo and took care of business.

We waited until about 1:20pm to be seen. The lady who interviewed us was really nice, her husband happened to be from guess where? YUP, Okinawa! (yeah I know, get out!!!). She asked us a few questions about the circumstances of his adoption, his first mother, father etc. Then she said she approved our case and we stood up and shook hands. And then something happened that I will NEVER forget. My little man walked up to her and held his hand out to shake her hand aswell. It was a kodak moment, except our camera was busted (whole nother story). She was shocked, we were shocked, and I really think it was my first proud parent moment.

Ok, so enough boring details. The next day we went to the zoo! Now, remember, JoJo's favorite DVD is Barney Goes To The Zoo. He can do the Flamingo (stand on one leg), the Hippo (open his mouth really wide (man the dentist is going to loooooove me)) and the Kangaroo (where he sort of jumps up and down without his feet leaving the floor). He was just staring at all the animals in disbelief, almost like "and you brought me here because......". He was funny but I believe he had a good time and we were able to take a few photos with our busted camera lens, stupid thing...

Yes it was windy, but the Elephant didn't mind

JoJo, aka "slidemaster"

this is the "and you brought me here because....." look

everyone has to get a pair of hawaiian flipflops...so cute!

thank goodness for portable DVD players and Barney
(yes I know, bad mommy)

And that is that. Oh, I almost forgot...the flight home was HORRIBLE....HORRIBLE I tell you. It was daylight hours so JoJo was on top toddler form, we had our first tantrum 2.5hrs into the flight and then again at about 6 hours. The whole flight was 9 hours and then another flight was 3 hours where he slept mostly on that one. What gets me is how come people WITHOUT kids are sitting in the bulk head seats? Hmmpppphhh. Ooh and we missed Zac Effron landing at Narita airport by about 10 minutes! Darn it. (Shout out - HAIRSPRAY!!!! fav movie)

Overall, wonderful trip, wonderful memories and boy am I glad it's over.

Moo, Baa, La La La!

2009-01-15T14:06:00.003+09:00

Yohannes is finally getting into books! Last night was the FIRST time he sat on my lap with a book (that he got from his toy box all by himself) and just sat there happily flipping through the pages. His favorite book is Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton. It has lots of animals in it so we go through it and point to the animals and I make the animal sounds. I am not sure why he loves it so much, but he does. He is always looking at it, but last night was the first time he wanted to look at it WITH ME!!! YAAY!

Tooth Eruptions

2009-01-12T13:49:00.008+09:00

Here's a little diagram of where we're at right now with baby teeth. They are coming in, slowly but surely, and some before others.

And you know how hard it is to get a look inside? When he yawns I am hovering over him peering down his mouth to see what I can see before it closes for good. I am trying to be sneaky though, I am teaching him to open his mouth like a hippo and he is getting it! His favorite DVD is "Barney goes to the Zoo", he LOVES that one and he can now do the "flamingo" (stand on one leg) and also do the "hippo" (open his mouth REAL wide). hey, it might come in handy when we visit the dentist!!

He's (definately) Growing!

2009-01-11T14:24:00.005+09:00

Our little boy is growing - LOOK!

Weight:
14 Mths (at referral) 19.3 lbs
17 Mths (When we brought him home) 20.7 lbs
21 Mths (Current): 25.1 lbs (24th percentile for weight) (we can thank PASTA for this).

Height:
14 Mths 31 inches
21 Mths 32 inches (12th percentile for height)

Head Circumference:
14 Mths 19 inches
21 Mths 19.5 inches (80th percentile for head circumference)

I used pediatrics.com for these percentiles.
So to understand this, Yohannes weighs the same or more than 24 percent of the reference population for 21 mth old boys, and weighs less than 76 percent of the 21 mth old reference population.

Hmmmmmm.

It's funny because some people look at him and say he's sooo tall for his age, yet he isn't really. And some people say he is small for his age. Hmmmm. I just think he looks pretty darn cute for his age. Once his legs straighten out he's going to gain a couple of extra inches anyway :-)

Some of his 18mth old tops are getting a little too small (already) and he is fitting into those 24mths now! EEEEK!

Date Night - And I'm Ready!!!

2009-01-07T12:09:00.003+09:00

this is me, or will be me when we go out on our date night
♥ FEBRUARY 14 ♥

38 days and counting

our first night out...

ALONE

TOGETHER

since August!!

Ok so not to ruin date night or anything like that, I know I am going to be thinking of Yohannes the WHOLE TIME we are out, wondering what he's doing, is he ok? Should I call? Should we leave early? See, all these things are running through my head already, and I still have 38 days to go!! Arrrghhhhh!!!

So tell me, just how DO YOU have a good time without thinking of your kids every 5 seconds?

I'd really like to know....

Melkam Yelidet Beaal

2009-01-06T12:27:00.005+09:00

Which means "Merry Christmas" in Amharic, and Christmas is tomorrow! I was wracking my brain on what I could do for Yohannes to celebrate Christmas in Ethiopia, and the best way I know how is to give back. We made a donation in his honor to Global Giving, and he will receive a card that will go into his memory chest for when he's older and he can see how much of a blessing he has been to us and to others. There are so many ways to give and so much we can do to help, next year I will probably do the same thing and give through worldvision.

it's easy to believe and tell yourself how could your one donation possibly make a difference, but it can, and it will.

Yohannes - A donation was made in your name to "Help Rural Ethiopians Improve Access to Water," a project on Globalgiving.com, by Mommy & Daddy!

Learn more about Help Rural Ethiopians Improve Access to Water and GlobalGiving .

God Prospers Us Not to Raise Our Standard of Living,
but Our Standard of Giving

Lots of ROCKIN' Going On

2009-01-05T19:12:00.003+09:00

So we had a pretty eventful Christmas and New Year. JoJo is just full of surprises. He received this Rockin Pony in September at his birthday party and he would scream at the sight of it. We had to hide it for a while. Gradually we bought it back out into view, but he wouldn't go near it. We couldn't even get him to touch it. Well, what a difference 3 mths make! Look at him now....my Rockin Cowboy...yee haw.

this is because Daddy plays guitar hero so now he wants to play guitar hero...
a natural don't you think?

nothing like a little strumming action...
this was his solo

do you see that MOLAR back there? Yup, we discovered he
has his bottom 2 the other day, and the top 2 are coming in aswell.

* rockstar *

just a side note...

2008-12-30T16:53:00.003+09:00

I was home sick today, I was thinking about my boy and how much I miss him when he's at daycare. When I see him, I will just squeeze him and kiss him all over, I probably do that too much and soon he's going to be saying "stop mom!"...yeah well get used to it buddy. When I look at his pictures I get tears in my eyes and I just want to give him everything, everything I tell you. He melts my heart and he was meant to be my son, our son (Clive in case you read this). I cannot imagine life without him now. He brings me joy, he makes me mad, he makes me sad, he makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he makes me cook and he makes me love every minute of it.

missing you,
mommy

Hey look, wanna see my belly?

2008-12-26T13:49:00.004+09:00

No, not MY belly, Yohannes' belly, and did we have a choice? nooooo, not really. He seemed to be very happy that he can now pull his shirt up whenever he wants...and yes I know kids copy their parents, but trust me, he has NOT seen mommy doing this...(at least I don't think so. haha).

so here's that belly...

you gotta love this one...

the very best moment was when he saw his Barney
He loves Barney
Barney loves him too

showing Barney some love

We stayed home all day, it was raining. I made pancakes and bacon and we had some Ethiopian coffee made from my new french coffee press! We watched Hairspray (our favorite movie), Mama Mia, Barney (of course) and It's a Wonderful Life. Yohannes zonked out at 8pm, very unlike him and woke up this morning at 7!!! We all got some sleep! Yaay! Yohannes didn't pay much attention to the tree or the presents, wasn't even interested in opening any, but I bet he will next year!

The best part for me was seeing a beautiful sun rise early morning and just thinking how wonderfully blessed I am. This was the day that Jesus was born and how thankful I am for that.
I am grateful for everything God has given me, and most of all, he has given me a son, and for that, I am very very thankful.

Random Photos of the Week

2008-12-24T08:32:00.003+09:00

Here are some photos taken this week. We were lucky enough to get Julius for 8 hours on Saturday, due to the fact that we will miss one visitation next week and one in January, so we enjoyed our time with him and two brothers got to bond a little :-)

Here's Julius showing him how you bounce a basketball...

Julius, isn't he handsome? He obviously takes after his Dad :-)

not letting that ball go...

the stink eye

all of us together! (once Clive figured out how to use the timer on the camera,
those things are tricky you know!)

this was taken from our roof top, it was really weird, only 2 stars and a very weirdly shaped moon were in the sky, and it looks like 2 eyes and a mouth, do you see it?

we had our secret santa lunch yesterday, all the girls in the office did a gift exchange and went to lunch together which we never get to do and it was very nice!
from L to R: Cindy, Me, Yuko, Tracy and Staci
you girls rock!

now I have to get back to wrapping presents and cleaning and laundry :-p

Sand, Sea, Slides and Swings!

2008-12-15T10:08:00.009+09:00

On Saturday we spent a few hours at Torii Beach...not really planning on going in the water...but someone ended up in there anyway...guess who!

look what Daddy did, it's December and the water is freeeeeezing!

but someone seems to be having a good time "anyway"...hmm, wish he was like this at bathtime!

just another photo of my handsome boy...

first slide on the big boy slide...smiling is a good sign...

almost...

good landing!

first time at the really big whirly slide...is that a scared look or what?

second time, ok that wasn't so bad..."weeeeeeeeee"
this is the end result of 6million slides later...

first swing, we have tried him on swings before but this is the first time he actually sat in it long enough to swing...

ok, so he wasn't really feeling the swing..."ok Daddy, see you later, I am going back to the SLIDE!!"

Not Mama

2008-12-13T07:44:00.002+09:00

so we're looking through pictures this morning and everytime he sees Daddy in the photo, he says "dada" and a big smile. Every time he sees, me, Mommy, nothing. I say "who's that?" "Is that Mama" and he will shake his head no. He won't even say it. Sometimes he'll grunt and put his head down like he's sad. So it's not mama, it's just me.

made me quite sad really.

How Can You Lose Blood?

2008-12-09T11:42:00.004+09:00

The wonderful US Naval Hospital lost JoJo's blood. Can you believe it? October 9 he had a huge amount of blood drawn for a 2nd liver panel test and his HIV test. They didn't do the HIV test. The blood is supposed to get sent to the US because they can't do the test here and I was supposed to receive the results by phone call then I could finish up JoJo's medical eval. that I needed to send in to CHI "ages" ago. Well, no phone call (surprise surprise, and yes there is a hint of sarcasm there). I emailed Customer Relations at the hospital, sort of calmly, sort of. I wasn't mean, I was just telling the truth, and yes, I was mad too. The Dr. called me within the hour, apologizing profusely and told me we would have to come back in to get MORE blood from JoJo. ARRGHH! Do you know how hard it was to get THAT blood from him, let alone MORE blood?

Good news (yippi), that JoJo's liver panel came back normal. He might also have a Vitamin D deficiency and we have to get him checked out for it. More tests.

So that's my rant for the day.

Slippery Slides and Shiny Shoes

2008-12-07T16:31:00.008+09:00

Here are a couple of vids from this week, notice the first one right before he goes down the slide, he throws his arms up, just like you do on a rollercoaster, pretty funny, and his high pitch screaming with delight...(and yes Barney is playing in the background on the 1st and 3rd video!)

this one has me in stitches. He LOVES wearing shoes, usually mommy's, because daddy's are too big and heavy to wear. He can clippity clop around in mommy's pretty good though...

and...he is getting pretty good at wearing my flip flops and walking in them...

I am sure it's just a phase, but everytime we go somewhere, he has got to change his shoes at least 4 or 5 times, oh and he doesn't care who the shoes belong to either! We've had to put most of my high heels ones locked away!!

Peace Prayer Park

2008-12-05T11:40:00.004+09:00

A couple of weekends ago we visited Peace Prayer Park which is a large complex dedicated to the memories of those that died during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. After Okinawa reverted from American to Japanese control in 1972, construction of the park began. The park is at once a destination for visitors and a sacred location for prayer and reflection. It is comprised of four zones: the Peace Zone, the Prayer Area, the Peace Ceremony Zone, and the Recreation Zone.

and it has lots of steps!
and yes, Yohannes wanted to climb them all!!

just look at that view - I can't believe I live here!

We got attacked again by some older Japanese women asking if he was a boy or girl and squeeling "Kawaeeeeeee!" every 5 seconds and then proceeded to ask us if we wanted to buy Y300 flowers for the tombs. It was a good day and we all did a lot of walking. This place is huge!

Favorite Photo

2008-12-03T18:12:00.001+09:00

this was the photo that the photographer took of us before the train started...I can't believe we are all looking at the camera at the same time AND smiling (that rarely happens) so this is my favorite favorite photo!! Frame worthy even! It cost us Y500 but it was worth it!

Perfect Day

2008-11-30T14:24:00.005+09:00

Put him behind the wheel of anything and he's a happy boy

Have you ever had one of those? AWEsome aren't they? It was perfect. And what made it perfect were little things, like JoJo eating ALL of his breakfast, and then some, not crying for more milk, laughing and dancing to Barney, taking his nap on our hour long journey up North to Neo Park, waking up in a good mood, eating all his lunch, not fussing at all, sitting in his stroller like a good boy, and walking when he wanted too. We got home around 4pm, he ate his dinner, we bathed him (he didn't cry - yippi!) and he promptly fell asleep in my arms at 7:45pm, which he has never ever done! A perfect day! I am ready for more of those!

uh, mom, my leg's stuck

Neo Park is sort of like a zoo, but not, it's more like an animal park where the animals roam around, some are kept safe behind fences etc, but mostly the birds are free to roam around etc. There's loads more pictures on our shutterfly page (link to the right) if you want to see more.

Funny Faces

2008-11-25T15:44:00.004+09:00

this one is my fav :-)

We've all been sick this week, I started throwing up on Sunday, then JoJo after me, he stayed home yesterday and I stayed home today. Daddy, well, I won't tell you what he had, especially now he's reading the blog, haha. (he wasn't throwing "up", he was throwing "down" if ya know what I mean). Anyhoo, I think we are all over it now and can enjoy the rest of the week.

Just make sure the rest of you that haven't had whatever is going around, wash your hands, wash your hands, and oh yeah, wash your hands, and wipe down "everything", I mean "everything", shopping carts especially (thanks Lezlie!). Take wipes wherever you go and carry purel everywhere!! Soon we'll all be wearing face masks and gloves.

It's Daddy time now!!

2008-11-20T13:51:00.004+09:00

I just want to say a few things because every time I look at the blog its about Mom and Jojo. I feel left out like I am just a shadow lurking around the apartment. But when it comes down to keeping Jojo on track, Daddy is called to enforce the rules or when a task is most difficult. One of those task is giving him a bath or a shower.
Jojo used to love taking baths but now he just cries and kick to get out. There have been times I would hear a sound at the door and I swear it might be the Cops coming to arrest me, because he's screaming so loud. I have to tell him he won't melt under the water and that everyone who wants to smell good takes a shower.
He his getting better now, which is a relief for me. During those bath and shower evening where do you think Mom is?? She is kicking back waiting for Dad to finish so she can come to Jojos' rescue. I still think he is Daddy boy even though I am really glad he his going to Mom more often now. That's all I want to say for now until next time.

Ketchup Rules!

2008-11-16T15:30:00.004+09:00

A little taste of some photos we took this week.

The rest are on our shutterfly page (link to the right)

JoJo is starting to cling! To me that is. It's the best feeling in the world. He actually wanted me, ME to hold him yesterday! He came running to ME yesterday when strangers wanted to talk to him. He wanted to cling to MY legs and be all shy around people. Yes yes, I am beginning to feel like this is what it's all about. After 10 weeks of just wanting Daddy, and only Daddy, it's finally, FINALLY my turn! (for now anyway).

Mommy & JoJo 4ever!

Kawaee!

2008-11-10T14:52:00.004+09:00

We went to the park this Saturday, to feed the fish
and the birds, get some fresh air etc.
JoJo was being his usual mischievous little self...
see...he is plotting his getaway...

yes, well you tell a 19mth old you are supposed
to sit in the stroller, not push it!...

JoJo decided to taste the fish food first,
don't worry, it was only crackers...

and slowly but surely, we have hair growth!
looks at those curls!
gotta love 'em!

SO let me explain the Kawaee title of this post...it means "cute!" in Japanese, and we hear it ALL the time when we are with JoJo. The Japanese just loooove him and exclaim "ooh kawaee" when they see him, and laugh and smile. Occasionally they will ask if he's a boy or girl, I mean, to me, he clearly looks like a boy, but they have a hard time telling. Actually, when we were in Ethiopia, they asked the same thing, but then again, he wore a lot of pink over there so it was understandable. Guess I'll have to dress him a bit more macho....

How to Celebrate An Ethiopian Christmas

2008-11-07T10:33:00.004+09:00

As I was searching the internet to find some special gift to give Yohannes for Christmas, something culturally meaningful, I came across this on ehow...how to celebrate an Ethiopian Christmas. I do like the fact that the emphasis is not on gift giving, but on the birth of Christ.

Christmas is a major holiday in Ethiopia where more than half of the population is Orthodox Christian. The celebrations occur January 7, the Feast of the Epiphany, instead of December 25.

instructions:
Step 1 - Make sure to set up a manger scene that includes the Three Magi. Legend has it that the king bearing frankincense was King Balthazar of Ethiopia.

Step 2 - Infuse the celebrations with the essential oil frankincense, which was traditionally a gift suitable for a high priest. Today you can mix frankincense with spices or seeds to create different aromas, or you can burn frankincense incense.

Step 3 - Attend a local Christian Orthodox service if there are any nearby. Keep in mind that the services sometimes require that men and women sit in separate areas and that services can last up to three hours.

Step 4 - Sing carols and carry candles either during the service or afterwards.

Step 5 - Prepare an Ethiopian feast for the Christmas meal that includes a main course, such as doro wat (a spicy chicken stew), injera bread (flat round bread) and homemade wine or beer. Keep in mind that injera bread is used to scoop and eat food, hence replacing utensils. The Christmas meal, which is served January 7, is preceded by major preparations that include the purchase and slaughter of an animal (typically a goat or cow).

Step 6 - Encourage the children to play ganna or leddat, which is a form of field hockey in which sticks with hooks on one end are used. The game is played by two opposing teams and the stick and ball are made from locally grown trees. In Ethiopia the teams often represent certain regions and the rivalry can be fierce. According to tradition, shepherds celebrated when they heard of Jesus' birth by playing such a game.

Interesting facts:

There are no Christmas trees in a traditional Ethiopian Christmas. However, Christmas trees, sparkles and artificial snow have begun to spring up in the capital city of Addis Ababa.
The exchange of gifts is not customary for Christmas in Ethiopia. The one exception to this is that some families give children new clothing as a part of the celebrations.

The word Ganna is used interchangeably with the word Christmas to mean the birth of Christ (leddat). A common way to refer to the holiday is "ye ganna baal".

Well I won't be slaughtering any animals but I do want to try making some Doro Wat and Injera, and I'll make that our family tradition every year. Hey ya never know, I might be quite good at it by the time JoJo turns 18!

I found some neat stuff here and if anyone else has any other links on where I can buy Ethiopian gifts, please let me know by leaving a comment, thanks!

New Word!!

2008-11-06T11:15:00.003+09:00

Yep!! As of last night, JoJo's new word is...

CAR!

I know, but I thought it worthy of a blog post! After hearing him say da-da, ma-ma, uh-oh-oh (yes we have 2 oh-oh's on our uh-oh) and "ello" for the past 8 weeks, it was so wonderful to hear him say a different word! YIPPI!!

Leaps and Bounds

2008-11-03T12:39:00.002+09:00

JoJo is amazing us every day. He has the best temperament in the morning, I tell ya, I have to wake him up at 0530, give him little kisses on the cheek and he smiles. He smiles and he is happy. He wraps his little arms around me and points to the kitchen, making those "uh..uh..uh" sounds, because he knows that's where his chocolate milk is. He sits happily on my lap, slurping down his chocolate milk, laid back and still smiling. Me, I am still trying to peel my eyes open while slurping down my coffee. We both take a breather, look at each other, and do the "aaaaahhhhh" sound with wide open mouths declaring that our drinks are sooo delicious. And they are.

He loves climbing on things. If he can swing his leg up on it, he's on it. He struggles and he won't give in until he's accomplished his goal. And he can also reach door knobs now. I know, I know, tell me about it. I just can't wait for the day when he is actually tall enough to be able to OPEN the door, as well as close it. Closing is much easier. Opening is mommy's job right now.

And get this. No more high chair! Yup, he made it perfectly clear that he's a big boy now and he wants his booster seat and eat at the table like mommy and daddy. He LOVES it. Sometimes, when it's not even meal time, he wants to sit in his booster seat and just play with his car.

Oh but it's not all fun and games. He has decided that now he HATES baths. He used to love them, now he hates them, hates them. I am sure it's just a phase...I hope.

He loves hiding behind the curtains and walking forward so the curtain drags over his face. He will also stand there behind the curtain and I'll surprise him with a tickle and he will let out this really really funny hilarious laugh, like it's the funniest thing ever. Priceless.

Oh and last but certainly not least, on Saturday when I was cooking dinner (for those that know me, yes I was cooking, and yes it was edible, thank you very much)...JoJo was playing nearby, probably with his fridge DJ and dancing or something..and every now and then, he would come up behind me and hug on my legs...I mean a REALLY BIG HUG. It made me tear up a little because it made me so happy. I can't tell you how long I have waited for that, I don't mean weeks or days since we've brought him home, I am talking years.

Oh Happy Day...

Are We Done Yet?

2008-10-30T09:20:00.002+09:00

And the answer to this is a resounding...........No.

We still have one more trip and three more documents to get before we are DONE...DONE....DONE!

To complete this entire process, (which by the way, we are just at the year mark from when we first started) we still have to travel to the U.S so that JoJo can become a U.S Citizen, which means he has to land on U.S soil and because he has an IR3 Visa (meaning our adoption was finalized in Ethiopia), he will automatically become a U.S Citizen as soon as he gets off the plane! Immigration will stamp his Ethiopian passport with an I-551 (lawful permanent resident status) and then off we go to get his Certificate of Citizenship! After that, we apply for a 2-day expedited U.S passport and his SSN, and WAH-LA....we are DONE! DONE I TELL YOU!! no more travelling for us for a while.

All we need to do for the next 18 years are his post placement reports. (yes, it's not a typo, I said 18). Actually, the first one is due by December because for Ethiopia you have to submit PP reports at the 3, 6, 9 and 12mth mark (since he's been home) and then every year after that until he's 18 years old!! A post placement report is sent to our agency who then sends it on the the ET government. They basically want to see pictures, how he is doing developmentally and his progress in adjusting to his new family and life in a new country and provide assurance that he is receiving appropriate care and protection.

December - post placement report

January - Trip to......(ha, I'm not telling!)

Pictures of the Week

2008-10-26T17:11:00.003+09:00

Getting Big isn't he?

Obsessed with wearing our shoes...

Not a morning person...

My favorite smile...

Bathtime fun!

No More Tears At Daycare!

2008-10-23T10:53:00.002+09:00

Today was JoJo's 5th weeks at daycare, well, actually, his 18th day (so who's counting?) and every single time he has cried when we hand him over to the care giver. The first week or so he screamed and it would last a few minutes, maybe 10 or so, then the second week, just crying and tears and that "please don't leave me look"...ugggh....horrible. Well.....today......(drum roll please)...we had NO crying whatsoever! We did have the ever famous pout, but he didn't cry!! YIPPI! I could tell he was still sad though...my little pouter...but I think he gets it now that we are going to actually come back and get him and take him home.

Oh yes and I have to mention kisses. I got my first pucker last night!!!! If you haven't figured it out by now, I smother him ALL the time with kisses and hugs, Clive tells me to leave him alone, but I can't!! Ha, sorry, I'm his mother, it's in my job description. So all this time I have been asking him for kisses back, and I get this wide open mouth wet slobbery kiss on my face (hey I'll take what I can get). But...last night....as I was changing him getting him ready for bed, I said the usual "kiss mommy" and he puckered and it was soooo cute. His tiny lips squeezed together.

That made my day.

Feeling Groovy?

2008-10-15T12:46:00.003+09:00

I actually prefer the title of this post, because I was going to call it Feeling Guilty, with a big...fat...G. We dropped Y off at daycare yesterday, our first day back at work, and I just felt awful. The last 6 weeks with him have been amazing. I have loved every minute of our time together and now that time is gone. I know he has to go to daycare, I know I have to work, I know these things, but I feel so guilty. I feel awful he has to spend 10 hours a day in daycare and I only get to spend 3 hours with him at home when I pick him up. It's not enough! uggh. He is in the "Tulip" room at the daycare and it looks like the room at the care center he was at in ET...cribs lined up against the wall, kids sitting on the floor, a few toys, loud music. I wonder does he know this is NOT an orphanage? Does he know that mommy and daddy love him and will never leave him? He comes running to me when I pick him up after work, his worried little face, so happy, yet sad, and yet also relieved that I came back to get him. I worry so much about his feelings and if he is happy, I so want him to be happy, and I never want him to have to worry about anything, because I will always, always be here for him.

mommy loves you.

Stinkin' Cold!

2008-10-12T14:32:00.002+09:00

Well wouldn't you know it, back to work in 2 days and I got sick. I think I got it from Y and I think he got it from daycare. It's the common cold. I haven't been sick in sooooo long, it really hit hard this time. Poor Y has had it for longer, although he IS alot better today, thank God for that. I have all the usual stuff, sore throat, runny nose, can't breathe, body aches, coughing, etc etc. Y had bouts of coughing throughout the night for the last two nights which I am sure kept him awake (and me). Clive is pretty much a heavy sleeper so I think he was ok, although he was getting a sore throat yesterday so hopefully he can nip his in the bud before it gets worse.

What really sucks is that you can't really give an 18mth old any medicine, they took it all off the shelves! We did give him motrin for a slight fever, but there's nothing for a cough or runny nose! ugggh. And forget about taking him to the doctor! They were off on Friday and Monday and I am certainly not going to the ER! I will say one thing about Ethiopia, the clinic we took Y to when he was vomiting was open 24/7 and you can walk right in. None of this, call back Monday at 0800 to make an appointment for 2 weeks from now. What's the point of that I ask you?

I really hope this clears up by Tuesday - in the meantime, if anyone has any tips on how to treat an under 2 yr old with a cold, please let me know by leaving a comment-thank you!

Tagged!

2008-10-10T09:57:00.003+09:00

I've been tagged by Diane so now I have to post 7 random or weird facts about myself and then tag 7 more people. That might be difficult because I think I am pretty boring, but here goes!

1. My favorite sandwich is lettuce, peanut butter and thousand island dressing. The dressing goes on first, then the lettuce. Then on the other slice put the peanut butter, now SQOOSH together! YUM!

2. I have been a host on 2 T.V shows here in Japan. One ran for a year called "Xtreme Fitness" and the other was "Jam T.V", both were aired on Channel 13. That was waaaay back then.

3. I have a fear of heights, take me up to the 3rd floor of anywhere and I cannot look down without getting dizzy and queezy.

4. I spent 2 months in Canada as a Nanny when I was 18 (and hated it, hence only 2 months).

5. I wanted to be a nurse when I was growing up, but I hated Biology. My first job was a care assistant at a Rest Home for the Elderly. I really loved that job and did it for 3 years. I then went on to work at a Psycho-geriatric unit at a hospital for over a year.

6. I went to college in the UK (where I grew up) when I was 15 and left college at age 17, just before my 18 birthday. I left with a degree in Maternal and Child Welfare.

7. I love singing and I sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" to my whole primary school class when I was about 7 years old! (Yes I marched up and down the classroom too!).

Ok, so now I am tagging:
Christy
Jen
Michele
Susan
Jillienne
Lindy
Kari

Game on!

Firsts!!

2008-10-07T10:58:00.008+09:00

Here are a couple of photos of Y cleaning his teeth, first daddy is helping, second he's having a go at it himself. He loves it, everytime he sees us clean our teeth, he wants to clean his too!

Now here is a short video of Y feeding himself for the first time! It's not good quality because it's done with the camera, but it captures the moment none the less. You'll have to ignore my squeeling and coaching, I have yet to perfect that technique myself :-). We play music during meal times as well, it breaks up the silence (actually it drowns out mommy's squeeling). Enjoy!

Week Four

2008-10-06T13:30:00.005+09:00

Hi, this is Yohannes, also affectionately knows as JoJo! Mommy said I can do week four as this is the last of the weekly updates cos they have to go back to work next week (BOO), ugggh, more daycare! Wow, I had a busy week last week! I went to this great place to eat macaroni cheese and there were lots of people there from mommy and daddy's work. Man they work with some pretty cool people, I am glad I got to meet them all. It was so nice of them to come and spend time with me and making me feel so welcome in my new home. I got presents too which I wasn't expecting, that was waaaay cooler than the macaroni cheese. Oh, there's a slideshow at the bottom of this post, so check it out! I am in a lot of the pictures.

So, that was Wednesday. On Friday morning I had to go see that doctor again, he was pretty nice though. They weighed me again, I weigh 22lbs now!! That's mostly my belly though. (I really wish mom would stop calling me banana belly, it's embarrassing!) I'm only 18mths and packing on the pounds already! heehee. Luckily though all my tests came back negative but I still have elevated liver thingies sooooo I heard that I have to get more blood drawn. Boy am I gonna SCREAM when that happens! lol. I have to get all my shots caught up too, geesh, when does it ever end? (Mommy just said "never"). thanks mom.

Then, Friday afternoon as I was JUST taking my nap, daddy woke me up and there was this strange lady from EDIS who came to see me. She was talking to mommy quite a bit, so I played around, they would clap and cheer every now and then, then she left. Mommy said I did really good on all my tests (social skills, self-help, motor, communication and cognitive skills) and I was only a little behind on my communication. Well of course because I have only been listening to English for 5 weeks silly! But hey, now I can say FOUR WORDS all by myself: dada, mama, uh-oh (there is some debate if this is a word, but we are going with yes) and hello! I just love picking up anything with buttons that I can push and hold it up to my ear and shout "ELLO!". FUN! FUN! FUN!

So, that was my fun week. I am also running, did mommy tell you that? Yep, I can run about 10 steps now, before I crash into something. I can dance to my fridge DJ and spin around in circles until I get so dizzy I fall over (seems to amuse mommy and daddy ALOT!). I also learned to brush my teeth this week and mommy is teaching me to blow my nose and feed myself! There are so many things to learn I am just having a blast doing all this new stuff!

I miss my friends in Ethiopia but I will always remember them and mommy said we can go back one day to visit, so I can look forward to that. My mommy and daddy really do love me, and I love them too!

Happy Birthday Julius!

2008-10-04T21:15:00.003+09:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIUS!

13 years old today!

A teenager.

Yikes.

Expenses & Timeline

2008-10-01T15:19:00.001+09:00

Expenses

09/04 Driver $200
09/04 Hotel for 4 nights $400
09/04 Orphanage Donation $300
09/02 Embassy Fee $400
09/01 Ticket for Yohannes $300
08/18 2 Tickets to ET $5000
07/30 Driver $100
07/30 Food/Misc $150
07/30 Hotel for 4 nights $400
07/29 Visas (2) $40
07/18 Thomas Center Fee $210
07/18 Referral Fee $4900
07/17 2 Tickets to ET $5600
07/03 Pre-adop. Med.Review $400
03/29 Dossier Authent. $327
03/29 Dossier Fee $2500
03/22 Fedex Dossier $74.41
02/28 Passport Photos $14
01/21 Copy of Marriage Cert. $14
01/18 Copy of Divorce Decree $55
01/13 Dossier Prep Fee $1850
01/13 Coordinator Fee $1500
01/13 Agency Fee $4000
12/04 Home Study Travel $185
12/04 Home Study & 1 PP $2200
11/29 S.C Abuse Check $25.00
11/18 S.C Background Check $25
11/10 2 Copies Birth Cert. $80
11/09 CHI Application $900
11/07 I600A Form $670
11/02 Adoption Courses $125
10/07 Social Worker $145

Timeline

09/05 HOME FOREVER!
09/02 Embassy Date
08/30 Travel
08/01 Court Date! (PASSED!)
07/30 Meet Yohannes!
07/29 Travel! (1st trip)
07/15 Received Court Date!
07/01 Referral!!
04/04 Waiting for Referral!
03/22 Dossier Fedexed to CHI
02/28 Notarizations done
02/28 Passport Photos done
02/27 I-171H Received!
02/01 Homestudy to USCIS HK!
01/13 HOMESTUDY APPROVED!!
01/08 Child Abuse Chks done
12/27 Local Bkgrd Chks done
12/16 Homestudy!
12/07 Medical Appts.
11/25 Complete Online Courses
11/13 Filed I-600A
11/09 Faxed Agency Application
11/07 Fingerprints done
10/25 Chose Agency
10/15 Chose Country!

Out of Africa

new blog

homework

videos

ABCs and MOVE IT!

christmas 09

wiggle time!

a little update

length of service awards!

Ernie? HaHaHa....Bye!

miracle

I heart faces - excited!

Zoo & Aquarium

I ♥ Faces - Blue

I ♥ Faces - Candid

I ♥ Faces - Contemplative

three words

orange!

house warming

who says that?

celebrating one year

jojo in action!!

2nd haircut

round 1 & other stuff

braces update

what time is it?

can you point your fingers and do the twist?

wiggles

singing something

first hair cut

I ♥ Faces - Laughter!

tricycle

daycare update

daycare concern

learning the alphabet

I ♥ Faces - Easter/Spring (amateurs)

open your eyes!!!

birthday photos

happy birthday

dancing and bathtime

braces update

I ♥ Faces - Pets & Pouting!

i choose b

first place

I ♥ Faces - No Flash!

speech

with all i am

childrens medical center udpate

medical update

school report #1

"no's" and "nose"

more video

where JoJo goes to school

appointment update

and the award goes to...

chatterbox

password protecting

Date Night and Random

I ♥ this guy!

Teeth Brushing Success - well, sort of

Mealtime Madness

Teeth Brushing (update)

Teeth Brushing (or the lack of)

Adoption tax credit anyone?

Omurice - It's a recipe!

So, he's not your son?

Tulip to Sunflower

37,317 Miles

Moo, Baa, La La La!

Tooth Eruptions

He's (definately) Growing!

Date Night - And I'm Ready!!!

Melkam Yelidet Beaal

Lots of ROCKIN' Going On

just a side note...

Hey look, wanna see my belly?

Random Photos of the Week

Sand, Sea, Slides and Swings!

Not Mama

How Can You Lose Blood?