MYTHBUSTERS: We have joined Mythbusters on a couple of common adoption expectations (at least for us!)
1). Stay at home for awhile:
All the adoption training talks about cocooning, kinda holing up at home for awhile after the kids arrive. Mine visited school the first week and the second week began attending full time. They love it and are doing great. The teachers are amazed at how quickly they are picking things up. Mom too!
And they also like nothing better than visiting friends, especially Habesha (other people from Ethiopia) - "mom, go?" - or having company.
2). They won't know how to play indoors:
In Ethiopia, my twins walked into the room, picked up the remote, turned on the TV, switched channels, turned up the volume, and kicked back onto the bed to watch television! At home they like nothing more than watching videos - "mom, film?" - playing on the computer, and using electronic games. They are familiar with a lot of the American movies and are mad at me because I won't let them watch "The Lord of the Rings" - it is PG13 and they are only 8 years old.
FEARS & CHALLENGES:
One of my biggest fears and my biggest challenge has been food. My fear was because I don't really cook (I'm kind of a cheese and crackers kind of gal). The challenge is that they don't like anything! Thank God for eggs, bananas, oranges and bread. Forget anything related to dairy - milk, yogurt, cheeses (no pizza, no sandwiches with cheese, no mac & cheese), butter, etc. Also no peanut butter (rats!). For a non-cook to begin with it is quite frustrating, but we are discovering a few successes - rice, sloppy joe ... okay, that is all I can think of right now. Other than, of course, chips and french fries and cookies and the things they just can't have all the time.
My other trepidation with having a daughter was taking care of her African hair. I've tried to braid with limited success but hope to get better. I did just run across a cornrow tutorial on YouTube, and I'm so excited because I think I have it down now. Can't wait to practice tonight as it is time, once again, to re-braid!.
