Meetcha Day!

We met our beautiful, smiley, adorable, and precious Ethiopian babies today! The Transistion Home staff calls out your family name, you come to the bottom of the steps and they bring your children out the door to your waiting arms. We were #5 in line, thankful our last name wasn't Vowels, (wink wink Mark and Shannon). Waiting there is a crazy mix of emotion, and then suddenly it happens, they're there! From the moment they saw us from the top of the steps they were already smiling and reaching for us! We went off to a place in the garden to play with them and couldn't believe they were in our arms. Brooklyn especially could not stop crying. Even while blowing bubbles, squishing playdough, tickling them, and chasing them around the yard, the tears were streaming down her sweet cheeks. We were all just giggling and laughing through them!

We first pulled out the exact fruit snacks we had sent in all of our care packages and immediately they recognized them and their faces lit up! Next came the bubbles and Bekelech was absolutely precious with them. It is obvious that she is extremely independent. She watched Brooklyn blow them for awhile and then took the bubbles from her, grabbed the stick, and attempted to make it happen. Jason had to mimick blowing for her a couple of times, and she had it down. She was so proud of herself.

Dereje is full of energy! He loved the playdough especially! After only one time of telling him not to eat it and showing him how to squish and roll it in his palms he was set too! He was making snakes, opening the cans and putting it back in, and taking it out again like a pro!
They were great at throwing, catching, and kicking the ball. By the end we could even say, "Throw it to Daddy!" or "Throw it to Brooklyn" and they would sail it in the right direction. At one point, one of the nannies brought out the photo album book we had sent them, and again they lit up with delight. They began pointing at the pictures and saying "Mommy" and "Daddy." Bekelech first pointed at the cover and said, "Dereje." After a few prompts we would point to the pictures of us and motion, "Who's that?" and they would look up at either Jason, Brooklyn, or I correctly. I grabbed Bekelech by the cheeks at one point and very slowly said, "I Love You," and she looked at me for a second, and very quietly whispered back, "I love you." I screamed outloud I was so excited!!!
We wore them out chasing them around the yard playing, and at the end of our time Dereje began yawning and swaying a bit. I picked him up and began to sing to him the lullaby my mom had sung to me, and that I had sung to all my three children before, and within a minute he was sleeping in my arms. Amazing and precious! At that point, Jason was holding Bekelech, and noticed she had two big tears streaming down her face, our first sadness. She was watching the other parents take their kids back to the nannies, and knew it was time for us to leave. We thought it would be easier for Brooklyn to walk her back inside, but she pulled away and held onto Jason. Exactly what we want to see!!! Thankfully Dereje was asleep when I handed him off, so I only had to cry over one heartbroken child. Tomorrow sweet Bekeh! Tomorrow you can come with us forever, and I can brush your teeth and bathe your sweet body, and put you in cozy pajamas for the night.
We were all emotionally exhausted following, but we were in for a treat later that night! We attended a Traditional Ethiopian dinner and dance show. It was the most incredible, amazing, unbelievable moving I have ever seen. At one point a woman swings her head around so fast you literally can not see her face or hands anymore. It's was EXACTLY like in a cartoon where it simply becomes a blur. We all had our mouths gaped wide open. It didn't even seem humanly or biologically possible. It was one of the most entertaining 3 hours I have ever sat through. Brooklyn even tried a bit of the injera and beef!

It has been a perfect day, and it's well into the morning now, and we simply can't wait to go back and get our kids. Although, now that I think about it, that three hours was exhausting! Toddlers! Again! Whew, I'm in for it!