An Inspiring Malawian Boy

What a great story....

http://www.good.is/post/african-dynamo/?GT1=48001

Reflections at 6 months

We've been officially waiting 6 months!

(and that doesn't include the 4 months of paperchasing). Realistically, it could be up to a year more until we are matched with our daughter. The current estimated wait time continues to be 12-18 months. That's a LONG wait. I can rationalize it until the cows come home....the boys will be older, Blake will be in preschool, the wait ultimately is what it's supposed to be and leads us to our daughter. Nonetheless, I am by nature an impatient person so it's not easy!

I hereby dedicate these mileposts to all the good memories we've built during that time. So what's happened the last 6 months? A whole lot of good times!

• Spencer turned 4!
• Many trips to our family's beach cabin - building sand castles, digging in the sand, making forts, catching crabs, riding bikes, throwing rocks, campfires and s'mores ...endless fun for the boys and spending time with family and friends
• A trip to the ocean - more of the above!
• A visit from my sister who lives in Europe
• Fun in the sun in Arizona
• Visits to the Zoo
• A trip to Portland to see family
• Waterpark fun
• Countless hours playing outside and having the best summer weather
• Meeting new Ethiopian friends
• Lots of fun with family and friends
• Getting to see your children grow into remarkable little people who are happy and enthusiastic about life

So much to be thankful for...so much to cherish, today.

An Amazing Family

The next time I think I'm busy, I'll think of this family....29 kids, many adopted from Ethiopia. Pretty cool they live in the Seattle-area too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIibuOo3Er4

Shining the light on unethical practices in Ethiopia

We have heard the horror stories about the child being taken from his/her family. Or the misrepresentation to the biological mother that she is simply sending her child off to America to receive a better education and her child will keep in touch and return some day. Or an adoptive family thinking they are the new parents of a healthy child only to find out once he is legally theirs they are facing serious medical concerns and the child faces a shortened lifespan.

All of this has happened....and it's happening in Ethiopia.

There was a recent broadcast by the Australian Broadcast Company questioning the ethics in Ethiopia intercountry adoption. I watched it and was horrified. It specifically called into question the practices of one specific, rather large agency working in Ethiopia. Even though the report did not portray any other agency, you could not watch it without wondering how extensive the concerns are.

Possibly in response to the broadcast, JCICS, the Joint Council on International Children's Services, issued the following statement today:

"Joint Council is well aware of the grave issues relating to intercountry adoption in Ethiopia. Earlier this week, Joint Council initiated an immediate assessment of any possible violations by Adoption Service Providers. Pending review Joint Council will issue a public statement. Any action taken by Joint Council, based on its findings, will be reported to the appropriate authorities."

This is good news. The number of agencies working in Ethiopia has grown dramatically in the last few years. I remain hopeful that JCICS will shine a much-needed light on those that have no place pretending to serve the interests of children and families.

All of this only reinforces the reasons why we chose Children's Home Society. They view adoption as a last resort and have programs in place to keep families together. If adoption is necessary, you can have confidence in their ability to ensure an ethical adoption occurs.

Do Babies Recognize Different Races?

An interesting article....

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214989?GT1=43002

Ignorance

Today, I read this entry and cried. I cried for this family I don't even know. The ignorance and hatred they experienced is almost unimaginable. You know racism exists and that it exists everywhere. You accept that your child will one day face prejudice based on the color of her skin and you plan how you will deal with it - whether a one-person act or systemic discrimination. We are not naive.

What I can't wrap my brain around is this actually happening to us. I honestly don't know what I would do. And this hits close to home. We live in Washington state, which I've always thought of as a diverse, open-minded place to live. We are headed to the Olympic Peninsula in another week for our annual visit. This is where we will bring our daughter each year and what happened scares me.

We have lived a life of privilege. We have not experienced racism because we were born white. We have not had to stare it straight in the eye nor been forced to flee from it.

I pray our child doesn't ever face this level of racism. But we will be prepared to fight if she does.

My Ethiopian Friends

Our daughter will grow up knowing her culture. She will be surrounded by it because it will be part of us. She will also be surrounded by Ethiopian family who will teach her what we cannot. I have been fortunate enough to become friends with two wonderful women who are Ethiopian, Almaz and Messi.

Messi just got back from visiting her family in Addis and she invited me to her home on Saturday. I could not have anticipated what I was about to experience.

Messi was dressed in a beautiful formal Ethiopian dress which is worn for holidays or church. I met her roommate, Sani, (she has two and her second roommate arrived later) and immediately realized I was going to be treated to much more than a casual get-together.

I sat down to watch some of the various DVD's Messi had brought home to show me. They were of Ethiopian musicians singing and dancing with beautiful scenes of Ethiopia in the backdrop. Messi and Sani were both very busy in the kitchen and I suddenly was glad I hadn't eaten lunch yet because I realized they were preparing a lot of food. They served Injera with Doro Wat and Tibs. It was very delicious (and a little comical when I took a bite of a half of jalapeno (I am a complete wimp with spice!)).

Next they served what they described as their "popcorn." It was a blend of all sorts of yummy nuts and grains. While eating, we spent time talking about the Ethiopian culture (including their wedding customs (which, by the way, spans 2 weeks and typically includes about 1,500 people at the ceremony). Then they presented me with gifts they had brought back for me from Addis. They were so gracious. And lastly, I got to experience the coffee ceremony. I felt very honored.

We sat and chatted for a couple of hours and all I could think of was that our daughter will grow up with a strong connection to her heritage. These friends are so proud of their heritage, and I walked away feeling happy that their arms will be spread wide to receive our daughter.