Safari

We went on a short family safari today to view the animals at Arusha National Park. We saw so many animals....Buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, baboon, monkey, dik dik, quail, flamingo....how much fun! I got really tired on the drive home though...and had to take a rest.

The Moon

The moon has finally come back to visit us. I've been looking for her every night but Mommy tells me that she is very busy and is visiting other families too. Tonight she finally came back to see me! I was soo happy and excited to see the moon again. Thank you for visiting moon....I hope you'll be back again soon!

Happy Birthday Bestamom!

It is a VERY special person's birthday today! My Bestamom! I didn't even know I was going to get the chance to have a Bestamom.....and now I have the best one in the whole world.

I'm going to get off the computer now and call her on Skype to wish her a Happy Birthday!

One Big Happy Family...

....All on Mommy's lap. She strong, she can handle it right?

Busy does not even cover it!

Today was quite a day. The day started like all the others, we had our morning play time, breakfast and Mommy went to work. She came home near lunch time...and then the chaos started. We rushed around to get lunch ready and then went to pick up Mama Lillian for lunch. I got to see my Aunt and we took some photos all together at Mama Lillian's house. Since she is being evicted, she probably won't live there much longer and so Mommy wanted to have photos of the place where Mama Lillian lived when I was born.

After we all had lunch, Mommy wanted to make a video with Mama Lillian, asking her all kinds of questions about my family and where I come from and for some messages from Mama Lillian to me that I can watch in years to come. Then, before we dropped Mama Lillian off, we went by the lawyers office so her could meet her. After dropping her at home, I took a quick nap and then off we went to afternoon baby group. Clara Shei came with and it was lots of fun tormenting Mommy. She was trying to manage both of us, and we had so much fun teasing her and whining and crying. I kept trying to go down to the gate where all the cars are and trying to figure out how to get out of the gate...this kept Mommy pretty busy and it was PRETTY FUNNY! I laughed.....a LOT!

Tonight we had a nice evening at home with a fire in the fireplace and all the family together...just the way I like it.

Newly Reformed Avocado Lover

Last week I hated this green, mushy substance that my Mom has been trying to stuff into my mouth since I was 14 months old in hopes I would like it as its supposed to be some sort of wonder food. This week, however, I have decided that I LOVE avocado. Put some tomatoes and some avocado on basically ANYTHING and I'll eat it!

Yay for super healthy food!!

Jane

Just thought I'd show you all Jane, our nanny who takes good care of us during the day (though Mommy can ALWAYS find something she would like done just a bit better).

Turtle pajamas

My Bestamom and Grandad sent me these turtle pajamas a while ago and I just love them. Mommy was confused for a bit and kept calling them dinosaurs. But, I set her straight. They are sooo clearly turtles with a funny ruffle on their back! Seriously.....you have to teach these grown ups everything!

I have learned what the color blue is. So, now I doubly like to wear these pjs. They have turtles all over them and they are blue! So many conversation topics for one little pair of PJs!

Scenes from a Sunday Afternoon Pizza Party

Party for Ester

My friend, Ester is going to turn 8 in June. Her uncle is visiting now from Belgium, and so her Mommy threw her a surprise party. It was lots of fun. My friend Aiden was there, and I always have fun when he's around. Also, Auntie Alex and Linda were there and I sure love to see them. I hope Ester enjoyed her surprise today! Thanks for having us over for your great party!



Another big event happened today. Mommy got me my very own potty seat. So, now I can sit like a big boy on the big boy potty! Wow....I really am growing up. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go potty IN the potty quite yet. But....I'm sure am talking about it and thinking about it a whole lot. And, I had a very fun time trying out my very own potty seat!

Finding Nema

Today was fun. It was Shei Shei's 6 month birthday, so Mommy, Uncle Gogo, Shei Shei and I went out for a fun afternoon lunch. First though, we stopped by the clinic so that Shei Shei could get weighed quickly. While we were there, we ran into Nema. Nema was a little girl that Mommy thought she wanted to adopt when Davona kept telling her about me. Silly Mommy thought she wanted someone else. Luckily, fate, Davon and myself kept Mommy from making a really terrible mistake and passing me by. And, now all is right with the world. When last we saw Nema she was leaving the orphanage with a distant uncle....but it did not look like she was going to the best circumstances, and we were a little worried about what might become of her.

Today, she was out with a prospective adoptive Mom! She looked happy and healthy and we were really happy to see that she was well. Things work out exactly as they should in the end. Nema will hopefully find a very happy life in her new family....and our family is happy and healthy and bonding together quite nicely, wouldn't you say?

Jeremiah - of the Wairaqi tribe

Jeremiah is my new lawyer! I'm really excited and Mommy is really relieved. He is a very nice man and is of the Wairaqi tribe in northern Tanzanian, known as a very nice people.

Yay for us! Good luck Jeremiah....do us proud, represent me well! He is going to speak with Mr Panga, our social worker tomorrow (also of the Wairaqi tribe, but Jeremiah is Panga's elder!)

Wish him luck...wish us luck! Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Linda!

I don't know if its possible to explain how much this special woman has helped me since I came to my forever home. When I first came home with Mommy, we didn't have many things to help me out. There aren't a lot of kid 'things' to buy in Arusha....and everything from bottles to sippy cups to clothes to toys were needed. And, it was hard to find. Linda is a Mommy...and she's one of my friends Mommies....and she's my Mommy's friend. And, it's easy to see why. She's a very kind and generous person. She and Aiden let me borrow so many things until Mommy was able to go shopping in the US to get me some stuff. She has always been supportive, always been there to lend a hand, or a car seat, or find a doctor's number for Mommy when she is panicked that I'm sick. I could go on and on....but sufficed to say that it's not easy to adopt or be adopted in Eastern Africa without family or access to much. And, Mommy and I agree....Linda and her family have been a life line for us. We could thank her a million times over and it would not be enough.

Yesterday was her Birthday. Mommy was out with her to celebrate it, which is why I didn't blog yesterday. I just wanted to take the opportunity today to wish her a very very happy birthday!

I've got a good feeling about this...

Today Mommy woke up as stressed out as she went to sleep. However, by the end of the day she had come home a lot less stressed out. She met with a lawyer today and she has some high hopes for him. She hasn't hired him yet. Tomorrow she has another meeting with him to determine if he will be the right man for the job, but so far, she's pretty pleased. He's an older Tanzanian, true gentleman. He works out of an old office building in the older section of the city, serving mainly the Arushan people who are really in need. He is from the same tribe as Mr. Panga, my social worker and he is Mr. Panga's elder....thus, Panga owes him respect. Further, he is on the church council and prayer group with my Judge. Hmmmm.....sounds like a match made in heaven.

We'll see tomorrow.....stay tuned.

Ready for the adoption process to be over

I really hope that things go well and this process is all over on 2 June. It is making Mommy very cranky and absent minded. Her mind is always elsewhere and she is very distracted. I miss my fun Mommy who plays with me.

All weekend she has been worried about the adoption and about the lawyer. Brooke, our lawyer up until now is not working out for many reasons. But, the end result is that Mommy is VERY unhappy with her. This wouldn't be a problem except that we do need to find another lawyer very quickly. There is one lawyer, Duncan, who we could choose, except that he is just as crooked at the rest of the system and rather than helping us navigate it with as much integrity as possible, Mommy is afraid that he will be bargaining with all the corrupt officials and trying to get in on the deals. There is another lawyer, who was recommended and sounds like he might be exactly what we are looking for, but Mommy doesn't have a number for him and is having trouble locating him. hmmmm....such dilemmas.

So....it's a bit distracting at the moment. Sorry for the lack of photos and updates. Until 2 June things might be a bit sparse on the blog. Somethings gotta give!!!

Baby group with my baby sister

Mommy and I went to MY baby group today...and you know who came with? Clara Shei. I don't know about this. I am willing to share a lot of things with her, but BABY GROUP??? REALLY??? Seems unfair.

It was a really small one today....at Sophia's house with Aiden, Sam and myself present. Sophia has a sandbox....which was pretty fun to play in. Aiden and I are really quite a pair. We love to get into mischief and where one of us is, you will find the other. I call his name out all the time now....I really think Aiden is super cool to hang out with.

My talking skills are coming along so well, Mommy can't even keep up with how many words I can say now. I add a few to my vocabulary nearly every day. My new favorite thing is, as it is getting to be dusk, I call out "moon...moon", and I want someone to take me outside to find the moon. Then I am happy and can continue with my bedtime routine.