My Brothers, Arnold and David

How lucky am I?  Not only do I have the coolest sister out there, but I have two half brothers, Arnold and David who I think are the bees knees.  Arnold is 8 and VERY tall, and VERY sharp and kind.  David is 6 and tall, and smart and active and fun and loving.  It's amazing.  I haven't spent that much time with them, but we seem to share quite a bond when we do spend time together and we all feel very comfortable with each other.  They are also really nice and patient with Shei Shei, which I really appreciate. 

They live together in a family style house that is actually an orphanage.  But, it's pretty cool and Mommy seems to be pretty impressed with the organization that works with them and pretty relieved to think that Arnold and David have got a secure, good, loving, safe environment that they are growing up in.  After all....we are all family and now Mommy considers these boys to be part of her family too....so we want to be sure that we are all taken care of.   If you are interested in the very cool organization that runs the home they are living in, check out this link:  http://www.swtz.org/   It's a very cool place and the directors are two very great women. 

I'm so glad that Mommy seems to be so taken with Arnold and David because I really really like them too.  It's cool to have two older brothers to look up to and who give me attention and play with me.  I didn't want them to leave today. 

Today they came over to our house and we watched Disney movies, played with toys inside, ran around outside for some fun with Twiga our dog, and went out for pizza for lunch.  I'm hoping to see them again soon....maybe in two weekends.  Mommy has to check with the directors to see what Arnold and Davids schedules are like.  But, hopefully I'll see them again soon.  Can't wait!!

Henry and Elijah's house....

Shei Shei and I were invited to a playdate at Henry and Elijah's house this morning.  Wow....there are SO MANY toys there.  He has everything in the world...and about 100 of each thing.  I was overwhelmed with all the choices of things to play with.  I played with lots of his toy cars....and the ball car.....and my favorite....the tricycle!

But, I was still good at being polite, going potty in the toilet and every few minutes I would leave what I was doing to check on my sister and make sure she was faring allright.  She did just fine for herself though....no need to worry!

When it was time to go Mommy asked me if I was ready to go home and get lunch.  I answered quite simply, "no thank you".  Unfortunately for me, Mommy has  more minimalist approach to toys so while I certainly have toys at home, I do not have nearly the selection that Henry does to choose from....it was tough to give up all those cars!

Yesterday a lizard, today a penguin....what's tomorrow??

I love to become different animals.  My current favorite is a lizard.  Here in East Africa we have a LOT of lizards in our homes.  They climb the wall, live behind our curtains and light fixtures....just waiting for a bug to come along and make their dinner.  Mommy is NOT a fan.  But, I think they are cool....and I always want to be one.  If no one will play with me, then I take one leg and one arm and place them on the wall, and one arm and one leg go on the floor and then I crawl/hop along the side of the wall and floor sticking my tongue out like a lizard.  However, sometimes I can get Mommy or Uncle Gogo to play.  Then, they pick me up and I get to climb the wall just like a lizard. 

Today I am a penguin.  I stand very straight with my legs together and my arms straight beside me.  And, then.....I do a penguin walk that Mommy and Uncle Gogo showed me.  Everything stay straight and I waddle back and forth....but only for a minute or two....then I start laughing hysterically.  I try to hold out....really I do, but it's SO FUNNY! 

Tomorrow I can't decide what I will be.  Maybe more of the lizard as this is my favorite animal to immitate.  Or maybe....hmmmmm......a baboon.  Mommy already has been telling me for a year now that I'm her mischevious monkey....I'm just trying to live up to expectations.

Football with Twiga and annoying sisters!!!

Today was just another day at home.  We are trying to take as much advantage of the garden as we can since we probably won't have another garden like this to play in for a very long time.  Twiga loves loves LOVES to play in the garden too. 

Today we spent the afternoon in a game of football with Uncle Gogo.  We had lots of fun.  Twiga is very fun to play with.

Then there is my sister.  Now, I love her....I really do.  And, I like to play with her, really.  But, not ALL THE TIME!  She never ever leaves me alone, even for a second.  She follows me everywhere, hangs on me constantly and ALWAYS wants to play with whichever toy it is I'm trying to play with. 

She is trying to walk these days, and I'm trying to help her.  But, even when I walk away from practice, she won't let me go.  Tonight, she pulled down my pajama bottoms when I trid to walk away.  Let go Shei Shei, let go!

Rainy days at home

Today is a big day.  I am 28 months old today.  I was 14 months when I came to live with my Mommy.  That means that today can mark the very special time in an adoptive child's life when they have lived with their forever family as long as they have not.  I'm so happy to have found my forever family. 

In other news....today Aiden and I had a long overdue playdate.  Aiden got pretty ill over the holiday period with croup and an ear infection.  Between that and all our holiday events and travels we haven't been able to see him much. 

Also, it rained today.  It poured today.  There was thunder and lightening like none any of us have ever experienced.  Mommy and Aunti Alex were even a little scared.  Twiga had an accident in the house she was so scared.  I was taking a nap, when the loudest thunder I have ever heard woke me up....and lightening was right outside my window.  I was soooo scared and I started to cry hysterically.  Luckily Mommy came right in and got me up....and she let me cry on her lap and snuggle for a while.  I'm really glad I have a Mommy to snuggle with when I get scared.

Before the crazy storms of today, Aiden and I had a very fun playdate.  Thanks for coming over and playing Aiden and Linda.  See you soon!!!

New Developments

I just thought it a good day to record the new things I'm doing. 

I'm talking up a storm.  Sentences are now being used.  I have graduated from simply yelling no when I don't want something or Shei Shei is bothering me or Mommy is asking if I have to go potty, to (most of the time) quietly and politely saying 'no thank you'.  People are impressed with my good manners. 

I really have never been a big fan of puzzles or stack toys etc....they frustrate me very easily.  However, I really love to play make believe games and spend much of my day doing that.  I take any bag I can fnd and pretend it is a purse like Mommy has, put it on my arm and say 'goodbye Mommy....work' and then go to my toy truck or my rocking horse and ride off into the sunset to work.  I show my dolly how to potty on the potty chair, eat from the high chair and drive cars all day long.  I like to drink tea with anyone who is willing.  I fly on airplanes and go on safaris to visit the monkeys and elalas regularly.  My life is filled with make believe drama and I love it. 

I had some set backs on my potty training in December due to the amount of travel.  It became hard for me to remember when to ask to go potty and when we were on a road trip and I had a diaper on.  It was too confusing and I had a lot of accidents when we returned home. This week, with our routines back in place and a bit of normal life again....I'm doing much better.  An accident every few days or so....but generally I can remember and hold it.  I really love pooping in the potty chair and talk a lot TO my poop...."goodbye poop.  Thank you poop.  Sorry popp."  You get it.  Mommy sits with me in the bathroom when I go potty and we can have 5 minute conversations regarding my poop.  When Uncle Gogo hears them from the living room, he shouts, "too much information."  He is a party pooper!  Get it??

I can count to 10 and know many of my colors, blue, orange, red etc.  I sort of sing the ABC song, though the letters between E and V are sort of hit and miss.  But, I LOVE ABCandD and WXYZ are big winners as well. 

Mommy had my hair cut again today.  She took me to a special salon where they don't use buzz clippers.  Those things freak me out and take way too much hair off.  My hair is a bit short, but basically the cut came out well and Mommy was pleased.  I was still nervous in the chair though.  Mommy sat me down and the lady put the towel around my neck and I started to cry.  Mommy said, "Aki, don't you want to get your hair cut?" and I, in my most quiet and polite little voice said, "No thank you Mama".  That usually works for me....but she made me get my hair cut anyway....what went wrong???

Santa's tea

Auntie Alex gave me a wonderful belated Christmas gift.  I LOVE it!  I have my very own tea cup.  Mommy says I'm too young to have actual tea, but I get to have water in my tea cup while Mommy has tea and we can sit and drink it together.  Also....it has Santa on it!!!  I am so in love with my tea cup I want to take it everywhere with me.  I can't wait for next year to leave Santa tea in a Santa cup!  Thanks Auntie Alex....you're the coolest!!

Happy New Year!

We had a belated toast to the new year tonight, with real champagne glasses and everything.  We clinked our glasses, said cheers and drank some fabulous tasting....sparkling apple cider. 

So happy new year to Mommy, Uncle Gogo, Shei Shei, Twiga and all of you!

Ndarakwai

Ndarakwai is the name of a Christmas tree in Swahili....and it is also the name of the farm where our family rang in the New Year of 2010. 

What a fun time we had!  We ate the most yummy food, and I couldn't get enough of it.  We went on games drives, both during the day and at night and saw lots of different animals. 

We stayed in tented campsites.  There is no electricity or running water but you never feel like you are sacrificing.  Whenever we wanted a shower all we had to do was ask and hot water was delivered.  There is a bucket which hangs above the shower room of the tent, on a rope pully.  When it is filled, and pulled up on the rope pulley, it works perfectly as a shower giving a 10 to 15 minute hot shower.  The beautiful laterns that light up the entire camp at night make you realize that electricity is highly overrated.  How lovely to be without all the trappings that electricty can bring....Mommy didn't once stop paying attention to me and Shei Shei to bother with her silly computer.  Full attention was paid to simply being a family.  We sat by the fire and played and talked at night....we ran through the camp and played with the monkeys during the day.

And, speaking of monkeys....there were so many families of monkeys and baboons around.  One even visited our tent early on new years day.  Mommy and I went to sleep in our tent and woke up around 8am to a monkey poking his little hand through our tent window looking for goodies.  A few minutes later, our tea and cookies arrived at our tent, so we went out on the veranda and had our tea (well, Mommy had tea and I had mango juice) and watched our monkeys in the tree until it was time to join Shei Shei and Uncle Gogo for breakfast. 

What a great way to start our new year....I know it's going to be a special one.  Mommy says that we have no idea what the future is going to hold...but she has a really good feeling about it.  So do I....