Glimpses

I often wonder how much we'll learn about the girls' life in Ethiopia as language barriers come down. Nebyat is old enough to remember and she does. The wonderful employees at the guest house where we stayed in Ethiopia discussed with her briefly her Ethiopian family. She told them about having other sisters (we've learned since passing court that there are 3 more siblings, 3 sisters - one of whom is married with a child of her own). They asked her if she missed her sisters and she said no, but that she did miss her mom. I cannot even begin to imagine how she's processing everything that has transpired and it breaks my heart not to be able to fully communicate about these things with her. To be quite honest, sometimes I feel completely incompetent - those feelings come when I get frustrated and deal poorly with my own inability to find a way to comfort them and resolve their momentary breakdowns. Adoption parenting comes with new challenges, I just pray and know that if I allow Him, God will heal us all and provide the path for that.

Yesterday, the girls and I took a walk down to the Marine Science Museum, watched the seals in the outdoor pool, and then went inside to check on family memberships. We discovered an awesome play area that's outside the ticket-required area and we stopped to play. They had a restaurant area - with refrigerator, stove, table and all kinds of play food, dishes, cups, etc. In another area, they had some hanging netting, and in yet another, a tub with magnetic fish and fishing poles. Nebyat immediately set to straightening the kitchen area. She cleared everything and organized it in the stove and refrigerator. She then set up a complete coffee ceremony for her sister,me, and herself. She then put all the loose rugs in the room beneath the two netted areas and told us that we should lay on the rugs to sleep. She, at one point, "caught" all the fish in the tub and put them in bowls for us to eat. It really did feel like a glimpse...

Tonight as we had some visitors, Nebyat ran around chasing the 2 and 3 year old boys. I sat on the couch and Jetu brought over a truck and lifted my foot into the back of it. She had a little pouch and she pretended to be getting soap from it and proceeded to pretend to wash my feet. It was very sweet - another glimpse?....

The girls made a makeshift bed playing yesterday and had all of their stuffed bears lay next to one another spooning like, it makes me wonder about Nebyat's insistence that she sleep with mommy...