Amazing!

Girum, in Amharic, means "amazing."  And I have just been blessed to experience his amazing-ness!

For the past five or so days, I have been knocked-out, sick.  Horrible stuff.  Honestly, it was nearly as bad as the aftermath of chemotherapy.  For one of those days, Rob was at church playing drums.  For another, he was at work.  I thought that I was on my own, but... not really.

The amazing Girumy came in to me, several times throughout the nights of feverish sweating, to pray over me and kiss me.  The kid would just come in, put his hands on me, pray, kiss me and go back to bed.  In a few hours, he'd be back, doing the same thing.  Amazing!

The child prepared and served five meals for himself and his siblings, whilst I was writhing in discomfort.  I mean, they had fruit and graham crackers for every one of those meals, but... who cares?  I didn't have to move and the kids were satisfied.  Amazing!

On one of my innumerable trips back and forth to my bed, I saw that Girumy and Ty were sweeping the house.  G said, "MamA!  We're doing the work so that you can rest!"  Amazing!

Thank you, God, for this blessing!

A very Wetzbergindian Christmas

We began the festivities with a wonderful worship service at church.  It was possibly the best that I have ever attended in life.  And thankfully, the kids held it together... although another five minutes and we would have had a disaster on our hands.

Then we came home with our friends to a very traditional Christmas Eve supper of soup and sandwiches... tasty, and just right for this vegetarian crowd.

And then we woke up the children at midnight for Happy Birthday Jesus cheesecake.

This Christmas morning, we had a lovely all-house brunch to the tunes of the Cambridge Boys' Choir, followed by an all-house, plus some, dinner (Again, oh so traditional!  Japanese gyoza, Korean beef, Indian vegetables...).  And then the show:

Calling for the census

Mary, riding the donkey, with the baby on her belly.  We had to make some changes for propriety's sake!

Crazy baby J

The angel announcing the Good News to the shepherds and their sheep

Said shepherd and his sheep

Receiving his gifts from the wise people.  Notice the gift of gold (and green) that the baby received!

God, thank you!

Harvest Monday

Sprouts!  

Check out Daphne's Dandelions to see what others are harvesting!

Around here

Paper-skating

Representing Wolaitta

Representing Sidama

Reading... we have just begun French!

More reading

Girumy has begun sous-chef training

Throwing paper death-stars with MattMatt

My Ty

So, in our reading, we've recently been going through some main points in history: The kids have been introduced to the world wars and all of their destruction.  Now, couple that with the children's obsession with planes since our trip to Ethiopia and the consequent books on flight that I've checked out from the library.  It has been intense.

The other night at dinner, Girumy was asking everyone which was his/her favorite kind of plane.  Rob casually said, "Fighter jets."  Now, during our reading about wars, my growing pacifism has come out and clearly affected the children because Ty responded to Rob's opinion with a seriously dirty look.  He then leaned his head on his hand and turned his back on Rob.  Ty was appalled.  Rob went on to explain that he really likes how quickly they can fly and that is why he said that he likes fighter jets.  Ty's disgust wasn't assuaged.

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A few days ago, I was telling the kids that I was going to make meat for some dinner guests.  Ty gave me a dirty, confused look and said, "No, you can't."  I explained that I wasn't going to eat it, but just prepare it.  "You can't.  You don't like meat.  You can't."  Ah, the black and white world of a four year old!

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Today, Ty was retelling MattMatt about everything that he had eaten in Ethiopia... the macaroni and cheese which made him vomit, pizza, lots of wat and injera...  And then Matt asked him if he had eaten any cheeseburgers.  "What's a cheeseburger?" asked my sweet veggie-centric baby!  And it was Uncle Matty's turn to be appalled.

My horses

Since I can't have the real deal, my children are obliging...

This is Sham, the trusty, huggable trail horse

And this is my dear, my favorite Maverick (O!  The memories!)

He says he is a Lipizzan, but, uh... well, we have our work cut out for us.

What the children have been saying

Girumy was STARING at our young friend, E, at dinner.  "Do you know why I am looking at you, E.?" asked he.  "Because I am going to marry you."

After reading the Bible, I was asking the kids if they had the Holy Spirit to help them obey.  Sophie exclaimed, "I have eggs!" And Ty said, "And I have those little things that swim!" Oh man!  The previous day's introduction to the reproductive system finally clicked with them.

"What is going to happen with those mozzarella stick things down here (pointing to his abdomen) if I eat a lot?" asked G.  I had no clue.  In frustration, G took out the encyclopedia and found the page with the enlarged view of intestinal E. coli bacteria.  Indeed, they look like technicolor mozzarella sticks!

Sophie-Ona, while praying for a distressed friend the other day, said, "God, please help Mrs. _ and Madagascar.  In Jesus' name, Amen." Why Madagascar?  I have no idea!