Today started early again for Nick and I. After Nick’s big nap yesterday, he hardly slept a wink last night. I got up after midnight and tried skyping with the kids without any luck. I woke up at 5 ish and Y started rolling around 5:40 am when he came searching for his momma again and wrapped his arms around me and held my face next to his. I tried moving my face away a few times to get a little air, but he quickly pulled me close again. He sure knows how to get to me.
Breakfast would have been good, but the dining hall wasn’t opened yet so we snacked on granola bars, beef jerky, and chocolate. I know not really healthy, but what do you do. We eventually got ready and went down for breakfast. Yikealo looked so sharp in his dress shirt and dress pants. He would have preferred his jeans.
After breakfast, I went shopping with the other moms and the dads stayed at the hotel with the kids. A few in our travel group got sick en route. We all are so ready to just get on that plane and come home. It is so hard to run into all the street people begging for food and money. They tell they have no food and that they live in the streets. I am sure it is so true, but we can’t save everyone here. If we gave out money to one person, we would be mobbed. I had no food with me either, so I just had to tell them I was so sorry and keep walking. That is so hard to do.
We made it back in time to get a quick snack and change Yikealo and Nick out of their long sleeve shirts into t shirts. It was too hot to be so formal. Our agency was picking us up at noon and said we would be back by 5:30. We were hoping it wouldn’t really take that long. We did not get lunch as the dining hall doesn’t open til noon when we were scheduled to leave. We are so typical Americans. We sat and complained because we would not get lunch, yet here we are in a country where many may not get food all day many days.
We made it to the US Embassy and it was by far one of the nicer places in Addis. Even the benches inside were granite. Seemed like such a waste in such a poor country. We sat down and within 10 minutes they called our number. We had to approach the window and answer a few questions for the man behind the glass. He said we were all done. The adoption was final and Yikealo would enter the US as a US Citizen. We would not be able to come back and get his papers and passport until Thursday after 10 am. Nick was still trying to figure out how we could fly out Wednesday, but that statement confirmed we won’t be able to leave before Thursday evening.
Yikealo and Nick both fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the hotel. We went up to our room and both boys fell asleep in no time. I tried, but tossed more than anything as the room is so hot. If you are reading this and are still to come for Embassy, bring shorts or capris for in the hotel as you are here way too much. I tried skyping the kids before school, but was not successful. It will be so good to finally be home at the end of the week.
By 5:20 pm we were starving. Nick suggested we just go down anyway and see if they would allow us to eat. The dining hall was scheduled to open at 6 pm. They agreed to let us eat as long as we ordered off the menu as the buffet was not ready until 6 pm. That was ok with us. We had one of the ladies in the restaurant ask Yikealo what he wanted to eat as we are having a tough time figuring that part out. He ordered a traditional beef tibs with injera (the pancake like bread they eat the beef with). It came with onions, green peppers, and tomato slices. Yikealo actually ate the trimmings before he ate the meat. He won’t eat any fruit for me, but he ate peppers and onions. Go figure! A few others from our travel group joined us. Yikealo’s friend ordered the same as him and all the adults ordered French fries with ketchup. I can’t wait for the Producer’s Meeting on Saturday and some real great food. I will sneak Yikealo and I into the kitchen and back out that door if I have too!
We played a little more before retreating to our room for the evening. Nick had to work on his presentation for the meeting Saturday and Yikealo and I read an I Spy book before going to bed around 8:20 pm. Another day down and another day closer to America!!!!!!!!!!!
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