Good News - Doctor Update

We took Akins to the surgeon today to again follow up on his belly button. As you may recall the last visit did not go so well as fluid had built up in the belly that had to be drained and we were told this could recur many times. Well... we go in with much apprehension and are very pleased to say he got an all clear! This resulted in the doctor getting a big high five and us all going out for Sushi tonight to try out the chopsticks and celebrate! 13 sushi rolls later that belly button looked like it had fluid in it!

Words and their meanings

Since there are so many kids coming home soon I thought I would share some words that took some time to understand and translate. Hopefully, this will help some of you as you are getting used to the accent and different word usage. Here we go and remember most words fall off with no ending. For reference listen to Assata on the DVD that I took in August as she sings you will note she does not end the words or rather they all end in a vowel this is true of speaking too. Once you figure this out it gets a little easier.

OUR ENGLISH
Napkin, paper towel, cotton and toilet paper = Tissue (this might also include confusing things that look like tissue or cotton for example cotton candy.
Toilet = cah-mode (camode)
People bad = pooh poohl ba (he says this a lot) we thought it was something entirely different and just figured it out
People = pooh poohl
Fight = Fi
Police, uniformed person = important man or woman (the kids find these people scary at first)
Scary = sharry
Stomache or Belly = gut
Sandals = slippers
Slippers = confusion!
Little = sma (small)
House = How
TV = video
Hair Gel, Lotion = gree (grease)This can also include anything that might be confused as lotion or hair gel like cool whip which got rubbed in his hair and on his face as he delightfully said "gree"
No = Nuk

This post will be a work in progress as I think of words I should be adding. Stay tuned. I wish I had been doing this all along it would have been a great tool and a fun reminder to look back at later.

Chopstick pro!

Lorea returned from her week long trip with a surprise for Akins. Chopsticks to learn to properly eat his sushi. I think the sushi thing is more alive than ever. Yuckie! I must admit he is pretty good at it. Corn and grapes make good practice items!

More AFAA kids are COMING HOME!!!

After more problems than any family should be forced to endure. Ishamel is coming home and there is a chance that Diamond (Angeline) may come home at the same time! This should be the week after Thanskgiving! BIG SIGH!

Additionally, Alomiza got her visa today so she will be coming home at that time with Jacob, Mardia, Felicia, Tarry and Maima.

And last Cheryl is working hard to get Kurker's passport secured tomorrow so that he and Gormah can come home at the same time. Potentially, 10 kids could be coming home by the first of December!!!

We hold our breath for Diamond and Florence, and Jemama and Princess who are awaiting DNA testing.

All the firsts are sooooo rich!

The last couple of days the temps in Oklahoma have dipped below freezing. This would usually be an event that would like of set me off into a bad mood because I am a warm weather gal and winter is not necessarily a good thing for me, but for the firsts...

Lorea is out of town all week and I am playing single mom which means getting both me and Akins ready every day (usually somewhat of a shared task), putting the dogs out in the barn for their day and all that goes with getting the day going. Here's the scene... we head off with cookies (dog treats) in hand to take the dogs out to the barn and I note that the grass is frosted over so I point it out. The face is priceless, the smile, the alarm and puzzlement, the realization that our foot prints show on the grass and finally all of the questions. The point to which he touches it and realizes it is cold. Then the car window is frosted over and the wipers don't even wipe it off. He says, "Mommy, it's cold". Yeah, I know!

Then today again it is cold and following our daily ritual we trek off to take the dogs out. I was talking to him about something, probably that I would beat him there a game we play often and I realize that my breath shows in the air. So, I show him the "smoke" coming out of my mouth and then ask him to try it. Again, the face is priceless, the smile, the alarm and puzzlement, and finally all of the questions always follow. The same thing happens as we go to the car as today I decided to start the car before taking him out because it truly is cold. As we are going out to the car and he passes behind it he notices the exhaust coming out the tail pipe and exclaims "Mommy, see"! I think he thought the car was on fire. Again, Priceless!

Great news for some of the Liberian Kids

Jacob and Mardia going to Jackie and JJ will be coming home soon Visas are approved!

Felicia going to Norma is coming home Visa is approved!

Tarry and Maima are coming home Visa is approved!

Additionally, the consular has agreed to review Ishamel's case again and for the kids that have to have DNA tests, the test kits shipped today!

More on the belly story

There were a couple of funny moments yesterday even though it was kind of bad. Last time we were there which was a good 3 or 4 weeks ago they gave him some stickers for him being good and he got to playing with toys and left the stickers in a truck he was playing with. When we got there this time he immediately went to the toy box and pulled out the truck and said "where are my stickers"? He remembered all this time.

Another funny thing... the doctor is going over the options on how we can remove the fluid building up and she talks really fast. She is describing how we will need help holding him down and she does not want him to see the n..e..e..d..l..e and then she leaves to go get help and as soon as she is gone he says "that doctor is trying to trick me". The boy is so smart there is no pulling anything past him.