Our AFAA friend Jody sent several music CD's and a couple of Videos from Gift and Assata's collection. The following is the reaction to them! I would say they are a hit!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Funny Things
This morning Akins comes and crawls in bed, but he forgets to close his bedroom door so Canola aka Scoobie who now sleeps in his room inside his Spiderman fort comes down the hall and gets onto the bed too. She gets easily excited so she is sniffing his feet and he says "stop picking your nose with my feet"! Okay, I'm awake now because I can't stop laughing.
There are lots of things that he says "when I get bigger I will"...
- ride your motorcycle
- ride the school bus
- drive your big truck
We were in traffic today and you know how people push up the lane that is closed and then get in front of everyone else. Lorea was getting irritated and Akins says "shove all of them in the grass". I said "Lorea wants to" and he says "do it"! Then I explain to him that the important man will come and he says "he will take Lorea to jail". Before I can say "no" a police car comes and gets onto the highway Akins says "he coming to get Lorea". I said "no, good thing she didn't push them in the grass huh"?
A week or so ago Akins was wanting me to drive really fast and again I explained that the important man will give a ticket. He says "when I get bigger I will drive fast and run away from the important man". So, imagine his surprise when I show him that cars have plates on them that can tell the important man where someone lives. He hasn't quite figured out how to out run that one.
There are lots of things that he says "when I get bigger I will"...
- ride your motorcycle
- ride the school bus
- drive your big truck
We were in traffic today and you know how people push up the lane that is closed and then get in front of everyone else. Lorea was getting irritated and Akins says "shove all of them in the grass". I said "Lorea wants to" and he says "do it"! Then I explain to him that the important man will come and he says "he will take Lorea to jail". Before I can say "no" a police car comes and gets onto the highway Akins says "he coming to get Lorea". I said "no, good thing she didn't push them in the grass huh"?
A week or so ago Akins was wanting me to drive really fast and again I explained that the important man will give a ticket. He says "when I get bigger I will drive fast and run away from the important man". So, imagine his surprise when I show him that cars have plates on them that can tell the important man where someone lives. He hasn't quite figured out how to out run that one.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Domestic Re-Adoption... CHECK
Okay, yesterday brought the process of the journey one step closer to conclusion. After a couple of setbacks we had our day in Oklahoma Court (or the Judge's Chambers as it was). With Akins crawling around on the floor and building a cave out of all of the chairs in the Judge's office, I was sworn in, to which Akins says "why are you holding your fingers up", (Judge laughs), my attorney (well the husband of the attorney which I hired which left to become an ADA, which... never mind), asked me several questions mostly date related about the Liberian adoption, Junior's birthdate (as established), when were all parental rights terminated, etc. etc. Then the Judge asked for two things to put the package completely together, 1) add the request for a birth certificate to the final order so a BC would automatically be sent to both her office and me, and 2) a breakdown of the total costs. She said that she would grant the request for the re-adpotion and name change based on these things being delivered. From this point on Junior was referred to as Akins.
The attorney said he would get the forms to her and signed off by Friday. Next steps... waiting on the birth certificate (she said it takes forever) and getting the social security office to change his name. Then...sigh we are really done! Well, except for a lifetime of parenting. :)
The attorney said he would get the forms to her and signed off by Friday. Next steps... waiting on the birth certificate (she said it takes forever) and getting the social security office to change his name. Then...sigh we are really done! Well, except for a lifetime of parenting. :)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Future Candidates and the fight for Liberia
A Message from One.Org
Last week, President Bush began his trip to five African nations and we began an unprecedented campaign to urge the presidential candidates to pledge to visit Africa in their first term.
We set an aggressive goal of 50,000 petition signatures and you smashed right through it. Now we're getting close to our new goal of 80,000 signatures. But we only have until Thursday, when the president gets back,to finish this campaign and deliver the petitions to the candidates.
Click below to add your name to the petition and send the message that the next president needs to pledge to visit Africa in his or her first term and commit to strengthening U.S. cooperation with the nations and people of Africa--cooperation that is achieving real results.
http://onevote08.org/ontherecord/visitafrica/o.pl/?id=242-3683323-loOv8A&t=2
The petition is direct and simple:
As a voter in the 2008 Presidential election, I'm asking you to pledge
to visit Africa during your first term in office. It is my hope that
your trip will increase U.S.-African cooperation, save lives and help
build a better, more secure future for millions of the world's poorest
people.
After you sign the petition, check out the ONE Blog, which is following this trip closely, with on-the-ground coverage and analysis from leaders like Senator Dick Durbin, Michael Gerson and Bob Geldof.
Our own Taylor Royle is traveling with the White House press corps and filed this report from Rwanda:
This morning in Kigali, Rwanda, I attended two events: first, a roundtable discussion on education with First Lady Laura Bush, First Lady Jeannette Kagame and a group of Rwandan schoolgirls...
The schoolgirls at the roundtable were very nervous, but they each stood up and told Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Kagame their stories. Their ages ranged from 16 to 18 and they all came from families who could not afford to pay for their schooling. Each girl was a beneficiary of the African Education Initiative--in other words, your tax dollars and mine put these girls in school. And that was an amazing thing to see.
Education for girls in poor countries means that they are much more likely to earn decent wages as adults and much less likely to become infected with HIV. Mrs. Bush asked them if they all knew how to prevent AIDS: they all said they did.
One other thing that surprised me: more than half of the girls were heading to universities to study physics or chemistry...
Now I am back in the White House press corps filing center. It's funny to listen to the TV and radio reporters filing their stories. Surely they have seen many interesting things on this trip so far--but all of them are talking about the bed net factory they visited yesterday. They are amazed that children die from malaria transmitted by mosquito bites, that something as simple as an insecticide treated bed net can save lives...and that the United States is not only saving lives by buying these bed nets for families--we are also providing jobs to the workers in the factory and better lives for their families as well.
Taylor's post shows us what the Africa of the future can be. The best traditions of American leadership and generosity can bring us closer to a day when many more young women are university-bound and no one in Rwanda or anywhere else in Africa lives in fear of a lethal mosquito bite.
Send a message to the presidential candidates that we want the next president--no matter who that is--to commit to visiting Africa during his or her first term.
http://onevote08.org/ontherecord/visitafrica/o.pl/?id=242-3683323-loOv8A&t=5
Next time I write to you, the president will be back in Washington and these petitions will be in the hands of the presidential candidates. Thank you for helping us to finish strong and make sure that the next occupant of the Oval Office is an ally in ending extreme poverty and global disease in Africa and throughout the world.
Thank you for your voice,
Josh Peck, ONE.org
The "Ask The Presidential Candidates To Visit Africa" campaign is brought to you by ONE Action. Only 501(c)(3) activities are funded by The ONE Campaign.
Last week, President Bush began his trip to five African nations and we began an unprecedented campaign to urge the presidential candidates to pledge to visit Africa in their first term.
We set an aggressive goal of 50,000 petition signatures and you smashed right through it. Now we're getting close to our new goal of 80,000 signatures. But we only have until Thursday, when the president gets back,to finish this campaign and deliver the petitions to the candidates.
Click below to add your name to the petition and send the message that the next president needs to pledge to visit Africa in his or her first term and commit to strengthening U.S. cooperation with the nations and people of Africa--cooperation that is achieving real results.
http://onevote08.org/ontherecord/visitafrica/o.pl/?id=242-3683323-loOv8A&t=2
The petition is direct and simple:
As a voter in the 2008 Presidential election, I'm asking you to pledge
to visit Africa during your first term in office. It is my hope that
your trip will increase U.S.-African cooperation, save lives and help
build a better, more secure future for millions of the world's poorest
people.
After you sign the petition, check out the ONE Blog, which is following this trip closely, with on-the-ground coverage and analysis from leaders like Senator Dick Durbin, Michael Gerson and Bob Geldof.
Our own Taylor Royle is traveling with the White House press corps and filed this report from Rwanda:
This morning in Kigali, Rwanda, I attended two events: first, a roundtable discussion on education with First Lady Laura Bush, First Lady Jeannette Kagame and a group of Rwandan schoolgirls...
The schoolgirls at the roundtable were very nervous, but they each stood up and told Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Kagame their stories. Their ages ranged from 16 to 18 and they all came from families who could not afford to pay for their schooling. Each girl was a beneficiary of the African Education Initiative--in other words, your tax dollars and mine put these girls in school. And that was an amazing thing to see.
Education for girls in poor countries means that they are much more likely to earn decent wages as adults and much less likely to become infected with HIV. Mrs. Bush asked them if they all knew how to prevent AIDS: they all said they did.
One other thing that surprised me: more than half of the girls were heading to universities to study physics or chemistry...
Now I am back in the White House press corps filing center. It's funny to listen to the TV and radio reporters filing their stories. Surely they have seen many interesting things on this trip so far--but all of them are talking about the bed net factory they visited yesterday. They are amazed that children die from malaria transmitted by mosquito bites, that something as simple as an insecticide treated bed net can save lives...and that the United States is not only saving lives by buying these bed nets for families--we are also providing jobs to the workers in the factory and better lives for their families as well.
Taylor's post shows us what the Africa of the future can be. The best traditions of American leadership and generosity can bring us closer to a day when many more young women are university-bound and no one in Rwanda or anywhere else in Africa lives in fear of a lethal mosquito bite.
Send a message to the presidential candidates that we want the next president--no matter who that is--to commit to visiting Africa during his or her first term.
http://onevote08.org/ontherecord/visitafrica/o.pl/?id=242-3683323-loOv8A&t=5
Next time I write to you, the president will be back in Washington and these petitions will be in the hands of the presidential candidates. Thank you for helping us to finish strong and make sure that the next occupant of the Oval Office is an ally in ending extreme poverty and global disease in Africa and throughout the world.
Thank you for your voice,
Josh Peck, ONE.org
The "Ask The Presidential Candidates To Visit Africa" campaign is brought to you by ONE Action. Only 501(c)(3) activities are funded by The ONE Campaign.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Six Months - Hard to Believe
Yesterday earmarked the six month point of Akins coming home. It sure has flown by. It is amazing to think of the journey from the beginning to now and what all has been accomplished and then to ponder what might be to come. To summarize things would be impossible as the list is simply too long but to make it fun here are some of the highlights from my perspective (not necessarily all fun parts of the journey and not necessarily in any particular order):
- The relief to learn that Akins had told the other kids that he would be sitting on his American mother's lap and that they were to stay away from me, thus putting many of my fears of what if he doesn't like me to rest.
- A very dark August 8th night taking a scared little boy into the night and into my arms away from everything he knew.
- The feeling of being a scared new mother.
- The fear of leaving Africa without the small boy that had called me Mommy for a week and the absolute relief when the Consular said "I have thought about this all day and I am going to grant this visa because I do not know what will happen to this boy if I don't".
- A thirty hour trip on three different airplanes.
- The sound of hearing me say "this is my son".
- Numerous doctors’ visits including two umbilical and one circumcision surgery.
- Two day care and one pre-school change.
- The first "Mommy I love you".
- A truckload of chicken consumed.
- Lights and flushing still a challenge to stop obsessing at times.
- Screaming at the introduction to the dogs.
- Relief the first time he touched one of the dogs.
- Frustration and confusion when we could not understand each other.
- Finally settling on the proper way to say his new name and the sadness I realize when I know how much he associates with the name Junior.
- The first hint of discrimination when an older man gave us a very disapproving look and the feeling of fear for what may come down the road.
- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the first snow and fires in the fireplace.
- Bikes, trikes, cars, jeeps, toys and clothes.
- Shopping for the first time.
- Seatbelts and the relief when the fear ended.
- Swimming lessons and the pool.
- Lots of singing, playing lots of tricks on each other and a lot of laughing.
- Pouting and defiance like no American kid has ever displayed.
- Compliments on the beauty of Akins nearly every time we go out.
- Attempting to find a church that makes sense.
- The day he said "Mommy, my new school no say dude"!
- Lots of children's stories I had forgotten all about and he never knew.
- Sweet kisses and the way he looks when he is peacefully sleeping.
- The way he smells right after a bath.
- Two whole weeks of sleeping in my own bed all the way through the night without a meltdown.
- American slang and a very literal African boy.
Today, Lorea said "What do you want to do today"? I asked "Hang around the house and kick it"? Akins says "Yeah" and proceeds to kick his feet wildly.
One other highlight that must not go unmentioned is the bond and deep friendships I have built with the mother's who have also taken this journey. I could not have made it through some of these times without the support of my MUAA sisters that includes all of them no matter how long they have been part of the group or how long they remain.
- The relief to learn that Akins had told the other kids that he would be sitting on his American mother's lap and that they were to stay away from me, thus putting many of my fears of what if he doesn't like me to rest.
- A very dark August 8th night taking a scared little boy into the night and into my arms away from everything he knew.
- The feeling of being a scared new mother.
- The fear of leaving Africa without the small boy that had called me Mommy for a week and the absolute relief when the Consular said "I have thought about this all day and I am going to grant this visa because I do not know what will happen to this boy if I don't".
- A thirty hour trip on three different airplanes.
- The sound of hearing me say "this is my son".
- Numerous doctors’ visits including two umbilical and one circumcision surgery.
- Two day care and one pre-school change.
- The first "Mommy I love you".
- A truckload of chicken consumed.
- Lights and flushing still a challenge to stop obsessing at times.
- Screaming at the introduction to the dogs.
- Relief the first time he touched one of the dogs.
- Frustration and confusion when we could not understand each other.
- Finally settling on the proper way to say his new name and the sadness I realize when I know how much he associates with the name Junior.
- The first hint of discrimination when an older man gave us a very disapproving look and the feeling of fear for what may come down the road.
- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the first snow and fires in the fireplace.
- Bikes, trikes, cars, jeeps, toys and clothes.
- Shopping for the first time.
- Seatbelts and the relief when the fear ended.
- Swimming lessons and the pool.
- Lots of singing, playing lots of tricks on each other and a lot of laughing.
- Pouting and defiance like no American kid has ever displayed.
- Compliments on the beauty of Akins nearly every time we go out.
- Attempting to find a church that makes sense.
- The day he said "Mommy, my new school no say dude"!
- Lots of children's stories I had forgotten all about and he never knew.
- Sweet kisses and the way he looks when he is peacefully sleeping.
- The way he smells right after a bath.
- Two whole weeks of sleeping in my own bed all the way through the night without a meltdown.
- American slang and a very literal African boy.
Today, Lorea said "What do you want to do today"? I asked "Hang around the house and kick it"? Akins says "Yeah" and proceeds to kick his feet wildly.
One other highlight that must not go unmentioned is the bond and deep friendships I have built with the mother's who have also taken this journey. I could not have made it through some of these times without the support of my MUAA sisters that includes all of them no matter how long they have been part of the group or how long they remain.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Diving head first into his first date
Akins has already made a hit with some of the other families at swimming lessons. They already know he has no fear and wait to see what he will do when asked to jump from the diving board or slide. This is him diving head first off the diving board and then straight into his first date on Valentine's Day with Grandma...
For Valentine's Day I had told Akins that he should invite Grandma to be his date (her idea) so a few days before he says "will you be my Valentine Grandma"? She's thrilled of course and so they laid plans to go out on a little date thus allowing me and Lorea some adult one on one - the first in six months I might add. I then told Akins that when Lorea picked him up after school she was going to take him to get Grandma some flowers and that Grandma really likes pink so if they had pink ones that would make her really happy. Lorea comes and off they go to the store and they are looking and they did not have exactly a pink bouquet at least not ALL pink and he was having none of it. Everything is very literally with him. I said pink and so no combination of anything other would do. Alas, as Lorea was getting nervous there were some more flowers in another part of the store and so pink it was - he jumped up and down yelling "pink, pink, pink"! We set everything up pretty so when Grandma picked him up and they came into the house he could present her with her flowers, a card, and a bag he had made her. He was very excited. They went to dinner and were bathed and snuggled on the couch when we got home from our date. Akins scored some gifts from Grandma too - now the video.
For Valentine's Day I had told Akins that he should invite Grandma to be his date (her idea) so a few days before he says "will you be my Valentine Grandma"? She's thrilled of course and so they laid plans to go out on a little date thus allowing me and Lorea some adult one on one - the first in six months I might add. I then told Akins that when Lorea picked him up after school she was going to take him to get Grandma some flowers and that Grandma really likes pink so if they had pink ones that would make her really happy. Lorea comes and off they go to the store and they are looking and they did not have exactly a pink bouquet at least not ALL pink and he was having none of it. Everything is very literally with him. I said pink and so no combination of anything other would do. Alas, as Lorea was getting nervous there were some more flowers in another part of the store and so pink it was - he jumped up and down yelling "pink, pink, pink"! We set everything up pretty so when Grandma picked him up and they came into the house he could present her with her flowers, a card, and a bag he had made her. He was very excited. They went to dinner and were bathed and snuggled on the couch when we got home from our date. Akins scored some gifts from Grandma too - now the video.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Missing in Action...
Okay, I know I have been slackin' but here's what's going on. I have been sick on and off since the last week of January and being a Mom is not necessarily condusive with sickness. Akins is not interested in being idle just because it is really what Mommy needs. Here are some funny points from the past couple of weeks and then I will have some more videos to share as well.
Akins always wants to go very fast in the car. Since I can flash foward in my head to 16 or 17 and driving I tell him "the Important Man" will give me a ticket if I go too fast. Then occasionally we will see someone pulled over and I say "see". So, last week as we got closer to our house Lorea was driving and he says "go fast" and so she did a little, not really speeding but punched it enough to satisfy his Evil Kinevil needs. He laughs thinks it's great. The next morning early like 6:30 am we are laying in bed and I can hear sirens off in the distance and he says "Mommy, the Important Man". I say "Yeah, I hear it too". He says "The Important Man coming to get Lorea". Okay, at first I don't get it and I say "No, why"? He says "Because she was going fast"....
Another funny thing he likes - I know when he is being naughty instinctively. Can't explain but you just do. So, I'll say "were you doing"????? whatever it is, he says "no - you see me do it". Obviously, he thinks that if he is not seen doing it then he has not really done it.
Lastly, we are making some VERY big progress on the bedtime issue. Of late we have gotten to reading a story, laying for a few minutes together "special time" tucking in and off I go. Tantrums are done (I think) and he is now sleeping mostly through the night. Providing he has Zachy the "small" dog. Now, I am not sure what will happen in the future as Zachy is 14 years old and showing some signs of his age now.
For those who check in daily - thank you so much and... sorry for the long lapse in posts. I have some videos to post when I am a little bit more up to it!
Akins always wants to go very fast in the car. Since I can flash foward in my head to 16 or 17 and driving I tell him "the Important Man" will give me a ticket if I go too fast. Then occasionally we will see someone pulled over and I say "see". So, last week as we got closer to our house Lorea was driving and he says "go fast" and so she did a little, not really speeding but punched it enough to satisfy his Evil Kinevil needs. He laughs thinks it's great. The next morning early like 6:30 am we are laying in bed and I can hear sirens off in the distance and he says "Mommy, the Important Man". I say "Yeah, I hear it too". He says "The Important Man coming to get Lorea". Okay, at first I don't get it and I say "No, why"? He says "Because she was going fast"....
Another funny thing he likes - I know when he is being naughty instinctively. Can't explain but you just do. So, I'll say "were you doing"????? whatever it is, he says "no - you see me do it". Obviously, he thinks that if he is not seen doing it then he has not really done it.
Lastly, we are making some VERY big progress on the bedtime issue. Of late we have gotten to reading a story, laying for a few minutes together "special time" tucking in and off I go. Tantrums are done (I think) and he is now sleeping mostly through the night. Providing he has Zachy the "small" dog. Now, I am not sure what will happen in the future as Zachy is 14 years old and showing some signs of his age now.
For those who check in daily - thank you so much and... sorry for the long lapse in posts. I have some videos to post when I am a little bit more up to it!
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