play-day

yesterday i asked my brother if i could have his little guy for the day. 

 before aregash came home we spent quite a bit of time with jace. 
 the boys love him. 

 he plays like, well, a boy.....so they put all of their wrestling moves on him and he doesn't ever usually cry.  and he's just a little thing so they think it's soo great to carry him around. 

 come to think of it, when jace comes over my boys fight over him.

aregash misses her brothers when they are at school and i have tried to have play-dates with other kiddos, but she seems pretty overwhelmed still.  

she ends up on the other side of the house while they play without her. 

 i think part of it could be that mommy usually has a friend over too and now she doesn't have

 my undivided attention. 

 soooo......i thought maybe just having one friend over, without a friend for mommy would be good.  

she doesn't know jace very well yet, but they had the greatest day together. 

 he stayed all day--through nap-time, then to get two boys from school, home to play some more, then to get cole from track practice. 

 there wasn't ever a disagreement (which is odd for two-three-year-olds :0) and jace actually really listened to aregash when she spoke. 

 i was amazed that he understood everything since she is just learning english. 

 i was always around the corner listening to them and it was pure joy. 

 jace is a real funny guy.  he entertained both of us.  here are a couple of my favorites.......

jace: "did she stay the night here last night?"  :0)

me:  "yes, buddy, she stays here every night--she's a part of our family now.  

she is my little girl and zach, luke, and cole's little sister, remember?"

later.......aregash came to ask me something.......

jace:  "she keeps calling you mommy."  :0)

(he has a very sarcastic tone)


me:  "that's cause i am her mommy. 

 remember how we waited soo long for her to come home?  

remember how we had her picture and we were soo excited to have her be a part of our family?  

she's a part of our family now and she'll always be with us."

aregash interrupts and pats herself on her chest......"yea, aregash mommy's baby".

me: " yep, she's mommy's baby.  

just like cole, zach, and luke"

jace just looked at me with his furrowed brows. 
pretty sure he still doesn't quite get it.

my cell phone was ringing and jace came running to me with it in hand. 

 he says, "it's somebody"...........but it's not me". :0)  ha!

funny stuff.....made my day. :0)

aregash learned the alphabet song in ethiopia, but they sing it differently than we do.

they repeat the l,m,n,o,p part once.

jace kept trying to sing it his way and aregash would say "no, no, dis"

 and she would belt her version out.

such a hoot.  

i needed the laugh.

dear friends, if you have a minute and could spare a prayer, i would greatly appreciate it. 

i have been feeling a certain "disconnect" that i can't quite put my finger on.

this should be such a joyous time.

i am grateful for every single second.

now if i could just get my mind and body to work together

to feel the happiness i long for.

thanks.