Argh, where is the Mino video recorder?

Maybe not such a good thing that it is so small as I have managed to misplace it.

We put our house up for sale and I have had to keep it clean (no easy task for me as I am NOT a neat freak). I have basically been putting things away in places I don't usually do so and then I've forgotten where I've put them. Very frustrating.

So now I have no idea where the Mino is which is a total bummer as there are a bunch of things I want to capture on video including Fiori putting her index finger to her lip when I say Shhh and the fact that she knows where her nose is and her ear. And she also knows tongue which she is so fascinated with that as soon as I say "tongue" all bets are off on the other body parts as she has to repeatedly put her finger on my tongue and giggle. Although...she can be sidetracked by my belly button ring which she wants to kiss over and over again.

Kids are so funny.

One year update

Ok, I'm a little late as she is now heading towards one year and one month.

Fiori is still the picture of health. We went to her one year well baby check and all looks good. She has moved up a bit in the height department and down in weight. She is now around the 30th percentile in both (she was 25th in height and 50th in weight). And she had surpassed all the one year milestones months ago (standing by herself, babbling mama, dada...). The doctor was amazed at some of the stuff she was doing in terms of talking and trying to open things. I just think trouble.

She is now walking. A lot. A week ago it was a few steps into your arms with prompting, then it was a couple steps totally on her own and now all of a sudden it is pretty much nothing but walking. This is an issue as we are selling our house and have staged it and taken down baby gates so we have to watch her like a hawk. We did leave in all our plug covers which is good since she is fascinated by electrical outlets.

She's talking a lot too. Lots of babbling (could be fluent Amharic for all I know) but also words. She still does "hi" all the time but she is pretty easily repeating words now like "dog", "light", "eye", "food", etc.... She knows where her nose is and when I say "shhh", the puts her index finger to her mouth. So cute. She still doesn't call us mama or daddy although she often says daddy as that was one of her early sounds. It will come soon enough.

And I don't remember if I said before but she is going to day care part time. I was pretty worried about it but she seems to be going great and the place we take her is very small so she gets lots of individual attention and yummy organic food. We weaned her into it and now she is going 5 hours a day four days a week. I have to admit I'm a bit jealous when we arrive and she jumps into Maria's arms. Then again, she arrives just at lunch time and knows she is getting food (which our girl loves).

She is still a joy, still has a wonderful temperament, still sleeping through the night. Add to that our joy at watching her grow and learn new things. So amazing.

Had to be part of it

So I am sitting there at around 6 pm with Fiori watching news of the election and I start thinking "how lame, I am here with no one to share other than Fiori who is more interested in her spoon".

I call my mom who is a trade union activist (she nearly got arrested earlier in the day as a poll watcher) and she says to come to Downtown Oakland where her union has some reserved tables at the local (hopefully) victory party. So as soon as Matt gets home, I high tail it down there, manage to find a parking spot and rush in to the convention center just after they announce the results. Everyone is hugging, crying, cheering. My mom and I both have tears in our eyes; it was such an amazing night to be a part of.

After Obama's speech, we spill out into the streets to the sounds of cars honking, victory cheers and a spirit of optimism.

And now we don't have to move to Canada/Australia.

Ok, now back to Fiori posts.

I couldn't help myself

I had to steal this "Letter to the Red States" from the blog of a fellow Bay Area Ethiopian adoptive mom. I hope you don't mind Porter.

And please don't take offense all you folks with right leaning tendencies.

-------------------------------

Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election too we’ve decided we’re leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we’re taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren’t aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of Nuevo California.

To sum up briefly:

You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches.

We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.

We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole’ Miss.

We get 85% of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition’s, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of bitter divorced people.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we’re going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they’re apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don’t care if you don’t show pictures of their children’s caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we’re not willing to spend our resources in Bush’s Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country’s fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95% of America’s quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias, and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson, and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we’re discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we’re taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,

–Blue States

Glued to the television

So I had to leave for a few minutes to go pick Fiori up from day care. As I pulled up into my driveway, I heard a group cheer coming from a house above mine. What did I miss? I would say it was Obama getting a projected win but I couldn't quite tell which house it was coming from. You see, I live in a VERY democratic area. However, my across the street neighbor happens to have probably the only McCain/Palin sign I've seen in our whole city. But since they are in their 70s and hardly ever leave, I don't think they are hosting a results party.

I have to admit I'm pretty emotional about the whole thing. I feel like we are on the cusp of a historical moment - not just because our next president will likely be black but because I can feel the potential for change. I was pretty upset at the last two elections and kept threatening to move overseas. I am totally ready to do so this go around should things go not as expected except I have no money anymore due to our lousy economy. But how cool is it for Fiori to be home in the USA for this momentous occasion. Too bad she is not old enough to understand it. The girl is not paying any attention whatsover to the results on TV.

First solo steps

C is for Cookie

We so need to Tivo Sesame Street. Is it even on anymore?

Tickle monster

Happy Birthday Fiori

Fiori's first birthday was October 29th.

We were supposed to have a party at our house but since it is now up for sale and that was the day of our open house, we switched it to the Oakland zoo at the last minute. The weather cooperated, it was a lovely day and we had a great turnout. A fun time was had for all and Fiori had a blast playing and ended the day covered in dirt.

Our friend Dawn knitted a sweater that has her name in it. Can you believe it?

Yeah, a race car!

Merry-Go-Rounds are fun. Although, it is way past her nap time so it wasn't as fun as earlier in the day.

Dawn's kids also wrote her a wonderful birthday poem to go along with the sweater and home made card.