It’s been a while since I last updated. Life’s busy...what can I say. : >) Noah Musse started first grade on October 6. So far so good...I’ve stayed close to home and the phone just in case but he has an amazing teacher who is going to make him soar over the next months. He will also be getting one-on-one pullout time several times a week to work on his language and reading development. One of the many benefits of Cindy teaching on his campus is her class has taken a genuine interest in Noah, his story, and his future. She had thrown out the idea of having a few students from her 5th grade class come to Noah’s class to give him some one-on-one help as well as work with him on his language development. Last week she asked her class who would be interested in being a tutor for Noah. 22 of her 26 students raised their hands! It’s such an exciting notion...how both sides will benefit from such a cool experience. Her students and Noah will grow so much from their time together.
On the home front we have morphed ourselves into a family of 7. For the most part he has settled in nicely to his role has the youngest ( by 79 days...and Sam won’t let you forget it) He’s finding that he doesn’t have to sweep the floor, do the dishes, fold laundry etc. in order to belong. Zak was the same way...you’d never know it now by the way he tosses his dirty clothes on the floor....but there was a time where all the families shoes were lined up and his clothes were neatly folded.
Hannah and Noah continue to have an amazing relationship. She can’t go through the day without at least 70 kisses laid upon her face. One on the forehead, one on the chin, one on the left cheek, one on the right cheek and one more on the forehead for good measure. Do the math...5 kisses x 14 encounters a day = 70 kisses. Personality wise I am seeing Noah and Hannah the more similar among our kids. The other night Hannah put on a woven skirt and top I bought for her at the weavers market in Addis. She came out and Noah’s eyes lit up...except he was quite concerned that she didn’t finish her outfit with the proper accessories so he motioned to her to go back into her room and find the scarf that went with the outfit. When she came out again with the scarf he taught her 5 different ways to wrap the scarf for different occasions. The next night at dinner he insisted she come to dinner dressed up and in a scarf....again. She loved every minute of it.
Nick and Noah have bonded over the tree fort Nick is building. I’m not sure if Noah knows it’s for fun and not Nick’s future home. : >) He’s taking the role of assistant seriously though. The other day they were down in the woods and Noah started to make a garden for Nick out of the fresh dirt of a mole hill. He came back up to the house and brought down some roses he had cut. He stuck them into the ground and then blew off the pedals and told Nick, in his own language of hand gestures, that the seeds he blew would make new flowers for Nick’s house.
Noah and Zak are probably to most opposite of the kids...but trust me, that is not a bad thing. I love all my kid’s individual personalities. It keeps me from getting bored. : >) Zak is a driven perfectionist who sees things only in black and white. Let’s just say at this point Noah leaves a lot of room for the grey in the middle. As far as roommates...they are perfect for each other. Zak’s working on the ‘alpha male’ role and is definitely making progress. : >) The other day we had a scare with Zak and his health. When Noah realized the seriousness of it, and that I was on the phone with Zak’s heart doctor, he became genuinely scared and kept a watchful eye on Zak all day. Zak is fine now...and he is back to ‘normal’ with his health.
Sam and Noah continue to grow everyday. It is a fun relationship to watch. One minute they are having a blast the next minute they are at opposite ends of the house doing their own thing. Works for me! The other day Sam came home from school with a fever. Noah, became very concerned, came up to me and said, “Ethiopia medicine.” He went outside and walked around the yard looking at the plants we have. He settled on the lavender. Plucked two stalks with a flower and came back inside. He walked over to Sam, who was crashed on the couch with a towel on his forehead (placed by Zak) and put one of the stalks on Sam’s head and the other he said, “Ethiopia medicine...Sam hot...eat,” while he mimicked eating the leaves of the lavender. Sam was in no mood to eat a lavender plant so I diverted Noah with hugs and thanks while placing his beautiful thought on the counter.
Every day is a new experience with Noah. He is so excited about every new thing he encounters. Last night he came running in from outside all excited that he was watching the monkeys play in the trees. His monkeys are our squirrels. He was watching the squirrels play. : >) So I got out the Pacific Northwest Mammal book and showed him a picture of a squirrel. He jumped up and down excitedly and said, “yes yes...American monkey!!” So...FYI....until further notice...at least in our house...we have American monkeys in our backyard.
Until next time.....
Hugs and Love,
Julie
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