04 February 2016

Day 1 of Forever

That title sums up my mindset right now: day _ of forever. Today was so crazy, but it was just the very first day.

I was so excited to fly in last night. The four things I have been anticipating with the most excitement:

1) getting through Entebbe airport and into the Ugandan air again (it feels like Texas in late May, heart eyes emoji)
2) getting my hands on our girls again
3) getting their big, whole-life-history file
4) getting their visa approval

So pictures don't always turn out great from the window of a plane (whodathunk), but the blue snakey thing waaaaay off in the distance is a part of the Nile (in probably Sudan or South Sudan)

I know you're already submitting it to NatGeo.
I got in at 10:45 last night, and I took some time to really unpack, so I wouldn't be disorganized while parenting two children who don't know me or speak English, ending up hitting the hay around 11:45. My body betrayed me and woke up at 6:15. What a jerk.

I went on a big shopping trip with our guide bc this guest house has a kitchen! And then we went to pick up the girls. I wanted to get flowers for Auntie Grace, the woman who has been caring for the girls, but my guide said (in more polite words) that she would think that was a silly mzungu thing and I should get them useful things like cooking oil and sugar instead. So I did (but the flowers were prettier than oil). 

I don't have any pictures of our meeting because I was kind of busy. Stella is very shy, but I could tell she was really happy to see me. Mirah, on the other hand, was NOT HAVING ANY OF IT. She refused quite dramatically to sit on my lap. I think a lot of it was that she was hungry and tired. She settled down when we got in the car, ate a banana, and fell asleep.

We had to go get a SIM card for a phone and an internet hotspot maker (I don't know what they're actually called) because the guest house has no internet. And I need internet to see my other kids. I, Stella, and Mirah sat in the car while my guide went into the stores. We sat in the car for no joke AN HOUR AND A HALF. It was so ridiculously hot. Poor Stella had not just beads, but drops and drops of sweat rolling down her face, down her neck, in her ears. Mirah would periodically shift in her sleep enough to wipe her face on my shirt. Luckily I "asked" if we could swing by KFC before we ran this errand. Stella and I ate some chicken (she likes ketchup!), then Mirah woke up, ate some chicken, and started yelling. Very loud, happy yelling.

You guys, my house is going to be so. loud. :D

We finally got to the guest house, and Mirah was so freaked out. She cried when she saw her room, she cried when I went to the bathroom (even though she was in there too), she cried if I tried to get her off my lap, even to sit beside me. That sounds bad, but it is hot, you guys. I helped her calm down with the use of Color Wonder markers [Stella makes excellent circlish shapes].

After dinner (which was random but nutritious things because I couldn't quite figure out the stove), we went and played outside.
Real girls wear two headbands, sometimes with one like Geordi LaForge.
This girl has my heart, forrrrrrrreal.
Not pictured: her trying to sing the first song Stephen sung to them in December.  1,000 heart eyes emojis.
Yes, she IS this beautiful IRL. Just you wait.
I think Stella and I have already bonded because I get her, even though her temperament is very different from mine. She's shy and reserved with people, even still hardly talking with the foster home workers after two months there. But she is so curious, and she's funny and courageous. She's already started repeating words after me when I ask her to.

Mirah is totally different. She's a little spitfire. Oh my goodness, you will fall in love with her within 5 minutes of meeting her, whether you want to or not. She has such a winning personality. She's extremely charming, and she knows it.
Who run the world? Girls who wear two headbands and a necklace.
Also gorgeous, FYI.
That dress Mirah's wearing? I bought it before Stephen and I ever got pregnant, like 6 months after we were married. Yes, I've held onto it for over 6 years. I just assumed we'd have a girl. And now we have two! #noregrets
Attn: not limes.
Apparently there's an avocado tree in the courtyard, because there were all these little avocados that had dropped from the tree. We (Mirah) decided trying to throw them back into the tree was the best use of our time and minicados. It was real cute. She's so feisty.

Mirah also took some time to practice jumping(ish). Stella took time to practice twirling (sort of).

Bedtime was hard. Mirah did the same thing she did in December: freaked out when it was clear I was putting her to bed, wailing until she couldn't fight the sleepiness. It wasn't more than 10 minutes of wailing, but you guys, it's super loud. Then she'll start up again if you try to lay her down. It's okay, it's day 1 of forever. She won't be wailing every night for bed in five years.

Now I'm off to take a rag bath and GO TO SLEEP. [yes, at 9pm.]

No comments:

Post a Comment