The latest addition to our family has been home now 9 months. Her English is so functional that she gets along independently at school, has made friends with whom she even talks on the phone with occasionally.
She has gained 17 pounds in 9 months, received 16 immunizations, learned to ride a bike, wash her laundry, keep her room clean and her grades are solid Bs.
She likes to read about dinosaurs and watch scary movies on TV. And the most important thing is she is weaving her way into our hearts.
We waited 9 months to take her on a shopping trip to the mall. And so glad we did. In Ethiopia, she was not used to EVERYTHING we take for granted. Indoor plumbing, electricity, more than two changes of clothes, plentiful food, and so much more.
She is fitting into our family with bumps along the way. She had no idea how to be a child. She wanted to work all the time when she first came home. Sounds great, but trust me, a kid not knowing about American culture CANNOT come home immediately and know how to work. So that has been an issue. Insisting that her only responsibilities at the present include, taking care of personal space and trying her best at school has brought some resistence.
But at 9 months home, I would not take her back to Ethiopia for anything. She is growing roots in America now, and growing roots in our family.
