"He's A Handful"

When asked about her new brother in front of her 3rd grade class - that is the response Mckenzie had. "He's a handful!" I have to say that she is reaping what she sowed on her older brother, Matthew! Or...I could be reaping what I sowed on my three older brothers!
When we received the information on Micah Shewit from AGCI, I remember they mentioned that he loved to make others laugh, he was very ACTIVE and the staff affectionately nicknamed him "monkey". What they should've added was...." monkey... after 10 Red Bulls!!!" This kid has energy and yes, he fits right into this LOUD family. I can't imagine raising a calm child. I would be bored to death and actually think I had parenting figured out. Crazy kids keep me on my knees, where I belong, asking God for wisdom on a hourly basis!!! (Because I am clueless!) Although, a calm kid would probably keep me on my knees too!

So, you might be wondering how that "cocooning" step is going for us with a ACTIVE child with a nickname of "Monkey" ... (Cocooning is the phase after you come home with your adopted child. They like you to keep your world simple and at home for the most part! It's a great time to bond for the whole family. It also helps your new child build trust and confidence in you and this new world.) So, we tried...first it was "google chat" with his buddies in Philly. Then we played soccer, basketball, football in freezing weather. He even learned how to ride a bike and would ride for 3 hours at a time!

He loves to help me vacuum, wash dishes, do laundry...he just likes to be busy!!! I didn't post pictures of that...you know, don't want to show his brother & sister up!

I home school so we learn our English by talking and doing flash cards together. He loves to learn, so I gave him a little case that had pencils and paper with a picture dictionary. He sits beside me and writes word after word asking how to say each one.
I took him to "watch" his big brother and sister at their P.E. class and before I could get comfortable, he was out on the court running laps (backwards) and playing ball with them. Smiling the whole time. The next week the P.E. class was learning how to ice skate....it was PRICELESS to watch a child who only a week ago was in Ethiopia. The only ice he had ever seen was what was handed to him in a cup of coke on a plane to America. His smile brightened the entire ice skating rink.
It wasn't long before he was skating without help. The teachers were amazed at how he would fall down (sometimes really hard) and just bounce back up with a smile. He loves ice skating!
Leticia DeMoss, a dear friend of the family, came over to meet Micah Shewit. He loved the bear she brought for him and had to give it a ride on his wheels. Thank you, Leticia!!! He won't go to bed with out his bear!
I have to tell you the STORY BEHIND THIS PICTURE of the FRIG.... a big storm was coming so I hurried to the store with three kids. (That's a whole blog in itself!) We filled the refrigerator! The kids were so happy, especially Micah. He got the camera and took MANY pictures of the "full frig". What gave him joy was knowing that he had food. I wondered...had he ever seen a full frig? The next morning I woke up and found the refrigerator WIDE open. It had been open all night and the light had heated up the items on the top shelf! I didn't have to ask...I knew what happened. I wasn't mad, I wasn't upset over the spoiled food. I found myself hugging my son who was just happy to have a refrigerator full of food that he got up in the middle of the night to just look at it. I pray I never forget the life lesson Micah taught me. Do we really understand how blessed we are? The majority of us don't know what it is like to be hungry... because there is no food to eat.
Then the snow began to fall and Micah Shewit got to experience his first snow. The expression on his face was, well.... pure wonder. We have spent the last two days sledding down our driveway, walking path and streets with our neighbors. It has been fun to watch our child from Ethiopia experience his first Winter in America. I haven't told him yet that this doesn't happen very often in Tennessee...why spoil the moment!


So, although he is quit the handful...he is ten times the blessing! He has brought this family to a better place than we were without him. He has taught us things about ourselves that we didn't know. He has brought more laughter to all of us...so glad we followed our heart to Ethiopia!!!