On this side of the Ocean

I am in the US with both Dinbit and Buchela.

Making the journey, almost two days, alone with the two kids was brutal even if they both behaved generously.

Buchela had his own bag and he carried it around dutifully even if it was, I felt, too heavy.

He refused to let me help and in the end, he tried to help me with mine.

Dinbit is teething already so she chewed on my nipples for the majority of the time!

Going to the bathroom was a challenge since either I had to take both kids into the little plane bathroom or leave them (which left me with dread the whole time I was away!)

We spent a day in Korea.

Incheon airport must be the nicest airport I have ever been in. It had a tech station where I could use the internet while Buchela sat in a cool chair and listened to music. It had a nice playground.

We arrived on September 11, on the first day of 2001 in Ethiopia. As I left the plane, busily fussing over Buchela's bag I heard someone say "Happy new year!" I looked up to find a nice older Ethiopian man smiling at us. He had heard me speak in Amharic.

Now we are trying to survive the jetlag. First night, all of us were up at 2 am.

Yesterday, I was up at 3 am but Buchela slept until 5 am.

Dinbit regularly woke up every hour or so.

I am exhausted.

My friends have been wonderful. One came over and outfitted my car with car seats for me. Another took me to Babies R Us to buy a stroller I badly needed.

I am learning to drive again. I am a nervous wreck. I have not driven in any serious way for over five years. I am terrified that I will accidentally find myself on the highway.

Everything seems so big and intimidating.

Buchela was so tired he attempted to lay down go to sleep every where we went.









We stayed at a relatively nice hotel in South Korea.



When I had to go to the bathroom, I had to take Dinbit with me since I didn't think it was a good idea to leave her alone, on the bed, with Buchela.

I had no where to put her.

So, I put some towels in the sink and laid her down there to give myself a minute.

Playground at the Korean airport.

I had no idea Caribou Coffee had arrived in Korea! I knew Starbucks is all over the place but didn't expect to see Caribou.

On the plane, Buchela folded himself in half and slept on his chair.

Dinbit slept in her bassinet.

I never slept.







We are now unpacking, trying to get organized and make some sort of routine.

Sorry to have worried some of you guys. I was absolutely in a survival mode. There was just no time to update the blog.

I have so much to put in over the next few days!