I have been thinking a lot about our trip to Ethiopia - even though I have NO IDEA when it will be. I've purchased several great travel toys/books for Libby so I can entertain her on the long flight. We fly all the time, but we've never taken Libby on a flight quite as long as this one will be. So I thought it best to have some new toys and books that she won't see or even know about until the day we travel.
A while back I created a Life Book for Libby that tells her entire adoption story. She loves it and the book started a whole new love in my heart. A love for writing "books" just for Libby that address whatever issues or lessons on which we need to concentrate. I've written one about princesses - about being a REAL princess of the King. I am still working on that one. And I have some other ideas for the near future. But the following "book" became priority so Libby can be as prepared as possible for the big trip to Ethiopia and for becoming a sister.
The actual "book" is full of pictures that go along with the story. But it would take too long to post all that here. I couldn't figure out how to share the file on this blog so I just cut and paste the story.
I went to UPS today and had the pages laminated and bound with a simple plastic spiral. It's kid-friendly enough for Libby to hold it and play with it. I dropped off the pages and came back to pick it up a few hours later. The employees at UPS were so sweet when we came back to pick it up. They were in love with the story and the whole idea behind it. That was really encouraging.
It has been fun making personal stories just for Libby, but for anyone traveling to Ethiopia - or on any adoption adventure - with little ones I thought this idea might work for you too. Just wanted to share. Enjoy!
I’m Flying to
Ethiopia!
(and becoming a Big Sister too)
By: Cindy Foote
-1-
I am 3 years old. Mommy and Daddy think I’m becoming a big girl. They even think I am big enough to become a Big Sister! I was adopted from China. My baby sister is coming from Ethiopia! Even though we are from very different countries, our adoption stories are almost the same. Just like mommy and daddy flew on a plane for a very long time to get me in China, we will fly on a plane for a very long time to get Lulu. We are flying to Ethiopia!
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Mommy and Daddy say we must first wait for our adoption agency to send us a picture of Lulu so we know who she is and what she looks like. That will make it easier for us to find her when we fly to Ethiopia. Once we have her picture we will have to wait for many weeks before we can fly to Ethiopia. During that time we will PRAY to Jesus for Lulu to stay healthy and safe. We will also start shopping for Lulu’s clothes and packing for our big trip! What color do you think will look good on Lulu? What do we need to pack for her?
-3-
When it is time to go we will have a lot of luggage – even more luggage than mommy and daddy took to China because this time I am coming with them! The plane ride is going to be the longest plane ride I have ever taken.
Mommy is already gathering special toys and surprises so I have plenty to play with on the plane. We are even taking some special movies and snacks! This is going to be FUN!
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Mommy and Daddy say that Ethiopia will be very different from any other place I’ve visited. The people will look different from me and will look different from mommy and daddy too. Many of them will have darker skin and curly black hair – like this:
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Most of the people will talk in a different language called Amharic. I will not be able to understand what they are saying. It will sound like jibberish to me! The people of Ethiopia will not understand me either because I speak English. This is why it is very important to stay with mommy and daddy the whole time. They will always know who to talk to and how to take the best care of me.
Many people in Ethiopia are poor. Many of them do not have homes like mine. They live on the street. Mommy says that many of the people in Ethiopia do not have money or food. They might even ask us for help by tapping us on the shoulder or holding out their hands. This is the only way they know how to live because they are so poor they need help. Mommy and daddy say that we will PRAY for them because they have so many needs.
Many of the people do not have clean clothes like me and most of them do not even have clean water. Mommy and daddy say that it is very important to only drink bottled water. I can’t even brush my teeth with the water from the sink. We always have to use bottled water.
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Mommy says I will smell some wonderful smells, like coffee or perfume. But she also says that I will smell stinky things too - like Lulu's dirty diapers!
Daddy says I may not always like the food in Ethiopia, but they are going to bring some special snacks on the trip just for me. But it is FUN to try new foods, so I will try to be brave even if the food looks icky to me. You never know. It might taste delectable! Here is a picture of Injera and other Ethiopian foods!
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I am going to meet lots of children at the orphanages. I am from an orphanage too, so there is nothing to be scared of as long as I stay with mommy and daddy.
Mommy and daddy say that I will be sleepy during the daytime and I will want to play and have fun at night because when the sun is up in Ethiopia the sun is down in San Antonio. It is okay if I get tired and sleep a lot. Mommy and daddy will understand. They say that if I use my words and tell them when I’m tired they will do everything they can to help me rest. And if I’m awake they will play with me. But I have to be patient with mommy and daddy because they will be very tired too.
-8-
After we fly to Ethiopia we will meet our Ethiopian guides who will help us talk to the people in Ethiopia and will also help us find Lulu. A couple of days after landing in Ethiopia we will finally meet my baby sister. This is just what happened when mommy and daddy came to China to get me – see, here’s a picture of mommy and daddy getting me:
I used to be a baby. I drank milk from a bottle many times every day. I could not walk or even crawl. I wore a diaper and even pooped in my diaper! Sometimes I cried a lot because that is the only way a baby knows how to talk.
Mommy and daddy tell me that Lulu will do these things too. Mommy and daddy will have to hold Lulu a lot. Sometimes I might get jealous and want to be held too. I will have to be a BIG GIRL and wait my turn. Having a sister means I have to share my mommy and daddy. Sometimes this will be very hard. But mommy and daddy say I will soon love Lulu so much that I won’t mind sharing my mommy and daddy with her.
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We will do some shopping in Ethiopia. We will see many new things. But mostly, we will be getting to know Lulu. Lulu might be a little scared of us because we look different than her. I am going to love on her and let her know that she is safe with us.
I’m going to be the BEST BIG SISTER in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!
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We will be in Ethiopia for one whole week and just when we are getting used to it all, we will have to get on a plane again for another very long plane ride home. At this point we will be VERY, VERY, VERY tired!
We call this “dog tired!”
We will all have to be KIND to each other and PATIENT so we can have a FUN plane ride home!
This plane ride will be different from the plane ride to Ethiopia. It will be different because it will be our first plane ride with my new baby sister. Mommy and daddy will have more to carry. We will have to take turns being held by mommy and daddy. Lulu will need her bottles of milk and her diaper changed often. And mommy and daddy will be very busy taking care of Lulu and me.
We will play again with our special travel toys and watch our special movies again too. And then – FINALLY – we will be home in San Antonio with my new baby sister!
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For several days after coming home we will all be tired. Lulu might not sleep very well at night because the sun will be down in San Antonio when it’s up in Ethiopia. She will think it is daytime when the sun goes down. But soon, she will learn to sleep at night.
A lot of people will want to come see my baby sister Lulu. She will be new and little and everyone loves to look at babies. Sometimes I might want people to look at me and pay attention to me. That is okay. I just need to tell mommy and daddy how I am feeling. They will understand.
Lulu might get some presents. I can help her open them.
The great thing about being a BIG sister is that I can teach her how to use her new toys. I also get to teach Lulu English. It will take her a long time to talk, but I will be a big part of her learning how to say words like, “Momma”, “Dada” and “Libby”!
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Lulu and I will grow up to be the best SISTERS and the closest FRIENDS. We will be different in a lot of ways, but we will be the same in a lot of ways too. I can’t wait to meet Lulu and get to know her. She will need a lot of hugs and kisses and I’m just the right sister to give her those things! Although we will have some hard days, most of the time it will be fun having a sister to play with.
One thing I know for sure. Mommy and daddy love me.
Even though I will have to share them with Lulu I know they will love me just as much as they did before Lulu joined our family.
I can’t wait to fly to Ethiopia and become a big sister!! I love you, Lulu!
