Okay, I'm a bad blogger. Sorry no updates for a while. Things are going a little bit better with me going to work... I guess. Merrie is really really excited to see me when I get home. She gives me lots and lots of hugs and pats on the back, which is awfully sweet. I just miss her so much. I, unlike her, have a sense of time and how slowly it passes when I'm at work! She is getting braver and braver about trying to stand by herself. I really do think she could walk... but I guess I'm secretly glad she won't yet. It means I get to pretend she is a baby for just a little while longer.
Excuse how messy the living room is in these videos... we clean it up every night, but by the end of the day with Meron on the loose it is pretty well trashed! She got the alligator walker from grandma and grandpa for her birthday. I can't believe how well she walks with it! She is even starting to steer... well, sometimes. She is awfully proud of herself when she realizes how far she has gotten by herself. It is pretty funny.
Merrie has also become and aggressive tickler. She comes up to me and scratches me under the chin while saying, "kl kl kl kl." She doesn't so much say the 'tick' part of tickle... just the 'kle.' She's just being efficient, I guess. She is well on her way to exploring the fine art of tantrum throwing, which is amazing to watch. Why does she think we will give her something if she screams and hits? We don't scream or hit... where did she learn it?! Must be natural, I guess... Needless to say, we are pretty adamant about not giving her whatever it is she wants if she screams and hits us, but that doesn't seem to dissuade her in the least. At first I just thought she didn't know she was hurting us, just reacting out frustration. We always say ouch when she hurts us and tell her to be nice. The other day, she sat down really hard, looked at me and said very clearly, "Ouch!" She knew what we were saying all along! It really is amazing to see more and more of her personality come out. I love how sassy she is! She really is the funniest person I've ever met. Also, I find it very impressive how strong willed and determined she is. It will serve her well someday, but I do find it to be a little terrifying. I mean, we are really in trouble! The girl has moxie. That is one of the first things we said when we looked at her referral picture and saw the little twinkle in her eye, and I think we were right. I'm glad... moxie is a good thing.
I found this video on someone else's blog. I love hearing the Amharic and seeing Ethiopia again. Amharic really is one of the lovliest languages I have ever heard.
I'm sorry, wasn't it just last month that Meron "found" her legs? And now she's walking. I cannot believe her on that walker!! She is really fast and clearly fearless. Boy oh boy, moxie is definitely something she does not lack!
ReplyDeleteShe is just amazing. I cannot say it enough.
Thanks for posting the other video as well. I think so many westerners think of ETH as a "backwards" nation full of people who cannot take care of themselves. This really clearly demonstrates how they are working to solve problems from within. Thanks for sharing that Kate.