Thursday

This post will be short because I am at the Guest House and the connection here is pretty intermittent. Plus, the keyboard is funky and I keep making typos. Also, there have been many thunderstorms and we keep losing power.

Abera had another great night last night, but he is still eating an unbelievable amount of food at night -- 3 bottles. We will have to work on this when we get home, but I don't want to change any more of his life right now. The babies here go to sleep with bottles, so they are used to a bottle being next to them all night.

We had a leisurely morning and then I called Mulat, the WHFC driver, who was supposed to take us shopping today. He told me he couldn't -- no explanation. I later found out that he was taking some kids over to the US Embassy for their visa physicals. He could have told me, but that's not how things are done here.

So we called Yonas, a taxi driver recommended by WHFC. He came right over and we stopped at the Guest House to pick up Susan, her Mom and Tracy, Steve's Mom. We went to a small souvenir shop and I bought out the store. Then we went to a more upscale shop where there was no bargaining whatsoever -- a little too fancy for my tastes. But they had the big baskets that I want.

Steve and I went back and forth about whether it was a good idea to get one. I still can't decide. I am going to pack what I have purchased already and then see if it makes sense.

We shopped for a couple of hours and are now hanging out at the Guest House, waiting to go to dinner. Dr. Tsegaye takes each group to a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dance exhibition. We don't leave until 7:30 and I am exhausted already! But I'll rally. We leave the babies here with the nannies while we go to dinner. It will be their last chance to say goodbye.

Homesickness and missing Grace are really starting to set in.