Click

Over the last while I think something clicked with Ayana and her words. For SURE she is behind most of the kids from Ethiopia around the same age, but she is making progress which is terrifac! Yesterday it seemed like she clued in that instead of pointing at something she wants, she can say the word and get it. Yesterday the words were water which she says like, "Wok" and snack. She was very excited when I understood what she wanted and that if she said the word she got that thing. And then at supper she was trying to get a drink of "wok" from this little sippy cup that has never worked properly, but she wanted to try it. Having on luck she held it out to me and said, "Help?" At first I wasn't sure that is what she said, and then I realized her meaning and was very excited!

Her comprehension is still off of the charts, she understands EVERYTHING that is said to her or about her. She even has this very cute way of anticipating what a person needs, which to me is a HUGE life skill that some people never ever learn. Like for example I got out of the shower and after I got dressed she brought me some socks and was trying to put them on my feet, "gock on" she said. I told her I wasn't going to wear those socks but thank you anyway! Then she brought me my slippers. If mommy is not going to wear socks, then she must need her slippers! Even last night I took a bag of frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer, they were in a freezer zip loc bag that we have in a lower cupboard. I was searching around for a smaller ziploc, when suddenly I felt her beside my leg and handing me something. She had gone into the cupboard and pulled out the exact same box of freezer ziploc bags that the chicken was already in!! I mean wow!! First of all HOW did she know that I needed a ziploc, and HOW did she know that those were the same ones? She is VERY observant, which I'm sure all kids are at that age. But becdause she is not overly verbal it always astounds me.

Ellie had a school choir concert down town Calgary outside yesterday. It was a pretty nice day, only -9 and -15 with the wind chill. Today is WAY colder, though, -18 and -22 with the wind chill! Yikes! Poor Ayana got pretty cold I think despite being bundled up pretty good.

I am pretty much done all of my Christmas shopping, just a couple of things for Reg. What a relief!! I hate hate hate crowds, and hate ridiculous lineups, so I went on Monday to the mall at 9AM and it was awesome. Totally dead, and we got everything done in under 2 hours.

Last night was the premiere of an extremely cool new reality show called, "Secret Millionaire." Basically they have taken a bunch of multi millionaires, and not just 2 million, we're talking 60 million! And these people have agreed to live in a poor community on a welfare budget with none of their possesions or identity for 6 days. At the end of the 6 days they must give at least 100,000 dollars to people they feel most need it. Regan happened to be home in time so we watched it together. The first one was a SUPER tear jerker! Wow. What a terrifac concept for a show!!!!! And like I said last night, think of how each of these wealthy people will likely be changed forever by this experience, and think of what they will now do with thier money and life since being on the show and how many thousands of people will likely benefit from the ripple effect? FANTASTIC!!! For some reason they ran two episodes back to back, the second one was not as good, mainly because the wife seemed extremely tightly wound, I don't know she just got on my nerves. The first one was a father and son who basically had to find a place to live, jobs, food etc, all on a welfare benefit of $170.00. Check it out!

Have a terrifac day everyone!