Lydia's First American Birthday - 9 Years Old!

If you think Lydia was excited about her first birthday here in America, multiply that times ten and that's the level she's been at for some time. Last night on her "birthday eve" it was so hard to get her settled into bed. She was just beside herself. Over the last several weeks we've had the countdown of how-many-days-left? and Lydia's been listing out loud who might send her presents.

Last night when we arrived home there was a huge package at the front door for Lydia. Talk about fun! It was from Uncle Mark and Aunt Saori and was a Tinkerbell (which she loves) with darker skin. So cool! It had a pixie duster that spread pixie dust and Lydia was all over that. Soon her face was covered in sparkles. Tonight we came home to a Hannah Montana necklace and hair clips from Uncle Theo and Aunt Janice waiting in a box at the front door. More fun! She told me later the necklace was, "very special to her." Her cousin Colby sent her a card and called her on her birthday. She was living the high life! Colby, if you're reading this, Lydia slept last night hugging your picture.

This morning she got her greatest wish - a skateboard - and I gave her a new crown because hers had broken awhile back. She's been borrowing Lalie's to wear to school although apparently her teacher told her she can't wear it in school. However, she did tell Lydia that she could wear it on her birthday. So, the new crown you see in the photo here went to school - and apparently got broken already. I definitely would not call Lydia careful with her things. Anybody know where an industrial strength princess tiara can be obtained? She also wanted to write Happy Birthday across the front of a t-shirt but I told her that would probably be a little much. She also opened a present from Lalie that included a huge package of all different combs (definitely a hit with the girl who loves to do her hair!) as well as two chapsticks (replacing those her teacher has taken from her this year in class).

We picked up cupcakes at the store to take to school for her birthday. Food at schools have to be store-bought these days so making them at home wasn't an option. The other photo up there is from this morning when we dropped off a video at Blockbuster on the way to the cupcakes and they had these images in the window - we couldn't resist a photo. After school and work we went to Red Robin with Nanya where they sang and clapped the birthday song for her. She thought that was pretty spectacular. Then she opened soccer shoes from Nanya - oh joy! She hugged those shoes and had to put one on right away. She continued to wear just one all the way home and the rest of the night as she skateboarded - one regular tennis shoe and one soccer shoe. I had saved two other presents for her to open at dinner: a jewelry box and the DVD "Wendy Wu, Homecoming Warrior". How could life get any better?

Since she's been here six months I decided to let her call her family in Ethiopia for the first time for her birthday. The adoption agency and other adoptive parents don't recommend calls with the family for at least six months so the child can bond with the new family first. We started calling last night (which is early the next morning there) using a web service called jajah.com which seemed to work pretty well and was much cheaper than calling long distance from our phone directly. But, it was either busy or nobody answered. This morning we did get through to somebody but somehow the communication didn't work and Lydia didn't think it was her family. Finally, tonight we had success and she was able to talk to her aunts. The thing they said over and over was "Don't forget how to speak Amharic, Lydia, promise me!" Hoo boy - I'm not sure how to do that. I really thought Lydia remembered more than she did but she talked to them almost all in English and had to struggle for some words in Amharic. We had previously sent a letter and a photo album but I was glad Lydia finally got to speak to them in person. (I have to give Lalie photo credit for that last one - she was snapping photos while Lydia talked to her family.)

Getting Lydia to wind down for sleep last night and tonight has been next to impossible. I had already tucked her in twice tonight when she came running out again indignant, "Hey Mom! You said the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny would give me presents and they didn't!" Ah, a communication error there. I didn't realize she had that connected with her birthday. I said, "No, you were naming the people who give you presents and you named those three and I said yes they give presents. But the Tooth Fairy comes when you lose a tooth, Santa Claus comes on Christmas and the Easter Bunny comes on Easter, not on your birthday." Lydia: "Oh shoot, I thought you said they were going to give me presents and I was happy about that."

I'd like to say she'll calm down now but this Friday she goes to a friend's birthday party - the first kids' birthday party she'll attend since coming to America. Then on Sunday we're having a skating party for Lydia's birthday with a few friends and that's consuming her mind still. So, on we go with the birthday excitement...!