Sammy's Progress

I don't think most people understand how truly terrible Sammy was for us in Ethiopia. We had daily temper tantrums that including spitting, hitting, blowing snot, and screaming at the top of his lungs for hours. He would flat out disobey just about everything we said. He would hit Tekalegn. He wouldn't sit still at dinner. Overall, I was beginning to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into. I knew he was a very headstrong kid and could be difficult, but I honestly believed, in my gut, that all he really needed was a family of his own. He was the kid I agonized and cried to God about after our many failed court dates. He was the one whose size and health and was vigilant about. Well, I guess gut impressions are right.

The kid we have home now is not the kid I met in Ethiopia in February and took to the Ritmo Guest House on September 7th and not the kid that we took on the plane on September 24th. He is happy, a little comedian, and so loving! He smiles most of the time and even when he gets in his bad moods, they last like 2 minutes instead of 2 hours. He gives me at least 10 kisses every night before bed and is always trying to bargain for "one more". He wakes up happy most days. He LOVES school (after just one day). He is a chatterbox (in Amharic) and always trying to cheer people up. He adapts the best to knew situations and is very well behaved in public (most of the time). He still has his opinions about EVERYTHING and will argue and pout, but it is so much easier to change is focus onto something positive. We have a game that I play when he is in a bad mood where I start making funny faces at me and he tries to outdo me and before you know it, poof, the bad mood is gone. In my heart of hearts, I knew this is the kid that just need his own family where he could be treasured and enjoyed. I believe all kids need this, but some will succeed without it and some will flounder. He was definitely floundering in Ethiopia and I think all the AHOPE people would be shocked and pleased to meet this little boy again in a few years. I am not saying that we don't have our moments and difficulties, but he is becoming a joy in our house and I cannot imagine my life without him.

I will say words about little Tek tomorrow or soon after!