Wannafest

Connections

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

There are many who feel the internet has taken over their lives and the lives of others.  There are those who don’t see the value in relationships made online.  I have to disagree completely with them.  The internet has allowed me to create an adoption community that allows my children to have connections to their birth country and more importantly to kids and families that look like theirs.  They have a shared story and it isn’t one that is written based solely on their skin color.  It is a complex story that can and will only be understood by those who have a similar experience.

This past weekend, we were lucky to meet up again with Noah and Zoë’s Ethiopian “cousins.”  These are kids who they share their early history with–kids who they were in our agency’s care center with.  There are many more “cousins” that we have not met or do not keep in as close touch with, but I have always believed it was important to keep some connections to my children’s past and birth country.  I am so thankful for Anne, Steph and Ginger.  I am so thankful for my own local Ethiopian adoption community.  The fabric of which  with only enrich my children’s lives and my own.

Thank you Internet for making the world smaller.

Tales From Blogger Slackerdom

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

I’m here and plan to be back more regularly now that school is almost over.  I am done as a student but still have about a week left as a teacher and am anxious to be finished and not at all excited about reading final essays. 

Life has been crazy, busy and lazy all at the same time.  I know that sounds a little contradictory to many of you, but trust me it is true.  Things here at Che Finley have been buzzing along.  The past few weekends have been hectic–New Orleans, Bill’s golf weekend, then we had my mom’s birthday, a wedding and mothers day this past weekend. 

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at all I want to get done these few weeks I have off before I start my JOB on June 1.  In case you can’t feel my excitement–let me just say I. AM. VERY. VERY. VERY. EXCITED.  I can hardly stand it.  I am going to check out a daycare possibility for the kids that is close to Noah’s future school and is a place Zoë can continue at until she goes to school.  I am hoping it works out–as the price is right and that isn’t always a good thing.  I’ll report more on that later. 

I want to organize the office space and clean up a little so that the space is functional for me when I decide to work form home. 

SAD NEWS–Team Finley will not be able to attend Wannafest this year.  Sorry fellow Wannafesters–we are traveling so much this year that we just can’t afford the over $1200 in airfare for us to fly to Seattle.  We had been hoping to use miles but we’d need 200,000 miles and that just isn’t happening.  I am so sad, but we are so going next year.  This  year we have a trip nearly every month from March-September and we are strapped $$$$ at this point.  Add to that Noah’s exorbitantly expensive private school and we just can’t make it all work.  We will miss seeing all of you.  But I did read that Hayat and Kiya’s new house has guest quarters…

I have been working out and am feeling really good physically–a little sore because my trainer often busts my ass but he also reminds me that that is what I am paying him for.  He rocks. 

Noah is officially in a big boy bed.  His twin bed came yesterday–he picked it out and it was the tallest one–he loves mommy and daddy’s big bed and wanted one of his own.  So, we’ll see how that is goes.  He loves the bed but last night we had some thunder and it woke him up and he ended up in our room again.  We’ll keep working on that. 

I am looking for any sage wisdom for getting my little man to poop on the potty.  We have the peeing thing down 99.9% of the time but we are at a big old O for pooping.  It’s frustrating.  I have until aug 27th for him to be 100% potty trained and I fear the time is going to go too fast.  So any tips/tricks would be great. 

Zoë is a pistol and is getting more ornery every day.  But she is so cute that it’s often okay.

Sorry for the randomness but Slackerdom provides only that.

All Great, Awesome, Amazing Things Must Come To An End

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

and sadly that means Wannafest as well.  It has been an amazing time.  The families we have met are amazing and I am honored to call them friends.  We have had a blast and the kiddos have been amazing.  I am sad, as I didn’t get much time with my wannafesters today as my MIL lives close by and I have dear friends whom I haven’t seen for 5 years who also live in the area.  We were roommates in college and have stayed close friends.  Thats the things with friends, it doesn’t matter how much/often you see them friendship that is true doesn’t wane.  I thank my Wannafesters for being the amazing and understanding people they are.  I missed them.  I missed saying goodbye to MP and her family.  I am sad.  But I know we will be together again and that Wannafest 08 is the first in a long list of many more Wannafests to come. 

Sorry Anne and MP (and families) that we didn’t make it to hang out with you all today.  We had an amazing time.