Almi Day!

We celebrated our first Almi Day on Tuesday. Like many, I really do not like calling it "Gotcha Day" and like many I think it's a bit bittersweet to call it a celebration, but it is a special day for us because it's the day we became a family. Yes, us becoming a family means that her first family suffered a loss. This is true. But I think it's ok to celebrate that she has another family who loves her and cares for her.

While she was still at daycare I bought a cake and a balloon and set the table for our special Ethiopian dinner. Then I wrapped her gifts, these three twine animals I bought while in Addis. looking all regal and thangs

She already had three so now it's a complete set. My plan is to give her gifts I purchased in Ethiopia every Almi Day until she's 18, but I am not sure I got enough. All that means is I have to go back!

I also placed these butterfly sticker decals over her crib. I bought these like a year ago and that's how overwhelmed and busy I have been. It's a shame that I never decorated her nursery but I figured the least I could do was to peel them and stick them on the wall and dress things up a bit. I love them! I don't know what took me so long?!

I went and got her from school and brought her home. The balloon was the first thing she spotted and she ran over to it yellling, "Moon! Moon!" She asked me to tie it to her chair. All day I had been saying, "It's Almi Day! It's Almi Day!" but she was sure it was her birthday and asked me for cake. "Bir-day cake?! Mommy. I wan bir-day cake." LOL

She was mad that I told her she had to eat dinner first and threw a mini tantrum. But she got over it to open her gift. For dinner I had ordered a veggie combo with tikil gomen (cabbage), yatakilt wat (carrots, potatoes and beans), masir wat (lentils), gomen (collards) and shiro (peas) and some beef sambusas but all she really ate was the sambusa and a ton of injera. She likes the veggies and has eaten them all before (even a few days ago!) but I didn't force it since it was her special day.

When it was time for cake I lit a candle for her to blow out. I did it because she loves to play 'birthday' and brings me cakes with candles to blow out all the time, but in the future I may make it more symobolic. We might light a candle to honor her birth family for giving her life and to wish them peace.

The best part of the whole day for her was the cake! She was soo excited and so happy... especially when she thought the whole thing was for her!
The two pieces I gave her brought the most incredible smile to her face!! I mean, seriously, will you look at her? She was ecstatic!!!! I wish there was something other than sugar that would make her this happy!

After dinner, she played with her balloon and watched Elmo. She loved that balloon so much she even brought it into the tub with her for her bubble bath! LOL

When it was time to go to bed she saw the butterflies over her crib. She thought they were pretty.

It was a nice low key, intimate family celebration with just me and my girl. And that was just perfect because that's all we needed to recognize that we're a family. Love ya, baby girl!