Well the hubby departed early Tuesday morning for a trip to Africa with his new job at World Orphans. They are spending about 5 days in Ethiopia and then several days in Kenya as well. We waited until last week to tell the kids. We weren’t sure how they would react to the whole idea of dad going back to Ethiopia. He’s had to go on one other short trip and although this one is longer I was most concerned that the idea of him going back there would cause problems. It didn’t really seem to phase them. They didn’t even ask if he was going to see Grandma. (He tried but didn’t connect – was able to see the family friend and give him some things for her.)

None of the kids have had that much time to miss him because my best friend Kristen and her 3 kids (Kaity, Lexie and Jacob) arrived the next day. So it has been a full house with 7 kids (that would be 9, 9, 9, 8, 6, 6, and 3 – whee).

The kids are all having a blast. Of course, coming from Pittsburgh, they are enjoying our 85 degree weather and we are spending lots of time outdoors.

Beza and Wendemagegn proved yet again how much they belong in our family.

Last week I chopped about 7 inches off my hair – what amounts to about 4 years of growth. I’d been contemplating a cut for awhile – even before our trip to Africa. But I was afraid to cut it before we picked up the kids as all the pictures they’d seen had me with long hair. So I waited. Then a few weeks ago my friend Vi got an awesome haircut and I admit to having hair jealousy.

Luckily I have the most awesome hair stylist in the world and we arranged for a haircut on my lunch hour. I had mentioned to the kids that I was getting my hair cut but it apparently did not register.

When I went to pick them up from school I sat in the van waiting for them. Beza came out first and I realized she was going to walk right past the car. I called her name. She looked at me with a blank stare. I pulled my sunglasses down. She gave me the arched eyebrow and exclaimed “Oh MOM. Hair NOT NICE!” I would give anything to have that on video.

One by one the kids proceeded to get in the car and denounce my new hairstyle vehemently.

When we got home Mark called me “Bob”.

Wendemagegn took to calling me “Shortcut”.

At bedtime Natalie finally caved and said, “Mom, you hair is a little cute.”

Lucky for me I have good self-esteem and don’t need their approval.

Plus having all my girlfriends weigh in on facebook with an enthusiastic approval helped 🙂

What we cut off…

The end result.

The next night at dinner Beza looked at me wide-eyed and said, “Mom, your hair grow!” I guess it looked longer. Whatever makes you feel better babe!