This Demeans Us Both...(the search for a smile and the ultimate mother icon)

I've heard the call for more photos! Here's our man dressed in his reptilian finest, with a look that does not hide his opinion of the whole affair. Finding photos of Misho smiles is like searching for Big Foot. I swear to god they exist (he does it often!), others have seen it, but some said it was another baby in a Misho suit (the zipper was exposed).

So in the meantime, I will start sharing the plethora of sour faces that we've captured on film, and there are a number of them.

The Transition of Misho is going well. Well...well and then not so well at times. This poor little one has been dropped into a cold bucket of new smells, sounds, and sights. My family is loud. If any of you are reading this, don't deny it - most family affairs are boistrous events where you have to aggressively vocalize to get into the game. Misho was used to very sweet smelling, sweet talking, respectful nannies who cooed lovingly at him at low volume. Sometimes he looks at us like we're a bunch of uncivilized beasts. I think I actually heard him refer to us as "white trash", but then again it could have just been a gurgle.

Transitioning into motherhood is another to-do all together. Sometimes, I'm sweet smiles, kisses, and lollipops, ready to hold my son for hours while I shower him with smooches and nibbles. Other times, I'm hiding in the closet, rocking back and forth while he launches into his third hour of crying, thinking about when a respectable time would be for the first glass of wine.

I'm looking for a mom icon, a muse, a figure of divine motherhood that I can emulate and pray to. Now, before we start mentioning mother figures of depth (Hindu gods, unmentionable actresses who are way too friggin fertile), I'm going back to the time and source that makes me most comfortable - TV moms from the 70s.

Here's who I'm working on so far:

Anne Romano - aka Bonnie Franklin (One Day at a Time) - single mother extraordinaire from One Day at a Time - I'm not single but this little lady had pluck and a fine looking bowl bob.

Carol Brady - aka Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch) - kind of an obvious pick, but any woman who could smile incessantly around 6 children and invent the mullet is someone to look up to.

Florida Evans -aka Estelle Rolle (Good Times) polyester pantsuits and a no nonsense attitude. Florida is currently in the lead in my book.

So my friends, help me find my diety of motherhood. Mama needs a mentor. And I promise that once chosen, I will post a picture of me dressed as this new muse; hair, attitude, and all. Leave your suggestions - I'll tally up the results and set out a poll.

In the meantime, please help the mother of this lost little boy find some direction...

Gnomes and such in Ethiopia

Most of you know about my often debilitating fear of gnomes. I believe gnomes are tiny, nasty little creatures that run havoc with our lives (refer to entries of July and August 2008). Well, just imagine what could have been running through my mind when I ran across a virtual "gnome-fest" at the Sheraton in Addis Ababa. I thought for sure the adoption would have been halted and we would have been arrested by the Ethiopian authorities for some unknown reason. Luckily, nothing of the sort happen, but I was able to capture the pure gnome magic on film. I've also added a few shots of random Ethiopian priests we found tucked away in the church caves of Lalibela. I believe they were the antidote to what could have been a unmitigated gnome-generated disaster. Enjoy.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Zombie Baby

Mr M is demonstrating some weird ass behavior. It's all very fishy. I found a post it in his onsie with my blog password, and some notes jotted in Amharic. There may be some sort of conspiracy going on. He's really jet lagged, so take what he puts out there with a grain of salt.

Additionally, he has recently taken to sucking, eating, or devouring my face. I'm thinking he does this with love, but there is a look in his eye that says, "hey lady, I could take off your cheek in one bite." He's either so in love with me that he could ingest me whole OR....he's a zombie baby. David is banking on the latter.

Caught in action. It starts off as an innocent cuddle, and then....well...please see below (not for the faint of heart). By the way, this is me with absolutely no sleep, so do not send this to Perez Hilton for commentary about my lack of personal care & style.

A letter from Mishamo Inc.

Dear Shareholders (and those with vested interest in Mishamo Incorporated),

This open letter will provide an update on the current state of affairs for the company of Mishamo Inc. As with the rest of the US economy, our portfolio has entered a bearish market of intense fluctuations and seemingly unexplainable changes. For instance, I, as CEO of Mishamo Inc., at one time lived in a comfortable room with 6 or so other CEO's who were fed, diapered, and bathed on a regimented and predictable schedule. This schedule has been abruptly altered, against my will. It appears that I have been victim of a bloodless corporate takeover by two new board members, and abruptly taken to a new headquarters in a land that I know not much about. The aforementioned schedule seems to have been completely disregarded and no longer applies to my clock and parameters of time. Additionally, I'm often required to pose for repeated photos with these said board memebers; individuals that I do not know, nor do I know if they have any vested interested in my work or the interests of the company. I often have strong, vocal opinions, and wish to share these opinions with those who I believe should hear them. I am now often shushed, repeatedly, and bounced around in a swaying and/or up and down like motion, like this will change my perspective or create some sort of comfort and stability in this time of great flux. Moreover, my daily meals have taken on a duller and blander taste and texture. Gone are the days of spice and pungency; replaced with gruel that supposedly is good for the lining of my stomach. I strongly feel this should be my decision, and yet, I am silenced.

I write to you, not for pity, but to alert you to the intense shake up of the basic foundation of the company. I implore you to check in repeatedly to assure that these new drivers of the organization have my best interests at heart, and understand that I still do and will forever lead this company into glory. I am more than willing to adjust to change - because as someone I never read once wrote: if you do not change, you will die (or something like that). I for one, want to thrive. So, with your help and support of the new regime, I feel that this may, in the end, be a win-win situation. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I refer to the photo below:



Yours in service,
Mishamo French Pehlke, CEO
Mishamo Incorporated

We're Home!

Howdy everyone!! First, I apologize for not posting from Ethiopia. It was certainly not from the lack of trying. I set up the email update account, but everytime I constructed and seemingly sent out an entry, it sat quitely in my sent box and wouldn't go out. Conspiracy theories abounded but I think it was just a slow mouse working in the Ethionet internet power box.

That said, we had such an amazing time!!! Mr M. is the most wonderful little man. He has such a wonderful disposition, and is a dead ringer for Tiger Woods, who may also be Ethiopian, if he would just own up.

Currently, M-boy is undergoing a fun but rather tiring transition period here. He is almost dead set on staying awake and looking at every piece of lint, dot, and flicker of light on the wall. He's truly the CEO of this operation, and we're flutting around like serfs trying to please him. His social report (verified by direct observation) says that he "prefers to be naked", and does not cry for "simple reasons." Just like his mom. We're so in love, it will make you ill. More to come.

I just came out of a 5 hour coma and finally, Little M has fallen into a 7 hour sleeper, with currently no end in sight. I am obsessively checking out his breathing and making sure he doesn't snap a limb in the Cirque du Soleil positions he seems to sleep through. The trip home, or rather the last third was rough. A airplane toilet exploded upon my feet and legs, Misho decided to give up sleep for Lent (early), and I ended up having an "we're almost there" breakdown to some sort of angel stewardess on the last leg. And please, do not let me forget to update you all on the gnomes (dozens of them scattered willy nilly) that I came across at the Sheraton in Addis. Talk about a freak out.

Thanks to all of you for your kind words and support!! More photos on their way!

Big shout out to the rule-breaking, rule-creating October 2nd group! All I can say is that we were "dangerous." You all know what I'm talking about line-crossers.

One more shot....




Love, Shelby, M, & D.