Teaching an Old Dog New tricks

I know I will never get too old to learn new things. And in the past 17 months I have indeed learned lots of new things.

I have learned:

• it is indeed possible to love an adopted child as much as a child you gave birth to.
• that you wish your child had never known the pain of losing their parents and family even though you know that would mean they wouldn't be your child.
• that kids the world over are pretty much the same. They want love, security, friends and acceptance.

When it comes to food:

• Memories are long when they have tried something they don't like. Broccoli on the flight home from Addis Ababa was mushy and overcooked - they hated it and refuse to even try it in anything now!
• It is possible to eat a snack an half hour before dinner, then a full plate of food and then be hungry again within the hour.
• that anything is better with picante sauce.
• eating peanut butter on everything for a month makes one hate peanut butter.
• that a teenage boy can eat 2 school lunches within 30 minutes.
• a refrigerator can be packed full on Saturday morning and be empty by Monday morning.
• that there is a child that loves spaghetti as much as I do and must have it at least once a week.

I now also have learned:

• kids can grow 5 inches in a year.
• kids can gain 30+ lbs. in the same year.
• clothes that fit big last month are too small this month.
• that going to school is something that kids look forward to, not just the parents.
• it is possible to play every sport that is played at school, and excel at most!
• it is possible to watch the same episodes of Hannah Montana repeatedly and laugh at them every time (Fantu- not me).
• Fantu has the best laugh ever!

I hope I never stop learning...