Julie Gumm - Author

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Ocean View

08.03.2009 by juliegumm@yahoo.com //

It seems that almost since they got home Beza and Wen have been asking about going to the ocean and today was FINALLY the day.

As we drove into the parking lot and Beza looked to the left she exclaimed, “Mama, it’s so pretty!” Amen, girl!

They promptly strapped on the boogie boards (thanks Vay!) and started to walk toward the water.

vcay1

“Is it cold?” Wen asked.

“Um, yes.”

But they walked on. They were a bit taken aback with the waves coming in and out and the sand going out from underneath their feet, but we trekked onward into the water.

The caught on to bogey boarding really quick but seemed just as content to stand and play in the waves, undeterred (for the most part) when they fell down or got salt water in their face. Especially Wen. I think he would have like to go out further and swim if we would have let him.

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We had lunch, the kids played in the sand, I laid on a towel for a little too long and sunburned the back of my legs…you know the drill. I’m thrilled they seem to love the ocean as much as I do.

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Categories // Family Matters Tags // adoption, Ethiopia, older child adoption, older sibling adoption

Swim Progress

07.12.2009 by juliegumm@yahoo.com //

Friday we spent the day swimming at our friend’s house. Dad told the 3 youngest kids “No floaties!”

I was curious to see how all of them would do. Natalie is right on the brink of being fully independent in the water. As long as she doesn’t try to cross at a really wide part of the pool, she does great at swimming underwater, gliding. Gotta work on her freestyle some more and being able to get a breath and continue.

Wendemagegn and Beza stayed in the part where they can stand up for the most part but they had a lot of fun swimming back and forth. It’s really fine tuning – like getting them to kick with mostly-straight legs, and “scoop” the water instead of slap it with their hands. They got more adventurous as the day went on and even went down to the deeper part, would jump in and then swim back to the side (w/ mom standing by for backup that was unneeded).

Here’s a couple really short clips we took to show dad when we got home:

Categories // Family Matters Tags // adoption, Ethiopia, older child adoption, older sibling adoption, Red Letters Campaign - Adoption Journal (Julie)

About Me

Writer. Wife. Mother. Traveler. Coffee-addict. Book-lover. Television-Junkie. I love stories. Hearing them, watching them, telling them, living them.

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