Lifebook

I just finished Mebira's lifebook. I thought I'd give a photobook a try (yes, I'm a bit behind the times) and once I started I got totally addicted. I worked on it a bit during the holidays but then got distracted...until I noticed that the sale ended yesterday so I worked like crazy to get it done! In a few weeks the finished product will be sent to me and I can't wait to check it out.

The photobook is 23 pages - which is pretty amazing considering that I only had 2 sets of update pictures from her, and that we weren't allowed to take any pictures in the orphanages. Someone...mmmhhhmm...may have taken pictures inside the Sodo orphanage though and I've been able to piece together pictures of the other places from various people (thanks everyone)!

The other thing I've been working on is filming Mebira as she tells me about her past. She is already forgetting so much and she really never wants to talk about it. She is just happy in the here and now and doesn't want to bring up the past. I bring it up often, and will ask her questions every day...sometimes she won't acknowledge it and sometimes she'll actually give me a fact or two. I've noticed that some of the facts are getting muddled, and I would hate for her to not have any memories one day, so I decided that desperate times call for desperate measures. I full out bribed her and told her that if she could talk for 10 minutes on video that she could watch 10 minutes of TV. On Monday we managed to get 30 minutes worth of taping done and today another 30 minutes.

Now granted, the filming is really disjointed and you can tell she's uncomfortable and wiggly, but I hope that one day she'll be able to look back on this and recall some of the memories. There really wasn't anything earth shattering and so much of the facts were getting muddled - she told me that she had breakfast, lunch, supper and a bedtime snack when a month ago she told me she only had two meals a day and was hungry and thirsty all the time which is a lot more likely. She said she would help cook supper (corn or potatoes) and would care for the animals, gather wood and carry water. I wonder if I could get her to make me supper once here! :-)

Anyway, that's what a lot of my time has been used up with. I'm also on a hard core work-out and eat well schedule...and it's taking more time to keep up with that. January is a tough month - it's when I am motivated to make changes in my home, body, parenting, life, etc. When is the New Year officially over so that I can slack on my resolutions? :-)