day seven–part two

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SHOE SHOPPING!!!

I am not sure if you are supposed to take children out on the first day, but we did! As we walked back to the hotel from getting some lunch, Daniela kept complaining about her feet hurting. I checked her shoes and they were way too small. Ezzy also had some foot pain also. Since we wanted to get them shoes anyway we decided to walk over to a row of kid stores we had seen a few days before. This was their very first experience in a store where they picked something out just for themselves.

Ā Each child picked out a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of dress shoes. Daniela went first and as the girls from the store brought four or five pair for her to choose from, her eyes got really wide and she didn’t know what to do. Our children are used to community clothing and one pair of shoes. She finally picked the tennis shoes she wanted, and her eyes got really big with excitement. Then came the formal shoes. The workers brought three very cute and very girly pairs of shoes out for her to choose from. And well, she shook her head no at all of them. She pointed to her tennis shoes and didn’t want to take them off. My mom and I were thinking, “hmm, we know she’s a girly girl, and what girly girl doesn’t want two pair of pretty shoes?” Obviously, she was afraid (and they each did the same thing with their turns) that she would have to give one pair up to get another.

Finally, we got her to understand that she gets dos pair of zapatos. Daniela’s eyes got really big and she said, “hmm?” Oh man, what a precious moment. Mom and I were both on the verge of tears.

For those of you preparing for a trip to Colombia, kid shoes like most things are not cheap. We spent around $500 for eight pair of new shoes. Yeah, that is more than I spend on my own wardrobe in a whole year!!! It is a difficult thing because we had no idea what their actual shoe sizes were, and I did not want to carry extra weight in our luggage that may or may not have fit. Just a heads up.

We will definitely be Target shoe shoppers for the next few years. šŸ™‚

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The rest of our first day together went well. We ate dinner at Zuetana, and we all slept in the same room. The girls were originally going to put theĀ sleep in grandma’s room, but they decided to share beds so we could all sleep together. I don’t think the first day felt very real. But at the same time, it didn’t feel fake. It just felt comfortable. And it was our only day with no meltdowns, so I like to revisit it often and smile.

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9 comments

  1. Wow! I can’t imagine how they felt being able to pick out something for them selves. Let alone 2 Pairs of shoes! How special, but 500 bucks!! Ouch!
    What a great day! That is fun that you all stayed in the same room! Thinking of how this all must feel to them blows my mind!
    Good luck. Don’t worry days will come when the meltdowns are gone! What an adjustment for everyone.
    Come home soon! Can’t wait to meet everyone!

  2. What a tender story. There are going to be so many surprises for them as the come home and find what is in store for them. Can you imagine Christmas with abuelita? Spoilage, I am sure.

  3. The girls’ faces are so cute in that shoe picture. I wonder what they are thinking…and poor little things,…trying to understand that they can have 2 pair of shoes. Why in the world were the shoes so expensive? Is it like a Stride Rite or something? I know how it is to be in that state of awe when a baby is born into the family, trying to figure out who that person is. I can’t even imagine what you guys are going through trying to get to know them as fast as you can and trying to make everyone feel comfortable and happy. It’s really neat that your mom can be there with you- how helpful! You are having such a LIFE EXPERIENCE right now. I sure am enjoying your quick blog updates, seriously. Thank you for letting me read! Enjoy even the meltdowns.

  4. Congradulations. I remember when we first recieved our children 9 weeks ago in Colombia. Everything will be so exciting for your children. Enjoy your time with them the following few days as you will cherish them forever (at least for nine weeks so far!!!) Not sure exactly where in Bogata your staying but if your close to the Unicentral Mall there is a great store for childrens clothing that we found to be the most affordable. Its right inside the far north entrance, I belive entrada 4. Sorry I dont remember the name of the store. It’s large and two stories. The second most resonable was at the Exito in Unicentral. Most other stores are very expensive! God bless. The Canuels

  5. Hey, do not worry about the melt downs too much. Val is right, they do go away. I was four when I was adopted. I did the same thing for a little while. You guys are so amazing and understanding. I know everything will be fine. What precious moments that happened just getting shoes!!! Just think how many more of these you are going to have!!!! Payless is also great for shoes during their BOGO deals. Thanks for the updates!!!

  6. What a sweet story, my mom and I both teared up as I shared it with her. We just really don’t realized how blessed we are and how MUCH we have. And please oh please, stop by my house as I can load you up with shoes! My girls have more than we can possibly handle! I love reading your updates and getting to share with you all that is happening.

  7. I am so humbled by your experience. There is so much we take for granted and so much of that we are incapable of realizing! Communal clothing and shoes! Wow! A concept we have never thought of. Jaime told us how fascinated the children were with hot running water. There are so many surprises in store for them. I wish it were possible for you to record every single one of them! Thank you for sharing.

  8. What precious moments! Seeing their experiencing actually getting something that is expected for us is amazing and makes me all the more grateful for my blessings. What are the kids actual sizes? Love you guys!!!

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