September 11th will always be a day Americans will remember for a terrorist attack on US soil. My dear friend has blogged  about one of 9/11′s victims today.

While we as a family recognize the seriousness of this date, we also have started celebrating September 11th as the Ethiopian New Year.  Enkutatash is celebrated as the new year for Ethiopia.  If you want to get all smart on the subject check this out.

Since Hubby has a crazy work week we celebrated last Wednesday with Ethiopian food cooked by ME, believe it or not! I made Doro Wat (spicy chicken) and red lentils with fresh injera (bread) that I picked up in Columbus for the occasion.

Today the girls took some Ethiopian activities and some Ethiopian sweet bread to share with their classmates.

Doro Wat in the pot cooking.

Look at me cooking!

Mita and Elle at our Ethiopian table setting (no utensils!)

Enu with our Ethiopian Saba doll we bought the girls.

Meg with the Saba book.

Hubby with a full mouth!

The kids loved the dinner and ate and ate and ate!  I love having an Ethiopian-American family.  The heritage and culture of Ethiopia are amazing to experience and I encourage all of you to try some Ethiopian food sometime!  Remember if you want it to not burn off your mouth order “alecha” not “wat”!

By request, here are links to the Ethiopian recipes I  used the other night.  If you try it, let me know how it turned out!  Some of the spices have to be bought in a specialty store, or Amazon!  Doro Wat ,  Mesir Wat (red lentils).

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my three older daughters. Elle’s last day at pre-school was today. She took everyone stickers and claimed to be excited about going to “Kiddie Kollege” in the fall. Of course that is what she says today, I’m sure she will change her mind when she remembers she has to actually wear clothes when she goes to school!

Meg is pleased with the thought of summer. Camps, summer reading programs, long days with nothing to do are happy memories to her. Plus she is going to horse camp again this summer, which is her FAVORITE THING ON EARTH!

Mita and Enu are a bit upset over the end of the school year. They loved their teachers and made such great friends, I think they are worried about yet another change in their life. I have let them know of all the fun ahead in the summer months and the schools have done a great job of them getting to know their teacher next year. Plus, they all have class with close friends next year.

Tomorrow the day will be full of games, food and lots of fun. I have goodie buckets filled with the tools of summer: bubbles, sidewalk chalk, kites, books and water shooters. I think they will have fun finding the buckets and playing with their new trinkets.

I will be busy putting away school supplies that we can still use in the fall and storing away back packs. Piles and piles of papers will be sorted, tossed and recycled. I love this time of year!

I also know that towards the end of August I will be ready to get out the backpacks, crayons and lunch boxes. The kids will be ready to hit the books, study spelling words and see friends everyday again. I really love the cycles of life right now.

Happy summer everyone!

I want to say thank you to my mommy and my mother-in-law (Hubby’s Mommy of course)!  I hope you have  restful day and are showered with gifts and gratitudes!  (Oh by the way could you watch my kids on…..kidding, kidding!)  

Mommy-in-Law (Daddy-in-law also pictured, but not mentioned until June)

My mommy-in-law is the maker of amazing birthday cakes, the feeder of fishes and the buyer of pajamas (she can even find the ones with feet in them for a long little Elle).  She has mastered the art of not getting her picture taken and I had to go back to May of 2008 to find a photo.  Hopefully someday  I can be this accomplished at hiding from the camera.  She is very loved and appreciated.  Thank  you Hubby’s Mommy!

My Mommy

Happy moms day to my mommy.  The master of gardening, planter of all things hosta, and lover of gazing balls in the garden (yuck-o), maker of cup-cakes and giver of popsicles..  My mom has also become a master of not getting photographed, so I am re-using a picture from a few posts ago… how do they do it?

Seriously though.  I love you both and appreciate all that you do for me, Hubby and all the girls.  Thank you!