Three Babies for Lunch - (Sunday 7th June)

We had arranged to go to the Lime Tree brunch to meet up with another
UK family here in Addis, adopting their children, at 11am. We were
late setting off and arrived a little while after 11am, but there was
no sign of the other family. The cafe was almost empty so we chose a
table and sat down to wait. We got ourselves some fruit juice while
we waited. About 11.30am we got a call from the other family, to say
that one of their children was ill and they had just been to the
hospital to get child checked out and some medication. They arrived
at the Lime Tree not too long afterwards, and their child was
obviously listless and unwell, poor little thing. Hopefully the
medication will start to work soon and child will be back to their
normal cheerful self. Drama Teen and Little Prince had already eaten
by the time the other family arrived, so that sat at the other end of
the table playing on their DS's or playing cards (only Go Fish, not
poker or anything lol). We adults chatted and compared notes on where
we were both up to in our post adoption processes, and had a
thoroughly enjoyable few hours. We definitely recommend the Lime Tree
brunch - all you can eat (breakfast sort of foods) for about 85 birr
per adult and about 45 birr for the children. But don't count on the
wireless internet working, this is the fourth time we've taken our
laptop down there and its not worked yet!!! The other UK family did
mention that The Imperial Hotel (Bole Road near the airport end) has
free broadband intenet, so we will be trying that another day.

The food at the Guest House is very good, but it is a very limited
menu and after two weeks of it we HAD to find something different!!
Me, Mr Messy and Little Prince (Drama Teen didn't want to come) went
for a wander down the Bole Road to see what we could find. We went to
the Bole Mini (American Diner style cafe, near to the London Cafe
which is the one with the plane outside!!). Mr Messy ordered steak
and chips (for 40 birr - about £2.50!!!!) and said it wasn't the best
steak he'd ever had but it was pretty good for £2.50!! Little Prince
wantd hotdogs, but he only ate the sausages!! As I had baby in the
sling I had to go for finger food and just had some skinny (McDonald
style) fries. There was another little boy running round and round
the cafe while we were eating, and as soon as he'd finished Little
Prince begged to join him. As none of the staff or other customers
seemed at all bothered by the running boy we let Little Prince join
in. Both boys had a great time running round and round making cowboy
whooping noises, or hiding from each other. The Ethiopian people seem
generally very tolerant of children's behaviour, so it didn't seem to
cause a problem. We eventually managed to persuade Little Prince to
sit down for some ice cream - two scoops of mixed, rainbow coloured
ice cream - I've never seen BLUE ice cream before, but Little Prince
gulped it down and said it was all delicious :-) Then he was off and
running with his new friend again, for a last mad 10 minutes before we
headed back to the Guest House. As we walked we passed a mother and
small child begging and Little Prince was thrilled when Daddy gave him
some birr to give to her, he said it made him feel very good to help
someone who had no money. He is a very kind and compassionate young
man :-)