Guest Post from my son Alex: A 5 yr old view of Guatemala

Today is Adoption Day at our house! This is the day we celebrate our son Alex coming home to be with us forever! The idea that God found us worthy to parent Alex still blows us away. I think I would have always had an unidentified incompleteness if Alex had not completed our family.

My son is about “all boy” as you can get. There is no unturned stone. Every hole must have a finger stuck in it. Every puddle must be jumped into. Every dump truck must be proclaimed with enthusiasm. There is no such thing as napkin. Lightening bugs, worms, and roly polies are endangered species. Baths are loathed.  The funniest things in the world are farts, poop, and butt. Hugs and kisses leave bruises if you can catch him. Love is expressed with yelling and intense wrestling. He knows everything and to emphasize that he ends almost every sentence with “right, Mom?” I wouldn’t want him any other way.

Although Alex came home on his 9 month birthday he intently swears he remembers every moment of his time in Guatemala. He says he remembers his birth mother Marta Isabel feeding him beans. He promises he remembers his foster mom Flory taking him on walks. He’s certain he has held a quetzel bird. I interviewed him about other “memories” he has about Guatemala in honor of his Adoption Day. These are his responses. 

Where is Guatemala? Away. Like in South or maybe Central America-ey.

What’s it like in Guatemala? It’s weally hot. We drink alot. And eat lots of ice cream.

What are the people like in Guatemala? They’re wike me. They are brown. Except they are poor and don’t have shoes. 

What animals live in Guatemala? Wizards because it’s wike the desert but it’s not a desert. And quetzels. One time I held one. 

What did you do in Guatemala? I ate beans.

Tell me about your birth mother. Oh you mean Marta Isabel? My first mommy? She was very, very nice. She loved me. But she was very, very poor. So she said I could come live with my new family forever. Because she loved me. 

Tell me about your foster mother and brothers. Flory loved me too. She was very nice. And my brothers. They used to carry me everywhere. 

What do you want people to know about Guatemala and adoption? Oh, you know. Just be kind. 

All of our children are complete miracles. We see evidence of the hand of God on each of them every day. We thank God Marta Isabel chose life for our precious son and that she shared her greatest gift with us. We always say adoption is not for everyone but it is for a lot more people than we think. If our family can help you through that process let us know. In the meantime, celebrate today with us and our amazing son. We’ll share some sticky kisses with you. 

Happy Adoption Day Alexander Hayden Escobar Figgins!