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KEEPING UP WITH MY TWINKLETOES-RUKH-SHANA ON HER ADOPTION JOURNEY SO FAR

In her own words Rukh-Shana, adoptive mother and Ugandans Adopt heroine, gives us a heart warming update on her adoption journey.

We asked Rukh-Shana, adoptive mother and Ugandans Adopt heroine, to give us an update on her adoption journey. In her own words, she tells us how Twinkletoes is keeping  her on her toes:

                                KEEPING UP WITH MY TWINKLETOES-RUKH-SHANA

Rukh-Shana serves Twinkle toes cake on her  third birthday at a babies home
Rukh-Shana serves Twinkletoes cake on her third birthday at the Babies Home where her birthday was celebrated. .Photo courtsey of Ugandans Adopt

The date is 30th March 2015. It’s 10:30am and I should be dashing for my morning cup of tea but I am stuck at my desk neck deep in routine stuff attempting to pull together a report that should have been submitted the night before. Even as I am propped up behind my desk, my mind racing a mile a minute with all the things I need to get done before the new month, my mind wanders off to a happy place. It is my little girl’s birthday today and we had a tantrum-free morning, can’t quite recall what that felt like, so I am delighted with her. My mind wanders further off to what seems like a distant time.  A time when I prided myself in being nimble and swift on my feet, a busy body with never a dull moment in my life, always colliding with time…then came Twinkletoes, and in the blink of an eye I was a snail dragging my shell on the race track of life alongside this toddler who was suddenly in an insane rush to go places; to see the big beautiful world through her twinkling eyes.  I have since then been trying to keep up with my Twinkletoes.

 

And speaking of the world, my rather controlled world has never been the same since she flung the doors wide open and came waltzing in. Twinkletoes was just four months when we met on that beautiful Monday evening. Well I think it was a Monday because on a Friday I dressed up for my big day with the adoption panel-all butterflies in my belly and with knees of jelly. My prayer was simple that morning, “Lord may Your will be done!”  I still muse at just how our plans can take a twist for the better. Now, when I set on out on my adoption journey in 2012, I had it all figured out. She had to be between 8 and 12months old – young enough to bond quite easily and old enough to fit it into my crazy work schedule.  My life needed to maintain a semblance of sane balance as I knew it…I suppose I was simply being ME – in control. But in came Twinkletoes, a sparkly sunshine, a voluble wind turning my structured world sweetly topsy-turvy. One moment I was grounded and the next, I was knocked off- balance falling flat on my face in a fit of joy with outbursts of tears and the momentary tittering on the brink of insanity.

 

Twinkletoes gives Mum Rukh-Shana a peck
Twinkletoes with Mum. Photo courtesy of Rukh-Shana Namuyimba.

Three years on, ours has been a beautiful journey of watching her grow from this shy, thumb- sucking child to a very persuasive, independent and absolutely crazy thumb-sucking toddler who decided at the age of two that she mostly preferred to wear little dresses instead of the shorts and tees her over bearing mother had filled her closet with. Yes, I was a tom boy after all and I didn’t quite have the luxury of defiantly pouting at my mother if she suggested I wear some hand-me-down boyish shorts. So I was quite taken aback when my Twinkletoes proved to be tenacious in getting what she wanted. My mother says I may not have been a tenacious tot but I most definitely turned out to be as tenacious as they come later in life so I should cut Twinkle some slack. So for the most part I have cut her some slack, perhaps too much, and as a result she does mostly get what she wants. I suppose she has found a soft spot and is quite intent on milking it for what it’s worth.

 

Speaking of soft spots Ma Petite, as I sometimes refer to her has a soft spot for hurting people. I have watched as she has, through the years, blossomed into an expressive and caring little girl especially around other children; quick to offer hugs if that is what it takes to make someone else feel better.

Rukh-shana
On motherhood Rukh-Shana says,”And speaking of the world, my rather controlled world has never been the same since she flung the doors wide open and came waltzing in”. Photo courtesy of Rukh-Shana NamuyimbaT

This morning, as I reflect on the year gone by, my heart swells with pride at the little milestones of awesomeness we have reached together. The day we went shopping for nursery schools and when we finally settled for her current school she was a fit of delight. Every day till the first day of term we fought over her insistence that she wear her uniform at home and carry her little rucksack to the door as I left for work. This would almost always end with a tantrum that quietened down with me promising she would start school the next day (yes I lied but what do you do with a tenacious 2 plus year old who will not take ‘wait a little longer’ for an answer?) …and when we finally showed up on the first day of school, I was a weeping mess and she was only too delighted to mix and mingle with the other little kids. Then came the first time she randomly said, “I love you mummy”. We had just had a ‘fight’ so that totally threw me off balance and I could not hold back the tears, her response was a shocker: “Mummy you’re kwaying (read crying) for nothing.” That was the beginning of my transformation into a crying mummy.

I have since shed a tear or two during her first swimming lesson; her first mumbled prayer with a resounding AMEN; her first Sunday school session; her first attempt at brushing her own teeth; her first bicycle ride.  But the most treasured of our milestones is her learning my full name, probably from watching TV and her daddy’s name. She still cannot say her daddy’s without almost biting her tongue but whenever she does it is with such a sweetness like nothing else really matters in her little world. And perhaps nothing really does to my Twinkletoes and many like her. Nothing really matters but that they have unconditional love and a family to call their own.

The end.

To wrap up this heart warming story, Rukh-Shana talks about her adoption experience and why more Ugandans should consider opening their hearts and homes to Ugandan children in the video below:

Could you be the next Rukh-shana? We would love to hear from yo. Call us on 0776110304/0776110316 or send us an email @ [email protected]

25 replies on “KEEPING UP WITH MY TWINKLETOES-RUKH-SHANA ON HER ADOPTION JOURNEY SO FAR”

Absolutely wonderful! We do need more Rukh-shanas. God richly bless you on this beautiful journey of motherhood.

Sarah, I believe there are many more adoptive mothers, they just don’t tell their stories for numerous reasons some still have to deal with the ‘stigma’ that society can met out on them especially if the adoption is a result of inability to have birth children. Whatever the case may be, I am persuaded if we had more people sharing their life journeys Uganda would know that fostering and or adoption is not foreign as many people tend to think. And it certainly is not for the wealthy. It has been done before and we need more people to get involved.

I want to give a child a home but i have been denied this opportunity, coz i live across the border

“Nothing really matters but that they have unconditional love and a family to call their own”<<< Everyday I pray that one day I will give one more child a family-however shabby to call their own. Their own little bed to go home to, as many hugs, kisses and fights as only a family can provide.

Well done, Ms. Namuyimba. God richly richly bless your kind heart. Belated Happy birthday to 'Your Petite' and You. Wish you lots of love and more.

This makes me so happy as a mother too see that one little person’s has been changed forever. I pray we find more people to open their doors to these little ones

Woww, this got me teary eyes, I may still be in my Mum’s house but I told God, one day, I would like to give a home to one or more children who may not get that privilege. Thanks for sharing you experience. May God keep blessing you and Twinkle. God bless Ugandans Adopt.

Thanks much for opening that big door for a little one.I feel happy to here a Ugandan explaining what she went through with the adopted child. We well know many children have been taken outside this country and i believe even the line Ministry cannot account for them easily but they can 100% account for the one Rukh- Shana took. Ugandans these are our children. Lets open our doors. I have one in my home and i know the happiness and fulfilling moments we have had together. Thanks Rukh-Shana. Be blessed.

Shana is a beautiful yet down to earth lady. Malyaka has the best mummy in the world. God bless her and baby always. Very proud of you Shana

“I love you mummy”. We had just had a ‘fight’ so that totally threw me off balance and I could not hold back the tears, her response was a shocker: “Mummy you’re kwaying (read crying) for nothing.” That was the beginning of my transformation into a crying mummy.

Oh wow… This made me cry too. Thanx for sharing. I once loved one little girl called Peace at Sanyu Babies home where I volunteered for a year, wished to have her as my own little one but it was impossible as I was still young and unable to cater for a child at 19. Now soon making twenty three and sure that one day I am gonna adopt atleast two kids and shower them with love. You inspire me!

That was really touching, it got me teary as well . God bless you for that kind heart.
One day , I hope to do the same.

Ohhh, that was really touching and it has made me too emotional.

One day , I hope to do the same, may the good lord richly bless you for that kind heart.

That was very touching. It brought tears to my eyes. May God bless you for making room for a Ugandan Child. There are many out there that need our love, so let’s do the needful.

I consider adoption a miracle because here is a child who has nothing and suddenly she/he has everything; a home, loving parents, food, and a last name. If that isn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is.

Thanks Ms. Namuyimba for sharing your inspiring experience with us. I too hope to adopt a Ugandan child some day after I am married.

Dear Ugandans, let’s open our hearts and homes to these innocent angels. Every child needs a home to grow up in, not an orphanage. The joy they bring watching them grow up is immeasurable.

Many thanks Ugandansadopt!

“Mummy you’re kwaying (read crying) for nothing.” oohhhhh that is so sweet !!! i’m literally kwaying… .makes me hope to get ” Twinkletoes ” some time in my life!

God bless you Shana, I adopted one from my cousin and collected about five others who are now part and parcel of my family. We live happily and my biological children have also accepted them as part of us. I encourage more people to do so.

Awwwww….so touching a story. We shy away from adoption and leave it to people from outside Uganda, yet we should be opening our hearts and homes to these little angels. Bless your soul Rukhshana.

I’m so grateful for you dear and I never ignore your stories about adoption because it is my dream too. May the Lord continue guiding you and give you all the support that you will ever need.

I’ve never taken any heed to mind Rukh-Shana,s biz bt im touched by this story its in one of my plans to adopt a child one day coz yes i kno every child deserves a family.Thanks Rukh-Shana for making tht gal smile n oh yeah yo pics luk lovely.May God grant u provision to always look after her n all da rest u get.

Oh; this is so touching; i always have fights with my little baby; but in just seconds he looks at me and smiles as if nothing happened. The Joy of motherhood cannot be compared to anything in this world…………………

Wow! Shana, so proud of you,..and so inspiring. May you be blessed a million fold for opening your heart for someone you have no blood relation with. kisses to Twinkletoes 🙂

M really touched.i often read such stories bse its the most beautiful thing to do and i pray everyday that one day i walk into a babies home and pik a little orphan girl and take her home and love her,teach her how to write,love,dance,sing,live.and just love her like my other kids.may God bless every one who adopts a child.you r beautiful beyond beauty ever imagined.

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