3-2-13 Sugar High

The party today was soooooooooo awesome! I am really glad that we were allowed to do it and take them to the restaurant for something different and fun. I can’t BELIEVE how much those kids can eat! It was a sight to see!

When I left off yesterday, I was venturing out for candles and balloons. I found the balloons and forgot about the candles (shocker I know). I have been TRYING to find a bakery - not a store that sells cakes, an actual bakery where they can write on the cake with frosting. I looked and looked, but didn’t really have any luck. I bought 4 2-liter bottles of pop and a giant jug of water to take to the party and almost broke my back carrying them all back to the room! We ate in the room, C took a nap, and we went to hang out at the orphanage. V*ktor played a car racing game on the tablet, we played some cards, then later went in search of a few kids to get pictures. It started raining, so we got a taxi back to the hotel. I had no desire to go back out, so I ordered food from the hotel restaurant.

This morning we got going pretty quickly. C watched a Sesame Street episode while I took a bath. Thank you youtube! We went out to get the cakes. (V*ktor confirmed that Mi$ha’s birthday was pretty recent, so I definitely wanted to get a cake for him.) I looked everywhere, called Aleksey a hundred times to talk to different people, and still had no luck locating someone to write on a cake for me! I ended up calling a missionary who is from here. She told me what to buy (actually I handed the phone to the lady at the supermarket), and I figured that would work! It was a can of something like caramel. I found a cake but realized there was no way I could carry it while pushing a stroller. So, I paid for the cake, hiked back to the hotel, and put C in the moby. I got as many strange looks as Brian did when we were in Kiev. She was front-facing with her head coming out the top of my coat (buttoned over her) and her feet dangling out the bottom. So fun confusing people - hahaha! I picked up the cake I had already bought and stopped at another store for the second cake. I was happy C’s hands were buttoned in my coat because I’m guessing she wouldn’t have made it so easy if she could reach the cakes just in front of her face! Whew!

Back at the room, I had everything I needed. I somehow used the can opener - it wasn’t pretty but I got it open. I put the caramel in a Ziploc bag and cut off the corner so I could write on the cakes. It worked great! I wrote “поздоровляю Congratulations V*ktor Phillip Werner” on his cake. Then, I wanted to write “Happy Birthday Mi$ha” in Ukrainian. Google-translate was fine on the happy birthday part, but I wasn’t sure how to do his name. So, I looked on his Russian facebook page. Below his name was a word that started with an M, so I thought that was it. I went ahead and wrote it on the cake, but just to make sure, I sent an IM to Aleksey. He immediately called me laughing so hard he couldn’t talk. Apparently, the word I used is a kind of car. I had just written the Ukrainian equivalent of “Happy Birthday Ford!” After taking a picture for Aleksey’s entertainment, I scraped it off and wrote it the right way. Having that completed, I gave C some veggies, yogurt, and bread. I was too excited about the party and trying not to forget anything that I ate cookies for lunch while she napped.

We had a taxi pick us up because there was no WAY for me to carry all the drinks, C, 2 cakes, and the backpack. As we drove past the restaurant, I pointed it out to the taxi driver and said “Avenu*.” He nodded like he understood. I figured, okay, he forgot and he’s just going to turn around. This happened several more times until he pulled up at the orphanage gates. He finally got it when I didn’t get out and said “no, Avenu*.” Haha- he took me to the right place and I got everything unloaded. Using charades and google-translate I talked to the people working (the English speaking guy wasn’t there). We got a big table set up in the backroom and I put balloons all over it. I asked then about where I could get candles, and they said they would just buy them for me! Awesome! So, they put the cakes in the fridge to be brought back out later.

Then, I went back to the hotel room to get C a sippy cup, and we made the walk to the orphanage. I’ve discovered I really don’t mind walking if I have somewhere to go. It’s just walking to walk that I do not enjoy. V*ktor met me at the door, and we went to get a video of O for his Mom. After that, we just went to hang out in V’s room for awhile. He, J, and Va played a card game I completely didn’t understand. Then, he said we could go at 4 (instead of 4:30 like I thought). We went to the front door of the orphanage and kids started coming from all directions. It was a bit like herding cats, though. There were consistently 8-9 kids there, but they kept coming and going instead of staying to wait for everyone! Finally, we got 13 kids and a teacher, so away we went! I could tell all the kids were excited, and the teacher was pretty laid-back and joked around as we walked. As I’ve mentioned before, these kids LOVE C, and they’re very helpful. I pretty much don’t have to carry anything or push the stroller when I’m with the group! We got to the restaurant, and I had J help with coordinating the orders - what a helpful kid! They went through the pop very quickly! I ended up getting 3 more 2-liters. Yes, you added that right - 7 2-liter bottles of pop for 13 kids and 1 adult (I was drinking water). Each kid got a pizza, but it’s a small oven and they came out three at a time. Half the kids were finished before the other half even had theirs. They were all watching futbol on the TV, playing with C, playing with electronic devices (a few of them have phones), or chatting. Finally, once V*ktor got and wolfed down the last pizza it was time for cake. I went out to see the cakes and have them brought in. They had put candles on V’s cake, too, but I didn’t want to tell them to take them back off so we went with it. It was so awesome! They put these flares on there, too, so they were like HUGE sparklers on the cakes! Mi$ha was very surprised and it was fun. Each kid had 2 giant pieces of cake - I mean, they had to try each cake right? Okay, so it wasn’t just the kids. I got 2 pieces, too, but I shared with C J After cake, they hung out and kind of spread out in the room for awhile. Sv, Sa, and J all skyped with their parents back in America. Then, they all ordered more to eat. They’re typical teenagers - bottomless pits when it comes to food! I got some videos from the kids saying messages to V*ktor for him to watch when we get back home or maybe on the plane. At least I think that’s what they’re saying. I really would have no idea if they’re reciting the Ukrainian pledge of allegiance (is there such a thing?).

We walked back to the orphanage. C was flanked by her protective cluster of kids taking turns pushing the stroller and walking on the sides holding her hands. Some of the boys were singing (totally got a video). It was a very happy, fun walk with the kids back to the orphanage. J kept trying to get Sv to give him the cake to carry. She knew better! Then, the goofy kids all started being really silly right before I left. The smallest kid, Ivan3, who was a total ball of energy, was dancing all over the front steps. At least HALF of the boys got a third piece of cake, and they may or may not have ended up with some of it on their faces. There may or may not be a video J Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaah, I just got 13 kids hyped up on a sugar-high and dropped then back at the orphanage! (Evil plan laugh) Mi$ha, V*ktor, and J2 walked me out to the taxi. Now, we’re in the room, C is sleeping, and the wedding is in full swing! I considered doing some research for an upper level “Ukrainian Wedding Crashing” course, but I’m pretty comfy in my Pjs. Think I’ll put in the earbuds and watch some LOST!