Happy New Year!
Every year right before we pack and leave for Tennessee in December, I end up scrambling to do Christmas cards in time for Christmas! This year, I decided to wait and do it the week after Christmas when I “had more time.” Clearly, that didn’t work. I guess I don’t do so well without a definite deadline! We had some changes in our family this year. Viktor came home in March, and each of our sisters became Moms. In July, we said goodbye to Granny. We miss her so much. It’s strange to gather with family without her there, but we know that we will see her again.
Brian continues work on his Masters (planning to graduate in May 2014). Viktor is enjoying all sorts of new things. He played baseball this spring, joined the band (percussion) at school, is in Boy Scouts, and has joined the high school basketball team - Go Rockets! He is in 9th grade and doing extremely well. Anden plays basketball, baseball, and fall soccer. He also still does Awanas. He has now moved up to the middle school in 4th grade, so that has been a big change for him. Brylar is in her second year of preschool at church. She likes school, is a little bit (sometimes a lot) of a drama queen, has TONS of energy, loves playing with Chella, and is getting pretty good at writing her letters. She played spring and fall soccer, did gymnastics this summer, and goes to Awana Cubbies. Chella is very smart. If she sees her clothes laid out (or sometimes finds them in her drawers) she will dress herself - sometimes the arms are through the neckhole or shirts are upside down, but she‘s actually pretty good! She likes to color or do anything that big sister is doing. Chella doesn’t like to talk a lot, yet (strange in this family, I know). Mom says she’s a little spoiled, and she’s probably right J
I stay busy with the kids, helping with VBS and Christmas program, and I am now writing freelance for the local weekly newspaper. I love it!
We had another very full year. We found out the last week of 2012 that we would leave for Ukraine on January 26th. Our January was filled with Anden’s basketball games (Brian and Daryl coached) and some Rockets games, too. One weekend, we took a family trip to CocoKeys (indoor water park hotel). Anden and Brylar had agreed to forego birthday parties for a whole weekend there, and it was a great time! The whole month was also spent preparing for our trip to Ukraine. Mom came up a few days before we left so she could stay with Anden and Brylar for 2 weeks. Brian’s parents and Mom took us up to the airport so they could see us off. At that point, we had no idea how long we would be gone. I can’t even tell you how hard it was to leave them. Knowing it was the only way to bring home our other son was the thing that got us through it.
We are very blessed that Brian has a job that can be done remotely. He was able to work most of the time he was there, so it minimized the amount of vacation he had to use. Since he needed to keep the same hours, though, he worked until 1 or 2 in the morning. That was fine; we had lots of down time just waiting for the next court date or paperwork. The kids were with Mom for 2 weeks, then she went home. They stayed with Dennis and Janelle for the next 2 weeks. Brian finally got to go home 1 day shy of 4 weeks. From the time Mom left until I got back, my wonderful friend Ashley watched Brylar during the day while Brian worked. There were so many people who helped us along the way and took care of things at home as they were needed. God really provided everything we needed. After Brian left, Chella and I stayed in Ukraine another 4 weeks before we were finally able to bring Viktor HOME for good! There were so many experiences and stories to tell that it took about 40 blog entries. From 15 hour train rides to food-ordering mishaps to wild charades trying to communicate to Ukrainian wedding crashing-They are ALL on my blog. If you have a chance, check it out! www.OfCourseIHaveDuctTape.blogspot.com
While we were gone, the kids had the Awana Grand Prix, Anden had some Cub Scout events, and his basketball games continued.
Finally, on March 21st, Viktor, Chella, and I arrived in Lincoln to be greeted by Brian, the kids, Dennis, Janelle, and several friends. I could have hugged them all for hours! It was so good to be home. I unintentionally reset my jetlag within just 2 days. I just slept a little Thursday night, a little Friday night, and by Saturday night I could go to sleep at a decent time again! Viktor took a little longer, but that’s okay.
Brian’s company gives some adoption-related time off, but you can only use it after it’s final. So, we decided to use that time for a trip to Tennessee the next week for Easter! While there, we met my cousin’s newest additions, Sasha and Sonja, from Latvia! What fun for Viktor to be able to chat with cousins in Russian his first week in America. It was a busy trip including lots of eating with family and friends, a day at Playside (huge indoor playground) with the cousins, some spoiling by Meme, getting new ball gloves for both boys from Uncle David, playing lots of catch, and train dominoes, of course. On our road trip home, we stopped for lunch and to meet my friend Becca in Nashville. Becca and her husband are adopting one of Viktor‘s roommates from the orphanage, but it is taking longer due to the Ukrainian paperwork for him. They were down visiting her parents, so it was a perfect time for us to meet! We had a great time getting to visit on our way to the hotel for the night. The next day, we stopped at the St. Louis Arch and rode up in it - something we hadn’t done since Anden was 3.
About a week after our return, Viktor started working through Rosetta Stone at home. We had decided that the best solution was to home-school the remainder of the year and have him start school in the fall. We also worked on some math, but we knew the English was the most important! Viktor and Anden started baseball practices. Brylar played soccer. I use that term loosely because she’s not quite yet “into” sports. So, she mainly looked cute and ran around the field. Viktor, Chella, and I joined in on her preschool trip to the zoo, and that was a lot of fun! Also, Katie and Luke became parents when our niece, Audriella was born!
In May, baseball games started, and we were running all directions watching the boys play. They both loved it, though, so it was worth it! We went to Brylar’s preschool program, soccer picnic, and Awana awards. We also enjoyed a graduation party for Brian’s cousin, Aubree (who was a flower girl in our wedding if that tells you how old we’re getting). It was so great to see all Janelle’s family - had a blast! Memorial Day weekend, Brian and the boys helped out with demolition and remodeling Daryl and Rachel’s kitchen. Then, the next week was Vacation Bible School. Viktor jumped right in with the other youth and helped out with games. It was lots of fun!
Our first camping trip didn’t happen until the first weekend in June! We went out with Grotrians to a place down in Kansas. It’s called Sycamore Springs, and it was beautiful! I have FOUND my favorite place to camp. Everyone had a great time. Grotrians left after breakfast Sunday, and we hung around for the onsite church service. As luck (aka God) would have it, the pastor had spent time in Russia and was able to converse pretty easily with Viktor! The rest of June was fast and busy. After staying relatively cool during May, it got REALLY hot! We continued going to baseball games all month long. Anden had Bright Lights Camp (where he did chess) and also Cub Scout Camp. This year, after checking out all the garage sales during Unadilla Days (our town’s fun weekend in June) and running to a baseball game, we went down to do the festivities at the park. There was a GIANT waterslide on the hill. We went down thinking we’d be there for about an hour. It was so much fun that we were there the rest of the afternoon and stuck around for the dinner and tractor pull. Brian even did the tractor pull and was joined by his uncle Randy - lol! After kids all were settled in jammies, I got to go hang out with girlfriends for awhile.
We headed to Tennessee again for July 4th. We had family picnics, played lots of dominoes, went to Playside, and just enjoyed time with family. Granny was in the nursing home, and we went over to visit her several times that week. Back home, Brylar had a lot of fun taking swim lessons with her friends for a week. The weekend of Germanfest, we hosted a chaperone from Ukraine. She was visiting with the New Horizons summer hosting program. I think we wore her out! Germanfest is always a great time - wiener dog races, pancake feed, kids’ fun downtown, parade, German dancing, etc. That’s just the stuff in the afternoon! I made borscht for supper, and the chaperone went to bed after that. Brian and I took the kids over to Dennis and Janelle’s to watch fireworks. Then, my awesome husband took the kids home and I went to the street dance with friends. Sunday, we went to the Omaha zoo! It’s exhausting walking around all over the place, but there is so much to see! We really enjoyed ourselves.
On Friday the 19th, Mom called to say that Granny had passed away. Brian was at the store with Viktor at the time. I took Chella upstairs to wait for him to get home and figure out our plan. Chella picked up a snow globe and handed it to me. Dad had given me years ago. It made me laugh and cry thinking about the scene in heaven that day - Dad playing his guitar singing some crazy song to make Granny laugh. It actually gave me a lot of peace. I spent the next few hours getting everyone packed so we could leave the next day for Tennessee. On the way down, we made a special pitstop in Kentucky about 4 hours from Mom’s house. Viktor’s best friend from Ukraine was in America being hosted. His host family was on vacation there. Viktor got to sit and have ice-cream with Misha for about 20-30 minutes. It was short, but we’re thankful they got the chance to see each other. We spent the next week with family. Monday, I was standing at my Mom's kitchen sink watching my kids running around the yard playing. I thought how my Mom stood at that same sink watching us play as kids and smiled. Then, I thought of how, just 2 houses down, my Granny had done the same thing when my Mom and her siblings were kids. It really is a circle, and we all live on in the ones who come after us. Granny will live on for a very long time in all of us who came from her and continue to pass on her humor and love of family. Her funeral was on Viktor’s birthday (which is shared with my cousin‘s twin boys, and his girls‘ birthday is 2 days later). We had a big party for all 5 kids that Wednesday at their house. Thursday, Mom and Meg kept Chella and sent Brian and I with the other kids to Lake Winnie (amusement park). It was tiring, but definitely a good time. We headed home Saturday.
August was a blur. Anden got a part in “The Princess and the Pea.” He had a lot of fun going to rehearsals every day with his friend, Hannah. They did a fantastic job! We had our usual fun at the fair, and then, before I knew it, school started! We went camping our final 2 weekends - once with church friends (that included 13 kids in all) at Sycamore Springs, and once with other friends at Indian Caves. Brian is ready to chuck the camper over a cliff, though, because the cables are not working right. It’s a good thing we’re in Nebraska with no cliffs because he was so frustrated I think he actually might have done it! It was an “RV” moment when people from neighboring campers came over to offer their help in getting the thing popped up using screw drivers, hammers, WD40, or whatever else they needed.
The girls and I went to Tennessee the first weekend in September for Meghan’s baby shower. It was a great girlie weekend! The girls were awesome travelers, and (most of) the other passengers were helpful. We returned just in time for Brylar and Anden to start fall soccer. Brylar started preschool, went to preschool library time, kids started back to Awanas, we had a progressive dinner at church, Brian went on Anden’s field trip with him, and we saw lots of Rockets volleyball and football. Viktor was nominated as freshman representative to the Homecoming Court and won! He went to the dance the next night-talk about weird for me to be dropping off a kid at a high school dance!
In October, I started writing freelance for the local weekly newspaper. I really love writing, and I am at tons of community events anyway. It’s actually quite perfect for me! I feel very blessed to have the opportunity. More football, volleyball, and soccer games filled up lots of time. On the 10th, Viktor was sworn in officially as a citizen! Because he was over 13 at the time of adoption, he had to go swear in. Younger kids are not required to do this. We all went up to Omaha for the day and had lunch at our friend Mary’s house afterwards. Of COURSE we had our annual Halloween Party. This year, we were Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. It was a super-fun night! Unfortunately, on Halloween the football team had a playoff game, so Viktor didn’t get to do much trick-or-treating since he‘s in band.
Meghan and Joe welcomed our niece, Greenleigh, into the world a week early on November 3rd. I had to wait almost 2 months until I got to see her! Chella turned 2 the next week, and, just like Anden and Brylar, she is in LOVE with Elmo! Of course I made another Elmo cake J
I directed the church children’s Christmas program again this year, so we had weekly practices all month. Brylar also did a 6 week gymnastics class in Lincoln with cousin Haleigh. We celebrated Thanksgiving Day at Grandpa Werner’s house with all the family. I went all night shopping with friends. Well, not all night, but close enough. Friday, we went to the tree farm where Viktor picked out our tree that we put up that evening. Saturday, we had Thanksgiving with Janelle’s family. The kids started a game of spoons - a very loud, semi-violent, filled-with-laughter game of spoons. It was great!
With December came basketball! Viktor is on the basketball team, and he really likes it. He didn’t play, yet, but for now he’s mainly learning basics. Tannenbaum was the first weekend, and we went downtown for all the festivities - crafts, Santa, tree-lighting. Viktor and Anden both got to go hunting with Uncle D. They didn’t get anything, but I think froze and saw a few other animals besides deer! We had the church Christmas program, Brylar’s preschool program, and Viktor’s band concert all the week before we packed up to leave. Our Christmas week in Tennessee was great! Meghan and Joe were up, so we had a full house at Mom’s. We spent lots of time with family, did some shopping, and just enjoyed our time together. We ended the year at Gameapalooza! It was another full, amazing, blessed year. We hope that it was wonderful for you as well.
Brian, Laramie, Anden, Brylar, Chella, and Viktor
Friday, January 24, 2014
Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Home Stretch - Final Chapter March 31, 2013
We have been back for almost 2 weeks and I’m just getting around to updating our “Home Stretch!” I started it in the Chicago airport and never finished, so I’m starting over J As you know by now, we are HOME! My last update was our final Sunday, so I’ll pick up with Monday. We were picked up that morning by our facilitator and taken to the Emba$sy to file paperwork. Another lady, L, her sister C, and new son V all came with us. There were around 30 people standing outside, but we were taken up to the front where a guy was holding a clipboard. After a few minutes, they checked us out that we were on “the list” and we were clear. It felt oddly like what you see in the movies of waiting outside a club trying to get in. After security ran my bag through about 8 times to find the last bits of metal I had left in there – oops – we were in. We took a number, were called quickly, and filed the paperwork. V and I were finished, so we waited with C for the other family to finish. It’s a good thing we did, because the lady realized she had forgotten to fingerprint him and called us back up! Once we were finished, we went back to the apartment for the day. We went to the grocery store at one point and just ate back at the apartment. We were tired!
Tuesday, we made plans with the family we had met for supper on Sunday. They were comfortable riding the metro, so we decided to give it a try! After a 10-15 minute walk, we had located the metro station and figured out how to get across the busy street (underneath it). The escalators seemed to go down forever, but we finally got to the platform. B (Dad) and D (new son) met us at our subway stop. It was a little confusing because I didn’t know which train they would be getting off, so I kept looking from side to side once a train arrived. V was less than thrilled with having to hang out there and didn’t understand why we had to wait. Once they arrived, they helped us get on the right train to head towards our destination where we were meeting K (mom) and the girls. We had decided to go ice-skating at a mall. The snow started coming down pretty hard just as we arrived. It was beautiful! First stop in the mall was the food court since none of us had eaten. We had already been talking about what foods we missed the most. Mexican food was high on the list. Lo and behold – there was a MEXICAN fast food restaurant in there! We were a little excited. We were very excited and exclaiming “Mexican food! Yaa!!” so much that the teenage girls working there had to go in the backroom they were laughing so hard. I can only imagine what they thought about these crazy Americans practically jumping up and down over mediocre fast food. After filling our bellies, we headed to the ice-skating rink. B and K did not want to skate, so they watched C and I decided to give it a try with the teenagers. Gotta say – it is NOT like riding a bicycle. You do not just jump right back into it! I haven’t been ice-skating since 2006 on our girls trip to Gatlinburg. I clung to the bar for the first 20 minutes this time. C was happy-screaming, waving, and laughing the whole time as she leaned over the rail to watch us. Eventually, I got my balance and actually started skating out in the middle with the kids. It was a lot of fun, but I must admit that I was kind of glad when it was over and nobody had been injured. While skating, we saw a “fish pedicure” place across the mall from the ice-skating rink. H (one of the girls) really wanted to try it. Since they had to go meet their facilitator for some paperwork, I decided to keep H and go do the fish pedicure with her. V went with the rest of her family. It was one of the weirdest things ever. Seriously odd! You put your feet in these fish tanks full of 1” fish. They eat the dead skin off your feet. I am kind of an odd duck anyway since I like my feet tickled, but this was NOT pleasant! It tingled and felt like my feet were falling asleep. A few minutes into it, H said, “This is the longest 10 minutes ever!” I said, “That’s because it’s 20!” Haha! It seemed effective, and I can cross it off my list as something I’ve done. I won’t be doing it again, though! After going 4 metro stops the wrong way, and 8 more back to the right place, we met up with her family and V at a “McFoxy” which is a knockoff McDonald’s. V snacked on some food, C slept, and we headed back to the apartment. Wednesday was super-busy. We were picked up around 10 (had been ready since 9 because we were unsure when we had to go), and we went to a doctor’s office/clinic. L and her son V were with us again. The boys needed to have physicals before they had their Visa clearance. When we finally completed that, I needed a quick trip to the outdoor market for some matryoshka dolls. Mission complete, then we headed to the Embassy. There was not another person in line except for us. It was FREEZING! It was probably the coldest I’ve been. Even though we had US Passports clearly showing us as American citizens, the guy with the clipboard left us outside instead of letting us wait just inside the door where it was warm. Seriously??? I have a BABY! I’m an American citizen, and you can’t even let me stand inside a door where it’s warm??? Grr – not happy with them. We finally got inside and completed all our paperwork. We were on our way with everything needed to go home! V, C, and I got dropped off at an Italian restaurant for lunch/supper and then walked back to our apartment to pack.
I really liked flying Lufthansa on the way over, and I have never had any good experiences with United. So, I was happy we had gotten flights for less than the $2400 apiece (like we originally thought), but I was really apprehensive about it being United and knowing it was highly unlikely they would give us the bulkhead seats. I was fairly certain we wouldn’t be getting a bassinet for C, either. As I talked to different friends about it on FB and was praying for bulkhead seats for our long flight, a friend suggested trying to check-in online. When I went to check-in, it said something like “Due to a ground-workers’ strike, your flight has been delayed. Call ***-****” Uh-oh. I knew that couldn’t be good… So, I backed out of that screen and checked flight status. It said the flight was delayed 4 ½ hours. That meant we definitely wouldn’t make the connection in Germany. After a call with our facilitator on the US side, she got in touch with the travel agent to make other arrangements. He got us on an even earlier flight for Thursday morning that had a Lufthansa connection for the long flight! Yaa! Of course, that meant leaving the apartment at 3AM, but at least we would be going!
Upon arriving at the airport and checking in, we realized that L, her sister C, and son V were on our flight to Germany! We finally got through security, waited with them for the plane, and once in Germany we waited together again for our connecting flights. By the time we arrived in Germany, they had cancelled all inter-Europe flights (due to the strike) and were only going internationally. Whew! In the nick of time! The flight from Germany to Chicago was definitely not full. Many people hadn’t made it to Germany from other parts of Europe due to the cancelled flights. We had 3 seats and the bassinet, so that was really nice for spreading out and letting C play. V and C slept a good bit on the flights, but I never got more than a 10-15 minute catnap here and there. In Chicago, we got off the plane and through immigration/customs as quickly as possible. It still took quite awhile. Our layover was scheduled for 7 hours, so I went to the closest counter and begged to be put on standby for the next flight. She put us on standby, but the flight was pretty full and we weren’t expected to get on. After waiting at the gate and listening to them offering vouchers for people to give up their seats, I knew it was highly unlikely we would get on the flight. However, the lady was offering tickets on a flight to Lincoln that would be leaving within the hour. We went to the counter and asked if it was possible to put us on that flight. They did! I take back what I said about United! They have some nice people working there, afterall! She said we’d have to get our luggage in Omaha. Due to some mixups we didn’t get it until Friday afternoon, but WE GOT HOME at 8:30 on Thursday night! We were met at the airport by Brian, A, B, Brian’s parents, and several friends. What a wonderful sight to see! We were so thankful to get home, finally. Later, we found out that there was a massive snowstorm in Ki*v Friday morning that closed the airport for days. If we had missed that 5:55AM flight, we would have been stuck at least through the weekend. Thank you Lord for your mercies in getting us home! The trip is over, but the journey continues.
Tuesday, we made plans with the family we had met for supper on Sunday. They were comfortable riding the metro, so we decided to give it a try! After a 10-15 minute walk, we had located the metro station and figured out how to get across the busy street (underneath it). The escalators seemed to go down forever, but we finally got to the platform. B (Dad) and D (new son) met us at our subway stop. It was a little confusing because I didn’t know which train they would be getting off, so I kept looking from side to side once a train arrived. V was less than thrilled with having to hang out there and didn’t understand why we had to wait. Once they arrived, they helped us get on the right train to head towards our destination where we were meeting K (mom) and the girls. We had decided to go ice-skating at a mall. The snow started coming down pretty hard just as we arrived. It was beautiful! First stop in the mall was the food court since none of us had eaten. We had already been talking about what foods we missed the most. Mexican food was high on the list. Lo and behold – there was a MEXICAN fast food restaurant in there! We were a little excited. We were very excited and exclaiming “Mexican food! Yaa!!” so much that the teenage girls working there had to go in the backroom they were laughing so hard. I can only imagine what they thought about these crazy Americans practically jumping up and down over mediocre fast food. After filling our bellies, we headed to the ice-skating rink. B and K did not want to skate, so they watched C and I decided to give it a try with the teenagers. Gotta say – it is NOT like riding a bicycle. You do not just jump right back into it! I haven’t been ice-skating since 2006 on our girls trip to Gatlinburg. I clung to the bar for the first 20 minutes this time. C was happy-screaming, waving, and laughing the whole time as she leaned over the rail to watch us. Eventually, I got my balance and actually started skating out in the middle with the kids. It was a lot of fun, but I must admit that I was kind of glad when it was over and nobody had been injured. While skating, we saw a “fish pedicure” place across the mall from the ice-skating rink. H (one of the girls) really wanted to try it. Since they had to go meet their facilitator for some paperwork, I decided to keep H and go do the fish pedicure with her. V went with the rest of her family. It was one of the weirdest things ever. Seriously odd! You put your feet in these fish tanks full of 1” fish. They eat the dead skin off your feet. I am kind of an odd duck anyway since I like my feet tickled, but this was NOT pleasant! It tingled and felt like my feet were falling asleep. A few minutes into it, H said, “This is the longest 10 minutes ever!” I said, “That’s because it’s 20!” Haha! It seemed effective, and I can cross it off my list as something I’ve done. I won’t be doing it again, though! After going 4 metro stops the wrong way, and 8 more back to the right place, we met up with her family and V at a “McFoxy” which is a knockoff McDonald’s. V snacked on some food, C slept, and we headed back to the apartment. Wednesday was super-busy. We were picked up around 10 (had been ready since 9 because we were unsure when we had to go), and we went to a doctor’s office/clinic. L and her son V were with us again. The boys needed to have physicals before they had their Visa clearance. When we finally completed that, I needed a quick trip to the outdoor market for some matryoshka dolls. Mission complete, then we headed to the Embassy. There was not another person in line except for us. It was FREEZING! It was probably the coldest I’ve been. Even though we had US Passports clearly showing us as American citizens, the guy with the clipboard left us outside instead of letting us wait just inside the door where it was warm. Seriously??? I have a BABY! I’m an American citizen, and you can’t even let me stand inside a door where it’s warm??? Grr – not happy with them. We finally got inside and completed all our paperwork. We were on our way with everything needed to go home! V, C, and I got dropped off at an Italian restaurant for lunch/supper and then walked back to our apartment to pack.
I really liked flying Lufthansa on the way over, and I have never had any good experiences with United. So, I was happy we had gotten flights for less than the $2400 apiece (like we originally thought), but I was really apprehensive about it being United and knowing it was highly unlikely they would give us the bulkhead seats. I was fairly certain we wouldn’t be getting a bassinet for C, either. As I talked to different friends about it on FB and was praying for bulkhead seats for our long flight, a friend suggested trying to check-in online. When I went to check-in, it said something like “Due to a ground-workers’ strike, your flight has been delayed. Call ***-****” Uh-oh. I knew that couldn’t be good… So, I backed out of that screen and checked flight status. It said the flight was delayed 4 ½ hours. That meant we definitely wouldn’t make the connection in Germany. After a call with our facilitator on the US side, she got in touch with the travel agent to make other arrangements. He got us on an even earlier flight for Thursday morning that had a Lufthansa connection for the long flight! Yaa! Of course, that meant leaving the apartment at 3AM, but at least we would be going!
Upon arriving at the airport and checking in, we realized that L, her sister C, and son V were on our flight to Germany! We finally got through security, waited with them for the plane, and once in Germany we waited together again for our connecting flights. By the time we arrived in Germany, they had cancelled all inter-Europe flights (due to the strike) and were only going internationally. Whew! In the nick of time! The flight from Germany to Chicago was definitely not full. Many people hadn’t made it to Germany from other parts of Europe due to the cancelled flights. We had 3 seats and the bassinet, so that was really nice for spreading out and letting C play. V and C slept a good bit on the flights, but I never got more than a 10-15 minute catnap here and there. In Chicago, we got off the plane and through immigration/customs as quickly as possible. It still took quite awhile. Our layover was scheduled for 7 hours, so I went to the closest counter and begged to be put on standby for the next flight. She put us on standby, but the flight was pretty full and we weren’t expected to get on. After waiting at the gate and listening to them offering vouchers for people to give up their seats, I knew it was highly unlikely we would get on the flight. However, the lady was offering tickets on a flight to Lincoln that would be leaving within the hour. We went to the counter and asked if it was possible to put us on that flight. They did! I take back what I said about United! They have some nice people working there, afterall! She said we’d have to get our luggage in Omaha. Due to some mixups we didn’t get it until Friday afternoon, but WE GOT HOME at 8:30 on Thursday night! We were met at the airport by Brian, A, B, Brian’s parents, and several friends. What a wonderful sight to see! We were so thankful to get home, finally. Later, we found out that there was a massive snowstorm in Ki*v Friday morning that closed the airport for days. If we had missed that 5:55AM flight, we would have been stuck at least through the weekend. Thank you Lord for your mercies in getting us home! The trip is over, but the journey continues.
Stupendous Sunday March 18, 2013
Sunday was stupendous! I had a WONDERFUL morning praising our Lord at ICA (English speaking, Christian church)! For the first time in 7 weeks, I actually had a feeling of "home." With my eyes closed singing "How Great is Our God," I could have been on the left side, third row of SBC. Oh how I pray I will be there next week! I had asked a missionary where we could go to a Christian church, and he told me about his church. It was about a 15 minute taxi ride away, so we went! As we got there, a man looked over at us with recognition or confusion on his face and came over for introductions. As soon as I said V*ktor’s orphanage region, it dawned on him where he had seen V*ktor. He and others from this church do the orphan camp in that region during the summer, so he had met V*ktor last summer. He was also the youth leader of the church, so he snagged someone to translate during youth worship! After all singing together a great praise time, C went to nursery and V went with the other youth.
I cannot even express how good it felt to be in church praising God with other believers. I have MISSED it - even more than I knew until I had it again. I think the last 7 weeks would have been so much better if there had been a church like this available in region. Nothing can really compare to true Christian fellowship. It is a crucial part necessary to strengthen one’s relationship with the Lord. It sure is for me, anyway!
1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
After church, we visited for a few minutes and then caught a taxi to the market area where we ate at a cafĂ©. It was actually the same place where we had lunch after our SDA appointment on our first day in K*ev. I got my first "MOTHER, you are so embarrassing" look. I had been told there are a lot of pickpockets in this market so don't wear your backpack on your back. So, I put it on the front using one strap kind of under my coat. Apparently, he thought I looked ridiculous. Guess I'm officially Mom of a teenager! We went through the market and got a few more souvenirs. My friend M better feel super-loved because I bought a Florida Gators matryoshka (the stackable wooden dolls) for her. Yuck! Can’t believe I’m putting that in my suitcase - haha. I know she would get a Vols one for me if I needed it, so I’m willing to make the sacrifice of putting something so ugly in my luggage J After our outdoor shopping, we were frozen, so we took a taxi back to our apartment to thaw out. I connected with another adoptive family, and we decided to meet up for late supper. More awesome fellowship, laughter, and sharing experiences took place. They are from Alabama and brought their 2 teenage daughters to adopt teenage son. A friend of theirs (native-speaker) was with them visiting, so it was nice to have a translator for the boys. We sat and visited for hours until we realized it was after 10! So, we headed back to the apartment and went straight to sleep since we had to get up early Monday!
I cannot even express how good it felt to be in church praising God with other believers. I have MISSED it - even more than I knew until I had it again. I think the last 7 weeks would have been so much better if there had been a church like this available in region. Nothing can really compare to true Christian fellowship. It is a crucial part necessary to strengthen one’s relationship with the Lord. It sure is for me, anyway!
1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
After church, we visited for a few minutes and then caught a taxi to the market area where we ate at a cafĂ©. It was actually the same place where we had lunch after our SDA appointment on our first day in K*ev. I got my first "MOTHER, you are so embarrassing" look. I had been told there are a lot of pickpockets in this market so don't wear your backpack on your back. So, I put it on the front using one strap kind of under my coat. Apparently, he thought I looked ridiculous. Guess I'm officially Mom of a teenager! We went through the market and got a few more souvenirs. My friend M better feel super-loved because I bought a Florida Gators matryoshka (the stackable wooden dolls) for her. Yuck! Can’t believe I’m putting that in my suitcase - haha. I know she would get a Vols one for me if I needed it, so I’m willing to make the sacrifice of putting something so ugly in my luggage J After our outdoor shopping, we were frozen, so we took a taxi back to our apartment to thaw out. I connected with another adoptive family, and we decided to meet up for late supper. More awesome fellowship, laughter, and sharing experiences took place. They are from Alabama and brought their 2 teenage daughters to adopt teenage son. A friend of theirs (native-speaker) was with them visiting, so it was nice to have a translator for the boys. We sat and visited for hours until we realized it was after 10! So, we headed back to the apartment and went straight to sleep since we had to get up early Monday!
Goodbye Friends, Hello K*ev March 18, 2013
Goodbyes are hard. Writing goodbyes is hard, too. That’s probably why I have procrastinated on this blog. Thursday, we said goodbye to the town of P. I woke up at 7:20 and to my pleasant surprise found hot water. So, I got a quick bath since J was coming to say goodbye to V. He goes to a town school, so he wouldn’t be at the orphanage later in the day. I started packing up and J came to the room on his way to school. He and V chatted for a few minutes (do boys “chat?”), let me take a picture, and then said a very casual goodbye. I don’t know if they just really think they’ll see each other this summer and it’s not a big deal - or if that’s just boys for ya.
After packing everything, we headed over to the orphanage to say a quick goodbye to the rest of the kids. They were on a “snack” break where classes briefly stopped for them to eat. We went up to the classroom to wait. The kids slowly trickled up, they hung out for a few minutes in the classroom while I took some pictures, Sa walked the halls with C, and then we decided to head out. There were hugs (multiple ones for each kid from me) and I got a picture of all the kids on the steps of the orphanage one last time. It was kind of weird to think that they had lived together for years and now would never be together again with each other. Sure, he will see hosted kids this summer and in the future if they’re adopted, but ALL of those kids will never be together again at one time. The boys (Sa, J2, Va, M, and A) walked us out to the gate and waved as we left. I just love all those kids. It was really hard to say goodbye to them and leave knowing I will not see most of them again. V*ktor is just so excited to get home that he doesn’t seem sad about leaving his friends. I’m glad that it’s not hard for him. I’m also wondering if/when it’s going to hit him later.
We were going to see the last castle on the way out of town, but it was raining/sleeting, so we didn’t stop. After our last lunch at Kant*na, we grabbed our luggage and rode to the train station. Due to the inordinate amount of luggage that we have, there were 2 taxis. Apparently, our dear, young taxi driver from Wednesday learned nothing from getting pulled over by the police… Thursday was the scariest cab-ride yet! It was snowing/raining/sleeting. He was still going up to 120 km/hr (75). I think he was racing with the other driver. Dummy. Anyway, we arrived in one piece and finally got everything unloaded and into the train station. Aleksey took the 2 biggest bags to the train then came back for us and the rest of our stuff. I crammed coats and blankets on top of the heating vents right away, so it never got absolutely roasting in there this time. We had a cabin with 4 beds. Aleksey and V*ktor got the upper bunks. C slept on her own bed (and slipped down once, but I grabbed her pretty quickly). I took the other lower bed. We read books, played games on the tablet, ate sandwiches, passed the time, watched a movie on the computer, etc. C stayed up pretty late, but I was thankful that once she fell asleep she stayed that way!
Friday morning, we got moving about 30 minutes before the train stopped in K*ev. A taxi picked us up at the train station and we got settled into our apartment. After hanging out there awhile, we got lunch at a nearby mall, went to a grocery store, and went back to the apartment. It was only 2pm, but I was exhausted! We ended up just staying in the rest of the day and snacking for supper.
Saturday, we ate around brunch-time since we were heading out at 11. I had really wanted to see the ballet and realized there was a show at noon! We walked/ran/slid up the hill to the beautiful opera house where I went in search of tickets. I knew from looking online that tickets ranged from $1.25 (10 grivna) to $18.75 (150 grivna). From what I saw of the seat map, you could get some decent looking seats for 30 grivna ($3.75), so I kept asking for those. They kept trying to sell me the more expensive ones, but finally we bought the right ones. We had “box seats.” The box had 6 seats in stairstep fashion by 2s. Then, there was the little parted curtain behind the last 2 seats and a small room with 3 seats scattered around (I assumed for the ushers). Uh, no. Our 30 grivna seats were right behind the parted curtain!!! LOL - wonder what the 10 grivna seats looked like?! It worked out fine because 2 of the seats were unoccupied so we just moved forward. It totally cracked me up, though. We couldn’t have seen a thing without standing if those seats were taken! The ballet was really fun to watch. It was “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 3 acts. C actually sat and watched for the first 2 acts. By the third she was having enough of it, but we kept stuffing her mouth with cereal and let her play around in the back. After that, we ventured down to the museum where we saw stuffed animals, dinosaurs, rocks, and various other exhibits. We went pretty fast. It would have taken me a lot more time if I could read any of the signs, and I don’t think V*ktor is used to just wandering through something like that. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped at a pizza place to eat. It was kind of pricey, but the food was good. Day 50 away from home complete.
After packing everything, we headed over to the orphanage to say a quick goodbye to the rest of the kids. They were on a “snack” break where classes briefly stopped for them to eat. We went up to the classroom to wait. The kids slowly trickled up, they hung out for a few minutes in the classroom while I took some pictures, Sa walked the halls with C, and then we decided to head out. There were hugs (multiple ones for each kid from me) and I got a picture of all the kids on the steps of the orphanage one last time. It was kind of weird to think that they had lived together for years and now would never be together again with each other. Sure, he will see hosted kids this summer and in the future if they’re adopted, but ALL of those kids will never be together again at one time. The boys (Sa, J2, Va, M, and A) walked us out to the gate and waved as we left. I just love all those kids. It was really hard to say goodbye to them and leave knowing I will not see most of them again. V*ktor is just so excited to get home that he doesn’t seem sad about leaving his friends. I’m glad that it’s not hard for him. I’m also wondering if/when it’s going to hit him later.
We were going to see the last castle on the way out of town, but it was raining/sleeting, so we didn’t stop. After our last lunch at Kant*na, we grabbed our luggage and rode to the train station. Due to the inordinate amount of luggage that we have, there were 2 taxis. Apparently, our dear, young taxi driver from Wednesday learned nothing from getting pulled over by the police… Thursday was the scariest cab-ride yet! It was snowing/raining/sleeting. He was still going up to 120 km/hr (75). I think he was racing with the other driver. Dummy. Anyway, we arrived in one piece and finally got everything unloaded and into the train station. Aleksey took the 2 biggest bags to the train then came back for us and the rest of our stuff. I crammed coats and blankets on top of the heating vents right away, so it never got absolutely roasting in there this time. We had a cabin with 4 beds. Aleksey and V*ktor got the upper bunks. C slept on her own bed (and slipped down once, but I grabbed her pretty quickly). I took the other lower bed. We read books, played games on the tablet, ate sandwiches, passed the time, watched a movie on the computer, etc. C stayed up pretty late, but I was thankful that once she fell asleep she stayed that way!
Friday morning, we got moving about 30 minutes before the train stopped in K*ev. A taxi picked us up at the train station and we got settled into our apartment. After hanging out there awhile, we got lunch at a nearby mall, went to a grocery store, and went back to the apartment. It was only 2pm, but I was exhausted! We ended up just staying in the rest of the day and snacking for supper.
Saturday, we ate around brunch-time since we were heading out at 11. I had really wanted to see the ballet and realized there was a show at noon! We walked/ran/slid up the hill to the beautiful opera house where I went in search of tickets. I knew from looking online that tickets ranged from $1.25 (10 grivna) to $18.75 (150 grivna). From what I saw of the seat map, you could get some decent looking seats for 30 grivna ($3.75), so I kept asking for those. They kept trying to sell me the more expensive ones, but finally we bought the right ones. We had “box seats.” The box had 6 seats in stairstep fashion by 2s. Then, there was the little parted curtain behind the last 2 seats and a small room with 3 seats scattered around (I assumed for the ushers). Uh, no. Our 30 grivna seats were right behind the parted curtain!!! LOL - wonder what the 10 grivna seats looked like?! It worked out fine because 2 of the seats were unoccupied so we just moved forward. It totally cracked me up, though. We couldn’t have seen a thing without standing if those seats were taken! The ballet was really fun to watch. It was “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 3 acts. C actually sat and watched for the first 2 acts. By the third she was having enough of it, but we kept stuffing her mouth with cereal and let her play around in the back. After that, we ventured down to the museum where we saw stuffed animals, dinosaurs, rocks, and various other exhibits. We went pretty fast. It would have taken me a lot more time if I could read any of the signs, and I don’t think V*ktor is used to just wandering through something like that. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped at a pizza place to eat. It was kind of pricey, but the food was good. Day 50 away from home complete.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Roller Coaster 3.13.13
Whew! What a roller-coaster of emotions! Looking back on prior blog posts over the past 10 months I find it kind of interesting that I end up with the same titles in different stages of the process. There are waiting stages, BIG emotional stages, faith stages, and all sorts of unexpected things along the way. The last 3 days have almost driven me bananas wondering when in the world I would ever get home!
Monday morning, we headed down to the market for socks and a few other odds and ends. We grabbed lunch down there at the really cheap restaurant by the bus station. There‘s a reason it‘s cheap, haha. Later, Aleksey came in on the train to M so he could pick up the social number. It was finished, thankfully, so he got that and came here to P. We didn’t really do much on Monday since we had planned on running around most of the day Tuesday.
Unfortunately, Tuesday’s to-do list barely got started. We had hoped to have the local passport information done by 2pm (since he was there when they opened to submit it). If we could make it to the regional office on Tuesday to apply, there was a good chance we’d have the passport by Friday. The hours ticked away and I got more and more down about the fact that we wouldn’t get the passport this week. The time finally passed and I had to get over it. I lucked out with some hot water, took a bath, and we went to eat.
Today was MUCH more eventful! I have gotten to recognize all the taxi drivers here in P. There’s the guy whose trunk will only open with a flathead screw-driver. Another guy has a car where only certain doors open (thankfully he doesn’t make you jump in Dukes of Hazard style). There are several other very friendly, crazy drivers with old, old cars. The guy who took us on our exhausting world tour last Tuesday has a nice, clean, roomy, older Mercedes. Today’s driver looked like he could not have even been 20 years old. The car was very tiny and uncomfortable. He needed directions to EVERYwhere! At one point, he was pulled over by a policeman and put in the police car for about 5 minutes. Yeah, that happened… Another guy took us on our castle tour and has been our driver several times. He has a super-clean car with a decent amount of room. He is by far the craziest driver and must have received his taxi education with “Ern” at the “Knight Bus Driver Training Institute” (Harry Potter 3 reference).
We started off today with Aleksey saying we “might” be going to Ki*v this afternoon. WHAT? Totally threw me for a loop. I was pretty stressed wondering how much/if I should pack up. I started with a suitcase of things I knew I wouldn’t touch until Ki*v even if it wasn’t until another 3-4 days. Once I was done with that, he came and said we needed to go do documents. Okay, so off we went! After we got the local documents, we headed to the regional passport office in U. After waiting in a hall for a little while, the power suddenly went off. We went in an office with a lady who fed us apples and practiced her English. I realized I’m waaaaaaay remedial on small talk. Please forgive me when I return if I can’t hold a conversation… It was thought that the power would return within an hour. Aleksey talked to the director, I went to the bathroom by flashlight (glad I’m still carrying that one around in the backpack), then we decided to go on to the doctor in M since we couldn’t do anything else there with no power. After some turnarounds (including a three point turn that slammed into the curb - lol), we got to the hospital where they re-bandaged miss C. She cried this time. A LOT. I don’t understand WHY they won’t let me stay with her! I know it would help! After that, we raced back to U in order to get the passport photo. The power was back on, so we got the photo and signed some documents. Aleksey went to talk to a few people and while he was doing that, the power went off again. REALLY thankful we got there when we did! Hmmm - wonder if the photo saved? Okay, crossing that off my worry-list. I’m not going to think about it. Somebody else pray about that, please??? We stopped at the train station where he bought tickets for TOMORROW!!!! Back in P, we finally ate our first meal of the day at 4:30pm. Everybody was pretty hungry!
C has a low fever now. Isn’t that how it always happens? RIGHT after you go to the doctor and say “everything is fine,” they get a fever. Boo. I’m going to keep monitoring it and we will go to the doctor in Ki*v if needed. Tomorrow, we will say goodbye to V*ktor’s friends, pack up, and head out of here. It’s kind of weird. As much as I want to get home, I wish I could just go straight home from here. This is not a four star resort (probably not even 1 ½), but I at least know it and I’m comfortable here. Ki*v will be change, big city, getting used to a new place. At any rate, off we go tomorrow!
Even with the “expedite,” the passport won’t be done until Monday, but it can be sent to us. We do not have to pick it up like we originally thought. Theoretically, we could go home Wednesday. I’m not holding my breath. Nothing else has been ready the day it should, so I’m just planning indefinite and taking it a day at a time. Thanks to all you prayer warriors! Miss you all!
Monday morning, we headed down to the market for socks and a few other odds and ends. We grabbed lunch down there at the really cheap restaurant by the bus station. There‘s a reason it‘s cheap, haha. Later, Aleksey came in on the train to M so he could pick up the social number. It was finished, thankfully, so he got that and came here to P. We didn’t really do much on Monday since we had planned on running around most of the day Tuesday.
Unfortunately, Tuesday’s to-do list barely got started. We had hoped to have the local passport information done by 2pm (since he was there when they opened to submit it). If we could make it to the regional office on Tuesday to apply, there was a good chance we’d have the passport by Friday. The hours ticked away and I got more and more down about the fact that we wouldn’t get the passport this week. The time finally passed and I had to get over it. I lucked out with some hot water, took a bath, and we went to eat.
Today was MUCH more eventful! I have gotten to recognize all the taxi drivers here in P. There’s the guy whose trunk will only open with a flathead screw-driver. Another guy has a car where only certain doors open (thankfully he doesn’t make you jump in Dukes of Hazard style). There are several other very friendly, crazy drivers with old, old cars. The guy who took us on our exhausting world tour last Tuesday has a nice, clean, roomy, older Mercedes. Today’s driver looked like he could not have even been 20 years old. The car was very tiny and uncomfortable. He needed directions to EVERYwhere! At one point, he was pulled over by a policeman and put in the police car for about 5 minutes. Yeah, that happened… Another guy took us on our castle tour and has been our driver several times. He has a super-clean car with a decent amount of room. He is by far the craziest driver and must have received his taxi education with “Ern” at the “Knight Bus Driver Training Institute” (Harry Potter 3 reference).
We started off today with Aleksey saying we “might” be going to Ki*v this afternoon. WHAT? Totally threw me for a loop. I was pretty stressed wondering how much/if I should pack up. I started with a suitcase of things I knew I wouldn’t touch until Ki*v even if it wasn’t until another 3-4 days. Once I was done with that, he came and said we needed to go do documents. Okay, so off we went! After we got the local documents, we headed to the regional passport office in U. After waiting in a hall for a little while, the power suddenly went off. We went in an office with a lady who fed us apples and practiced her English. I realized I’m waaaaaaay remedial on small talk. Please forgive me when I return if I can’t hold a conversation… It was thought that the power would return within an hour. Aleksey talked to the director, I went to the bathroom by flashlight (glad I’m still carrying that one around in the backpack), then we decided to go on to the doctor in M since we couldn’t do anything else there with no power. After some turnarounds (including a three point turn that slammed into the curb - lol), we got to the hospital where they re-bandaged miss C. She cried this time. A LOT. I don’t understand WHY they won’t let me stay with her! I know it would help! After that, we raced back to U in order to get the passport photo. The power was back on, so we got the photo and signed some documents. Aleksey went to talk to a few people and while he was doing that, the power went off again. REALLY thankful we got there when we did! Hmmm - wonder if the photo saved? Okay, crossing that off my worry-list. I’m not going to think about it. Somebody else pray about that, please??? We stopped at the train station where he bought tickets for TOMORROW!!!! Back in P, we finally ate our first meal of the day at 4:30pm. Everybody was pretty hungry!
C has a low fever now. Isn’t that how it always happens? RIGHT after you go to the doctor and say “everything is fine,” they get a fever. Boo. I’m going to keep monitoring it and we will go to the doctor in Ki*v if needed. Tomorrow, we will say goodbye to V*ktor’s friends, pack up, and head out of here. It’s kind of weird. As much as I want to get home, I wish I could just go straight home from here. This is not a four star resort (probably not even 1 ½), but I at least know it and I’m comfortable here. Ki*v will be change, big city, getting used to a new place. At any rate, off we go tomorrow!
Even with the “expedite,” the passport won’t be done until Monday, but it can be sent to us. We do not have to pick it up like we originally thought. Theoretically, we could go home Wednesday. I’m not holding my breath. Nothing else has been ready the day it should, so I’m just planning indefinite and taking it a day at a time. Thanks to all you prayer warriors! Miss you all!
Monday, March 11, 2013
3-11-13 Waiting Waiting Waiting
The last few days have been uneventful. Right now, we’re waiting to hear if the social number will be ready today… or if they’ll drag it out longer. The soonest I can be home is the 22nd, but it could also be much later. At this rate, we may run out of money. We know God has it covered, so we’re just taking it a step at a time.
Friday, we headed down to the market and got V*ktor some shoes. I had brought snowboots thinking that could get him by until we got home, but there is no snow and his other shoes are quite literally falling apart. We went to the school and took gifts to his friends. They had fun in their classroom for a short visit. Later, we had supper and hung out in the room.
Saturday, we woke up slowly (due to a late night party downstairs Friday - shocking I know). After hanging out in the room for awhile and eating ramen, we ventured out to the school to pick up M*sha. At first, they were saying he had to be back in 55 minutes - which is barely time to walk anywhere. As I was talking about this to J and he was relaying to V that maybe we should just stay, the teacher standing there changed his mind and said to just be back for supper. The kids MUST be there in the dining hall for all meals whether they’re hungry or not. Honestly, I think it makes sense, so it didn’t bother me. We took a quick walk to the store with J and Sa. I told M*sha to get something, too, so he did. As we walked outside, he was trying to hand it to Sa saying “sestre.” Awww- pretty sure that meant give this to my sister. We walked to the white hotel to eat. Of course, as luck would have it, they were having some kind of party that took up the whole restaurant. It was spitting rain, so we called a cab to take us to a different restaurant. After a good meal, we walked M*sha back to the school where we said hello to R and Ma at the gates. It was getting dark, so we took a taxi back to the hotel. There was an all night wedding which made for some greaaaaaat sleep - not.
Sunday, it was time to take C back to the doctor for a checkup. This time, Aleksey wasn’t here, and I figured since we had to have a phone call translator anyway, why not have a nurse? So, my awesome cousin N woke up in the middle of the night to talk to the doctor! He’s very happy with how C is healing, and he thinks within another week all the bandages will probably be off. She had been running a very low fever, but it was better Sunday. He said if it gets to 38 (100.4 for those of you without a handy conversion tool at your disposal), then we need to take her to a pediatrician. It has been 100.3 a few times, but we’re doing okay! We ate lunch at that cafĂ© again. Mmmmmmmm - belini! It’s like really thin pancakes (more like crepes) with jam on them. Yum yum! I had forgotten about those! Should have been ordering them more often! We looked for a bookstore, but it was closed. Our plan had been to check out another castle on the way back, but the long hike carrying C along with the rain made us change that plan! Back at the room, we just hung out for awhile. J and Sa came over later in the day to skype with their Moms and Dads in America. I planned to take them downstairs to eat, but it took so long just for them to finish taking our order (after coming back over and over to say they didn’t have something or ask a question), that the boys had to leave. V and I ate. C fell asleep literally while eating a piece of bread. Later in the evening (for the THIRD night in a row) there was a loud party very late. C’s “nap” of course was over and she was up crying without going back to sleep. I finally carried her down there at 1AM and pleaded with them to give it a rest. They were very nice and turned it down. Sheesh! It still took almost another hour for her to sleep, though.
Right now, we’re awaiting word on whether today’s document is done. Pray please!
Friday, we headed down to the market and got V*ktor some shoes. I had brought snowboots thinking that could get him by until we got home, but there is no snow and his other shoes are quite literally falling apart. We went to the school and took gifts to his friends. They had fun in their classroom for a short visit. Later, we had supper and hung out in the room.
Saturday, we woke up slowly (due to a late night party downstairs Friday - shocking I know). After hanging out in the room for awhile and eating ramen, we ventured out to the school to pick up M*sha. At first, they were saying he had to be back in 55 minutes - which is barely time to walk anywhere. As I was talking about this to J and he was relaying to V that maybe we should just stay, the teacher standing there changed his mind and said to just be back for supper. The kids MUST be there in the dining hall for all meals whether they’re hungry or not. Honestly, I think it makes sense, so it didn’t bother me. We took a quick walk to the store with J and Sa. I told M*sha to get something, too, so he did. As we walked outside, he was trying to hand it to Sa saying “sestre.” Awww- pretty sure that meant give this to my sister. We walked to the white hotel to eat. Of course, as luck would have it, they were having some kind of party that took up the whole restaurant. It was spitting rain, so we called a cab to take us to a different restaurant. After a good meal, we walked M*sha back to the school where we said hello to R and Ma at the gates. It was getting dark, so we took a taxi back to the hotel. There was an all night wedding which made for some greaaaaaat sleep - not.
Sunday, it was time to take C back to the doctor for a checkup. This time, Aleksey wasn’t here, and I figured since we had to have a phone call translator anyway, why not have a nurse? So, my awesome cousin N woke up in the middle of the night to talk to the doctor! He’s very happy with how C is healing, and he thinks within another week all the bandages will probably be off. She had been running a very low fever, but it was better Sunday. He said if it gets to 38 (100.4 for those of you without a handy conversion tool at your disposal), then we need to take her to a pediatrician. It has been 100.3 a few times, but we’re doing okay! We ate lunch at that cafĂ© again. Mmmmmmmm - belini! It’s like really thin pancakes (more like crepes) with jam on them. Yum yum! I had forgotten about those! Should have been ordering them more often! We looked for a bookstore, but it was closed. Our plan had been to check out another castle on the way back, but the long hike carrying C along with the rain made us change that plan! Back at the room, we just hung out for awhile. J and Sa came over later in the day to skype with their Moms and Dads in America. I planned to take them downstairs to eat, but it took so long just for them to finish taking our order (after coming back over and over to say they didn’t have something or ask a question), that the boys had to leave. V and I ate. C fell asleep literally while eating a piece of bread. Later in the evening (for the THIRD night in a row) there was a loud party very late. C’s “nap” of course was over and she was up crying without going back to sleep. I finally carried her down there at 1AM and pleaded with them to give it a rest. They were very nice and turned it down. Sheesh! It still took almost another hour for her to sleep, though.
Right now, we’re awaiting word on whether today’s document is done. Pray please!
3-8-13 Gotcha Day and Beyond
Wednesday was “Gotcha Day!” That’s the day that V*ktor got to leave the orphanage - happy dance!!! Because the last 2 days had been so exhausting, we all slept a little late and then started at 10:45. When we got to the orphanage. V*ktor and Mi$ha were waiting for us in the front hallway. Aleksey realized the social worker was waiting for us back at the courthouse area, so we went back there to do some quick paperwork. THEN, we went to get him. By that time, Mi$ha had gone back to class, and we all went in with the director. He told V*ktor good luck, thank you to me, etc. Then, we took a few pictures and headed out! V*ktor ran upstairs to get his suitcase and Mi$ha walked him back down and out. We are going to be in town for awhile, so it wasn’t really goodbye for good, yet (and hopefully he will be close enough to visit this summer). We waved and headed back to town while Aleksey did some paperwork. He caught up with us for lunch and then we just hung out in the room while C slept. Later, we went to supper at our hotel. V*ktor was really excited to sleep in the hotel, watch TV, and play video games on the tablet! I have been in this hotel room for 5 weeks. V*ktor showed me that the couch actually folds out into a big bed! LOL- I can’t believe we had no clue of that (not that we needed it, but still). He would have been fine on just the couch part, as you can see from the picture, but he made the bed and that was fun. Everyone settled down to sleep! Well, first there were a few calls from the roommates asking how he was doing and saying hello. I can’t imagine what it’s like for them to see his empty bed there, now. I know they’re happy for him, but it must be painful to see that he left and they are still there.
Thursday was a great day! We started at the Children’s hospital where C did not even cry one bit! That kid is tough. I can’t believe how much she just moves on and keeps going even though she has a bad burn on her. After the Children’s hospital, we went to a castle in M. They had statues and lots of beautiful views from up at the top. We took a lot of pictures and just toured the castle. Our plan was to go back to the orphanage for the kids’ concert that afternoon but we were having such a good time and there were several more castles right in the area to see. V*ktor said he would much rather keep doing the castles, so we continued. First, we stopped in the M City square and walked around - Aleksey telling us about different statues and buildings. We ate lunch at a cafeteria place before continuing our castle tour. The next castle was my favorite. It is kind of “as-is.” They put a new roof above it to keep further damage to it, and they’re working to restore it inside. You can see from my pictures the stones and the open ceiling in at least one area. They have a lot of period pieces. It was definitely cool! Our last castle-stop had the absolute best surrounding land. You can’t go in the castle since it’s part of a health spa, and there are several other buildings on the grounds. We walked up the hill on the stone street winding up to the castle. It was just gorgeous! Once we got to the top, we could see the castle - which was massive! They built it at the end of the 1700s. Past the castle, we walked by a beautiful pond. Aleksey said they sometimes have swans, but it’s too cold right now. You could see the little swan house (see picture) out there. Also onsite is a natural springs with fresh, cold water coming out. We, of course, had to go drink from the springs for luck! I really liked the second castle, but this one had such beautiful grounds that I might have to call it a tie. As we walked down the hill, we started talking about the fact that V*ktor’s first orphanage was only about 5 minutes away. He wanted to go, so we drove to the orphanage where he lived for about 5 years earlier in his life. They had a gate, so I kind of wondered if we’d even get in. Aleksey had been here for an adoption before, though, so he was pretty sure they’d let us in.
Well, I may not have seen the P orphanage concert with V*ktor’s friends, but we caught the tail-end of the one at this orphanage! It was really cute! On the way up the stairs, 2 teachers grabbed V*ktor for hugs. Then, we walked into the packed room full of kids watching the other kids perform. People jumped up and insisted that we sit down to watch. I knew Aleksey had a train to catch, and I was hoping we didn’t make him miss it. They were all just soooo welcoming and happy to have us there. After about 10 minutes, the show was over and people started leaving the room. I thought V*ktor wanted to see the director, but he hurried us out of the room and headed down the stairs. Aleksey and I were accosted by adorable children wanting attention, so it took us a little while to catch up. I later realized they remembered Aleksey from the adoption last year. Once we went downstairs, V*ktor led us through hallways and then back up another staircase- we were just catching the director at the other door. I soooooo wish I had done a video of when the director saw him. It was like a moment on Extreme Makeover. She squealed and laughed so hard she almost cried. She hugged and kissed him. It was just very touching to see that she still had such joy and love for him! So incredibly sweet! After that she ushered us into her office and had us take off our coats to leave there. (I was having moments thinking of my friend R in another director’s office for 2 hours. I was hoping we could gracefully get out before then or Aleksey would surely miss his train!) We were led up to his old room where lots of kids greeted us, asked how he was doing, and also a few asked about Mi$ha. There was a lot of happy, welcoming conversation. The director said she would go get some pictures for me. This orphanage had a completely different setup. The room looked like the living space for about 25 kids. They had desks, bookshelves, a small kitchen area (closed off by a door and used by staff), and couches. The bedrooms were pretty cramped with 12 kids in one room and I assume 12 or more in the other. However, the living area was phenomenal and if they’re only sleeping in there, then the sleeping area doesn’t really need a lot of rooms. The bathroom had towels and toothbrushes all lined up neatly for each kid in individual cubbies. Kids were all so polite. If you were standing for any length of time, a kid was running up with a chair to sit in - so sweet! After a few minutes in there, they had pushed the desks together to make tables and served cake and hot tea. (The reason for concerts was that there’s a Women’s Day holiday in Ukra*ne.) We ate quickly (train, remember?), got the pictures and email address from the director, and said our goodbyes. It was an amazing experience. So blessed that we were put in the perfect place at the perfect time to do that!
After dropping Aleksey at the train station, we went back to the hotel where we had Ramen noodles for supper and watched some of “Titanic” on TV.
This morning, the kids had oatmeal for breakfast. C’s bandage came off and we had to go to the local doctor for rebandaging. Then, we all just had PBJ for lunch. We’re heading to the market now to get a few last gifts for V*ktor’s friends. Then, I guess I’m heading back for orphanage “visitation” with his friends!
Thursday was a great day! We started at the Children’s hospital where C did not even cry one bit! That kid is tough. I can’t believe how much she just moves on and keeps going even though she has a bad burn on her. After the Children’s hospital, we went to a castle in M. They had statues and lots of beautiful views from up at the top. We took a lot of pictures and just toured the castle. Our plan was to go back to the orphanage for the kids’ concert that afternoon but we were having such a good time and there were several more castles right in the area to see. V*ktor said he would much rather keep doing the castles, so we continued. First, we stopped in the M City square and walked around - Aleksey telling us about different statues and buildings. We ate lunch at a cafeteria place before continuing our castle tour. The next castle was my favorite. It is kind of “as-is.” They put a new roof above it to keep further damage to it, and they’re working to restore it inside. You can see from my pictures the stones and the open ceiling in at least one area. They have a lot of period pieces. It was definitely cool! Our last castle-stop had the absolute best surrounding land. You can’t go in the castle since it’s part of a health spa, and there are several other buildings on the grounds. We walked up the hill on the stone street winding up to the castle. It was just gorgeous! Once we got to the top, we could see the castle - which was massive! They built it at the end of the 1700s. Past the castle, we walked by a beautiful pond. Aleksey said they sometimes have swans, but it’s too cold right now. You could see the little swan house (see picture) out there. Also onsite is a natural springs with fresh, cold water coming out. We, of course, had to go drink from the springs for luck! I really liked the second castle, but this one had such beautiful grounds that I might have to call it a tie. As we walked down the hill, we started talking about the fact that V*ktor’s first orphanage was only about 5 minutes away. He wanted to go, so we drove to the orphanage where he lived for about 5 years earlier in his life. They had a gate, so I kind of wondered if we’d even get in. Aleksey had been here for an adoption before, though, so he was pretty sure they’d let us in.
Well, I may not have seen the P orphanage concert with V*ktor’s friends, but we caught the tail-end of the one at this orphanage! It was really cute! On the way up the stairs, 2 teachers grabbed V*ktor for hugs. Then, we walked into the packed room full of kids watching the other kids perform. People jumped up and insisted that we sit down to watch. I knew Aleksey had a train to catch, and I was hoping we didn’t make him miss it. They were all just soooo welcoming and happy to have us there. After about 10 minutes, the show was over and people started leaving the room. I thought V*ktor wanted to see the director, but he hurried us out of the room and headed down the stairs. Aleksey and I were accosted by adorable children wanting attention, so it took us a little while to catch up. I later realized they remembered Aleksey from the adoption last year. Once we went downstairs, V*ktor led us through hallways and then back up another staircase- we were just catching the director at the other door. I soooooo wish I had done a video of when the director saw him. It was like a moment on Extreme Makeover. She squealed and laughed so hard she almost cried. She hugged and kissed him. It was just very touching to see that she still had such joy and love for him! So incredibly sweet! After that she ushered us into her office and had us take off our coats to leave there. (I was having moments thinking of my friend R in another director’s office for 2 hours. I was hoping we could gracefully get out before then or Aleksey would surely miss his train!) We were led up to his old room where lots of kids greeted us, asked how he was doing, and also a few asked about Mi$ha. There was a lot of happy, welcoming conversation. The director said she would go get some pictures for me. This orphanage had a completely different setup. The room looked like the living space for about 25 kids. They had desks, bookshelves, a small kitchen area (closed off by a door and used by staff), and couches. The bedrooms were pretty cramped with 12 kids in one room and I assume 12 or more in the other. However, the living area was phenomenal and if they’re only sleeping in there, then the sleeping area doesn’t really need a lot of rooms. The bathroom had towels and toothbrushes all lined up neatly for each kid in individual cubbies. Kids were all so polite. If you were standing for any length of time, a kid was running up with a chair to sit in - so sweet! After a few minutes in there, they had pushed the desks together to make tables and served cake and hot tea. (The reason for concerts was that there’s a Women’s Day holiday in Ukra*ne.) We ate quickly (train, remember?), got the pictures and email address from the director, and said our goodbyes. It was an amazing experience. So blessed that we were put in the perfect place at the perfect time to do that!
After dropping Aleksey at the train station, we went back to the hotel where we had Ramen noodles for supper and watched some of “Titanic” on TV.
This morning, the kids had oatmeal for breakfast. C’s bandage came off and we had to go to the local doctor for rebandaging. Then, we all just had PBJ for lunch. We’re heading to the market now to get a few last gifts for V*ktor’s friends. Then, I guess I’m heading back for orphanage “visitation” with his friends!
3-7-13 A Beautiful Day Turned Bad
Monday was an absolutely beautiful day that, unfortunately, turned bad. Aleksey got in that morning only to discover that the court lady was wrong. She had told him court decree would be done Monday, but it actually wasn’t until Tuesday. It really didn’t make a difference for us that it wasn’t done until Tuesday because we couldn’t do anything with it until that day anyways. He may have waited to arrive until Tuesday, but otherwise it didn’t matter. I know God made that happen so Aleksey would be here for Monday night. I have no doubt about that.
We grabbed lunch, he ran to court for awhile, then we went to the orphanage to visit. I played some cards with Mi$ha, other friends came in and out, V*ktor played some Angry Birds. We left to go get V*ktor’s passport photo and he got back a little late. It was a pretty low-key but fun visit! There is a beautiful hill in town that has a cross and a lot of little buildings with paintings of the road to Calvary. I had really wanted to go up there before now, but I knew I couldn’t get C up and down the hill. So, Aleksey and I headed up there to take some pictures and see the city (he pushed the stroller and carried her when the path ran out). It was really neat. If you haven’t already, check out the pictures in my album. Gorgeous place!
After supper, we went back to the hotel. I put C in her pajamas and had just made some tea. I was holding it, but sat it right in front of me to grab something else. She moved so fast and pulled the scalding tea down on her. It spilled on her leg and feet. Since she was wearing footie pajamas it just held the hot water on her until I could get them off. I called for Aleksey and I put her in the bathtub with cold water. It was clear her leg was turning very red and starting to peel. So, I told him we needed to get to the hospital. Poor C was really upset at first, but she wasn’t even crying by that time which was actually a little concerning. I wrapped her in a wet towel, he grabbed something cold from downstairs (couldn’t even tell you what it was), and we raced for a taxi. The hospital seemed like an office building more than a hospital, but the actual room where we went was clean and looked like a normal hospital emergency room. They gave her a shot of something and wrapped her legs up. Aleksey said we were being sent to the Children’s hospital, so he went back to the hotel to get a few things. He kept asking me if I needed anything, and I was thinking “what could I possibly need?” He realized I wasn’t getting it, so he sat down and told me that she (and I) had to stay there for 7-10 days. REALLY? Wow- what an awful feeling! Aleksey said that he couldn’t stay once they checked her in, and I was about in tears thinking of being there alone and unable to communicate with them. I couldn’t wrap my head around having to stay in a Ukrainian hospital for that long - or that this burn was that bad! So, I just took it one moment at a time. They put us in a car with a nurse and driver to make the trip to the town an hour and 15 minutes away. C slept the whole way, I called Brian, and I prayed that they were wrong and it wasn’t that bad.
When we arrived (at another place resembling an old office building but bigger than the last one), the nurse went in search of a doctor, who came quickly. Aleksey talked to him and the nurse for a few minutes and then they wanted to take C into a room away from me. I almost lost it then, but I couldn’t really do anything about it. I’m soooooo thankful I wasn’t there alone! We sat and listened to her cry from the other room - which was really awful. When they came out and gave her to me, they talked to Aleksey for awhile. She stopped crying as soon as they gave her back to me. It was 2nd degree burns 3%. So, they said we could take her and come back in the morning. I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I was that she didn‘t have to stay overnight.
We rode back to town and Aleksey went in a pharmacy to get whatever they had prescribed. I really think it was just Ibuprofen (which I had), but that’s okay. She was really tired and settled to sleep. I would hope so since it was 2AM!
Saying that Tuesday was a long day is a ridiculous understatement. It was exhausting!!!
We left early heading to the doctor in M City. They took her back in the same room, and she cried again. Torture to listen to that - even though I think it was mostly being scared. After that, we went to S City for the birth certificate. The lady insisted that we needed another document. Seriously? So, we went the hour and a half back to P. Aleksey ran in for the document, and we headed back. When we finally got the birth certificate it was 3pm and we hadn’t eaten all day. I fed C some baby food earlier, so she was fine. We ate at a diner, then we went back to M where there was another document to file. They were open until 6pm which was a really good thing! That’s when we hit a snag. In any other town, this document should take a day at the most. They said they won’t have it until Monday. So, that just added a week to our timeline, and that’s IF they even have it done on Monday. So much for getting home next week L Once we got back to town, we stopped at the orphanage to say hi to V. Then, we got back to the hotel after 7. Can’t even remember for sure what time it was. After eating lunch so late, we decided supper was cookies. C stayed up really late after sleeping so much in the taxi.
C is such a tough kid. She doesn’t even cry about it (except when they change her bandages), and she still happily totters around. The problem is that when she walks around, the bandages come off her feet. Just praying that the latest wrapping job was good and will stay awhile! Thank you to those of you who were praying for C’s healing. It really means a lot to us, and He has His hand in the situation.
We grabbed lunch, he ran to court for awhile, then we went to the orphanage to visit. I played some cards with Mi$ha, other friends came in and out, V*ktor played some Angry Birds. We left to go get V*ktor’s passport photo and he got back a little late. It was a pretty low-key but fun visit! There is a beautiful hill in town that has a cross and a lot of little buildings with paintings of the road to Calvary. I had really wanted to go up there before now, but I knew I couldn’t get C up and down the hill. So, Aleksey and I headed up there to take some pictures and see the city (he pushed the stroller and carried her when the path ran out). It was really neat. If you haven’t already, check out the pictures in my album. Gorgeous place!
After supper, we went back to the hotel. I put C in her pajamas and had just made some tea. I was holding it, but sat it right in front of me to grab something else. She moved so fast and pulled the scalding tea down on her. It spilled on her leg and feet. Since she was wearing footie pajamas it just held the hot water on her until I could get them off. I called for Aleksey and I put her in the bathtub with cold water. It was clear her leg was turning very red and starting to peel. So, I told him we needed to get to the hospital. Poor C was really upset at first, but she wasn’t even crying by that time which was actually a little concerning. I wrapped her in a wet towel, he grabbed something cold from downstairs (couldn’t even tell you what it was), and we raced for a taxi. The hospital seemed like an office building more than a hospital, but the actual room where we went was clean and looked like a normal hospital emergency room. They gave her a shot of something and wrapped her legs up. Aleksey said we were being sent to the Children’s hospital, so he went back to the hotel to get a few things. He kept asking me if I needed anything, and I was thinking “what could I possibly need?” He realized I wasn’t getting it, so he sat down and told me that she (and I) had to stay there for 7-10 days. REALLY? Wow- what an awful feeling! Aleksey said that he couldn’t stay once they checked her in, and I was about in tears thinking of being there alone and unable to communicate with them. I couldn’t wrap my head around having to stay in a Ukrainian hospital for that long - or that this burn was that bad! So, I just took it one moment at a time. They put us in a car with a nurse and driver to make the trip to the town an hour and 15 minutes away. C slept the whole way, I called Brian, and I prayed that they were wrong and it wasn’t that bad.
When we arrived (at another place resembling an old office building but bigger than the last one), the nurse went in search of a doctor, who came quickly. Aleksey talked to him and the nurse for a few minutes and then they wanted to take C into a room away from me. I almost lost it then, but I couldn’t really do anything about it. I’m soooooo thankful I wasn’t there alone! We sat and listened to her cry from the other room - which was really awful. When they came out and gave her to me, they talked to Aleksey for awhile. She stopped crying as soon as they gave her back to me. It was 2nd degree burns 3%. So, they said we could take her and come back in the morning. I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I was that she didn‘t have to stay overnight.
We rode back to town and Aleksey went in a pharmacy to get whatever they had prescribed. I really think it was just Ibuprofen (which I had), but that’s okay. She was really tired and settled to sleep. I would hope so since it was 2AM!
Saying that Tuesday was a long day is a ridiculous understatement. It was exhausting!!!
We left early heading to the doctor in M City. They took her back in the same room, and she cried again. Torture to listen to that - even though I think it was mostly being scared. After that, we went to S City for the birth certificate. The lady insisted that we needed another document. Seriously? So, we went the hour and a half back to P. Aleksey ran in for the document, and we headed back. When we finally got the birth certificate it was 3pm and we hadn’t eaten all day. I fed C some baby food earlier, so she was fine. We ate at a diner, then we went back to M where there was another document to file. They were open until 6pm which was a really good thing! That’s when we hit a snag. In any other town, this document should take a day at the most. They said they won’t have it until Monday. So, that just added a week to our timeline, and that’s IF they even have it done on Monday. So much for getting home next week L Once we got back to town, we stopped at the orphanage to say hi to V. Then, we got back to the hotel after 7. Can’t even remember for sure what time it was. After eating lunch so late, we decided supper was cookies. C stayed up really late after sleeping so much in the taxi.
C is such a tough kid. She doesn’t even cry about it (except when they change her bandages), and she still happily totters around. The problem is that when she walks around, the bandages come off her feet. Just praying that the latest wrapping job was good and will stay awhile! Thank you to those of you who were praying for C’s healing. It really means a lot to us, and He has His hand in the situation.
3-6-13 Misha and Tshirts
It has been a very eventful 3 days, and I’ll get to that. First, I want to tell you about V*ktor’s friend Mi$ha and how you can continue to be a part of caring for orphans even after V*ktor is home.
Mi$ha is a quiet, reserved kid at first. Once you have some one-on-one time with him, though, he will open up. When he does, you will see a kind, gentle boy who's really helpful and wonderful with kids. He is SERIOUSLY amazing big brother material. We have spent a lot of time with him in the last few weeks. Chella took to him very quickly. He loved showing her attention, pushing her in the stroller, and helping any way that he could. It's no surprise that he's great with little kids. He has a younger sister, Miro$a, who says that he's a really good brother. (She is not available for hosting at this time since she already has plans this summer. They would need to stay together if adopted.) One day, I ran into Mirosa's teacher and immediately upon mentioning him, she said "Oh yes, Mi$ha is a good boy."
Mi$ha likes playing soccer. He prefers forward and is pretty good! One of the things he said he liked about his country was that he played in a large tournament in the nation's capital. He really wants to come to America. He would like swimming, bike-riding, just getting to see America, studying English, and of course he'd like to play some soccer while he's here. When asked what he would like to be when he grows up, Mi$ha responded that he might like to sell cars (he really likes cars) or play soccer. He said what he would most like to do is be an American soldier. He is a respectful, polite, well-behaved boy who would love to have a family.
I could go on about Mi$ha, but that information is a good start. Like I said before, he is very much like V*ktor. I’m sure that’s why they’re such good friends. V*ktor has now left the orphanage, and 2 of Mi$ha’s other roommates are already selected for summer hosting. I will do everything I can to make sure he is not left behind this summer. If you are interested in hosting, that’s awesome! You can apply at the New Horizons website, and hopefully you will tell me, too!
Hosting will give him a chance to see the country, be a part of a family, and maybe even see V*ktor while he’s here! He really wants to be adopted. By hosting, even if you don’t plan on adopting, you increase his chance significantly. Right now, he has less than 1% chance of being adopted. Being hosted increases that chance by 60%. - whether through the hosting family, a relative, a friend, or someone else who meets him while he’s here.
I promised V*ktor that I would do everything I can to get Mi$ha to America. Right now, we are facing a big delay which will be more money for our adoption. I know God will provide it.
Before we found out about the delay, we had decided to sell the rest of the T-shirts and put the money towards Mi$ha’s hosting scholarship. This will increase the chance a family will pick him since part of the fees are covered by the scholarship. That hasn’t changed. “Bring V*ktor Home” T-shrts are available for a free-will donation. You can let me know what size you want and then make the donation directly to his scholarship on New Horizons website. He is E081. www.newhorizonsforchildren.org
If you don’t have a T-shirt, this will be last chance!!! Show your support of V*ktor by having a shirt and support his friend all at the same time!! Below is a list of the sizes I have left. As orders are received, I will change this so it will be current.
7-XL 5-L 3-M 20-S
Mi$ha is a quiet, reserved kid at first. Once you have some one-on-one time with him, though, he will open up. When he does, you will see a kind, gentle boy who's really helpful and wonderful with kids. He is SERIOUSLY amazing big brother material. We have spent a lot of time with him in the last few weeks. Chella took to him very quickly. He loved showing her attention, pushing her in the stroller, and helping any way that he could. It's no surprise that he's great with little kids. He has a younger sister, Miro$a, who says that he's a really good brother. (She is not available for hosting at this time since she already has plans this summer. They would need to stay together if adopted.) One day, I ran into Mirosa's teacher and immediately upon mentioning him, she said "Oh yes, Mi$ha is a good boy."
Mi$ha likes playing soccer. He prefers forward and is pretty good! One of the things he said he liked about his country was that he played in a large tournament in the nation's capital. He really wants to come to America. He would like swimming, bike-riding, just getting to see America, studying English, and of course he'd like to play some soccer while he's here. When asked what he would like to be when he grows up, Mi$ha responded that he might like to sell cars (he really likes cars) or play soccer. He said what he would most like to do is be an American soldier. He is a respectful, polite, well-behaved boy who would love to have a family.
I could go on about Mi$ha, but that information is a good start. Like I said before, he is very much like V*ktor. I’m sure that’s why they’re such good friends. V*ktor has now left the orphanage, and 2 of Mi$ha’s other roommates are already selected for summer hosting. I will do everything I can to make sure he is not left behind this summer. If you are interested in hosting, that’s awesome! You can apply at the New Horizons website, and hopefully you will tell me, too!
Hosting will give him a chance to see the country, be a part of a family, and maybe even see V*ktor while he’s here! He really wants to be adopted. By hosting, even if you don’t plan on adopting, you increase his chance significantly. Right now, he has less than 1% chance of being adopted. Being hosted increases that chance by 60%. - whether through the hosting family, a relative, a friend, or someone else who meets him while he’s here.
I promised V*ktor that I would do everything I can to get Mi$ha to America. Right now, we are facing a big delay which will be more money for our adoption. I know God will provide it.
Before we found out about the delay, we had decided to sell the rest of the T-shirts and put the money towards Mi$ha’s hosting scholarship. This will increase the chance a family will pick him since part of the fees are covered by the scholarship. That hasn’t changed. “Bring V*ktor Home” T-shrts are available for a free-will donation. You can let me know what size you want and then make the donation directly to his scholarship on New Horizons website. He is E081. www.newhorizonsforchildren.org
If you don’t have a T-shirt, this will be last chance!!! Show your support of V*ktor by having a shirt and support his friend all at the same time!! Below is a list of the sizes I have left. As orders are received, I will change this so it will be current.
7-XL 5-L 3-M 20-S
3-4-13 Another Sunday
I had been thinking we would go home early next week, but there’s a Ukrain*an holiday on Friday which may keep us here in region through the weekend. I can’t do anything about it except pray for speed! Please join me in that prayer. At the same time I’m praying for speed, I know that goodbye to his friends is coming for V*ktor and I feel a need to postpone that pain. My heart is hurting for his friend Mi$ha and I pray that he will have the family that he so fervently desires. It’s really easy to see why he and V*ktor are friends. They are a lot alike - extremely shy until they get to know you, amazing with younger kids, polite, helpful, and wanting a family.
Sunday, I went to the orphanage at 10 to pick up V*ktor and Mi$ha. We came back to the room where the boys played some video games and I did laundry. I suppose it wouldn’t be a trip to Ukra*ne if I didn’t have to handwash clothes at least once! The washing machine at the hotel was apparently broken. I threw all the clothes in the tub, added probably way too much detergent, and proceeded to stir it with a coat hanger and scrub clothes together to get out stains (unsuccessfully I might add). The washing and rinsing part didn’t take all that long - though I did refill the tub about 4 times in all to completely rinse everything out. Wringing out the clothes was the part that took FOR-E-VER! Then I hung them all over the place - on radiators, side of the tub, the crib, and the bed’s metal headboard. After that, I used google translate to ask Mi$ha some questions about himself that will be used on the New Horizons page for his hosting information. YES - you read that right. He will be available for summer hosting in America! Yaaaaaa! V*ktor asks me all the time if I’ve found a family, yet. It’s really difficult to explain the process and that it will take some time. I just keep telling him that I’m working on getting him to America on hosting and we’ll pray for what happens after that.
We ate lunch at Bel*ni where the boys were laughing a lot and having fun. For whatever reason, Mi$ha had to be back at school at 2, so we walked back to school and played games in the playroom for awhile. At 3, they said he could leave again, so we went back to the hotel! I asked more questions on google translate, we skyped with Brian and kids, and I helped M upload pictures to his Russian facebook page. He put the one of him and C as his profile pic. V*ktor is loving the tablet (he calls it iPad - doesn’t discern brand- haha) and playing games on that. Later, we went for… drum roll… pizza. Again. It’s a good thing I love pizza!!! V*ktor wanted to get a pizza to go for the teacher. He was carrying it on its side in a bag! Oh well, hopefully it wasn’t a sloppy mess… It was dark when we got back to the orphanage, and I couldn’t get in touch with Aleksey to call me a taxi because he was on the train and couldn‘t hear it ringing. I was just going to walk, but V and M insisted that I just couldn’t do that! Misha called a teacher to get a taxi for me. Such gentlemen. Since I had already made the walk between the hotel and the orphanage a total of 5 times, I was kind of glad to have the taxi.
C was up bright and early this morning - yaaa. There was no hot water, so I boiled water a liter at a time in the teakettle to make a lukewarm bath. It just makes me appreciate all the things we have. Ukr*ine isn’t like a 3rd world country. They are pretty modern, but even then, they have no expectation of a lot of things we take for granted. I remember the day early on when I was horrified about no hot water, and when I asked Aleksey his response was, “Oh, I just took a cold shower” like it was no big deal. Well, today I just boiled water in the teakettle.
Aleksey got here this morning, we had lunch, and he ran around checking on documents. We will go to the orphanage in a few minutes for the last “visitation!” Tomorrow, V*ktor will be coming with US! My next post will likely be later today to tell you more about Mi$ha, hosting, and how you can help V*ktor’s friend find a home, too!
Sunday, I went to the orphanage at 10 to pick up V*ktor and Mi$ha. We came back to the room where the boys played some video games and I did laundry. I suppose it wouldn’t be a trip to Ukra*ne if I didn’t have to handwash clothes at least once! The washing machine at the hotel was apparently broken. I threw all the clothes in the tub, added probably way too much detergent, and proceeded to stir it with a coat hanger and scrub clothes together to get out stains (unsuccessfully I might add). The washing and rinsing part didn’t take all that long - though I did refill the tub about 4 times in all to completely rinse everything out. Wringing out the clothes was the part that took FOR-E-VER! Then I hung them all over the place - on radiators, side of the tub, the crib, and the bed’s metal headboard. After that, I used google translate to ask Mi$ha some questions about himself that will be used on the New Horizons page for his hosting information. YES - you read that right. He will be available for summer hosting in America! Yaaaaaa! V*ktor asks me all the time if I’ve found a family, yet. It’s really difficult to explain the process and that it will take some time. I just keep telling him that I’m working on getting him to America on hosting and we’ll pray for what happens after that.
We ate lunch at Bel*ni where the boys were laughing a lot and having fun. For whatever reason, Mi$ha had to be back at school at 2, so we walked back to school and played games in the playroom for awhile. At 3, they said he could leave again, so we went back to the hotel! I asked more questions on google translate, we skyped with Brian and kids, and I helped M upload pictures to his Russian facebook page. He put the one of him and C as his profile pic. V*ktor is loving the tablet (he calls it iPad - doesn’t discern brand- haha) and playing games on that. Later, we went for… drum roll… pizza. Again. It’s a good thing I love pizza!!! V*ktor wanted to get a pizza to go for the teacher. He was carrying it on its side in a bag! Oh well, hopefully it wasn’t a sloppy mess… It was dark when we got back to the orphanage, and I couldn’t get in touch with Aleksey to call me a taxi because he was on the train and couldn‘t hear it ringing. I was just going to walk, but V and M insisted that I just couldn’t do that! Misha called a teacher to get a taxi for me. Such gentlemen. Since I had already made the walk between the hotel and the orphanage a total of 5 times, I was kind of glad to have the taxi.
C was up bright and early this morning - yaaa. There was no hot water, so I boiled water a liter at a time in the teakettle to make a lukewarm bath. It just makes me appreciate all the things we have. Ukr*ine isn’t like a 3rd world country. They are pretty modern, but even then, they have no expectation of a lot of things we take for granted. I remember the day early on when I was horrified about no hot water, and when I asked Aleksey his response was, “Oh, I just took a cold shower” like it was no big deal. Well, today I just boiled water in the teakettle.
Aleksey got here this morning, we had lunch, and he ran around checking on documents. We will go to the orphanage in a few minutes for the last “visitation!” Tomorrow, V*ktor will be coming with US! My next post will likely be later today to tell you more about Mi$ha, hosting, and how you can help V*ktor’s friend find a home, too!
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!
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!
3-1-13 We Get To Have A Party
I have been having a great time hanging out with V*ktor and all his friends these last few days. They are all very polite, kind boys. I will have lots more pictures in my album of all the kids, so check them out. Please pray with me for his best friend Mi$ha. He has been asking for a family. It’s possible he could come to America on hosting this summer. Could you be that family? Thinking of a summer mission trip? You could include your whole family and never have to leave your home! Hosting is a great way to show a kid Christ’s love and give them an opportunity to meet a forever family while they‘re here (even if it’s not your family).
Tuesday I ended up taking the can of tuna to the housekeeper, Kartya. She was kind enough to help me. Wednesday, we had Ramen noodles and just hung out at the hotel in the morning. When we got to school, we went to the playroom. Sa, J2, M, and Va were all in there. We introduced them to spoons! It was fun watching them figure out the game and then dive around trying to gather spoons once they understood the game. At one point, the kids all had to go to the “clothes” room. I think they get different clothes once a week (or maybe twice?). V*ktor stayed and played on the tablet. The boys all came back later, we made some videos, and everyone played different games for awhile. It’s really neat to watch all these boys play with C. They just LOVE her - I mean, she is pretty cute! Still, I’m surprised at how natural they are with her. V*ktor had talked about doing a party with his friends on Saturday, so we called Aleksey and had him speak to the director on the phone. He said yes! So, Saturday, I will be taking 13 teenagers to a pizza place. I’m really glad J (V*ktor’s roommate who speaks English) will be there so I will have somebody who understands what I say and can communicate it to everyone- haha! I’m pretty sure a teacher will be going, too. They’d have to with that many kids. We stopped at the market as we left and V*ktor got a few snacks. C and I decided to eat at the hotel so we didn’t have to go back out.
Thursday, C woke up at 7:30. That’s waaaaaay earlier than usual! I tried to let her watch Sesame Street on the computer, but she kept wanting to push the buttons on the computer, which turned it off. Finally, I gave up and woke up. By 9am, she was fast asleep again. Really? Oh well, at least I got a bath without having to hurry before she got crabby. When it was time for lunch, I discovered that the entire loaf of bread had mold on it! I’ve learned that the bread goes moldy at an insanely rapid rate, so usually I just pull off the molded crust and eat the part that‘s fine. It was a little late for this bread. So, I ended up giving C the last Ramen package and ordering bacon and eggs (or bekon and eieetsa) with fried potatoes (smazshna kartopla ne fri). We ventured out a little early on our walk so I could stop by the pizza place to arrange plans for Saturday. I am telling you - the taxi drivers may know the potholes in the roads like second nature, but I have the stroller sidewalk slalom DOWN! I’m an expert at which side of the road has the better sidewalks and where to cross. I know when the stroller will take the curb or when I have to tilt it back. I know where to watch for water even when it’s pretty dry out. I even know which dogs will go crazy barking as we walk by. Oh the things I never thought I’d need to know! The English-speaking guy was there at the pizza place, so I talked to him. I always kind of wonder if people know just enough English to say a few words or if they really understand what I’m saying. Guess we’ll find out Saturday!
When I got to school, V*ktor was ready to go and said his friends may join us later. He said he was asking different friends today who didn’t get to go Tuesday. Halfway between the school and restaurant, J caught up with us. He must have run the whole way from his town school! He got to skype with his parents in Se*ttle. It was about 4:45AM their time, but they definitely didn’t mind. Then, Mi$ha, Va, and Iv all joined us later. Everyone ate, played on the computer, played with C, and then the boys headed back for a concert practice of some sort. We skyped with N and the kids (the ones who just got back from Latvia) for a few minutes before they started school. V*ktor and I headed back to the orphanage a little early because I wanted to get video of O for his Mom. We didn’t find him, but Sa, J2, M, and J were all playing soccer so I got some video of them just before we left. I had heard M’s bday was sometime recently (within the last few months), and I asked V*ktor. He looked puzzled and then realized he didn’t even know when M’s bday was. He said, “I ask. Maybe cake Saturday for M?” What a sweetheart- read my mind!
C and I ate at a good restaurant. The waitress knew some English this time - unlike the other time I was there by myself and ended up with borscht and whatever I could point to on the menu! C had her bath and went to sleep early. Then, she woke up crying for about an hour because she had slept too early! Ah well, that’s how it goes! We are about to go looking for balloons and candles for tomorrow. Can’t wait! It will be fun!
Tuesday I ended up taking the can of tuna to the housekeeper, Kartya. She was kind enough to help me. Wednesday, we had Ramen noodles and just hung out at the hotel in the morning. When we got to school, we went to the playroom. Sa, J2, M, and Va were all in there. We introduced them to spoons! It was fun watching them figure out the game and then dive around trying to gather spoons once they understood the game. At one point, the kids all had to go to the “clothes” room. I think they get different clothes once a week (or maybe twice?). V*ktor stayed and played on the tablet. The boys all came back later, we made some videos, and everyone played different games for awhile. It’s really neat to watch all these boys play with C. They just LOVE her - I mean, she is pretty cute! Still, I’m surprised at how natural they are with her. V*ktor had talked about doing a party with his friends on Saturday, so we called Aleksey and had him speak to the director on the phone. He said yes! So, Saturday, I will be taking 13 teenagers to a pizza place. I’m really glad J (V*ktor’s roommate who speaks English) will be there so I will have somebody who understands what I say and can communicate it to everyone- haha! I’m pretty sure a teacher will be going, too. They’d have to with that many kids. We stopped at the market as we left and V*ktor got a few snacks. C and I decided to eat at the hotel so we didn’t have to go back out.
Thursday, C woke up at 7:30. That’s waaaaaay earlier than usual! I tried to let her watch Sesame Street on the computer, but she kept wanting to push the buttons on the computer, which turned it off. Finally, I gave up and woke up. By 9am, she was fast asleep again. Really? Oh well, at least I got a bath without having to hurry before she got crabby. When it was time for lunch, I discovered that the entire loaf of bread had mold on it! I’ve learned that the bread goes moldy at an insanely rapid rate, so usually I just pull off the molded crust and eat the part that‘s fine. It was a little late for this bread. So, I ended up giving C the last Ramen package and ordering bacon and eggs (or bekon and eieetsa) with fried potatoes (smazshna kartopla ne fri). We ventured out a little early on our walk so I could stop by the pizza place to arrange plans for Saturday. I am telling you - the taxi drivers may know the potholes in the roads like second nature, but I have the stroller sidewalk slalom DOWN! I’m an expert at which side of the road has the better sidewalks and where to cross. I know when the stroller will take the curb or when I have to tilt it back. I know where to watch for water even when it’s pretty dry out. I even know which dogs will go crazy barking as we walk by. Oh the things I never thought I’d need to know! The English-speaking guy was there at the pizza place, so I talked to him. I always kind of wonder if people know just enough English to say a few words or if they really understand what I’m saying. Guess we’ll find out Saturday!
When I got to school, V*ktor was ready to go and said his friends may join us later. He said he was asking different friends today who didn’t get to go Tuesday. Halfway between the school and restaurant, J caught up with us. He must have run the whole way from his town school! He got to skype with his parents in Se*ttle. It was about 4:45AM their time, but they definitely didn’t mind. Then, Mi$ha, Va, and Iv all joined us later. Everyone ate, played on the computer, played with C, and then the boys headed back for a concert practice of some sort. We skyped with N and the kids (the ones who just got back from Latvia) for a few minutes before they started school. V*ktor and I headed back to the orphanage a little early because I wanted to get video of O for his Mom. We didn’t find him, but Sa, J2, M, and J were all playing soccer so I got some video of them just before we left. I had heard M’s bday was sometime recently (within the last few months), and I asked V*ktor. He looked puzzled and then realized he didn’t even know when M’s bday was. He said, “I ask. Maybe cake Saturday for M?” What a sweetheart- read my mind!
C and I ate at a good restaurant. The waitress knew some English this time - unlike the other time I was there by myself and ended up with borscht and whatever I could point to on the menu! C had her bath and went to sleep early. Then, she woke up crying for about an hour because she had slept too early! Ah well, that’s how it goes! We are about to go looking for balloons and candles for tomorrow. Can’t wait! It will be fun!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
2-26-13 Time with Friends
Saturday, when I went to pick up V*ktor at the orphanage, he came out and asked if his friend Mi$ha could come with us. Uh - OF COURSE! I would love to hang out with your friend! So, they confirmed with a teacher that the director had said okay, and off we went. For about a month before we got to Ukra*ne, V had been asking me to find a family for Mi$ha and his 10 year old sister. Another family was here before me and tried really hard to spend time with him and get to know him. He was completely unresponsive. Even to me, since I arrived, whenever I see him I try to talk to him and say hi. I at least get a hello from him, but that’s usually it as he bolts off to wherever he is going. I had started to think that V wanted a family for him but he must not. I was quite surprised when V*ktor said he wanted to come with us, but I of course welcomed him. As soon as we left the orphanage, he started asking questions (through V*ktor) about America. He asked what I liked about Ukra*ne, what I liked about America, and wondered how far he might be from V*ktor if he came to America. At one point as we were walking, I tried to tell V*ktor about the ballet in Kiev - how I had wanted to go but didn’t get a chance. He didn’t understand the word “ballet,” so I put my hands over my head and did a pirouette on the sidewalk. HUGE smile from Mi$ha and almost a laugh. I started to realize that he may just be painfully shy. You never know with these kids what they’re feeling. Since he was the only kid so far (other than S and R*sa) to spend time with us, I knew that he must be a pretty close friend to V.
The first stop was the candy store where they picked out some candy and I got another bag of “the” candy for my friend back home. Next, we went to our hotel where we skyped with Brian, A, and B. A had a few basketball games, so they were up early getting ready. Mi$ha liked watching them and waving at them. He doesn’t seem to know ANY English, or if he does he doesn’t like to try it out. I must say, it’s kind of funny having V as a translator. It just shows how much English he really has learned. V and M played with C as she crawled all over them. They played some video games on the tablet and computer while eating candy. A part of me was thinking, “Wait! This is my few hours of the day to spend with you, I shouldn’t be letting you play video games.” The sensible part that won said, “This is one of the last few times V may ever get to play with his best friend. Don’t be selfish.”
After awhile, we wandered down to the market. V wanted to buy a gift for his director. The market was closed, but a miscellaneous store was open. He and M looked around and came up with an interesting ceramic snake thing wrapped in plastic. It was only $11 and he really wanted it, so we bought it. I later realized it was a decantur with some shot glasses, but oh well. It’s what he picked out and it’s from him anyways. We also stopped at a grocery store by the market. I couldn’t seem to find jelly and a few other things in the store by my hotel, so we found it there.
Since the market was closed, we went back to the hotel for another 30 minutes before heading out to dinner. The boys wanted…. I know you’ll be surprised…. Pizza. So, we went to “Avenue Pizza” where one of the guys actually speaks English. There we talked some using the tablet translator, C screeched awhile, and we ate pizza. At the end of the meal, V was talking to M and seemed to be quiet (which I thought was kind of funny since I really don’t understand what they’re saying.) Mi$ha looked me in the eye and with sincerity said, “Thank you so much!” It was very sweet and the only English I had even heard him attempt. By this time, the boys had pretty much taken over carrying everything for me and pushing the stroller, so I just went along for the walk. V*ktor insisted that since it was getting dark I couldn’t walk back to the hotel alone. He said it was okay since they were with me but not by myself, so we called a taxi to take me back.
As you have all read by now, Saturday night was quite entertaining. See previous post. I had every intention of sleeping in on Sunday, but apparently C had other ideas and I was actually wide awake by 9AM. We hung out in the room all morning and ate PBJ for lunch. The techno music had started again downstairs by the time we left for the orphanage. I wondered if the wedding was picking back up, but later just assumed it was a different party. Mi$ha and V*ktor met me at the orphanage gates as I walked up and we headed back out. Then, I realized he had wanted to bring his violin to the room. He thought it best to go ahead and bring it. We turned around and headed back to get the violin. He also brought a lot of pictures and important things he has saved. Back at the hotel, we planned to skype but nobody was on. So, we snacked on the pastries from the night before, the boys played video games, then we headed out for an early supper. They had to be back at 6 (instead of 7 like the day before). After eating at K*ntina (where the boys had pizza), we walked to the orphanage. Remember last week how I ordered something, loved it, ordered it the next day and got something different? I ordered the same thing this time and got something ELSE! LOL! I will never figure out how to order here! We walked back to the orphanage (stopping along the way for the boys to get a snack to share with friends), and then we called a taxi for us to head back. I watched movies online, C took some catnaps, we skyped, and I stayed up really late because I couldn’t sleep for whatever reason.
Monday, we made our standard walk to the bank for exchanging money and I had every intention of getting some more zipties at the store (the stroller got crammed in the trunk of a taxi wrong and one of the handles was weakened). It started raining a little, so we went back to the room. C was fast asleep once it was time to start walking, so I elected to take a taxi which would allow her to sleep another 30 minutes. At the orphanage, we were met at the door by V and M. We got into the playroom and I realized I had forgotten water. So, we walked over to the little market to get something to drink (and of course a few snacks). As we walked back into the orphanage, M went the other direction. We didn’t see him again. Not sure where he got held up, but I know he intended to come in there with us. We played some card for awhile. Some other kids came in off and on to visit. I got a video of Sa for his Mom back in America. The other kids had their normal Monday 4pm meeting. V*ktor seems pretty happy that he doesn’t have to go to those anymore. This time, it lasted a half hour, so I didn’t get to take video of the other boys playing soccer. C and I walked back to the hotel where I grabbed my notebook and then we went to dinner at B*lini. There was another customer who wouldn’t stop talking to me and didn’t quite grasp the meaning of “personal space.” The food was good, but I was happy to head back to our room after that. Kartya (the other housekeeper) washed our laundry, so I brought in some clothes to dry in the room.
Today, we ventured down to the hardware store for zipties. The same guy was in there working and got them for me. He helped me put the zipties on and cut off the extra. Funny enough, he was still looking at the stroller with complete disdain for the outcome of my project. I wanted to say - Hey! It lasted 10 days and would have been fine longer if the taxi hadn’t happened! Instead I said “spasiva” and went on my way. While we were down there, I decided another “hamburger” was in order, so we went to that restaurant. They remembered me because I practically didn’t even have to order. When I started looking in the coolers for tea, she remembered which kind I wanted and pointed me in the direction of the correct cooler. I use the term “cooler” loosely. The drinks are all in the refrigerators with glass doors (like at convenience stores), but they are not cold. Back at the hotel, C had her nap. Then we took a walk to the orphanage. A few minutes into the walk, I decided there was no way I could wear my heavy winter coat all the way. It had to have been at least 60 outside! It’s so strange. These people bundle babies in blankets and hats, they all wear hats and heavy coats (even inside) ALL the time!
When we got to the orphanage, 3 of V*ktor’s friends were able to come with us to the restaurant. They all ate a meal and played some video games on computer and tablet. Normally, I do not allow electronics at the table, but I’m not really sticking to that rule here. As we sat there and I watched him with his friends, I was thinking how many teenagers in America take this stuff for granted. It’s not like V*ktor and his friends ever get the opportunity to hang out together at a restaurant. It was nice that they were able to do it. I had some fries and juice, they all had a meal - which was perfectly fine with me! I was happy they could actually have a say in what they were eating. One of the teachers called the other 3 boys back to school a little before it was our normal time to go. They had all finished dinner and dessert, though, so it was fine.
For the walk back to the hotel, I decided the long sleeve onesie, heavy sweater, jeans, and snowboots were plenty to keep C warm. Anybody can tell you (my Mom especially) that I am NEVER hot. I’m always cold when others are hot. The temp was fine to be dressed for a nice fall day. As we walked, I saw the dirty looks I got from person after person. All the kids were bundled up in hats and coats. About 50% of the adults were even wearing hats! Still, nobody said anything for most of the walk. Almost back to the hotel, I came upon 2 babushkas who immediately started blessing me out pointing to their hats and to the baby. I just said “it’s HOT!” and mimed wiping sweat off my forehead. They had stopped as if we were going to have a discussion about this, but I just waved and kept on walking. Sheesh! Now we’re back at the room. Planning to have a red pepper, tuna sandwich (if I can figure out that can opener), and chips!
The first stop was the candy store where they picked out some candy and I got another bag of “the” candy for my friend back home. Next, we went to our hotel where we skyped with Brian, A, and B. A had a few basketball games, so they were up early getting ready. Mi$ha liked watching them and waving at them. He doesn’t seem to know ANY English, or if he does he doesn’t like to try it out. I must say, it’s kind of funny having V as a translator. It just shows how much English he really has learned. V and M played with C as she crawled all over them. They played some video games on the tablet and computer while eating candy. A part of me was thinking, “Wait! This is my few hours of the day to spend with you, I shouldn’t be letting you play video games.” The sensible part that won said, “This is one of the last few times V may ever get to play with his best friend. Don’t be selfish.”
After awhile, we wandered down to the market. V wanted to buy a gift for his director. The market was closed, but a miscellaneous store was open. He and M looked around and came up with an interesting ceramic snake thing wrapped in plastic. It was only $11 and he really wanted it, so we bought it. I later realized it was a decantur with some shot glasses, but oh well. It’s what he picked out and it’s from him anyways. We also stopped at a grocery store by the market. I couldn’t seem to find jelly and a few other things in the store by my hotel, so we found it there.
Since the market was closed, we went back to the hotel for another 30 minutes before heading out to dinner. The boys wanted…. I know you’ll be surprised…. Pizza. So, we went to “Avenue Pizza” where one of the guys actually speaks English. There we talked some using the tablet translator, C screeched awhile, and we ate pizza. At the end of the meal, V was talking to M and seemed to be quiet (which I thought was kind of funny since I really don’t understand what they’re saying.) Mi$ha looked me in the eye and with sincerity said, “Thank you so much!” It was very sweet and the only English I had even heard him attempt. By this time, the boys had pretty much taken over carrying everything for me and pushing the stroller, so I just went along for the walk. V*ktor insisted that since it was getting dark I couldn’t walk back to the hotel alone. He said it was okay since they were with me but not by myself, so we called a taxi to take me back.
As you have all read by now, Saturday night was quite entertaining. See previous post. I had every intention of sleeping in on Sunday, but apparently C had other ideas and I was actually wide awake by 9AM. We hung out in the room all morning and ate PBJ for lunch. The techno music had started again downstairs by the time we left for the orphanage. I wondered if the wedding was picking back up, but later just assumed it was a different party. Mi$ha and V*ktor met me at the orphanage gates as I walked up and we headed back out. Then, I realized he had wanted to bring his violin to the room. He thought it best to go ahead and bring it. We turned around and headed back to get the violin. He also brought a lot of pictures and important things he has saved. Back at the hotel, we planned to skype but nobody was on. So, we snacked on the pastries from the night before, the boys played video games, then we headed out for an early supper. They had to be back at 6 (instead of 7 like the day before). After eating at K*ntina (where the boys had pizza), we walked to the orphanage. Remember last week how I ordered something, loved it, ordered it the next day and got something different? I ordered the same thing this time and got something ELSE! LOL! I will never figure out how to order here! We walked back to the orphanage (stopping along the way for the boys to get a snack to share with friends), and then we called a taxi for us to head back. I watched movies online, C took some catnaps, we skyped, and I stayed up really late because I couldn’t sleep for whatever reason.
Monday, we made our standard walk to the bank for exchanging money and I had every intention of getting some more zipties at the store (the stroller got crammed in the trunk of a taxi wrong and one of the handles was weakened). It started raining a little, so we went back to the room. C was fast asleep once it was time to start walking, so I elected to take a taxi which would allow her to sleep another 30 minutes. At the orphanage, we were met at the door by V and M. We got into the playroom and I realized I had forgotten water. So, we walked over to the little market to get something to drink (and of course a few snacks). As we walked back into the orphanage, M went the other direction. We didn’t see him again. Not sure where he got held up, but I know he intended to come in there with us. We played some card for awhile. Some other kids came in off and on to visit. I got a video of Sa for his Mom back in America. The other kids had their normal Monday 4pm meeting. V*ktor seems pretty happy that he doesn’t have to go to those anymore. This time, it lasted a half hour, so I didn’t get to take video of the other boys playing soccer. C and I walked back to the hotel where I grabbed my notebook and then we went to dinner at B*lini. There was another customer who wouldn’t stop talking to me and didn’t quite grasp the meaning of “personal space.” The food was good, but I was happy to head back to our room after that. Kartya (the other housekeeper) washed our laundry, so I brought in some clothes to dry in the room.
Today, we ventured down to the hardware store for zipties. The same guy was in there working and got them for me. He helped me put the zipties on and cut off the extra. Funny enough, he was still looking at the stroller with complete disdain for the outcome of my project. I wanted to say - Hey! It lasted 10 days and would have been fine longer if the taxi hadn’t happened! Instead I said “spasiva” and went on my way. While we were down there, I decided another “hamburger” was in order, so we went to that restaurant. They remembered me because I practically didn’t even have to order. When I started looking in the coolers for tea, she remembered which kind I wanted and pointed me in the direction of the correct cooler. I use the term “cooler” loosely. The drinks are all in the refrigerators with glass doors (like at convenience stores), but they are not cold. Back at the hotel, C had her nap. Then we took a walk to the orphanage. A few minutes into the walk, I decided there was no way I could wear my heavy winter coat all the way. It had to have been at least 60 outside! It’s so strange. These people bundle babies in blankets and hats, they all wear hats and heavy coats (even inside) ALL the time!
When we got to the orphanage, 3 of V*ktor’s friends were able to come with us to the restaurant. They all ate a meal and played some video games on computer and tablet. Normally, I do not allow electronics at the table, but I’m not really sticking to that rule here. As we sat there and I watched him with his friends, I was thinking how many teenagers in America take this stuff for granted. It’s not like V*ktor and his friends ever get the opportunity to hang out together at a restaurant. It was nice that they were able to do it. I had some fries and juice, they all had a meal - which was perfectly fine with me! I was happy they could actually have a say in what they were eating. One of the teachers called the other 3 boys back to school a little before it was our normal time to go. They had all finished dinner and dessert, though, so it was fine.
For the walk back to the hotel, I decided the long sleeve onesie, heavy sweater, jeans, and snowboots were plenty to keep C warm. Anybody can tell you (my Mom especially) that I am NEVER hot. I’m always cold when others are hot. The temp was fine to be dressed for a nice fall day. As we walked, I saw the dirty looks I got from person after person. All the kids were bundled up in hats and coats. About 50% of the adults were even wearing hats! Still, nobody said anything for most of the walk. Almost back to the hotel, I came upon 2 babushkas who immediately started blessing me out pointing to their hats and to the baby. I just said “it’s HOT!” and mimed wiping sweat off my forehead. They had stopped as if we were going to have a discussion about this, but I just waved and kept on walking. Sheesh! Now we’re back at the room. Planning to have a red pepper, tuna sandwich (if I can figure out that can opener), and chips!
2-23-13 Daddy's Home
After Brian and Aleksey left Wednesday Morning for the train station, C and I slept for awhile. Brian got on a train to Budapest. Partway there, he realized he wasn’t going to the train station we had planned. The “walking” directions to the hostel from the train station would do him no good. So, he arrived and took a taxi, who really “took him for a ride” with the fare charged. It was about triple the printed fare he was given once he arrived at the hostel. Oh well, nothing to be done now. I had packed him some snacks for the trip, so that was good. He got settled in and then found a cheap all-you-can-eat buffet with all different foods, including Hungarian. After filling up, he spent the rest of the day working and getting to watch American television.
We slept in and then went down to the market with Aleksey. It had really started snowing hard while they were on the way to the train station. It took him about twice as long to get back to the hotel as it took for the ride with Brian to the train station. He helped me find a few things at the market, we ate lunch, and then C took a quick nap before heading out to see V*ktor. For lunch, I had a Ukra*nian “hamburger.” It’s basically a chicken sandwich with mayo, lettuce, and tomato. It was really good, and I will definitely be going back for one of those again!
There is a museum at V*ktor’s school. I keep trying to ask if we can see it, but it always seems to be closed. Aleksey asked someone, and they said that it would have to be another day. We went to the restaurant near the school and skyped with Grandma, A, and B. The judge was in there again, and he said hello. We headed back to the school and stopped at the small market. The snow was so ridiculous to walk/plow through that we decided to get a taxi back to the hotel. An ideal Ukrain*an stroller should come equipped with a snowblade on the front! The weather was so yucky we ate in the hotel. I LOVE their borscht! C decided that she did not want to sleep and was up screaming for hours. She didn’t feel good, had a low fever, and was very snotty. I went ahead and started antibiotics.
Thursday, I exchanged money, we ate lunch, and I got some things at the grocery store. I got 2 of the big jugs of water since I still had Aleksey to carry them! He headed out for the train back to Ki*v. He will return when it’s time for more paperwork and picking up V from the orphanage. It was so slick on the packed down snow that iced over! I can’t imagine how people walk on this all the time. It’s kind of a good thing I have the stroller. It sometimes serves as a “walker” to keep me steady on the ice! Since I assumed we would be at the school for the day, I took a taxi and didn’t take stroller or computer. V*ktor met me at the door saying we could go to the restaurant. I REALLY didn’t want to walk all that way and tried to convince him to stay. I know he looks forward to his small time away from the orphanage, though, and from the sounds of it the playroom was locked and nobody had a key. He offered to carry C, but that made me nervous with the ice. I had him carry the backpack instead. Oh did I pay for that! Carrying a baby for a quarter mile in the snow was not a good idea for my back. For the return trip to the orphanage, I had Aleksey call a taxi to pick us up at the restaurant, drop V at the orphanage, and take us back to the hotel. I had no intention of leaving the hotel after that, so I went down to the restaurant and ordered food. They brought it up to the room and we ate in our pajamas J C went to sleep, I took pain meds, and we got a good night’s sleep.
Brian spent the entire day traveling only to get stuck in Chicago because of the snowstorms. A was pretty upset. Wednesday night when they decided to close school Thursday, he cried because he knew that meant Daddy probably wouldn’t make it home. Poor kiddo.
We slept VERY late on Friday. At first I was really shocked I had slept that long, but then I remembered the pain meds. My back was much better, though! I ate PBJ for lunch and made C some veggies with yogurt. We took a taxi to the orphanage. I ended up taking the stroller and computer this time. Even that is a ton of work - trying to get it all downstairs at the hotel through the stairs resembling mountain excavation! I was exhausted by the time I got there, and we took a taxi! As I was walking in the gates, giant clumps of snow kept falling. They missed us each time, but they still seemed a little close. I kept looking around and didn’t see anyone. I thought it must have come from the big tree overhead. Once I was clearly out of the way of the tree and they kept coming, I realized I was being attacked! Haha, just by snowballs. I finally saw the culprits and had decided to go throw a few back at them when V*ktor came outside yelling at them. He didn’t like them doing that to his Mama! We headed over to the restaurant and skyped with Grandma, A, and B. I walked him back to the orphanage and stopped at the little market. Then, a taxi took us back to the hotel. I again ordered food to be delivered to the room. I really wanted borscht again, but they kept saying “no, soup” - so I finally said okay. It was a white broth with potatoes, a few carrots, and a mystery meat I had no intention of touching. C seemed to like it, so I let her eat it. The tables were cleared out of the middle of the restaurant, and the banquet room was all setup for something. I asked the housekeeper L if there was a party and she mimed “letting her hair down” - lol! I was all ready to crash the party later, but I never heard any music. I watched movies and kept awaiting word that Brian finally made it home. After a flight delayed by a few hours, we skyped around 2 in the afternoon (back home). The kids had another snow day. He was sitting with A and B! Yaaa! Daddy’s home!
We slept in and then went down to the market with Aleksey. It had really started snowing hard while they were on the way to the train station. It took him about twice as long to get back to the hotel as it took for the ride with Brian to the train station. He helped me find a few things at the market, we ate lunch, and then C took a quick nap before heading out to see V*ktor. For lunch, I had a Ukra*nian “hamburger.” It’s basically a chicken sandwich with mayo, lettuce, and tomato. It was really good, and I will definitely be going back for one of those again!
There is a museum at V*ktor’s school. I keep trying to ask if we can see it, but it always seems to be closed. Aleksey asked someone, and they said that it would have to be another day. We went to the restaurant near the school and skyped with Grandma, A, and B. The judge was in there again, and he said hello. We headed back to the school and stopped at the small market. The snow was so ridiculous to walk/plow through that we decided to get a taxi back to the hotel. An ideal Ukrain*an stroller should come equipped with a snowblade on the front! The weather was so yucky we ate in the hotel. I LOVE their borscht! C decided that she did not want to sleep and was up screaming for hours. She didn’t feel good, had a low fever, and was very snotty. I went ahead and started antibiotics.
Thursday, I exchanged money, we ate lunch, and I got some things at the grocery store. I got 2 of the big jugs of water since I still had Aleksey to carry them! He headed out for the train back to Ki*v. He will return when it’s time for more paperwork and picking up V from the orphanage. It was so slick on the packed down snow that iced over! I can’t imagine how people walk on this all the time. It’s kind of a good thing I have the stroller. It sometimes serves as a “walker” to keep me steady on the ice! Since I assumed we would be at the school for the day, I took a taxi and didn’t take stroller or computer. V*ktor met me at the door saying we could go to the restaurant. I REALLY didn’t want to walk all that way and tried to convince him to stay. I know he looks forward to his small time away from the orphanage, though, and from the sounds of it the playroom was locked and nobody had a key. He offered to carry C, but that made me nervous with the ice. I had him carry the backpack instead. Oh did I pay for that! Carrying a baby for a quarter mile in the snow was not a good idea for my back. For the return trip to the orphanage, I had Aleksey call a taxi to pick us up at the restaurant, drop V at the orphanage, and take us back to the hotel. I had no intention of leaving the hotel after that, so I went down to the restaurant and ordered food. They brought it up to the room and we ate in our pajamas J C went to sleep, I took pain meds, and we got a good night’s sleep.
Brian spent the entire day traveling only to get stuck in Chicago because of the snowstorms. A was pretty upset. Wednesday night when they decided to close school Thursday, he cried because he knew that meant Daddy probably wouldn’t make it home. Poor kiddo.
We slept VERY late on Friday. At first I was really shocked I had slept that long, but then I remembered the pain meds. My back was much better, though! I ate PBJ for lunch and made C some veggies with yogurt. We took a taxi to the orphanage. I ended up taking the stroller and computer this time. Even that is a ton of work - trying to get it all downstairs at the hotel through the stairs resembling mountain excavation! I was exhausted by the time I got there, and we took a taxi! As I was walking in the gates, giant clumps of snow kept falling. They missed us each time, but they still seemed a little close. I kept looking around and didn’t see anyone. I thought it must have come from the big tree overhead. Once I was clearly out of the way of the tree and they kept coming, I realized I was being attacked! Haha, just by snowballs. I finally saw the culprits and had decided to go throw a few back at them when V*ktor came outside yelling at them. He didn’t like them doing that to his Mama! We headed over to the restaurant and skyped with Grandma, A, and B. I walked him back to the orphanage and stopped at the little market. Then, a taxi took us back to the hotel. I again ordered food to be delivered to the room. I really wanted borscht again, but they kept saying “no, soup” - so I finally said okay. It was a white broth with potatoes, a few carrots, and a mystery meat I had no intention of touching. C seemed to like it, so I let her eat it. The tables were cleared out of the middle of the restaurant, and the banquet room was all setup for something. I asked the housekeeper L if there was a party and she mimed “letting her hair down” - lol! I was all ready to crash the party later, but I never heard any music. I watched movies and kept awaiting word that Brian finally made it home. After a flight delayed by a few hours, we skyped around 2 in the afternoon (back home). The kids had another snow day. He was sitting with A and B! Yaaa! Daddy’s home!
2-20-13 Viktor Phillip Werner
Brian left this morning to start the journey home. Please be praying that he can get home through all the snow and that he is not stranded at an airport somewhere. I anticipate the next two weeks will feel even longer than the previous ones now that I’m here alone, but we’ll see.
Monday was a pretty typical weekday- slept in a little late, played some cribbage, and ate sandwiches. C and I went down to sit with Aleksey when he ate lunch and Brian started work. Then, we headed over to the orphanage for our visit. We were in the playroom again today. We brought the computer and showed V*ktor the pictures and videos of the Valentine program. He played some Angry Birds. I got Sa and J2 to come in and watch the video, too. Sa had lots of smiles getting to watch it, and J2 played with C while they were in there. S popped in for a few minutes to watch the video, but she didn‘t stay long. When it was time to go, we headed outside to the cold! Aleksey keeps telling us it’s spring. Somehow I don’t quite believe him. Brian got to work. Aleksey, C, and I went to B*lini. It was really good - again. I had spaghetti - yum yum! C was not on her best behavior - lots of screeching and squirming. Yes, I had a Mommy fail moment - She wanted to eat and I had a bowl full of ketchup with a tiny spoon. So, I fed her ketchup to keep her quiet until the food came. It worked for a little while anyways.
Yesterday was our court date!!!! Aleksey spent the morning going to Uz to get the documents for court. I was a little nervous most of the morning. We wanted to send back all souvenirs and chocolate with Brian. I have seen tons of “the” chocolate in stores for the last 2 weeks. Yesterday, I found 2 whole pieces. Really? Ugh! Good thing I had stockpiled some, but it wasn’t as much as I wanted. Oh well, guess it will be going in my suitcase. It felt like such a waste to pack a 35 lb suitcase when you can have 50! Brian showed me the tiny auto parts store in case I need to get another cotter pin, we got a scarf for V*ktor, and then we headed to the room for PBJ and cribbage. C stayed awake through lunch, so I was hoping she would sleep through court. I bundled her up and got her to sleep in the stroller just before we left. She slept the whole walk across the street and up the 3 flights of stairs. Then, she woke up just as we started signing in.
We were in a hallway with a table (and bailiff I assume). They needed our passports to check us in. After a few minutes, V*ktor got there accompanied by the school psychologist. V sat with me on the bench, and I could tell he was a little nervous, too. As I sat there, knowing the approximate width of the building, I just couldn’t picture how they had room for a typical “courtroom” in this place. They didn’t. When they called us in, it was basically the judge’s office. The setup was like a conference room. The judge and his secretary sat at the head of the table, Aleksey and we sat on one side, the prosecutor (a very serious looking woman) and social worker sat on the other side, and V*ktor sat at the end with his school psychologist. Two men, who were the jury members, sat behind V. The judge read a lot of documents, which Aleksey translated as he went along. Most all of it was just information about us, our house, salary, kids, family, etc. At one point, he asked if we knew the adoption laws of Ukraine. He was holding a booklet of adoption laws and appeared that he would read the whole thing if not. So, we said yes. We have learned a lot about how it all works, so weren’t sure we would learn that much more - haha! The judge was very serious and no big smiles, but he wasn’t unfriendly. I was more worried about the “prosecutor.” The proceeding continued with the judge asking questions, verifying information, etc. and Aleksey translating. At one point, we weren’t quite understanding the question, so the judge decided at that moment to let us in on a little surprise. He speaks pretty fluent English, so he just asked us the question directly - lol! The prosecutor only asked one question about our plans for school when we return, and the social worker asked how far to the school from our house. The jury-members didn’t ask anything. The judge asked V*ktor some questions about whether he wanted to live with us. He asked if I would make Ukrainian food sometimes, and I told him I already had a good borscht recipe and have made pelmeni. C, who wanted out of the stroller the second we all were seated in the room, did pretty good. She sat in my lap observing for awhile. Then, when she got restless, we started popping Cheerios in her mouth. I was sooooo thankful that her time to fall apart was Monday at dinner and not Tuesday in court! After awhile, they sent us all into the hallway so they could make their decision. I felt like it had all gone fine, but it still has to be officially approved by the judge and jury. So, everything wouldn’t be “good to go” until we got the okay. It was pretty quick and they called us back in. We walked in and I was holding C. I hadn’t noticed that nobody was sitting yet, so I took the seat again. Aleksey said we stand for the “verdict,” so I started to jump back up. The judge, who was also standing, insisted I sit, though. They approved us! The judge said he thought we were a good family and that it was in V*ktor’s best interest to be adopted. Yaaaaaaaa!!!! Big smiles from all of us! I really wanted a picture with the judge, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t okay for me to ask. So, we headed out into the hallway to decide what to do the rest of the day. The director couldn’t be reached, so V needed to return to school. We said we would see him at 3 as usual, then.
Aleksey called a taxi and we headed to the notary. By the time we finished the documents it was after 2:30. So, Brian, C, and I walked across the street to the orphanage, and Aleksey headed to put documents on the train in U. When we came in, the little kids (around 9-10 year olds) were all out in the front hallway with us. They played with C, jumped on Brian, asked for hugs, and tried out a few English words. V*ktor was trying to speak to the director about whether we could go to the restaurant. He came back and said we had to wait until 3. That was fine - we were having fun with all the kids around. We walked down to see the gym which V*ktor had been trying to show us. All the kids followed us down pushing C’s stroller and chattering to us. When it was a little after 3, V*ktor said we could go. Three adorable little boys were playing a clapping game with me and each kept wanting “one more” turn. Sooo sweet. I gave them all hugs, and we left.
At the restaurant, we didn’t have the computer or tablet with us since we hadn’t been to the room since before court. So, we couldn’t skype. We ordered food, talked, looked at pictures on the camera, etc. About 15 minutes before we needed to leave, we saw a familiar face. The judge was there at the restaurant! He came over to talk to us. He said he was really happy for us and that he knew V*ktor would not have the same opportunities here that he would by coming to America with us. He told us that he thinks we are good parents and he is very thankful that we were willing to come here and adopt since it’s such a long process. When I said Brian was leaving and it would just be me here for the 2 week wait, he told me to come see him if I need anything. He said just come up to his office! Wow! How awesome J Because this conversation had gone so well, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask about a picture. He gladly agreed and I got a picture of V with him. I also got a picture of Brian, C, and V with him. He gave me his email address and asked that I send it to him. What a neat experience! It was definitely different than some of the other stories I’ve heard. We walked V back to the orphanage and met Aleksey. On the walk back, we told him about seeing the judge. He was VERY surprised at the picture and everything. Kind of cool!
Back in the room, we packed up Brian’s 2 suitcases and C took a much needed nap. Then, we went down to dinner in the hotel restaurant with Aleksey. After figuring out the train schedule for the morning, we ordered food. The only other restaurant patrons were a big table of about 10 men and a woman. All of a sudden, they stood and started singing (above the quiet roar of techno music playing in the background). It wasn’t a drunken sing-along-with-the-jukebox kind of thing. It was really pretty melody and harmony though I didn’t understand the words. Aleksey said it was some kind of hymn or prayer or something. At the end they all took a shot of something. Alllllright! So random! Oh the experiences that continue to make me laugh around here!
After supper, Brian gave C a bath and I ran over to the grocery store for some yogurt, juice, and ice cream. Brian definitely needed some ice cream for his last dinner here. We played a few last rounds of cribbage and finished packing.
This morning, Brian and Aleksey left at 4AM. If you haven’t been to Ukraine, there are a few things to understand. These people do NOT use lights unless it’s pitch black outside. Hallways are dark, stairwells are dark, and you are constantly wishing somebody would turn on the lights in a dim room so you can really see what you‘re doing. Also, they don’t really have fire-safety around here. Doors may or may not be unlocked. They may or may not open to the outside (you may have to pull them). Stairwells may look like an excavation of Mt. Everest. It’s just different. At 4AM when Brian and Aleksey started to walk downstairs, I remembered something I hadn‘t thought of. Once they know everyone is in the hotel for the night, they lock the giant solid-wood doors. So, you’re locked in. Also, the stairwells are pitch black. C was fast asleep, so I went after them. They were attempting to navigate down a death-trap of a stairwell carrying 2 large suitcases using A’s flashlight from his cell-phone. The light was burnt out on that stairway, but I knew of a nearby light and turned it on. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, it was confirmed that we were, in fact, locked in. Just as I started to call the owner’s son on my cell phone (I had his number for such a time as this), the housekeeper appeared and started talking to Aleksey about how to get out. I figured they had it covered, so I went back to the room. I just had a video call with Brian and he made it safely to his hostel!
Monday was a pretty typical weekday- slept in a little late, played some cribbage, and ate sandwiches. C and I went down to sit with Aleksey when he ate lunch and Brian started work. Then, we headed over to the orphanage for our visit. We were in the playroom again today. We brought the computer and showed V*ktor the pictures and videos of the Valentine program. He played some Angry Birds. I got Sa and J2 to come in and watch the video, too. Sa had lots of smiles getting to watch it, and J2 played with C while they were in there. S popped in for a few minutes to watch the video, but she didn‘t stay long. When it was time to go, we headed outside to the cold! Aleksey keeps telling us it’s spring. Somehow I don’t quite believe him. Brian got to work. Aleksey, C, and I went to B*lini. It was really good - again. I had spaghetti - yum yum! C was not on her best behavior - lots of screeching and squirming. Yes, I had a Mommy fail moment - She wanted to eat and I had a bowl full of ketchup with a tiny spoon. So, I fed her ketchup to keep her quiet until the food came. It worked for a little while anyways.
Yesterday was our court date!!!! Aleksey spent the morning going to Uz to get the documents for court. I was a little nervous most of the morning. We wanted to send back all souvenirs and chocolate with Brian. I have seen tons of “the” chocolate in stores for the last 2 weeks. Yesterday, I found 2 whole pieces. Really? Ugh! Good thing I had stockpiled some, but it wasn’t as much as I wanted. Oh well, guess it will be going in my suitcase. It felt like such a waste to pack a 35 lb suitcase when you can have 50! Brian showed me the tiny auto parts store in case I need to get another cotter pin, we got a scarf for V*ktor, and then we headed to the room for PBJ and cribbage. C stayed awake through lunch, so I was hoping she would sleep through court. I bundled her up and got her to sleep in the stroller just before we left. She slept the whole walk across the street and up the 3 flights of stairs. Then, she woke up just as we started signing in.
We were in a hallway with a table (and bailiff I assume). They needed our passports to check us in. After a few minutes, V*ktor got there accompanied by the school psychologist. V sat with me on the bench, and I could tell he was a little nervous, too. As I sat there, knowing the approximate width of the building, I just couldn’t picture how they had room for a typical “courtroom” in this place. They didn’t. When they called us in, it was basically the judge’s office. The setup was like a conference room. The judge and his secretary sat at the head of the table, Aleksey and we sat on one side, the prosecutor (a very serious looking woman) and social worker sat on the other side, and V*ktor sat at the end with his school psychologist. Two men, who were the jury members, sat behind V. The judge read a lot of documents, which Aleksey translated as he went along. Most all of it was just information about us, our house, salary, kids, family, etc. At one point, he asked if we knew the adoption laws of Ukraine. He was holding a booklet of adoption laws and appeared that he would read the whole thing if not. So, we said yes. We have learned a lot about how it all works, so weren’t sure we would learn that much more - haha! The judge was very serious and no big smiles, but he wasn’t unfriendly. I was more worried about the “prosecutor.” The proceeding continued with the judge asking questions, verifying information, etc. and Aleksey translating. At one point, we weren’t quite understanding the question, so the judge decided at that moment to let us in on a little surprise. He speaks pretty fluent English, so he just asked us the question directly - lol! The prosecutor only asked one question about our plans for school when we return, and the social worker asked how far to the school from our house. The jury-members didn’t ask anything. The judge asked V*ktor some questions about whether he wanted to live with us. He asked if I would make Ukrainian food sometimes, and I told him I already had a good borscht recipe and have made pelmeni. C, who wanted out of the stroller the second we all were seated in the room, did pretty good. She sat in my lap observing for awhile. Then, when she got restless, we started popping Cheerios in her mouth. I was sooooo thankful that her time to fall apart was Monday at dinner and not Tuesday in court! After awhile, they sent us all into the hallway so they could make their decision. I felt like it had all gone fine, but it still has to be officially approved by the judge and jury. So, everything wouldn’t be “good to go” until we got the okay. It was pretty quick and they called us back in. We walked in and I was holding C. I hadn’t noticed that nobody was sitting yet, so I took the seat again. Aleksey said we stand for the “verdict,” so I started to jump back up. The judge, who was also standing, insisted I sit, though. They approved us! The judge said he thought we were a good family and that it was in V*ktor’s best interest to be adopted. Yaaaaaaaa!!!! Big smiles from all of us! I really wanted a picture with the judge, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t okay for me to ask. So, we headed out into the hallway to decide what to do the rest of the day. The director couldn’t be reached, so V needed to return to school. We said we would see him at 3 as usual, then.
Aleksey called a taxi and we headed to the notary. By the time we finished the documents it was after 2:30. So, Brian, C, and I walked across the street to the orphanage, and Aleksey headed to put documents on the train in U. When we came in, the little kids (around 9-10 year olds) were all out in the front hallway with us. They played with C, jumped on Brian, asked for hugs, and tried out a few English words. V*ktor was trying to speak to the director about whether we could go to the restaurant. He came back and said we had to wait until 3. That was fine - we were having fun with all the kids around. We walked down to see the gym which V*ktor had been trying to show us. All the kids followed us down pushing C’s stroller and chattering to us. When it was a little after 3, V*ktor said we could go. Three adorable little boys were playing a clapping game with me and each kept wanting “one more” turn. Sooo sweet. I gave them all hugs, and we left.
At the restaurant, we didn’t have the computer or tablet with us since we hadn’t been to the room since before court. So, we couldn’t skype. We ordered food, talked, looked at pictures on the camera, etc. About 15 minutes before we needed to leave, we saw a familiar face. The judge was there at the restaurant! He came over to talk to us. He said he was really happy for us and that he knew V*ktor would not have the same opportunities here that he would by coming to America with us. He told us that he thinks we are good parents and he is very thankful that we were willing to come here and adopt since it’s such a long process. When I said Brian was leaving and it would just be me here for the 2 week wait, he told me to come see him if I need anything. He said just come up to his office! Wow! How awesome J Because this conversation had gone so well, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask about a picture. He gladly agreed and I got a picture of V with him. I also got a picture of Brian, C, and V with him. He gave me his email address and asked that I send it to him. What a neat experience! It was definitely different than some of the other stories I’ve heard. We walked V back to the orphanage and met Aleksey. On the walk back, we told him about seeing the judge. He was VERY surprised at the picture and everything. Kind of cool!
Back in the room, we packed up Brian’s 2 suitcases and C took a much needed nap. Then, we went down to dinner in the hotel restaurant with Aleksey. After figuring out the train schedule for the morning, we ordered food. The only other restaurant patrons were a big table of about 10 men and a woman. All of a sudden, they stood and started singing (above the quiet roar of techno music playing in the background). It wasn’t a drunken sing-along-with-the-jukebox kind of thing. It was really pretty melody and harmony though I didn’t understand the words. Aleksey said it was some kind of hymn or prayer or something. At the end they all took a shot of something. Alllllright! So random! Oh the experiences that continue to make me laugh around here!
After supper, Brian gave C a bath and I ran over to the grocery store for some yogurt, juice, and ice cream. Brian definitely needed some ice cream for his last dinner here. We played a few last rounds of cribbage and finished packing.
This morning, Brian and Aleksey left at 4AM. If you haven’t been to Ukraine, there are a few things to understand. These people do NOT use lights unless it’s pitch black outside. Hallways are dark, stairwells are dark, and you are constantly wishing somebody would turn on the lights in a dim room so you can really see what you‘re doing. Also, they don’t really have fire-safety around here. Doors may or may not be unlocked. They may or may not open to the outside (you may have to pull them). Stairwells may look like an excavation of Mt. Everest. It’s just different. At 4AM when Brian and Aleksey started to walk downstairs, I remembered something I hadn‘t thought of. Once they know everyone is in the hotel for the night, they lock the giant solid-wood doors. So, you’re locked in. Also, the stairwells are pitch black. C was fast asleep, so I went after them. They were attempting to navigate down a death-trap of a stairwell carrying 2 large suitcases using A’s flashlight from his cell-phone. The light was burnt out on that stairway, but I knew of a nearby light and turned it on. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, it was confirmed that we were, in fact, locked in. Just as I started to call the owner’s son on my cell phone (I had his number for such a time as this), the housekeeper appeared and started talking to Aleksey about how to get out. I figured they had it covered, so I went back to the room. I just had a video call with Brian and he made it safely to his hostel!
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