Saturday, September 10, 2011
... Maybe She'll Now Learn to Ride!
Looking good on a bike, hoping to learn to ride soon! All is well! School is going great - she loves riding the bus and sitting with her friend. Thoughts and realizations and all of the new stuff that came with America and family are starting to settle in. Afterall, it has been 4.5 months now in America, and she has added 15 pounds and 2 inches already! We hope everyone is well! Greetings from all of us!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Birthdays
Karina and Robert had birthdays! Robert is a beagle who turned 10. Karina turned 13! Wow! All is well, and we thought we'd update some fun birthday pictures for everyone.
Surprise!
Happy Birthday Robert & Karina!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Father' Day!
Papa had a good day today. We made breakfast for him and he opened his presents. He got a new bathing suit (palm trees on orange and black faded background - ohhhh! which is much more stylish than his purple "Barney" trunks from our days in Florida when we first married - yes, it has been that long since he got a new suit!). Papa also got a matching beach towel and a HUGE coffee mug, hand decorated by Karina! Plus, a motorcycle card! He was thrilled. Here are his first Father's Day pics! We hope you enjoy! It was a happy morning, indeed! Papa likes being a Papa!! He loves his daughter so very much!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Star Light, Star Bright...
...first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
Ironically, Karina learned this rhyme in school today, and she made a wish at school. Then, not knowing this until after the fact, I took her to Target today to offer insights on what she would like to have for her birthday. We learned many new words as we combed Target for close to 3 hours, exploring every isle and item with a red scanner in hand. Each time she found something that she would like to have for her birthday, I clicked the scanner to register it to a wish list. It was quite fascinating.
At first, I was like, oh no, I cannot do this for she will be overwhelmed and it is not right to put her in such a situation given her background. Then, I said to myself, well, she is very particular and likes to have choice, so setting her up for her first birthday in America at the end of this month only to get things she may not be attracted to is not fair to her either. Our neighbors across the street had a big party this past weekend, and she is convinced that birthdays in America have big tents and many, many cars. Oh well.... I opted to go with the wish list and hedging my bets in that direction instead.
Interestingly, she chose 50 things which was huge and she was in awe of herself! Her choices were all quite reasonable. A bag of M&Ms - wow, what a cool thing to have! She likes chips, can she include some pringles too? Sure, we'll click into the list anything and everything that you would like to have. We can't say you will get it, but it is fun to dream.
Here is her first wish list - of all the things in the entire store, this is it! From the eyes of a soon to be 13 year old new to America! https://www.target.com/lists/find Search by List ID: List ID: 012128800000054
A few things not on the list that I snuck into the cart when she wasn't looking and so far, I'm safe to say she doesn't know about are a pair of Hannah Montana sunglasses, her favorite candy (Rafaello with white coconut), Kinder chocolate (Google images has pictures of this candy, the eggs with surprises in them are her favorites!), and I ordered a pair of silver sandals in a 5.5 2N (difficult size to find, she wears my shoes size identically!).
Tonight she is having trouble getting to sleep. She is working mazes in bed. We have field day at school tomorrow - the last day of school. She is prepped and ready to go. Her name is on her hat, and a lot of what is going on is a need to know what is going on. I think the best thing I did to day was to ask her tonight: "Do you have any questions about tomorrow?" That one question turned our evening 180-degrees for the better. There is a huge need-to-know, and we forget how much they don't know that we assume they know. It is so hard being a kid in a foreign country, in a family where you don't know what a family is suppose to be, and with boundaries that are developing as you are in many cases. Nothing short of a miracle, to be honest.
Start Light, Start Bright, I wish that Karina learns tonight that we love her endlessly and that dreams are good things to have! I wish I may, I wish I might see the dreams she dreams come true and I wish that those dreams are good dreams that make the whole world a better place for everyone, including her and those she loves.
Ironically, Karina learned this rhyme in school today, and she made a wish at school. Then, not knowing this until after the fact, I took her to Target today to offer insights on what she would like to have for her birthday. We learned many new words as we combed Target for close to 3 hours, exploring every isle and item with a red scanner in hand. Each time she found something that she would like to have for her birthday, I clicked the scanner to register it to a wish list. It was quite fascinating.
At first, I was like, oh no, I cannot do this for she will be overwhelmed and it is not right to put her in such a situation given her background. Then, I said to myself, well, she is very particular and likes to have choice, so setting her up for her first birthday in America at the end of this month only to get things she may not be attracted to is not fair to her either. Our neighbors across the street had a big party this past weekend, and she is convinced that birthdays in America have big tents and many, many cars. Oh well.... I opted to go with the wish list and hedging my bets in that direction instead.
Interestingly, she chose 50 things which was huge and she was in awe of herself! Her choices were all quite reasonable. A bag of M&Ms - wow, what a cool thing to have! She likes chips, can she include some pringles too? Sure, we'll click into the list anything and everything that you would like to have. We can't say you will get it, but it is fun to dream.
Here is her first wish list - of all the things in the entire store, this is it! From the eyes of a soon to be 13 year old new to America! https://www.target.com/lists/find Search by List ID: List ID: 012128800000054
A few things not on the list that I snuck into the cart when she wasn't looking and so far, I'm safe to say she doesn't know about are a pair of Hannah Montana sunglasses, her favorite candy (Rafaello with white coconut), Kinder chocolate (Google images has pictures of this candy, the eggs with surprises in them are her favorites!), and I ordered a pair of silver sandals in a 5.5 2N (difficult size to find, she wears my shoes size identically!).
Tonight she is having trouble getting to sleep. She is working mazes in bed. We have field day at school tomorrow - the last day of school. She is prepped and ready to go. Her name is on her hat, and a lot of what is going on is a need to know what is going on. I think the best thing I did to day was to ask her tonight: "Do you have any questions about tomorrow?" That one question turned our evening 180-degrees for the better. There is a huge need-to-know, and we forget how much they don't know that we assume they know. It is so hard being a kid in a foreign country, in a family where you don't know what a family is suppose to be, and with boundaries that are developing as you are in many cases. Nothing short of a miracle, to be honest.
Start Light, Start Bright, I wish that Karina learns tonight that we love her endlessly and that dreams are good things to have! I wish I may, I wish I might see the dreams she dreams come true and I wish that those dreams are good dreams that make the whole world a better place for everyone, including her and those she loves.
Like Father Like Daughter!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Reaching Out
We are happy to report that our nesting and keeping Karina tight at home is working. She is feeling confident to reach out more now, and in fact, received her first phone call directly to her from a friend she met at Park #2! Of course, we accepted the kind invite and she and Brenna had a blast! She is meeting more kids now and willing to reach out and feel more comfortable with American kids. Wii is a great help, because it spans the language barrier with easy to understand interaction activities. Other firsts this week (week #5) included:
* a shut down at Target because she did not have enough money to buy what she wanted, but then, after thinking about it, realized that she should earn the money needed and go back later to Target. (Side note: I set up a way for her to be in total control of earning money, not an allowance, but doing math problems for 20 cents a page. She needs the practice, and she needs to learn money skills, and she needs a job that she can do anytime without us and achieve any level of advancement she can accomplish. Of course, she has to solve the problems correctly!)
* going back to Target and making her first purchase with her money! She decided what she wanted, she did the math skills to figure out what she could and could not afford, we talked about saving some, and she checked out all by herself! She was soo, I mean sooo very proud! She bought earrings and a red wallet!
* inviting her friend from ESL, XiJing and XiJing's family for lunch and choosing to serve hotdogs and huge marshmellows that we can roast over the fire.
* and thinking about a gift for Papa for father's day! We saw a extra large coffee mug and that seemed perfect! Karina cannot keep a secret so Papa knows about it, but it is awfully funny!
We are doing OK and all is well. It is a blessing that kids are so resilient. There are many exciting lessons to learn.
* a shut down at Target because she did not have enough money to buy what she wanted, but then, after thinking about it, realized that she should earn the money needed and go back later to Target. (Side note: I set up a way for her to be in total control of earning money, not an allowance, but doing math problems for 20 cents a page. She needs the practice, and she needs to learn money skills, and she needs a job that she can do anytime without us and achieve any level of advancement she can accomplish. Of course, she has to solve the problems correctly!)
* going back to Target and making her first purchase with her money! She decided what she wanted, she did the math skills to figure out what she could and could not afford, we talked about saving some, and she checked out all by herself! She was soo, I mean sooo very proud! She bought earrings and a red wallet!
* inviting her friend from ESL, XiJing and XiJing's family for lunch and choosing to serve hotdogs and huge marshmellows that we can roast over the fire.
* and thinking about a gift for Papa for father's day! We saw a extra large coffee mug and that seemed perfect! Karina cannot keep a secret so Papa knows about it, but it is awfully funny!
We are doing OK and all is well. It is a blessing that kids are so resilient. There are many exciting lessons to learn.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Kids are Kids
No matter what background, tweens are tweens. Parents can be a pain to them in their eyes. Whining needs to be nipped in the bud when it happens, and it does happen. Sassy talk, as well. Kids are kids. We look for the goodness and correct what is inappropriate as soon as it occurs. And it occurs. To be a parent is a gift we asked to have the opportunity to be. It is a privilege. It is not easy. There is no "hey, thanks for being my mom and dad." To get to that level is an even greater gift, one that means we were able to go above and beyond and it means, more so, that the soul of our child was open to going beyond herself. We have empathy for what our fellow parents are going through. None of us are alone. Complicated by language and limits on expression, we join in sharing a unique way of dealing with what seems to be human nature. A daily reminder, maybe even hourly reminder, of how grateful it is to have the opportunity to do what we are able to do and have a family, which we have not had for 23 years, helps keep it all in perspective. For the first time in 21 years, I desperately, I mean really desperately, wanted to talk to my mother. Somehow, being a mom makes you want your own mom more than ever. Thank goodness for good friends who offer hugs and support, advice and counsel. And for doctors and nurses who are caring and open and provide goodness and love as well. It takes a community for sure!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
OK, here's a good one!
Mr. Bean, the whole bean! Netflix has these videos on demand, and the kids at Mariupol used to watch Mr. Bean! No language skills required to laugh at the funny humor! Karina and Papa are laughing their heads off!
So, here's to our weekend-holiday celebration for tonight:
* a bowl of cheese puffs
* milk in a plastic wine glass
* Mr. Bean on the TV
* Robert and Big Kitty sitting next to the 3 of us
Lots of Fun!
Oh, and P.S. Karina slept with ALL the dogs last night. Needless to say, she didn't sleep. But, hat's off to her for being adventurous! (She was licked to the bone, and Twister cuddled way too close, she said.)
So, here's to our weekend-holiday celebration for tonight:
* a bowl of cheese puffs
* milk in a plastic wine glass
* Mr. Bean on the TV
* Robert and Big Kitty sitting next to the 3 of us
Lots of Fun!
Oh, and P.S. Karina slept with ALL the dogs last night. Needless to say, she didn't sleep. But, hat's off to her for being adventurous! (She was licked to the bone, and Twister cuddled way too close, she said.)
Favorite Tunes
For those with teenagers from Ukraine, here is some of the music our tween says is "terrrrrific!"
(We also added in a few of her favorite America tunes as of this week).
Anything by Dema Belan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO0kH8hf_wc
Anything by Ranetki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uY-goxZ-tc
Anything by Potap & Nastia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pC5Pb68Od0
Anything by Max Barskih: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPSU8aa2yNo
Anything by MaxSym: http://www.youtube.com/user/maksim?blend=1&ob=5
Katy Perry - ET
Train - Soul Sister
Black-eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Jennifer Lopez - Hit the Floor (kinda, so so )
And another popular America song that we do not know the name of it but plays on the radio a lot.
The thing that I worry about as a parent is, what these videos teach girls about relationships with men: too much drama, tragedy, and violence (throwing and breaking things). In Ukraine, girls are often sex-pistols and guys have lots of machismo. Reversing these beliefs and creating an understanding of loving, equal partnerships between men and women and how men and women communicate attraction to each other is challenging. There is too much "girl-chasing/boy-chasing" or trolling-type of behaviors that kids pick up on, and as a parent, that bothers me. Just a personal thought.
Anyway, tunes in one's native language helps to ease the over-Englished-world that sometimes gets our kids down until they can navigate English better.
(We also added in a few of her favorite America tunes as of this week).
Anything by Dema Belan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO0kH8hf_wc
Anything by Ranetki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uY-goxZ-tc
Anything by Potap & Nastia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pC5Pb68Od0
Anything by Max Barskih: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPSU8aa2yNo
Anything by MaxSym: http://www.youtube.com/user/maksim?blend=1&ob=5
Katy Perry - ET
Train - Soul Sister
Black-eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Jennifer Lopez - Hit the Floor (kinda, so so )
And another popular America song that we do not know the name of it but plays on the radio a lot.
The thing that I worry about as a parent is, what these videos teach girls about relationships with men: too much drama, tragedy, and violence (throwing and breaking things). In Ukraine, girls are often sex-pistols and guys have lots of machismo. Reversing these beliefs and creating an understanding of loving, equal partnerships between men and women and how men and women communicate attraction to each other is challenging. There is too much "girl-chasing/boy-chasing" or trolling-type of behaviors that kids pick up on, and as a parent, that bothers me. Just a personal thought.
Anyway, tunes in one's native language helps to ease the over-Englished-world that sometimes gets our kids down until they can navigate English better.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Meeting in the Middle
Today is the anniversary of our 4th week in America, post-Ukraine. We have learned a lot about each other this past month. Values, feelings, communicating, expectations, and most of all respecting each other and as such, meeting in the middle. We are thankful for Liliya, our friend, who is available to us night and day for those deeper conversations, and conflict situations. She handles us with grace and love. Her translation abilities are very much welcomed. Today, we have had a really good day. Karina pointed out that we did not approve of her making faces at America foods, yet when we let her cook her own breakfast (scrambled eggs) we made faces (as they were raw with only a slight bit of white). So, tonight, we agreed that we were wrong to do that and she cooked dinner for the 3 of us and we ate all of our eggs, raw and runny (even the whites were runny) with nice faces and smiles of yummy-ness! We met in the middle. We needed a break from Hannah Montana's album and so we introduced Karina to youtube and how to search for Russian music. This was fabulous! She found her favorite tunes and sang along for hours! We bought her favorite album in itunes and it is our dinner music. If she has to listen to NPR, then we can listen to Ranetki. We met in the middle. It is about choice, respect, appreciation of variety, and bravery in trying new things with grace and openness. It is not always easy, but it is the essence of our relationship and that is good for where we are and how we have been doing at this point. Karina is growing closer to the pets, too. She likes to hold big kitty, and wishes she could sleep with all the dogs. We promised we'd let her try this - on a non-school night, in dogland on the futon That should be a trip! 15 dogs who all like to lick and cuddle close! Hey, what is memorial weekend for, if not to celebrate and love being with pets and people?! (Oh no, Papa is helping crazy dog, Katie, to dance and sing in the microphone! Time for lots of laughs!)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
3 week anniversary
Today, is our 3rd week in America (post-Ukraine). Today was Karina's first day at school by herself! She had a long day at school (8:15 - 2:30). Today, is a drizzzly, yet wonderful day as each of us had time to ourselves to get things done. All is well. We are thrilled beyond belief and we are very blessed and lucky. Hooray!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Giving Thanks
Giving Thanks is important. Every Sunday night, we have a family meeting. Last night, we each shared what we liked best about the past week, and what we didn't like about the past week, and then we reviewed our family expectations list and talked about which item was not working. That is, of all the expectations, which one was being met the least. It was the bedtime item. So, we talked about it, decided if we should change it or not, and Karina decided not to change it, and we learned why it wasn't working and now we can change what we do to make it easier to be met. Terrrrrific!!! We give thanks for having the time to sit as a family and communicate about being a family. Each person gets a vote on things and each gets to share their rationale and ideas for what our family is and isn't. The model of democracy is something we are thankful for, as is respect for each other.
We are thankful that today is Karina's first day of ESL at the Easterly Parkway public school. We chose this school because of Dr. Esber, her ESL teacher. Karina loves Dr. Esber and is motivated to please Dr. Esber. We visited her classroom last week as a family and the kids liked Karina and she liked them. When given the option to help in the garden or work on school, she chose to work on school, and spent about 3 hours with Papa doing her lesson for Dr. Esber! That is something we are all thankful for: Dr. Esber!!
Last night, Karina was so hyper because today is her first day of school. We have it posted on the family bulletin board and she reviewed the week and made sure she knew which days and which times she was to be at school this week (tomorrow there is no school, because the morning will be spent at the dentist). I remember the night before the first day of school, and how I spent a long time picking out my clothes and getting organized and feeling jittery! Karina the same! She chose her favorite Hannah Montana outfit that Aunt Brenda gave her, packed her school work in her Hannah backpack from Aunt Brenda, and looked just like Hannah this morning as she and Papa said Paka and jumped in the car to leave! Aunt Brenda knows kids!! She chose her favorite pens and pencils out of her desk in the office and packed those as well as her orange crush drink left over in the fridge. She even asked if Mama would put make-up on her and of course, remembering how I wanted the same as a kid, decided why not. So I made her eyes and cheeks and lips up lightly and she was thrilled! She wanted Papa to notice (and he needed a few code-winks to get it), then he said "Wow - you look gorgeous!" We are thankful for a daughter who is excited about school, who likes to look nice and cares about her appearance. Her values on which is more important - school or looks - will develop as we set a good example. One thing about Karina is that she is very in tuned to our behaviors and mimics them.
We are thankful for bubble baths, dogs & cats & rabbits (domestic and wild in our yard), the birds, good friends, local kids who speak Russian and English, Dema's birthday party (which got big thanks at the family meeting and was a real hit!), making cookies (but not Papa eating the last of the cookies - that got a thumbs down at the family meeting), looking for knee high socks, a good medical report on her heart, nice & caring doctors who have a great bedside manner with Karina, loving friends who are crazy enough to play Wii Dance with our family (that got 3 thumbs up last night, by the way!), and for google translator who helped us cope with and discuss a melt down (which we stayed up to communicate about and share feelings honestly until past 10pm, because many feelings were hurt). We are also thankful for Tsentr Opiky (her home in Mariupol) who helped us to confirm what her real birthday is this morning. She wanted it to be in July, but it is in June. That's OK, we'll let her have 2 birthdays! (On her birthday, she wants to ride crazy mouse at DelGrosso's amusement park 13 times, so now she can ride it a total of 26 times!)
Hopefully, many of her friends will be in America by then. She talks about them many times a day. Much love and giving thanks for a wonderful day ahead. I look forward to hearing her stories about school and watching Papa get his teeth cleaned this afternoon (he is setting an example for her tomorrow).
We are thankful that today is Karina's first day of ESL at the Easterly Parkway public school. We chose this school because of Dr. Esber, her ESL teacher. Karina loves Dr. Esber and is motivated to please Dr. Esber. We visited her classroom last week as a family and the kids liked Karina and she liked them. When given the option to help in the garden or work on school, she chose to work on school, and spent about 3 hours with Papa doing her lesson for Dr. Esber! That is something we are all thankful for: Dr. Esber!!
Last night, Karina was so hyper because today is her first day of school. We have it posted on the family bulletin board and she reviewed the week and made sure she knew which days and which times she was to be at school this week (tomorrow there is no school, because the morning will be spent at the dentist). I remember the night before the first day of school, and how I spent a long time picking out my clothes and getting organized and feeling jittery! Karina the same! She chose her favorite Hannah Montana outfit that Aunt Brenda gave her, packed her school work in her Hannah backpack from Aunt Brenda, and looked just like Hannah this morning as she and Papa said Paka and jumped in the car to leave! Aunt Brenda knows kids!! She chose her favorite pens and pencils out of her desk in the office and packed those as well as her orange crush drink left over in the fridge. She even asked if Mama would put make-up on her and of course, remembering how I wanted the same as a kid, decided why not. So I made her eyes and cheeks and lips up lightly and she was thrilled! She wanted Papa to notice (and he needed a few code-winks to get it), then he said "Wow - you look gorgeous!" We are thankful for a daughter who is excited about school, who likes to look nice and cares about her appearance. Her values on which is more important - school or looks - will develop as we set a good example. One thing about Karina is that she is very in tuned to our behaviors and mimics them.
We are thankful for bubble baths, dogs & cats & rabbits (domestic and wild in our yard), the birds, good friends, local kids who speak Russian and English, Dema's birthday party (which got big thanks at the family meeting and was a real hit!), making cookies (but not Papa eating the last of the cookies - that got a thumbs down at the family meeting), looking for knee high socks, a good medical report on her heart, nice & caring doctors who have a great bedside manner with Karina, loving friends who are crazy enough to play Wii Dance with our family (that got 3 thumbs up last night, by the way!), and for google translator who helped us cope with and discuss a melt down (which we stayed up to communicate about and share feelings honestly until past 10pm, because many feelings were hurt). We are also thankful for Tsentr Opiky (her home in Mariupol) who helped us to confirm what her real birthday is this morning. She wanted it to be in July, but it is in June. That's OK, we'll let her have 2 birthdays! (On her birthday, she wants to ride crazy mouse at DelGrosso's amusement park 13 times, so now she can ride it a total of 26 times!)
Hopefully, many of her friends will be in America by then. She talks about them many times a day. Much love and giving thanks for a wonderful day ahead. I look forward to hearing her stories about school and watching Papa get his teeth cleaned this afternoon (he is setting an example for her tomorrow).
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Family Values
We are going a bit crazy here at the moment. The language issues are very, very frustrating. Karina so wants to really talk with us, and we with her, and the basic communication is not cutting it. Our honeymoon is moving into stage 2 - deeper relationships building and I welcome that. I just wish it were easier. She is really frustrated. She has so much she wants to say, and she needs us to understand her and listen to her. The problem arises in that she is slow at typing (computers are new to her) so she cannot say a lot, and her spelling is not perfect, so many words do not translate. Please send your positive thoughts if you are reading. We will feel your love and for Karina's sake, she needs the support and good karma, if you will.
Here are our family values and expectations at the moment. This is the basis of who we are right now in our family. We thought other families may be able to benefit if they are in process of deciding on the same. These are easier said than overtly taught. The best way to teach them, is simply by example, which means we have to be really, really sensitive to how we are acting. That is difficult when emotions are running higher than typical.
Family Values – Семейные ценности
Honesty честность
Respect уважение
Responsibility ответственность
Accountability подотчетности
Fairness справедливость
Compassion сострадание
Family Expectations:
1. Always treat each other with kindness and respect, which means to listen thoughtfully to each other and work through conflicts with a desire to do what is best for the whole family, not just one person.
1. Всегда относиться друг к другу с добротой и уважением, что означает прислушиваться задумчиво друг к другу и работать через конфликты с желанием сделать то, что является лучшим для всей семьи, а не только одного человека.
2. Keep your room tidy, make your bed every morning and return your things to your room after use; don’t leave your things lying around.
2. Храните ваши комнаты аккуратные, сделать вашу постель каждое утро и вернуть свои вещи в номер после использования; не оставляйте свои вещи лежащие вокруг.
3. If you make a mess, clean it up immediately. Our home belongs to all of us, and we all respect and care for our home and family.
3. Если вы делаете беспорядок, очистить его немедленно. Наш дом принадлежит всем нам, и мы все уважение и внимание к нашим домом и семьей.
4. Everyone should turn off lights, water, radio, television when not using them. We conserve electricity and water because it is good for the environment.
4. Каждый должен выключить свет, вода, радио, телевидение, когда их не используете. Мы экономии электроэнергии и воды, потому что это хорошо для окружающей среды.
5. Eat and drink only in the kitchen or dining room. No drink or food is allowed where there is carpet.
5. Ешьте и пейте только в кухне или столовой. Нет питья или еды допускается, где есть ковер.
6. Each family member should wash his or her hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and when we each come inside after playing outdoors.
6. Каждый член семьи должен мыть его или ее руки до и после еды, после посещения туалета, и когда каждый из нас войти внутрь после игры на свежем воздухе.
7. Each person is responsible for their daily chores.
7. Каждый человек несет ответственность за их повседневной работой.
8. Quiet time starts at 9pm Sunday through Thursday.
8. Тихо время начинается в 9 вечера воскресенья по четверг.
9 When in doubt, ALWAYS ask permission from Mama or Papa.
9. Если вы сомневаетесь, всегда спрашивайте разрешения от мамы или папы.
Here are our family values and expectations at the moment. This is the basis of who we are right now in our family. We thought other families may be able to benefit if they are in process of deciding on the same. These are easier said than overtly taught. The best way to teach them, is simply by example, which means we have to be really, really sensitive to how we are acting. That is difficult when emotions are running higher than typical.
Family Values – Семейные ценности
Honesty честность
Respect уважение
Responsibility ответственность
Accountability подотчетности
Fairness справедливость
Compassion сострадание
Family Expectations:
1. Always treat each other with kindness and respect, which means to listen thoughtfully to each other and work through conflicts with a desire to do what is best for the whole family, not just one person.
1. Всегда относиться друг к другу с добротой и уважением, что означает прислушиваться задумчиво друг к другу и работать через конфликты с желанием сделать то, что является лучшим для всей семьи, а не только одного человека.
2. Keep your room tidy, make your bed every morning and return your things to your room after use; don’t leave your things lying around.
2. Храните ваши комнаты аккуратные, сделать вашу постель каждое утро и вернуть свои вещи в номер после использования; не оставляйте свои вещи лежащие вокруг.
3. If you make a mess, clean it up immediately. Our home belongs to all of us, and we all respect and care for our home and family.
3. Если вы делаете беспорядок, очистить его немедленно. Наш дом принадлежит всем нам, и мы все уважение и внимание к нашим домом и семьей.
4. Everyone should turn off lights, water, radio, television when not using them. We conserve electricity and water because it is good for the environment.
4. Каждый должен выключить свет, вода, радио, телевидение, когда их не используете. Мы экономии электроэнергии и воды, потому что это хорошо для окружающей среды.
5. Eat and drink only in the kitchen or dining room. No drink or food is allowed where there is carpet.
5. Ешьте и пейте только в кухне или столовой. Нет питья или еды допускается, где есть ковер.
6. Each family member should wash his or her hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and when we each come inside after playing outdoors.
6. Каждый член семьи должен мыть его или ее руки до и после еды, после посещения туалета, и когда каждый из нас войти внутрь после игры на свежем воздухе.
7. Each person is responsible for their daily chores.
7. Каждый человек несет ответственность за их повседневной работой.
8. Quiet time starts at 9pm Sunday through Thursday.
8. Тихо время начинается в 9 вечера воскресенья по четверг.
9 When in doubt, ALWAYS ask permission from Mama or Papa.
9. Если вы сомневаетесь, всегда спрашивайте разрешения от мамы или папы.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day!
It was my first Mother's Day and it was TERRRRIFIC!! We have a terrific family! It is really fun to be a mom.
Stuart and Karina woke up early and told me to stay in bed. They fixed breakfast and Karina made me a card by hand, translated herself! Beautiful! They gave Mama a pizza stone and a DVD player for Karina to watch her movies in the red room. We then worked in the yard trimming the Russian sage, and Karina took two wheelbarrow loads of twigs to the compost pile. We packed a picnic lunch in the basket and had a picnic in the park for 3 hours playing on the swings and hide and seek. The day ended with our first family meeting. In the meeting we went over family values and expectations. We meet as a family every Sunday night. This gives us time to talk about what is working and not working as a family and what we want to start, stop and continue doing as a family. We post what we talked about on the family bulletin board. We topped off the night with a Mama-daughter extra-bubbly bubble bath in the whirlpool tub! Whew! The bubbles were overflowing! We buried ourselves in bubbles and it took two tub-fulls of water to de-bubble and rinse off! We had our seltzer water in plastic wine glasses and included candles this time. Why not? Life is short!
Mama, Karina, Robert (the beagle) and Big-Kitty all slept together last night. She needed extra cuddles due to an emotional day off and on yesterday. Being a family is a big deal for her. It was good to sleep together. Plus, Papa is still sick, so he was appreciative of the space.
Today, we had a wonderful tour of the charter school, which is small and creative and has 5th and 6th grade together (nice for us!). There were several kids at the school who spoke Russian (bi-lingual) an they talked to her. The kids were doing some interesting projects. It was a nice place to be. We also had a productive visit to the dentist and did a lot of x-rays. Her teeth are in better shape than they appear because the bad teeth are baby teeth still. Hopefully they will fall out. Not all baby teeth fall out, so we are crossing out fingers! The cosmetic issues can be fixed fairly easily.
Mama got a chance to work on volunteer work when we got home, and Papa took Karina to the park later today where she met some girls who befriended her. It is great to see her reaching out.
We have had our first sets of conflicts and mini-melt-downs. First, it was mama and Karina over short-shorts. Papa left the room. The shorts were a mis-understanding. She was wanting to wear them inside them change again before going out in public and Mama thought she was going to wear them out in public. The second conflict is over handwriting and the letter "r" and we will work on handwriting. The joys of home schooling for the moment! Anyway, thank goodness for Google translator and the Russian-English online dictionary!
So far so good! Off to cook dinner... and work on our English goal for the week - 24 words (say it, spell it, write it) - and that means in Russian for us as well as in English for her.
Stuart and Karina woke up early and told me to stay in bed. They fixed breakfast and Karina made me a card by hand, translated herself! Beautiful! They gave Mama a pizza stone and a DVD player for Karina to watch her movies in the red room. We then worked in the yard trimming the Russian sage, and Karina took two wheelbarrow loads of twigs to the compost pile. We packed a picnic lunch in the basket and had a picnic in the park for 3 hours playing on the swings and hide and seek. The day ended with our first family meeting. In the meeting we went over family values and expectations. We meet as a family every Sunday night. This gives us time to talk about what is working and not working as a family and what we want to start, stop and continue doing as a family. We post what we talked about on the family bulletin board. We topped off the night with a Mama-daughter extra-bubbly bubble bath in the whirlpool tub! Whew! The bubbles were overflowing! We buried ourselves in bubbles and it took two tub-fulls of water to de-bubble and rinse off! We had our seltzer water in plastic wine glasses and included candles this time. Why not? Life is short!
Mama, Karina, Robert (the beagle) and Big-Kitty all slept together last night. She needed extra cuddles due to an emotional day off and on yesterday. Being a family is a big deal for her. It was good to sleep together. Plus, Papa is still sick, so he was appreciative of the space.
Today, we had a wonderful tour of the charter school, which is small and creative and has 5th and 6th grade together (nice for us!). There were several kids at the school who spoke Russian (bi-lingual) an they talked to her. The kids were doing some interesting projects. It was a nice place to be. We also had a productive visit to the dentist and did a lot of x-rays. Her teeth are in better shape than they appear because the bad teeth are baby teeth still. Hopefully they will fall out. Not all baby teeth fall out, so we are crossing out fingers! The cosmetic issues can be fixed fairly easily.
Mama got a chance to work on volunteer work when we got home, and Papa took Karina to the park later today where she met some girls who befriended her. It is great to see her reaching out.
We have had our first sets of conflicts and mini-melt-downs. First, it was mama and Karina over short-shorts. Papa left the room. The shorts were a mis-understanding. She was wanting to wear them inside them change again before going out in public and Mama thought she was going to wear them out in public. The second conflict is over handwriting and the letter "r" and we will work on handwriting. The joys of home schooling for the moment! Anyway, thank goodness for Google translator and the Russian-English online dictionary!
So far so good! Off to cook dinner... and work on our English goal for the week - 24 words (say it, spell it, write it) - and that means in Russian for us as well as in English for her.
WOW!
Talking with Little Kitty (Cally).
Made by two Chefs - Karina and Papa! Mother's Day breakfast!
Thank You!!!!!
For Mama - she got up at 6AM with Papa to do this!
Who loves her Papa?!?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Swings, Airplanes, Resources...
... and the joy of Dogs!
We have been a family of 3 in America one week as of last night. Wow! So many wonderful things have happened, it is hard to share them all. Papa put a swing up in the garage, so that Karina can swing rain or shine, anytime. She can swing between the cars. The outdoor swingset will be up in about a month. We got one from craigslist and have to reassemble it. Thank you to friends for taking it apart and transporting it to our house while we were in Ukraine! Swinging is the #1 way for dealing with stress here.
An airplane (самолет) is a prize for us. Karina loves airplanes!! She likes to go for walks with Mama in the dog's field or in the neighborhood and count all of the planes overhead (and their trails). Thanks to our good friend, John, who gave us the idea - we had a picnic lunch at the airport yesterday and sat where the planes come in to land. It was a thrill to see them circle and land! She had a blast!
And resources - whew! As a family of 2, we used the dishwasher about once every 4-5 days, used the washer and dryer once a week, and made very little trash. However, now we use the dishwasher every day, I have done 8 loads of laundry since being home, and we make a lot more trash, primarily because we cook and eat almost every meal (and 3 a day at that) at home. Resources are amazingly used up! That is what they are there for. I can watch her eat a melted ice cream sandwich with drips and chocolate around her lips and not cringe - we will clean it when she's finished and the joy is to see her appreciate the moment. Had I been decades younger, when I was more uptight, I probably would have been all over her. Same with kale last night. Papa insisted that she eat one spoonful of cooked kale with garlic sauce. That is the rule, one bite of everything served. Well, kids + kale, no matter where they are from, is never a super-good combo. She resisted and stalled and made faces, etc. Having recently finished Alfie Kohn's book, Punished by Rewards, there was no link to desserts if the kale was eaten or no dessert if not eaten, we simply sat there. I told her "Mama is not raising a baby. She is raising you to be a good, successful adult." Then I forced myself to eat the leftover cold cooked kale sitting in the bowl left over from our dinner. If I make her do it, I can do it too. There she went - it was down, we made fun of her for not dying, and acted like it should have killed her, she smiled and then, we were off to clean the basement (dogland). She was a super help to us, and it is a real treasure to have Karina here! Dogland smells 4 million times better now, and it actually looks like a room where humans can visit! Having 15 dogs is fun, and Karina is growing closer to them all, especially Robert.
She loves Robert! Robert sleeps with her in her bed at night and she reads Russian books to him. He loves it! Robert had popcorn with the 3 of us last night after the basement was done. You can see Robert and his friends here: http://www.aeechols.net/
There is so much going on, and it is simply remarkable how she makes us better people for being part of our lives! What a blessing and a gift!
We have been a family of 3 in America one week as of last night. Wow! So many wonderful things have happened, it is hard to share them all. Papa put a swing up in the garage, so that Karina can swing rain or shine, anytime. She can swing between the cars. The outdoor swingset will be up in about a month. We got one from craigslist and have to reassemble it. Thank you to friends for taking it apart and transporting it to our house while we were in Ukraine! Swinging is the #1 way for dealing with stress here.
An airplane (самолет) is a prize for us. Karina loves airplanes!! She likes to go for walks with Mama in the dog's field or in the neighborhood and count all of the planes overhead (and their trails). Thanks to our good friend, John, who gave us the idea - we had a picnic lunch at the airport yesterday and sat where the planes come in to land. It was a thrill to see them circle and land! She had a blast!
And resources - whew! As a family of 2, we used the dishwasher about once every 4-5 days, used the washer and dryer once a week, and made very little trash. However, now we use the dishwasher every day, I have done 8 loads of laundry since being home, and we make a lot more trash, primarily because we cook and eat almost every meal (and 3 a day at that) at home. Resources are amazingly used up! That is what they are there for. I can watch her eat a melted ice cream sandwich with drips and chocolate around her lips and not cringe - we will clean it when she's finished and the joy is to see her appreciate the moment. Had I been decades younger, when I was more uptight, I probably would have been all over her. Same with kale last night. Papa insisted that she eat one spoonful of cooked kale with garlic sauce. That is the rule, one bite of everything served. Well, kids + kale, no matter where they are from, is never a super-good combo. She resisted and stalled and made faces, etc. Having recently finished Alfie Kohn's book, Punished by Rewards, there was no link to desserts if the kale was eaten or no dessert if not eaten, we simply sat there. I told her "Mama is not raising a baby. She is raising you to be a good, successful adult." Then I forced myself to eat the leftover cold cooked kale sitting in the bowl left over from our dinner. If I make her do it, I can do it too. There she went - it was down, we made fun of her for not dying, and acted like it should have killed her, she smiled and then, we were off to clean the basement (dogland). She was a super help to us, and it is a real treasure to have Karina here! Dogland smells 4 million times better now, and it actually looks like a room where humans can visit! Having 15 dogs is fun, and Karina is growing closer to them all, especially Robert.
She loves Robert! Robert sleeps with her in her bed at night and she reads Russian books to him. He loves it! Robert had popcorn with the 3 of us last night after the basement was done. You can see Robert and his friends here: http://www.aeechols.net/
There is so much going on, and it is simply remarkable how she makes us better people for being part of our lives! What a blessing and a gift!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Where's Karina?
All is well - just really busy - for our first 5 days in America as a threesome. We got all of the mail and bills taken care of yesterday. We are bonding well. We are cooking and cleaning. We have not settled into a strict routine as it is difficult to find a block of hours between Stuart and I to agree to our family "rules." We want to make a short yet concise list and have about 10 lists drafted. The issue is, there are many small things like turn off the lights when you leave the room that "take up space on the list." Oh well - we will find time for this. We chose a pediatrician and have our first doctor's appointment on the 19th of May. We are working on school options and dance scheduling right now. Many opportunities do not start again until summertime, after the school year ends. The most exciting part of the last 5 days has been "Where's Karina?" We have been role playing Hannah Montana (who has two personas - Miley Cirus and Hannah Montana). The three of us act out scenes from the TV series and Karina has Papa's old microphone (a real one, cool! even though it doesn't work), a wig, hat, sunglasses, and Hannah clothes. She even has a guitar! We also do a lot of swinging in the park and playing Hide-&-Seek at the park. "Where's Karina" is commonly heard in a fun way! Here's "Hannah"! Where's Karina?
Wow! (Thanks to the "Tangled" wig, since Hannah wigs are no longer on the market) - That's some hair, Hannah!
p.s., Karina wrapped a gift for the first time yesterday. She had never bought a gift for someone before and nor wrapped it! She has never been invited to a party as an individual before either! Yesterday, it was exciting to do this with her! She picked out a really nice gift, too. She has good taste in our opinion. She was thoughtful and considerate.
p.s., Karina wrapped a gift for the first time yesterday. She had never bought a gift for someone before and nor wrapped it! She has never been invited to a party as an individual before either! Yesterday, it was exciting to do this with her! She picked out a really nice gift, too. She has good taste in our opinion. She was thoughtful and considerate.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
All is Well
We were up at 4AM on Friday (jet lag) and caught the royal wedding! Yeah!! Karina was not intrigued so much, and preferred trying on her clothes and pretending that she was Hannah Montana. Friday, we went to Wegman's grocery store and bought food. Karina was a great help! She pushed the cart and priced the vegetables and helped select what to buy. We rested a lot, learned about iCarly, the TV show, took care of the pets and tried to get in sync with the small stuff (making beds, doing laundry, picking up). Yesterday, we went to Papa's office, did some errands, swang at the park, walked, cooked, cleaned, and relaxed. Today, we had a cereal taste-test to figure out who liked who cereals, and that was fun! Now we are making cupcakes. She did it all - even using the mixer! This afternoon, several kids from camp who have already been adopted will meet at the camp and Karina cannot wait to be there! So far, all is terrific! We know there is bound to be a meltdown at some point, but so far, we are doing really well. We have some issues with trying to stretch bedtime past 9PM, but we are strict on that. Today, we are going to work on getting family rules in order and communicate those. We need to set boundaries clearly in order to increase her comfort level. So far, it has been like being on vacation here, and that is OK to ease into things, but her independence and growth depend on us setting clear boundaries. We will let you know how that goes. Finding time to do email, make phone calls, and do the things we used to do for ourselves is not as easy right now, but once we get into sync, we can each have our togetherness and independence, and that will be good. The best gift she got so far has been the journal (blank page book) and pens and markers. She loves having a book of her own, and carries it in her purse, which at this point (because it contains all candy, jewelry, and little trinkets she owns as well) weighs half a ton. Oh Well! Oh and Wii dance = awesome! She LOVES it! (And she's good at it!)
More Soon! Thank you to all for your support and well-wishes and love! We feel it! Happy Sunday!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Priceless!
I started this blog in the airport on the iphone, as we had 24 hours between landing in Dulles and catching the flight to State College. Yes, from the time we left Kiev to the time we walked into our Port Matilda home, it was 44.5 hours. We were 42 consecutive days away from home, and I had drafted a rather "here's the real whine" of a blog entry when everything did a 360-degree turnaround. Last night, we were dragging to the shuttle to get to the Holiday Inn Express, and Mama held her hand and said, "Oh Baby, I am so sorry, I didn't want your first day in America to be like this." Karina said, "Me, I know understand, Mama." What an Angel.
Yes, it is true that Karina did not close her eyes once for even a mini catnap on the airplanes. And, our trooper had a fever, low appetite, a cold and a headache. She never whined, refused to let Mama carry her backpack, and could pull a smile at a joke. Absolutely amazing. We were all snotty, worn to the bone and done with travel. We got a hotel room late last night, and Karina slept in Papa's shirt (he wears two). We slept in our clothes. The beds were soft, oh so soft! The showers were warm - and full! Luxury! The towels were think and awesome! The breakfast variety was amazing - bananas, breads, cereals, pancakes, eggs, yogurt, coffee, etc. And, Karina got to watch Sponge Bob in bed! We watched the news, and talked about the storm. After breakfast, we Skyped her Mariupol home so we could fulfill promises and she got to speak to those she loves. Then, we shuttled to the airport at 10 for a 6 hour wait till our flight finally left at 4 today. It was a 30 minute flight, and she said "so small for so big wait?" Yep, that's it. It is 7 now, and I just have to share one thing.
We were in the car doming from the airport about an hour ago, and as we entered the neighborhood, she recognized where we were. She had been here in August for camp where we hosted her. She started to shake. A tear started to roll down her cheek. Her lips quivered. And she saw our house. She said in Russian, Home Our Home and then bursted with joy! She couldn't wait to go inside and see that cats! Our friends had lovingly surprised us all with a decorated house and she was in awe! She jumped and hugged us and couldn't believe her eyes! She looked at the balloons and we took her picture with them! She went up stairs and there were flowers in her room! She opened her presents that various people had given her - soaps, house slippers, a snuggie, tea, chocolate kisses, a fuzzy blanket, a teddy bear, a journal to write in and a pen! She also had a stuffed unicorn and books! Then she opened her closet and cried! Friends had filled her closet with clothes from their kids and she said, "Mama! I am Hannah Montana!" Oh My Gosh, Oh My Gosh! She wanted to wear everything! She picked out an outfit and it was all pink. She and Papa went to Way Fruit Farm to get some dinner. She said as they just walked out the door, "Mama, Paka - Home Our Home, Mama!"
I love you!
Yes, it is true that Karina did not close her eyes once for even a mini catnap on the airplanes. And, our trooper had a fever, low appetite, a cold and a headache. She never whined, refused to let Mama carry her backpack, and could pull a smile at a joke. Absolutely amazing. We were all snotty, worn to the bone and done with travel. We got a hotel room late last night, and Karina slept in Papa's shirt (he wears two). We slept in our clothes. The beds were soft, oh so soft! The showers were warm - and full! Luxury! The towels were think and awesome! The breakfast variety was amazing - bananas, breads, cereals, pancakes, eggs, yogurt, coffee, etc. And, Karina got to watch Sponge Bob in bed! We watched the news, and talked about the storm. After breakfast, we Skyped her Mariupol home so we could fulfill promises and she got to speak to those she loves. Then, we shuttled to the airport at 10 for a 6 hour wait till our flight finally left at 4 today. It was a 30 minute flight, and she said "so small for so big wait?" Yep, that's it. It is 7 now, and I just have to share one thing.
We were in the car doming from the airport about an hour ago, and as we entered the neighborhood, she recognized where we were. She had been here in August for camp where we hosted her. She started to shake. A tear started to roll down her cheek. Her lips quivered. And she saw our house. She said in Russian, Home Our Home and then bursted with joy! She couldn't wait to go inside and see that cats! Our friends had lovingly surprised us all with a decorated house and she was in awe! She jumped and hugged us and couldn't believe her eyes! She looked at the balloons and we took her picture with them! She went up stairs and there were flowers in her room! She opened her presents that various people had given her - soaps, house slippers, a snuggie, tea, chocolate kisses, a fuzzy blanket, a teddy bear, a journal to write in and a pen! She also had a stuffed unicorn and books! Then she opened her closet and cried! Friends had filled her closet with clothes from their kids and she said, "Mama! I am Hannah Montana!" Oh My Gosh, Oh My Gosh! She wanted to wear everything! She picked out an outfit and it was all pink. She and Papa went to Way Fruit Farm to get some dinner. She said as they just walked out the door, "Mama, Paka - Home Our Home, Mama!"
I love you!
Not home yet
Caught in Dulles airport. Hoping for flight at 2 pm now. Many delays due to storms. Karina asked for coffee. Need we say more? She helped mama with one cup. The initiation process always seems to come with a final airline adventure. Need we say more?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Flying Soon!
Don't worry about us - we will be flying soon and then offline for a while to take care of bills, etc. We will be back in touch with a follow up after we get our world back in order. We would dearly like to thank all of our friends and family who have been keeping up with Karina and our Ukrainian adventures. We are so grateful for your support and love, and well-wishes. It was truly a blessing that you were with us and connected, as we have felt it, for sure.
We are full of love tonight! We have a very excited daughter, Stuart is packing us efficiently, and Mama is making sure we leave everything in good order. We can't wait to see everyone in person soon! Much love to you all and many, many hugs! We'll add a few funny photos from the past couple of days.
25 years ago today was the explosion at Chernobyl. The country is mourning the loss and recognizing that catastrophe today in memorial. We are mindful of the loss and hope that those who we know who have loved ones who were harmed are able to find peace and reconciliation. Cultures may differ, but all people all share feelings of compassion, sorrow, love, and understanding regardless of where they live.
We are full of love tonight! We have a very excited daughter, Stuart is packing us efficiently, and Mama is making sure we leave everything in good order. We can't wait to see everyone in person soon! Much love to you all and many, many hugs! We'll add a few funny photos from the past couple of days.
What? You finished off all of the Tic Tacs?
Some house slippers found in the apt. Karina thought Papa was funny wearing white slippers!
The important thing is that she looks great!
Monkey-girl!
25 years ago today was the explosion at Chernobyl. The country is mourning the loss and recognizing that catastrophe today in memorial. We are mindful of the loss and hope that those who we know who have loved ones who were harmed are able to find peace and reconciliation. Cultures may differ, but all people all share feelings of compassion, sorrow, love, and understanding regardless of where they live.
Hallelujah!!
All processes are completed and we are catching our ride at 4AM tomorrow! We fly out of Kiev to Munich, then to Dulles for a 7 hour layover to State College. Yeah!! Karina had to get a Hepititis B shot as we were fortunate (being sarcastic) to have Doctor ChiponHer Shoulder as the physician this morning, but otherwise the medical exam and embassy work went smoothly. The video in the embassy waiting room played "America the Beautiful" and people kept saying the phrase "I am America" on tape. Karina picked this up, and keeps saying it. She is fully adrenalized now and getting her energy out in the park, swinging in the hot sunshine in a padded winter vest (go figure - it is hot pink and shiny and says Hannah Montana on it, so that explains it - thanks to Goodwill for a fabulous purchase on this item!) with Papa sitting on the bench outside, while Mama waves from the 3rd story apt. window to them. We have 210 grivnas left. This should get us dinner and maybe some tic-tacs (or a little candy of some sort) for the long trip tomorrow. Fortunately, she loves airplanes and is looking very much forward to the trip. I hope she can fall asleep tonight for a few hours at least, as "Dr. Shoulder" poked her upper arm good and told us not to bathe Karina for 2 days, don't let her scratch her arm, and watch out for fever and a loss of appetite. Just what we want - a cranky achy kid - but hey, there are no complaints because we are coming home! Yippie!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Dream Town
Yuk! No dream for us.
We slept in, primarily because we know Karina has had a lot of new things to deal with and sleeping helps to process them. Also, she likes to read, and did not go to bed until 10pm, even though she settled in at 9. That is OK - she started a detective/love book, which is a step up from the Winx Club. We ate our French toast and scrambled eggs, which she liked, and walked 20 minutes to "Dream Town" - a 3 story, monster mall where commercialism prevails and kids can ice skate, roller blade, bowl, do arcades, bungee jump, play bumper cars, etc. She bungee jumped and tried to do bumper cars with Papa, but she had no clue how to make her car work, so that was not much fun. We walked around the huge mall for about 3 hours and even took her into a toy store and she did not ask for a thing. She knew this was not our bag. She and Papa ate pizza for lunch, and Mama had a baked potato. She and Mama then scheduled nail appointments in the mall because Mama needed it by now, and although she had hers done 4 days ago, her hands were still pretty awful. (The lady at the nail place gave Ann the what-for because her daughter's nails were in such bad shape.) It will take a while to get those hands in decent shape. The nail-lady was caring and diligent and worked for an hour on Karina's hands. She discussed the use of hand lotion with Karina, and we will add that into our nightly routine. Karina chose hot pink for polish. Oh well! she is quite proud of the color: her favorite!
Anyway, this dream town is no dream for us. The materialism wore us out. Fur coats (something we don't agree with at all), ocean creatures killed and stuffed and used as displays (no way to treat creatures), and enough jewelry, clothes and shoes for the entire city all packed into the gimongus mall. We have not been to Mall of America, but think this may be something similar. We offered Karina a choice of bumper cars (sharing a car with Papa this time) or a candy heart filled with about 10 jelly beans. She had asked for both. She chose the heart because it had her Winx idol, Bloom, on the front of it. Other than this, dream town made us miss nature, flora and fauna alike, and helped us realize that people who live in the city and do not experience the natural environment don't really get how over-consumption is destroying our earth's precious natural resources.
We had some quiet time after the walk back to the apartment. We had to work on some admin stuff, and she needed to process without us. After about an hour, she and Mama made dinner together (which for all 3 of us included an orange-pepper, a cucumber, 2 tomatoes, a pear which she loved!, some summer sausage, bread, butter, an eclair, cheese for Papa and juice for all - oh, and the remaining crab potato chips!) It was delicious! She thought it was the best supper!
After dinner, she and Mama went to the park and she swang. She swang for an hour, this time without Mama pushing her as much. We saw a man who was there yesterday and Ann spoke to him in Russian and he spoke to her in English! They had a very nice conversation. He was very nice. Another Dad was swinging his little daughter and picking up trash from the park. He was also very nice. Then, when we were unlocking the door to enter the apartment after swinging, the couple in the next door apartment gave us best wishes and 4 decorated hard boiled eggs - in Ukrainian decorations! How sweet! What nice people live around us!
Stuart has some observations from today. He saw a Ukrainian driver back up a car at 20 mph with pinpoint accuracy in a parking lot. Every age group was engaged in the park tonight - the toddlers and their parents on the play equipment, the young boys running and chasing each other, the teenagers hanging out and/or playing soccer, the middle-aged guys on their porches smoking a cigarette and having a vodka, and the grandparents pushing their grandkids in strollers. People care about this place. One man picked up trash, one man carried water from his house in 5 gal. buckets to the little sapling trees, and one person planted a flower bed.
Another nice thing about today was Karina's visit to the little store in the parking lot. We give her our coins every time we get some from a transaction. She collects them. She wanted sok (juice) at the little parking lot store, so Mama had her count her coins. She had 2.40 grivna (about 15 coins that equaled about 30 cents). The apple juicepack was 2.60, but the lady let her have it for 2.40. That was really sweet of her.
We settled on airplane tickets to be issued for Wednesday. Please send your best that tomorrow's embassy work in the afternoon and medical exam go well. If all goes well, we will fly out early, early Wed. AM and arrive in SC around midnight. Speechless. Absolutely, speechless if we can pull that off. Tomorrow is day 40 in Ukraine.
We slept in, primarily because we know Karina has had a lot of new things to deal with and sleeping helps to process them. Also, she likes to read, and did not go to bed until 10pm, even though she settled in at 9. That is OK - she started a detective/love book, which is a step up from the Winx Club. We ate our French toast and scrambled eggs, which she liked, and walked 20 minutes to "Dream Town" - a 3 story, monster mall where commercialism prevails and kids can ice skate, roller blade, bowl, do arcades, bungee jump, play bumper cars, etc. She bungee jumped and tried to do bumper cars with Papa, but she had no clue how to make her car work, so that was not much fun. We walked around the huge mall for about 3 hours and even took her into a toy store and she did not ask for a thing. She knew this was not our bag. She and Papa ate pizza for lunch, and Mama had a baked potato. She and Mama then scheduled nail appointments in the mall because Mama needed it by now, and although she had hers done 4 days ago, her hands were still pretty awful. (The lady at the nail place gave Ann the what-for because her daughter's nails were in such bad shape.) It will take a while to get those hands in decent shape. The nail-lady was caring and diligent and worked for an hour on Karina's hands. She discussed the use of hand lotion with Karina, and we will add that into our nightly routine. Karina chose hot pink for polish. Oh well! she is quite proud of the color: her favorite!
Anyway, this dream town is no dream for us. The materialism wore us out. Fur coats (something we don't agree with at all), ocean creatures killed and stuffed and used as displays (no way to treat creatures), and enough jewelry, clothes and shoes for the entire city all packed into the gimongus mall. We have not been to Mall of America, but think this may be something similar. We offered Karina a choice of bumper cars (sharing a car with Papa this time) or a candy heart filled with about 10 jelly beans. She had asked for both. She chose the heart because it had her Winx idol, Bloom, on the front of it. Other than this, dream town made us miss nature, flora and fauna alike, and helped us realize that people who live in the city and do not experience the natural environment don't really get how over-consumption is destroying our earth's precious natural resources.
We had some quiet time after the walk back to the apartment. We had to work on some admin stuff, and she needed to process without us. After about an hour, she and Mama made dinner together (which for all 3 of us included an orange-pepper, a cucumber, 2 tomatoes, a pear which she loved!, some summer sausage, bread, butter, an eclair, cheese for Papa and juice for all - oh, and the remaining crab potato chips!) It was delicious! She thought it was the best supper!
After dinner, she and Mama went to the park and she swang. She swang for an hour, this time without Mama pushing her as much. We saw a man who was there yesterday and Ann spoke to him in Russian and he spoke to her in English! They had a very nice conversation. He was very nice. Another Dad was swinging his little daughter and picking up trash from the park. He was also very nice. Then, when we were unlocking the door to enter the apartment after swinging, the couple in the next door apartment gave us best wishes and 4 decorated hard boiled eggs - in Ukrainian decorations! How sweet! What nice people live around us!
Stuart has some observations from today. He saw a Ukrainian driver back up a car at 20 mph with pinpoint accuracy in a parking lot. Every age group was engaged in the park tonight - the toddlers and their parents on the play equipment, the young boys running and chasing each other, the teenagers hanging out and/or playing soccer, the middle-aged guys on their porches smoking a cigarette and having a vodka, and the grandparents pushing their grandkids in strollers. People care about this place. One man picked up trash, one man carried water from his house in 5 gal. buckets to the little sapling trees, and one person planted a flower bed.
Another nice thing about today was Karina's visit to the little store in the parking lot. We give her our coins every time we get some from a transaction. She collects them. She wanted sok (juice) at the little parking lot store, so Mama had her count her coins. She had 2.40 grivna (about 15 coins that equaled about 30 cents). The apple juicepack was 2.60, but the lady let her have it for 2.40. That was really sweet of her.
We settled on airplane tickets to be issued for Wednesday. Please send your best that tomorrow's embassy work in the afternoon and medical exam go well. If all goes well, we will fly out early, early Wed. AM and arrive in SC around midnight. Speechless. Absolutely, speechless if we can pull that off. Tomorrow is day 40 in Ukraine.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Princess
p.s., The Little Princess (inside story based on a singing Valentine card we sent her that told her she was a princess and played Beauty and the Beast, which is why she sees herself as the Beauty as well) loves bubble baths! As a bonding experience, Mama decided that since we had a tub in our last apt., she would play "spa night" and do girls tub-time. For bubbles, she used the dishwashing liquid (our best option). It was Karina's first bubble bath. We pretended like we had glasses of champagne and chocolate (even though we didn't have either and glass is not allowed in the bathroom by Mama's standards). Pretending was fun. Well, tonight, Mama asked if she wanted a bubble bath on her own, and she got so excited, it was more fun for us than her, I think! Papa told her she was a princess and Mama let her use her lotion. She is having a blast. We did go to swing in the little park outside of our new apt. and the kids there were curious because we spoke English. She told them she lived in America. We know enough Russian to talk to 5 year olds, and they kept asking, are your parents Ukrainian and English? It was funny. She can't wait for Anastasia to be adopted, and for Ivanna to be adopted, and for Nikita to be adopted so she can see them again (this came out at the park today; surprise!) We think she has a little crush on Ivanna, and agree, he is awfully cute! (This blog has to disappear before she is able to read it! She is very shy about him.)
On beauty lotion and transliterating Russian: if you know the Russian alphabet and how the letters sound, you can play "code-decipher" games and figure out how many words, once you sound them out, sound the same or very similar to their English counterparts. Here is an example: стоп = stop. Pretty straightforward. Well, we kept seeing a nondescript building with a big sign outfront that read Oriflame. Ann, being from Texas where natural gas was the way people cooked, and knowing that Ukrainian neighborhoods are laced with yellow pipelines above ground where natural gas is piped from home to home, she assumed that Oriflame was like Lone Star Gas - a place where people got gas service, bought gas appliances, and learned how to cook with gas. Surprise! Oriflame is a beauty company selling lotions and cosmetics! How funny!
On beauty lotion and transliterating Russian: if you know the Russian alphabet and how the letters sound, you can play "code-decipher" games and figure out how many words, once you sound them out, sound the same or very similar to their English counterparts. Here is an example: стоп = stop. Pretty straightforward. Well, we kept seeing a nondescript building with a big sign outfront that read Oriflame. Ann, being from Texas where natural gas was the way people cooked, and knowing that Ukrainian neighborhoods are laced with yellow pipelines above ground where natural gas is piped from home to home, she assumed that Oriflame was like Lone Star Gas - a place where people got gas service, bought gas appliances, and learned how to cook with gas. Surprise! Oriflame is a beauty company selling lotions and cosmetics! How funny!
Hoppy Easter
Happy Hoppy Easter to everyone, and to our bunnies at home - Cuddles and Patches. We hope to fly home on Wednesday! It will be 6 weeks here and we are more than ready to be home. We can't wait! We hope with all our hearts that this schedule will work.
Yesterday, we took it pretty easy. We went to swing in the park, ate dinner at a Subway-type of place, spent the afternoon on English lessons and Karina (who doesn't like the nickname Little Chix we learned, afterall) worked on about 10 pages of her Russian "How to Learn English" workbook. Papa returned to Read City while Karina and Mama had an English lesson with Lilya and came home with 9 workbooks in Russian to help Karina learn English! He discovered that the third floor of Read City is loaded with textbooks, and he purchased 9 workbooks of various levels written in Russian to help kids learn English. Karina loved them, and was self-motivated to do the exercises while Mama cheered her on. She found success in accomplishing them, and that gave her confidence. Liliya's weblinks also were fun for her, and she had a blast playing with them last night. We all laughed, because she was having a good time. It is amazing that we can carry 6 weeks worth of clothes, all bathroom supplies, 2 days worth of food, 39 books, CDs and games, coats, computers and paperwork and be so transportable as today at noon, we moved to a different apartment in the suburbs, which is very French-souvenirish and very interesting for Karina. She is taking it easy today because she has a cold and is watching Nichelodean and MTV. Kids do not use kleenex, because paper is a luxury for them, so we are teaching her how to blow her nose. They are also used to not flushing toilet paper (it goes in the trash can), but we have that under control. There is a park outside of the kitchen window and we will go there and swing later tonight. Mama cooked chicken breasts in butter and garlic and salt for lunch with sliced carrots. Papa liked it a lot and Karina didn't, but she ate two servings of salad (red pepper, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes). We stopped by the supermarket on the way to the new apt., and Mama tried to sneak a chocolate "Hello Kitty" Easter eggs into the purchase, but Ms.Cat-Eyes (Karina) saw it and so it was no surprise, but she jumped up and down and was excited about the chocolate egg, and Mama got a big hug in return! There was a little-bitty Hello Kitty toy inside the little chocolate egg, and she kissed Mama for that. The simple things are so rich for the children! She likes potato chips (and we tease her about chips versus Chip, the little cracked cup on Beauty and the Beast - she gets it!). Here, they have interesting flavors of chips, like crab, bacon, squid and of course, the traditional sour cream. She chose a bag of crab (краб) chips.
We did go to a short service on Good Friday at St. Andrews cathedral. The priests were chanting and swinging incense and she recognized the seriousness of the occasion. Today, we were going to do an Easter-egg hunt with the Ukrainian eggs that we bought, but honestly, there are so many souvenir eggs already here in our apt. that look like ours, we decided against it, because ours may get blended in to the mix and lost for good, and so we'll wait till next year to talk about Easter.
Tomorrow morning, Mama plans to cook French toast (as we are feeling French in this new French-style apt!), including juice and scrambled eggs. Then we will venture to the "dream" place where kids can go ice skating, bowling, eat pizza, etc. We have heard from other families that it is a fun place and only a 20 minute walk. That will be our day tomorrow. On Tuesday, we are banking on a successful day at the embassy and a good medical exam. We're keeping our hopes up for Tuesday, so that we can fly out on Wed.
A note to families traveling after us: when you make flight arrangements, please check on your airline's policy for rescheduling. We were told it would be one price, and agreed to that, but just found out that our airline (United Air/Lufthansa) is not in compliance with a certain policy, so we are having to pay a mountain-load to fly home unless we stay 7 more days after today. Honestly, if we had known, we could have managed the situation. We are not given the opportunity to manage much, and as such must trust a lot, so in offering advice for being pro-active: know the airline policies, dates and timing of when you can do what so it can be put on someone's radar. Hoping for a good week ahead - more as we know more. Happy Hoppy Easter to all!
Yesterday, we took it pretty easy. We went to swing in the park, ate dinner at a Subway-type of place, spent the afternoon on English lessons and Karina (who doesn't like the nickname Little Chix we learned, afterall) worked on about 10 pages of her Russian "How to Learn English" workbook. Papa returned to Read City while Karina and Mama had an English lesson with Lilya and came home with 9 workbooks in Russian to help Karina learn English! He discovered that the third floor of Read City is loaded with textbooks, and he purchased 9 workbooks of various levels written in Russian to help kids learn English. Karina loved them, and was self-motivated to do the exercises while Mama cheered her on. She found success in accomplishing them, and that gave her confidence. Liliya's weblinks also were fun for her, and she had a blast playing with them last night. We all laughed, because she was having a good time. It is amazing that we can carry 6 weeks worth of clothes, all bathroom supplies, 2 days worth of food, 39 books, CDs and games, coats, computers and paperwork and be so transportable as today at noon, we moved to a different apartment in the suburbs, which is very French-souvenirish and very interesting for Karina. She is taking it easy today because she has a cold and is watching Nichelodean and MTV. Kids do not use kleenex, because paper is a luxury for them, so we are teaching her how to blow her nose. They are also used to not flushing toilet paper (it goes in the trash can), but we have that under control. There is a park outside of the kitchen window and we will go there and swing later tonight. Mama cooked chicken breasts in butter and garlic and salt for lunch with sliced carrots. Papa liked it a lot and Karina didn't, but she ate two servings of salad (red pepper, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes). We stopped by the supermarket on the way to the new apt., and Mama tried to sneak a chocolate "Hello Kitty" Easter eggs into the purchase, but Ms.Cat-Eyes (Karina) saw it and so it was no surprise, but she jumped up and down and was excited about the chocolate egg, and Mama got a big hug in return! There was a little-bitty Hello Kitty toy inside the little chocolate egg, and she kissed Mama for that. The simple things are so rich for the children! She likes potato chips (and we tease her about chips versus Chip, the little cracked cup on Beauty and the Beast - she gets it!). Here, they have interesting flavors of chips, like crab, bacon, squid and of course, the traditional sour cream. She chose a bag of crab (краб) chips.
We did go to a short service on Good Friday at St. Andrews cathedral. The priests were chanting and swinging incense and she recognized the seriousness of the occasion. Today, we were going to do an Easter-egg hunt with the Ukrainian eggs that we bought, but honestly, there are so many souvenir eggs already here in our apt. that look like ours, we decided against it, because ours may get blended in to the mix and lost for good, and so we'll wait till next year to talk about Easter.
Tomorrow morning, Mama plans to cook French toast (as we are feeling French in this new French-style apt!), including juice and scrambled eggs. Then we will venture to the "dream" place where kids can go ice skating, bowling, eat pizza, etc. We have heard from other families that it is a fun place and only a 20 minute walk. That will be our day tomorrow. On Tuesday, we are banking on a successful day at the embassy and a good medical exam. We're keeping our hopes up for Tuesday, so that we can fly out on Wed.
A note to families traveling after us: when you make flight arrangements, please check on your airline's policy for rescheduling. We were told it would be one price, and agreed to that, but just found out that our airline (United Air/Lufthansa) is not in compliance with a certain policy, so we are having to pay a mountain-load to fly home unless we stay 7 more days after today. Honestly, if we had known, we could have managed the situation. We are not given the opportunity to manage much, and as such must trust a lot, so in offering advice for being pro-active: know the airline policies, dates and timing of when you can do what so it can be put on someone's radar. Hoping for a good week ahead - more as we know more. Happy Hoppy Easter to all!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fairy Tales
We ate at McDonalds for lunch, because Karina wanted to go there. She had a Big Mac and fries and Coke and fortunately, didn't like it except for the fries. That is good for us! We were hoping this would be the case as we highly discourage Coka Cola. She does like sour cream and chives chips, though - in a big way.
We then walked to a bigger bookstore called Read City. For families coming to Ukraine after us, you may really like this bookstore because books are in Russian, and it takes Mastercard. And, the selection is the biggest we have seen yet. (Typically, bookstore are little boutiques. This one is like half the size of a Barnes & Nobles Store! Wow! And has a whole floor of kids books.) To find it, here is a map: http://www.localyte.com/attraction/38111--Book-Store-Read-City--Ukraine--Kiev--Kiev The only Russian bookstore we have found in America, is in Brooklyn. And, books here average about $8 each USD, so as long as we can get them back, we're good for her summer reading. Karina migrates to books for 7-8 year olds. Her favorite is a book of fairy tales from the Winx fairies. Here is the wonderworld she has created from the characters now:
стелла анна мария
муза рада
блум карина
лейла анастасия
флора мама
текна инесса
...это клуб винк
Stella is Anna Maria (her good friend)
Musa is Rada (her good friend)
Bloom is Karina
Leila is Anastasia (her good friend)
Flora is Mama (Wow, I made the list!)
Techna is Inessa (her good friend)
...this is club Vink (Winx)
At Read City, we got the first Harry Potter book in the series, the first Chronicles of Narnia book in the series, she selected Winnie the Pooh, some more fairy tale books, and then one of us selected some books about loving animals and caring for people (who selected that? [wink!]). Our morning was spent watching Beauty and the Beast on Russian TV (which she also watched last night on TV with Papa, but thankfully she had to show it to Mama, so it gave us something to do for the morning which was good). She is the "Beauty," she said. A fairy tale life is her dream. The weather is sunny, so we will venture to St. Andrews church in a minute. It is pretty inside. Hopefully, she will like it. Like a fairy tale.
We then walked to a bigger bookstore called Read City. For families coming to Ukraine after us, you may really like this bookstore because books are in Russian, and it takes Mastercard. And, the selection is the biggest we have seen yet. (Typically, bookstore are little boutiques. This one is like half the size of a Barnes & Nobles Store! Wow! And has a whole floor of kids books.) To find it, here is a map: http://www.localyte.com/attraction/38111--Book-Store-Read-City--Ukraine--Kiev--Kiev The only Russian bookstore we have found in America, is in Brooklyn. And, books here average about $8 each USD, so as long as we can get them back, we're good for her summer reading. Karina migrates to books for 7-8 year olds. Her favorite is a book of fairy tales from the Winx fairies. Here is the wonderworld she has created from the characters now:
стелла анна мария
муза рада
блум карина
лейла анастасия
флора мама
текна инесса
...это клуб винк
Stella is Anna Maria (her good friend)
Musa is Rada (her good friend)
Bloom is Karina
Leila is Anastasia (her good friend)
Flora is Mama (Wow, I made the list!)
Techna is Inessa (her good friend)
...this is club Vink (Winx)
At Read City, we got the first Harry Potter book in the series, the first Chronicles of Narnia book in the series, she selected Winnie the Pooh, some more fairy tale books, and then one of us selected some books about loving animals and caring for people (who selected that? [wink!]). Our morning was spent watching Beauty and the Beast on Russian TV (which she also watched last night on TV with Papa, but thankfully she had to show it to Mama, so it gave us something to do for the morning which was good). She is the "Beauty," she said. A fairy tale life is her dream. The weather is sunny, so we will venture to St. Andrews church in a minute. It is pretty inside. Hopefully, she will like it. Like a fairy tale.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Didn't Make It
Well, we just got the news. The passport did not arrive, so at this point, we are here till sometime next week, probably Thursday, but not sure yet. The government is closed on Monday for the Easter holiday, so the earliest we can go to the embassy is Wed., if the passport arrives Tuesday. We will wait and see. Maybe if it comes tomorrow, we can travel on Wednesday and have the medical and second interview on Tuesday. Changing plane tickets and staying longer is a big expense. Oh well - one thing we have learned is that being flexible, always ready just in case, and understanding that few things can ever be planned in advance here is the way it works. Go with the flow is the motto. Also, keep your eye on the prize. It is a mindset that we may never have again in America, because we can control our lives and plan and get what we want done there. Here, we are dependent. So, may as well just enjoy the feeling. It is the best one can do. And, it is important for Karina to not see us bummed out about it. We told her, and she is like "Oh well - stuff happens." We are just running out of things to do in Kiev. We may have the opportunity on Sunday to move to an apt. in the suburbs where they may have things for kids to do, we hope. Will wait and see what transpires. Mama doesn't want to miss watching the Royal Wedding on Friday, so we need to be home by then. Did you see this on CNN? - Looks fun!
"CNN Presents: The Women Who Would Be Queen," a special documentary on Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife-to-be and his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales airs at the following times: Saturday 23 April: 1100, 1900, 1200, Saturday 30 April: 1300, 2000, Sunday 1 May: 0900 (all times GMT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/20/uk.william.kate.university/index.html?hpt=C2
"CNN Presents: The Women Who Would Be Queen," a special documentary on Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife-to-be and his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales airs at the following times: Saturday 23 April: 1100, 1900, 1200, Saturday 30 April: 1300, 2000, Sunday 1 May: 0900 (all times GMT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/04/20/uk.william.kate.university/index.html?hpt=C2
First Embassy Visit
Church in Karina's birth town.
April 18th - our first day as a family - waiting for paperwork in the car.
Today, Mama found a wine glass in the apt. that she uses for her water. She and Karina were playing "fancy dinner party" together with the water/wine!
Papa is sick in bed, and Karina brings him water and hugs (in the wine glass, of course!)
Papa and Karina watching Hannah this afternoon in the apt.
Mama! Are you taking our picture?
We very much hope that tomorrow we can have the passport in time to get her medical exam and second embassy interview. We'd really love to fly home Sunday!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
More Adventures!
Yesterday afternoon, after bathing and eating a nice meal and buying a few snacks and water for the train (Americans drink way more water and use the toilet way more often than Ukrainians), we boarded the train.
Second class is good in terms of being neat and accessible. It was half the price of first class. However, there are 2x more people in a car, so the bathrooms are harder to use (lines are longer because they are used more), and the beds are not as soft as first class. The beds also smell worse than first class, as do the pillows. The feather pillows and wool blankets are the same for everyone, just add the sheets and a pillow case to cover them. So, perhaps we saved money but was it worth it? Having 4 in our car was nice, really nice, given we all knew each other and got along well. So, it was well worth being together and that is really what was most valuable. Karina was sad as went said goodbye to Mariupol. We tucked into our bunks at different times, and Karina and Mama stayed up the latest, sitting in the same top bunk replaying dancing videos on the iphone and remembering her friends till 10:30PM, when finally Mama went to bed. Karina turned her lights out soon after and she slept like a log. None of the adults slept. The train was too cold, because they turn the heat off in April. So, although second class has its cost-saving advantages, all in all, it was an adventure that we paid for in non-monetary ways (like loss of sleep). Adventures are good, though. They give us perspective.
We arrived in Kiev around 9AM today, and drove downtown. We had about 90 minutes of free time before going to our apt. We walked around and held hands. We learned how to communicate the need to go the the toilet and the need for a hat. Got both accomplished! Our new apt. here is nice. We are directly across the street from the big Gate built around the year 1000 (rebuilt since, but a national icon, to say the least). We took naps, ate dinner mid-afternoon, bought books in Russian (a REAL hit! Tough to carry, but wonderful activity!) - Karina picked them out. Papa was worn out from hauling them all. Then, went looking for groceries with no avail. We discussed shoes which are too big and give her blisters (the down side of having a Trooper is that you have to assume things based on observation and ask about what you think is going on, because she can endure what most can't), we discussed her books, and our thoughts and feelings (thank goodness for Google translate!). We had some deep conversations (more than pointing and naming things, but describing feelings and reasons, which opened a new relationship for us all). We gave her our coins (lose change) and she counted them. There must be 40 coins of 5 different denominations that together equal about 50 cents in US terms. But that is enough for Orbit gum, and she wants some Orbit gum, so tomorrow she can use her coins if she wants. She is thrilled! We let her explain her books to us and she loved doing that! It is a glimpse of her world. She took a rather cold shower (heat is off), is using a hair dryer and enjoying the hair dryer a lot (what a treat!), and is allowed to watch a couple of Hannah Montana episodes on the computer before bed. It is good to let her know what to expect each day, and we try our best to keep her in the loop and explain what is going on. She is laughing as she dries her hair right now - it is really fun for her.
What a good adventure today! And, we may get to come home as planned on Sunday! Everyone is working very hard for this to happen, so we hope the Embassy is on our side tomorrow when we find out more.
Papa is sick tonight, so please think about him and we hope he feels better soon - was a rough last 48 hours for him, especially. Will keep him in our thoughts for good health tomorrow.
p.s., and tweens like a book series called the Winx Club. Karina explained the characters to us in detail. It seems like a combo of Anime and Pokemon for young girls with a little bit of Harry Potter themes (good and evil merlin-types) thrown in. Here's how Karina explains the 6 characters:
блум магия драконый огонь
стелла магия солнца
флора магия природы
муза магия музыки
текна магия техналогии
лейла магия пузыря
Bloom - magic dragon fire
Stella - magic of the sun
Flora - magic of nature
Muse - magic music
Techno - magic tehnalogii
Leila - magic bubble
Second class is good in terms of being neat and accessible. It was half the price of first class. However, there are 2x more people in a car, so the bathrooms are harder to use (lines are longer because they are used more), and the beds are not as soft as first class. The beds also smell worse than first class, as do the pillows. The feather pillows and wool blankets are the same for everyone, just add the sheets and a pillow case to cover them. So, perhaps we saved money but was it worth it? Having 4 in our car was nice, really nice, given we all knew each other and got along well. So, it was well worth being together and that is really what was most valuable. Karina was sad as went said goodbye to Mariupol. We tucked into our bunks at different times, and Karina and Mama stayed up the latest, sitting in the same top bunk replaying dancing videos on the iphone and remembering her friends till 10:30PM, when finally Mama went to bed. Karina turned her lights out soon after and she slept like a log. None of the adults slept. The train was too cold, because they turn the heat off in April. So, although second class has its cost-saving advantages, all in all, it was an adventure that we paid for in non-monetary ways (like loss of sleep). Adventures are good, though. They give us perspective.
We arrived in Kiev around 9AM today, and drove downtown. We had about 90 minutes of free time before going to our apt. We walked around and held hands. We learned how to communicate the need to go the the toilet and the need for a hat. Got both accomplished! Our new apt. here is nice. We are directly across the street from the big Gate built around the year 1000 (rebuilt since, but a national icon, to say the least). We took naps, ate dinner mid-afternoon, bought books in Russian (a REAL hit! Tough to carry, but wonderful activity!) - Karina picked them out. Papa was worn out from hauling them all. Then, went looking for groceries with no avail. We discussed shoes which are too big and give her blisters (the down side of having a Trooper is that you have to assume things based on observation and ask about what you think is going on, because she can endure what most can't), we discussed her books, and our thoughts and feelings (thank goodness for Google translate!). We had some deep conversations (more than pointing and naming things, but describing feelings and reasons, which opened a new relationship for us all). We gave her our coins (lose change) and she counted them. There must be 40 coins of 5 different denominations that together equal about 50 cents in US terms. But that is enough for Orbit gum, and she wants some Orbit gum, so tomorrow she can use her coins if she wants. She is thrilled! We let her explain her books to us and she loved doing that! It is a glimpse of her world. She took a rather cold shower (heat is off), is using a hair dryer and enjoying the hair dryer a lot (what a treat!), and is allowed to watch a couple of Hannah Montana episodes on the computer before bed. It is good to let her know what to expect each day, and we try our best to keep her in the loop and explain what is going on. She is laughing as she dries her hair right now - it is really fun for her.
What a good adventure today! And, we may get to come home as planned on Sunday! Everyone is working very hard for this to happen, so we hope the Embassy is on our side tomorrow when we find out more.
Papa is sick tonight, so please think about him and we hope he feels better soon - was a rough last 48 hours for him, especially. Will keep him in our thoughts for good health tomorrow.
p.s., and tweens like a book series called the Winx Club. Karina explained the characters to us in detail. It seems like a combo of Anime and Pokemon for young girls with a little bit of Harry Potter themes (good and evil merlin-types) thrown in. Here's how Karina explains the 6 characters:
блум магия драконый огонь
стелла магия солнца
флора магия природы
муза магия музыки
текна магия техналогии
лейла магия пузыря
Bloom - magic dragon fire
Stella - magic of the sun
Flora - magic of nature
Muse - magic music
Techno - magic tehnalogii
Leila - magic bubble
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
What a Trooper!
Since last posting, we arrived at the Children's Home, and signed some forms, then Little Chix changed into her clothes that we brought for her, said goodbye, and grabbed her belongings (which consisted of a plastic bag containing a little cloth bag as a gift from Olena, a little toy from Anna Maria, a photo album and a few pieces of paper - this was all she had of her own). We hopped into the car and ended up driving to Donesk as well as the town where she was born to get her birth certificate, then back to Donesk, for a 6+ hour car adventure. We arrived in Mariupol at 5 till 7 for the ballet (Swan Lake), purchased a candy bar, pineapple juice and water (her only meal since breakfast at 7AM) and watched the ballet till 9:30. What a trooper! She smiled all day and went without food and drink (in Ukraine, toilets and food are not assumed). Then, we ate pizza after the ballet and had a time getting a taxi back to the apartment which is in the suburbs now. We got to bed close to midnight. She was all smiles. Apparently, she didn't believe we would actually come back and get her (long story, not here though).
This morning, we awoke around 6ish, ate breakfast in the apt. (chai, kashi, dried apricots, moloko - milk) and drove to the Children's Home around 8 to sign more papers. We took a few clothes that didn't fit and some games to the home for the other children (also to lighten our load). We then bought train tickets for the overnight train to Kiev tonight and saw some of the kids from the Children's Home boarding the train for a dance competition in Kiev! It was cool for Little Chix to see her friends and say paka once more (and, our agency is wonderful, by the way - very professional, and able to get things done here that are not easily accomplished - transactions in Ukraine are not as easy as they are in America - the busy train for example, with high demand because of Easter holidays - they can do it whereas others may not be able to. They know the ropes for sure and we are quite grateful for that.) We stopped at McDonalds (Little Chix wanted to!) and had 11sies (AKA "Lord of the Rings" - that would be a second breakfast). We walked next door and bought a new belt for Little Chix, because the one we bought a couple of weeks ago was too small, and a shirt/dress since one of her shirts was also too small that we brought with us, and then had lattes and chai. We are now back at the apartment to take showers, pack, and rest. Mid-afternoon today, we will go back into town and get dinner (no supper tonight as the train leaves at 5), and we are being adventurous - we are all traveling (4 of us) second class, so it will be fun to compare that to our first class experience.) We are very well taken care of and can't say enough about how good our agency has been to us. They are awesome! More when we arrive in Kiev tomorrow! Little Chix is such a trooper - honestly! She is positive, helpful, and has high stamina. What an awesome daughter!
This morning, we awoke around 6ish, ate breakfast in the apt. (chai, kashi, dried apricots, moloko - milk) and drove to the Children's Home around 8 to sign more papers. We took a few clothes that didn't fit and some games to the home for the other children (also to lighten our load). We then bought train tickets for the overnight train to Kiev tonight and saw some of the kids from the Children's Home boarding the train for a dance competition in Kiev! It was cool for Little Chix to see her friends and say paka once more (and, our agency is wonderful, by the way - very professional, and able to get things done here that are not easily accomplished - transactions in Ukraine are not as easy as they are in America - the busy train for example, with high demand because of Easter holidays - they can do it whereas others may not be able to. They know the ropes for sure and we are quite grateful for that.) We stopped at McDonalds (Little Chix wanted to!) and had 11sies (AKA "Lord of the Rings" - that would be a second breakfast). We walked next door and bought a new belt for Little Chix, because the one we bought a couple of weeks ago was too small, and a shirt/dress since one of her shirts was also too small that we brought with us, and then had lattes and chai. We are now back at the apartment to take showers, pack, and rest. Mid-afternoon today, we will go back into town and get dinner (no supper tonight as the train leaves at 5), and we are being adventurous - we are all traveling (4 of us) second class, so it will be fun to compare that to our first class experience.) We are very well taken care of and can't say enough about how good our agency has been to us. They are awesome! More when we arrive in Kiev tomorrow! Little Chix is such a trooper - honestly! She is positive, helpful, and has high stamina. What an awesome daughter!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Remember/Reflect
There are many things that we like about Ukraine. As we start our next chapter in our journey today, we reflect and document to remember some of the things we think are cool. Here are some of those thoughts, gathered randomly while we listen to Атмaсфера on CD - fun music.
1. Passion and love of life are important here - being honest with oneself and others is also very important.
2. Family is important as is church.
3. Ukraine is somewhat divided still in terms of the west (Pro-Ukraine and many followers of Стефана Бандеры (Stefan Bandera)) and east (still pro-Russia), so mentalities and expectations of how the economy should operate and what the role of government is differs across the nation.
10. Food is typically organically (no chemicals) grown by independent farmers.
11. Insides matter more than outsides many times. Do not judge by the exterior. For example, our apt. that we are not in doesn't look so impressive based on US standards from the outside, but the insides of where we are is quite impressive.
12. Philosophy and literature are important. Many faces printed on the currency (The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna; sign: ₴, code: (UAH), has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996) are not just national leaders (like the US Presidents on our bills) but people of great literary contributions. UAH even has a women on a bill. Most countries do, except the US (sad).
13. Roads are not like "glass" as they are in the US (so smooth). Thus, driving is much different here. Driving is similar to the way it is in China and Mexico. Actually, it is much calmer than it is in China because one does not dodge pigs and bicycles, etc. while driving here.
14. Pack a swiss army knife in your suitcase (for the knife and scissors).
15. Pack less, and stuff that dries quickly.
16. Pack like 6 small "hotel" bars of soap.
17. Dark clothing not jeans that can handle dirt. Wool is preferable to cotton. Hat and scarf have been very valuable. Also, bring slippers - people take their shoes off at the door of the apts.
18. Pack layers that you can wear again and again without concern.
19. Don't forget the power adaptor (shown in previous blog).
20. Baby wipes or hand sanitizer for train trips.
21. Sweetner for coffee, little camping salt and pepper shakers, plastic coffee press/tea bags, empty ziploc bags for just-in-case stuff.
23. 2 identical pairs of slacks can get you through the whole trip. Plus, one dress shirt, one sport coat, and casual shirts.
24. Mini umbrella and fold up rain poncho.
25. If you are allergic to feathers and/or wool, bring your own pillow and blanket or a work-around.
26. baskets in the sink are god for drying dishes. Nice use of space!
And, last but not least by far - patience and tolerance for your spouse! A curiosity to learn about others and a respect for various ways of life. A desire to learn to read Russian, if even rudimentary (like just learning the alphabet so you can sound out words), and a desire not to be in control. We try to leave places better than they were when we came (Girl Scout rule) or at least not worse off.
OK - on to our final leg of the trip! Time to gather the day's items together and smile big for our first family reunion! Yippie! We just got our call - it is 11:30AM here - time to go! Horray!
1. Passion and love of life are important here - being honest with oneself and others is also very important.
2. Family is important as is church.
3. Ukraine is somewhat divided still in terms of the west (Pro-Ukraine and many followers of Стефана Бандеры (Stefan Bandera)) and east (still pro-Russia), so mentalities and expectations of how the economy should operate and what the role of government is differs across the nation.
4. plastic protector under the dishrack is a good idea. A set of 4 dishes is a lot of dishes for the typical family here. People have maybe 5% on a good day of the amount of stuff Americans have. Being here reminds us how over stuff-i-cized we are.
5. pot that boils water instantly - nice. (Here they operate on 220, not on 110 like in the States)
6. Clothes drying rack.
7. Hot Water pipe in bathroom used as a towel rack so towels are warm when you shower (use hot water).
These are common in Germany and in other eastern European countries.
8. Washing machine with extractor. Takes up about 2 feet by 2.5 feet of space and is about 3 feet tall.
A full load fits in and it is practically dry when it comes out. Very efficient. Ask for instructions on how to use these. We looked up instructions online (http://www.indesit.co.uk/_pdf/booklets/02/40/19507883500_UK.pdf) but the issue was that the water needed to be turned on! They are not intuitive, or lets say, they do not have the same buttons and knobs as US machines.
9. Magnetic knife holder in the kitchen
11. Insides matter more than outsides many times. Do not judge by the exterior. For example, our apt. that we are not in doesn't look so impressive based on US standards from the outside, but the insides of where we are is quite impressive.
12. Philosophy and literature are important. Many faces printed on the currency (The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna; sign: ₴, code: (UAH), has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996) are not just national leaders (like the US Presidents on our bills) but people of great literary contributions. UAH even has a women on a bill. Most countries do, except the US (sad).
13. Roads are not like "glass" as they are in the US (so smooth). Thus, driving is much different here. Driving is similar to the way it is in China and Mexico. Actually, it is much calmer than it is in China because one does not dodge pigs and bicycles, etc. while driving here.
14. Pack a swiss army knife in your suitcase (for the knife and scissors).
15. Pack less, and stuff that dries quickly.
16. Pack like 6 small "hotel" bars of soap.
17. Dark clothing not jeans that can handle dirt. Wool is preferable to cotton. Hat and scarf have been very valuable. Also, bring slippers - people take their shoes off at the door of the apts.
18. Pack layers that you can wear again and again without concern.
19. Don't forget the power adaptor (shown in previous blog).
20. Baby wipes or hand sanitizer for train trips.
21. Sweetner for coffee, little camping salt and pepper shakers, plastic coffee press/tea bags, empty ziploc bags for just-in-case stuff.
23. 2 identical pairs of slacks can get you through the whole trip. Plus, one dress shirt, one sport coat, and casual shirts.
24. Mini umbrella and fold up rain poncho.
25. If you are allergic to feathers and/or wool, bring your own pillow and blanket or a work-around.
And, last but not least by far - patience and tolerance for your spouse! A curiosity to learn about others and a respect for various ways of life. A desire to learn to read Russian, if even rudimentary (like just learning the alphabet so you can sound out words), and a desire not to be in control. We try to leave places better than they were when we came (Girl Scout rule) or at least not worse off.
OK - on to our final leg of the trip! Time to gather the day's items together and smile big for our first family reunion! Yippie! We just got our call - it is 11:30AM here - time to go! Horray!
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