Memorial Day

All the kids were so excited because they didn't have school today and people were coming over to eat outside. The girls spent the morning making cards for everyone. Notice the flag. They also spent a lot of time looking out the window wondering when everyone was going to arrive.

We were having a cook out with hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken legs. We finally ate at about 3:00 and everyone was starving. Afterwards the kids and John and Brian played a kick ball game in the backyard.

Mom x3

Strawberry picking

Today I took the kids strawberry picking with Allison. John stayed home to get some yard work done. They were all excited, although they didn't really understand what they were going to be doing. At first they were just walking up and down the rows looking at the plants saying they couldn't see any berries. Once we showed them to lift up the leaves and look under the plants they were really started picking. I think for every three strawberries picked, one was eaten. Everyone was very good at picking out good berries and we ended up with over 13 pounds. I'm not really sure what we are going to do with all of them, but I couldn't make someone put theirs back. I guess we will be putting strawberries over ice cream and cereal for awhile. I will have to freeze some of them too.

Mom x3

Mother's Day weekend

My first Mother's Day, I was so excited. The kids were so excited also. Kristina and Luba had been busy making gifts in school. They would bring items home from school wrapped up, and tell me I had to wait until Sunday to open them. Kristina did bring home a pink carnation on Friday. Of course then Michael felt he had to have a gift and spent time making cards with the girls.

Saturday John took Michael out shopping for a gift while I stayed home with the girls. We got a little bit of yard work done and just relaxed in the hammock. Saturday evening we all went to Outback for dinner with my parents and Allison and Brian. Unfortunately, I had the camera with me, but never took any pictures of me with the kids.

Afterwards we went over to Allison and Brian's house for some cake. The kids enjoyed playing fuse ball.

On Sunday the girls gave me their gifts. Kristina made a flower on which the petals opened and she promised to not be really bad, listen to me every day, put the dishes away, to do everything I say, and be really good.

Luba made a picture with her footprints and a book discribing me. The book said my name is Cindy, I'm pretty, she likes my cooking, I like roses, my favorite color is purple.

Michael gave me a bouquet of daisys he had made in Sunday School. Everyone was so excited when I received the gifts. I also received a big planter from John so I can have some flowers on the patio.

Sunday after church we went to Applebee's with John's parents, Cliff, Kathy, and Kendall. Then I was able to relax around the house and sew. It was a great day.

Monday morning we had a HUGE answer to prayer. As many of you may know my brother Greg in getting married this summer in Yosemite National Park, California. We had decided, before we left for Ukraine, we wouldn't be going on any vacation for a few years until I was back working again. Well, the Lord opened up a way for us to be able to go. The kids are so excited knowing they are going on an airplane. We have told them about Disneyland, but they have no concept of what it is. We also told them we will be sleeping in the mountains, where there are bears and deer, for a few nights. They have gotten out our Yosemite book and love to look through at all the pictures. I don't think they think it is real. It is so exciting to see them all excited. Every morning they ask me how many days till they ride on an airplane. We leave June 24th so I put a star on their calender's so they can remember which day.

Mom x3

Hospital stay

Well, we had hoped we wouldn't ever have to take a child to the ER, but it happened. Last Friday, when going to bed, Kristina had shown us what appeared to be a pimple on her on her left arm right over her brachial artery area. She put some medicine on it and I didn't even think about it. Sunday late afternoon she showed me her arm and it looked like a huge pimple, bigger than a quarter, with a white head. I wanted to try to lance it with a needle but she wouldn't let me. Monday morning, the arm looked about the same and I wiped it with a Stridex pad, she said it hurt slightly. When she got off the bus she said her arm was really hurting and she couldn't even straighten it. I took her straight to the Pediatrician. Her temp was 100.3, they asked me what it had been running. I hadn't even thought to check her temp, (did they think I was a nurse)? She hadn't really complained all weekend, they are used to not complaining in the orphanage because no one will listen or pay attention to them. The doctor said if her temp had been 100.4 they would have sent her straight to CHKD. He tried to drain the area, first numbing it and cutting it open, but because of where it was he didn't want to dig too deep. He wasn't able to get anything out. He gave her an antibiotic and said if she got worse or if her temp went up to take her to the hopital. We went to Chick-fil-a for dinner and Kristina kept saying she was cold and she didn't even want to play in the play area.

When we got home all the kids took their baths and the younger two went to bed. Kristina watched a little bit of TV and said she felt ok. When she went to bed her temp was 99.6, she felt warm, we checked her temp 30 minutes later and it was 100.6. Then I had to go around as fast as I could to get together a bag to take to the hospital. Of course Kristina wasn't happy to be going since she was almost asleep. We arrived at the ER at 10:15, we were called to the back about 11:30 which wasn't bad. We never even saw a doctor until 12:45 and of course he was a resident and we had to wait for his attending. I don't know how many times I had to repeat the story, (probably ten) and how many times I was asked what her temp had been running at home. I was really surprised I was never asked to show adoption papers, we were always told we would be asked for them, so I had her birth certificate, Ukraine court decree, and certificate of US citizenship with me. Then a medical student came in and I had to repeat the whole story. She said she would have to go talk to her boss and she would be right back. We never saw her again! Kristina was wondering why everyone had to keep going to their boss. We were both so tired and we were unable to fall asleep.

We were finally taken to a room at 3:30 am. The chair in the room converted to a fairly decent bed. After the nurses took the vital signs they didn't come back until 7:00, so we were actually able to sleep for a few hours. Kristina was taken to surgery at 9:30 am, it lasted about 10 minutes. They said it was a lot of swollen tissue with no real core. They were able to get a little drainage out and they put in a drain. She would have to stay in the hospital until the drain was pulled which would be Thursday or Friday. She would also be getting IV antibiotics. There was a question of it being MRSA, but we were later told it was just staph.

I have to say the hospital wasn't bad. Kristina was able to play video games, watch DVDs, make bracelets. They also gave her a Barbie and coloring books and crayons. I had my cross-stitch, (as always) and a book to read. Kristina couldn't leave the room because she was on isolation since they didn't know what the wound was growing. The only times we saw a nurse was when she got her IV antibiotic every eight hours, or when vital signs were taken every eight hours. I was able to take a shower in the bathroom in the room. I did end up wearing the same clothes the whole time.

John had to play Mr. Mom and get Luba ready for school each morning and my parents were able to watch Michael the whole day each day. John then would bring the kids to the hospital to see us after he got off work. He said the house stayed cleaner, but no one was at home all day and when he got home with the younger two they went striaght to bed. He was very good about doing the laundry, but then he usually does it anyway.

Kristina was discharged on Thursday. So we spent three nights in the hospital. It was so good to be home. She went to school on Friday. She now only has a very small scab on her arm from where the drain was pulled. She is feeling so much better.

(I think Hazel really missed me, since John didn't give her any can food the whole time, just the dry food.)

Mom x3

Dentist visits

Monday all three kids had dentist appointments. I didn't tell them until Sunday night because I knew Luba would just sit and think about it and get very upset. My mom came with us to sit with Kristina and Michael since I had to sit with Luba the whole time because she was going to be sedated. Kristina had to have three cavities filled. She did very well. A laser was used and she didn't even have to be numbed up. Michael had to have a crown. He had a tooth which was brown and broken in half, which probably would not come out till he is ten. He is now very proud of his silver tooth. Luba was given Chloral Hydrate and Vistaril so she wouldn't fight during the procedure. I had to sit with her for an hour till the medicine took affect, during which time we watched 'Enchanted'. She started rolling all over the bed laughing and saying strange things like she was drunk. Once they started working on her she did very well. She had five cavities filled, two teeth sealed and one silver crown, like Michael. The next day at school she had to show everyone her silver tooth. We hope this will be all the dental work they will need for a long time, other than routine cleanings.

Friday, I went to the dentist for a routine checkup and Michael was very good and sat on the floor the whole time. Afterwards we went to the oceanfront since we were only a few miles away. It was very windy, but Michael enjoyed playing in the sand with a little truck he brought. We walked along the water a little bit but the water was very cold.

Today we enjoyed just sitting around the house and having a small cookout the five of us. It was so nice not to have to rush out and buy a birthday cake and prepare food for 15+ people.

Mom x3