Easter weekend

This past week John's mom was able to come home from the hosptial after 15 days. She is walking with a walker or quad cane. She is tired but feeling much better than she did a few weeks ago. Thanks for all the prayers.

Saturday we went to an Easter egg hunt. The kids loved it. They ran around as fast as they could trying to get as many plastic eggs as they could, to trade in for candy. They also enjoyed playing on the many inflatables and getting their faces painted.

When we got home we colored Easter eggs. Michael and Luba have been talking about coloring eggs since I hard boiled them yesterday. They were so excited to chose which color to make their eggs. They even got creative and drew on the eggs with crayons before coloring them.

Easter morning everyone was so excited to see their easter baskets. They are always just so excited to get anything new. We hadn't really talked much about the Easter Bunny bringing candy. We actually just mentioned it as the kids went to bed. There are just so many distractions from the real meaning of Easter. We tried to emphasize more Jesus' death and ressurection, they seem to be almost to the point where they are understanding more of the reason why we go the church.

After going to church we went over to Babushka's (mama's mama) for lunch where all the kids received another Easter basket. Later we went to see 'other one Babushka, (papa's mama), and Kathy and Kendall who were down for the weekend.

Mama x3

More of the same

This past week has been more of the same. Both of the girls had swimming lessons on Tuesday. They are really coming along. Kristina will be confident to swim without a life jacket this summer, but Luba says she still wants to wear one, but that may change.

Michael saw the Easter Bunny a few times at the mall. The Easter Bunny is not as believable at Santa Claus, but he still liked going and sitting on his lap. He just asked for candy. While walking through the mall, when he would see the Easter Bunny he would get this huge smile on his face and keep waving until he was out of site. We also made daily visits to the hospital to see Babushka, (John's mom), she is now out of the ICU, but still very weak.

Kristina had laser surgery again on Wednesday. She is getting excited because now she is noticing a difference as it becomes lighter.

This past weekend Kathy came to visit again, but not Kendall. The girls really enjoyed playing with Kendall last weekend, but will see her again next weekend. We all went out to eat on Saturday, for Allison's birthday, at Cracker Barrel. All the kids love to go out to eat. They are always asking where we are going to eat, and we only eat out about two weekends a month. All the kids, especially Michael, wanted to help her blow out the candles and they loved eating the cake.

Sunday, as we were driving to church Luba and Kristina noticed the flowers on the Dogwood trees, commenting on how beautiful they were. Luba wondered if they were popcorn flower trees. I never even thought of that, but from a distance the flowers do look like popcorn.

Mama x3

More swimming and cousins visit

Remember how the kids were all so excited to see a 'pizza car'. Well now Michael has to point out everyone he sees, every car with a sign on top is on. I never realized how many there are. I've tried to explain the difference between a taxi and a pizza car, but by looking at the car all Michael sees is a sign on top. Even some locksmith trucks are now 'pizza trucks'.

This week the girls started a new session of swimming lessons. This time they are later in the evening so Michael stays home with John. Kristina is really progressing fast, she can swim freestyle and the back stroke fairly well. Luba is slowly working on learning freestyle. On Thursday Kristina's group went off the
diving board. She said she was very scared, but she did well and swam very fast to the side.

















Saturday, Kathy and Kendall, and Kyle (John's sister, niece, and nephew) came for the the weekend. Kristina, Luba, and Michael haven't been able to spend much time with them because they live in Bedford County and Kyle is a Junior at UVA, but they love any time spent with them. They love to hang around older kids, (people). Unfortunately most of the time (3 hours Sat. and 4 hours Sun.)was spent sitting in the hospital waiting room since John's mom was in the ICU.








Mama x3

First time for a sitter

We have found a sitter! Yes, we do have both sets of grandparents nearby, but the kids were all excited to have a girl come to watch them while we went out. They had been asking for two weeks, (since we met her at church). 'When is the girl coming?' It took awhile for us to realize what they were asking.

Saturday we deceided we would go see a movie with Allison and Brian. John and I have only been out by ourselves one time since coming home in July, so it was about time. The kids were so excited. We kept emphasizing they had to be good or the sitter wouldn't want to come back, so they were on their best behavior. As we left the house it felt strange to not have three other people in the back seat. We were able to sit down to eat and carry on a conversation, but we did miss them. The movie Vantage Point was OK, but you were watching the same thing over and over again. When we got home we were told the children were very good and went to bed when they were told to without any problems.

Sunday morning eveyone said they had fun with the sitter and they wanted to know if she was coming again that evening.

It is hard to believe it has been just over seven months since we have been home. It is hard to remember a time when we didn't have the kids. We have truely been blessed by God. Look back on our time in Ukraine, even though at times it was hard, we would do it again with no hesitation. Even though it took a long time everything did fall into place in a timely manner. I am currently following two family's blogs and in both cases they had to leave one child behind because of a problem with the registration or the birth certificate. I can't imagine that, and we thought it was bad that we had to drive to Odessa two days in a row to get Kristina's birth certificate. Kristina keeps saying she wants to go back to visit this summer, but she doesn't understand it would be so different. I think after a few days she would feel strange and want to come back home. I don't think she remembers enough Russian to converse with people.

Mama x3

Papa John's :-)

Thursday as we were driving to swimming lessons Luba asked if the car in the next lane was a police car because there was something on top of it. Michael was asking the same thing, he was saying, "Why car like this?" and he was pulling up his hair and pointing to the car like it had something on top of it's head. I looked at the car and realized it was a pizza delivery car. I tried to explain to them, if you want to buy a pizza you can call and this car would bring it to your house. As we got closer to the car I told them it was a 'Papa John's' pizza car. This made them think it was John in the car so they wanted to catch up with the car. They just kept saying Papa John.









This was Michael's last time for swimming lessons. The girls will continue on to the next level next week, but Michael doesn't have another level to go to until he is five. He will be glad though that he doesn't have to change in the girl's locker room anymore. Everytime we arrive he refuses to take his pants off and put on his bathing suit so I have to pull them off of him. I just keeps saying, "People looking." Usually there are only a few people in the room and they are not looking at a four year boy which I have to keep telling him. He has even wanted Kristina and Luba to hold up a towel so he can get dressed or undressed. Then once he does get dressed, after the lessons, he spends all his time watching the other women getting dressed. I even caught him pulling back a curtain to watch some girls taking a shower, so I end up having to put his coat over his head.


At the end of the lessons everyone got a certificate indicating they had passed their level. They were so excited.

Mama x3

Russian is almost gone :-) :-(

Sunday, John still wasn't feeling well, but I had to get out of the house, so in less than an hour I had myself and all three kids ready for church, (John did help with breakfast). It used to take me just under 45 minutes to get ready for work in the morning and, then, I still had to put my makeup on in the car. It's amazing the things you get used to doing and how fast you can do them when you have to. In the afternoon we all watched TV and did some reading. (I have finished both of the girls latch hook rugs, I just need to sew the edging back.) All the kids were so excited that Papa was actually downstairs to watch TV and they kept saying, "Papa not sick!"

All the kids English is really coming along, just the other night Luba said she liked English better. Last week in the Wal-mart parking lot, Michael said, "There's a green car!" I said to him, "Speak Russian." He just said, "No, mom you tell." He had forgotten how to say car in Russian! When I reminded him it was 'machine-a' he remembered. Even when Kristina will speak to them in Russian I think they are just picking out a few words and trying to guess at what she is saying. Sunday evening we went to see a missionary to Ukraine and when he spoke to Kristina in Russian she just smiled and I'm not sure she understood all of what he was saying. It's so sad they are forgetting Russian. Some of the things I hear every morning are, "Mom, I'm yeah get dressed, yeah make your bed, yeah brush your teeth, yeah brush your hair!" Also in Russian verb are in the sentence last and it has taken us a long time to get Michael to say, "Papa will you please play cars," instead of, "Papa will you please cars play." He used to repeat in backwards to us five times in a row before saying it correctly. Some Russian words we continue to use. Just last week before we were leaving to swim I said, "Michael did you pee-set?" and Kristina just looked at me and said, "Mom, it's pee." Recently Michael has started saying, "I need bathroom." Another word we still use all the time is 'douche' which means to wash up or bath. In the evening we will say to all the kids, "Time to douche," when it is their time. It was embarassing, a few weeks ago when we were sitting in a restaurant eating dinner and Luba said, "Papa, tonight you douche me?" My sister was with us and she just burst out laughing, (she knew what it meant). We didn't look around to see if anyone else heard, we just kept on talking. Kristina also in really coming along in her reading. We will sit in the evening and she and I will go back and forth reading paragraphs in her books. She does very well sounding words out.

Michael can't wait for school to start for him. He is learning his numbers and can count to 12. He also can name some letters in the alphabet. He likes going to stores and watching DVD's. He also spends a lot of time playing cars. Most recently he likes to play chicken and bunny. He says they just jump around, (it would be so nice to have a child's imagination again). Yes, those are stuffed animal Peeps he is playing with. Notice on the couch is Hazel ever aware that he is right there. She is still not sure about Michael and tries to swat at him if he gets too close. Hazel is doing very well with the girls, though, and wants to sleep on their bed at night, but Luba is scared because a few times she woke up and Hazel was licking her face.

Tonight is the last swimming lesson of this session, the girls will go on for another five week session, but Michael isn't old enough for that class so I will have to work with him this summer.

Mama x3

More swimming

Monday the kids were off from school due to President's Day. they were excited to be able to sleep in a little and watch TV, (tel-a-v), as Michael says. Both girls had to get their 3rd Hep B vaccine, but I didn't tell them until 30 minutes before we left for the doctor's. Michael was just glad he only had to watch. Of course, Luba was terrified to get a shot. Twice while sitting next to me in the waiting room she said, "I'm not scared." Well, she started crying when we got in the room so I made her go first and once it was over she said it didn't hurt. I believe now all the kids are done with doctor's and medical procedures except for Kristina's monthly Laser treatments. Also all three kids have cavities which need to be filled, that will probably be next month.

Tuesday I found a Chinese jump rope!! Kristina will be so excited. I'm excited because I want to teach her different string figures to make which I learned when I was her age. Around 2PM John came home not feeling well, he had a fever of 101.3, we really hope no one else gets sick. I took the kids to swimming lessons to get them out of the house. Kristina is really doing well, she is catching on very fast and is starting to learn free style.

The rest of the week was rather uneventful. I didn't go to many places unless I had to because John was home sick, in bed, the whole time. We never did find out what it was, but it was probably the flu. His temperature just kept going up and down making him feel miserable. At least no one else has come down with it.

When the kids came home from school each night I tried to have them play outside or in the sunroom. Kristina has been trying to teach Luba and Michael how use a Chinese jump rope, but Michael really isn't interested and just wants to goof off and not hold the rope correctly, but hey, he's only four.

Mama x4?

Valentine's Day

Wednesday Kristina had her fourth laser surgery. She is getting excited because she is begining to see a difference. Also she met a four year old girl who has had 14 treatments and her Port Wine Stain was almost gone. She keeps saying when she is 11 or 12 years old it will be gone. She is doing very well with the treatments. There is very minimal pain, just a feeling of tightness like after a sunburn. She can't go to school the day of the procedure due to anesthesia, but by noon feels fine. Kristina is also doing very well reading. While she was home she read 176 pages in a Curious George book out loud! There were only a few words she didn't know, but she was able to sound most of them out.

Thursday was Valentine's Day, the start of school was delayed by two hours due to a very small amout of snow on the ground. This meant there was no AM Kindergarten so Luba didn't have to go in until 11:30. We were able to make Valentine spritz cookies. (Really mom just wanted to eat the batter!) Anytime I'm making anything in the kitchen they always want to help and each one has his/her own apron.

For lunch Michael and I were able to go to eat with Nathaniel, (who is in town for the long weekend) and my mom. Everytime Michael sees him he says he wants big hair like him, at this point though he doesn't want any tatoos. (They say big instead of long and small instead of short when referring to hair.) When Kristina and Luba got home they were all excited about all their valentines they had received and the candy they had gotten.

Friday was warmer after school so the girls played outside with jumpropes they had gotten for Valentine's Day while Michael rode his bike. Kristina tied the ropes together to make a Chinese jumprope and was trying to teach the others what to do. I quess I will have to try to find one somewhere.

Saturday we went to Dave and Shelly's house. They have a boy and girl Michael and Luba's age. All the kids enjoyed playing together with all their toys. Our kids always enjoy playing with new toys. They girls really liked the big Barbie house. For dinner all of us went to Jason's Deli, another salad bar. :-)

Mama x3

Zoo

Today was a slightly warmer but very windy day. We decieded to go to the zoo for the last hours of the day. They kids were all excited to see the animals again. This time they could actually name the animals. Kristina also enjoyed taking many pictures. Of course they all remembered taking pictures taking pictures

by the butterfly and turtles and wanted to do it a again. The pictures on the right are six months ago.

Also this time, in the area where the farm animals are there were peacocks walking around. At one point one jumped down from a fence landing about 5 feet from Michael. It really scared him because it was as tall as him.

Also everyone had to switch off wearing the one remaining pair of sunglasses from Ukraine.

After the zoo we drove around Norfolk for awhile looking at quaint little neighborhoods. The kids were all picking out houses they liked. Later we went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner. Both Kristina and Luba enjoy getting the salad bar so we try to go somewhere where they have one.

MamaX3

Playing and swimming

This past week it was unseasonably warm so everyone wanted to ride bikes after school. I can finally say Luba has mastered two wheel's. Kristina has been able to do much better on the 24 inch bike. Michael goes back and forth between his bike and a little go cart. They can't wait for it to get warm. Also this week Kristina and I started playing Clue Jr. in the evenings after Luba and Michael are in bed. She caught on very quickly and wins a lot of the games.

Tuesday the kids started swimming lessons. The lessons will be Tuesday and Thursday for four weeks. Kristina and Michael were so excited. Luba was nervous and I kept trying to tell her she would be able to hold onto the wall and a lifeguard would be there to help her. They all had such a good time and can't wait till Thursday. During Thursday's lesson Kristina was doing so well she was able to move up to Level two. She really doesn't want to wear a life jacket this summer.

Friday the US Passports arrived, in less than two weeks! None of the kids understand the importance of one. One day they will realize how many people covet a US passport. Actually their Ukrainian ones don't expire until 2017.

Friday evening we decided to go to Johnny Rockets at MacArthur Center for dinner. This was the first time they had been to this mall. They loved just watching the water fountain's around the elevator. They also wanted to stop at almost every store. If John and I just keep moving, though, they stay right with us because they don't want to be left behind.

Mama x3