The Cabbage Patch Kidz

How to become a Family

2011-12-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

Glancing at the calendar, I notice that it is 11 years ago that we had traveled to Ukraine.

It almost seems a lifetime ago, but in reality it was not. I still have memories of our lives before we adopted a child. We were together for almost 15 years, before we began a family. We had met very young and married young, especially in relation to most of our friends and family. We spent years working different schedules so I spent many hours alone, doing whatever I wanted, without much responsibility except to work, keep up the house and bills, and take care of our dogs. We traveled extensively, and did not worry about getting a sitter, on a Friday or Saturday night. Date nights were any and every night we wanted. No worries or commitments to anyone except the two of us.

Then on a cold, November day, in 2000, in Ternopil Ukraine, we started a family.

Definitely, not the traditional way, as our delivery date was after a long noisy train ride wearing the same dirty clothes, and after playing cards and drinking a few beers, the night before.

We met Vitaly a sad, scared, starving baby who weighed 11 pounds and was 15 months old. We were just as scared of becoming a parent, as he was of becoming a son. How does one prepare to go from 15 years childless to suddenly a parent?

The memory that remains most vivid was when we finally were able to leave the orphanage with him permanently. As we crowded into an old taxi, with our new son in hand, my husband looked at him and me and kissed us both. A sudden feeling of completion and true love. The two of us were now a family, of three.

update to last post

2011-11-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just an update to my last post about V and his love letter. Of course, as his mother I do have to be cautious so I asked his teacher if the young lady was in his class, I did NOT say anything about the note.

Which is why I was completely shocked when he says (in a not so happy tone), "Mom why did you ask my teacher about Jillian. Geez, why did you do that?"

Lots of things went through my mind like:

Why did the teacher tell him?
I didnt say anything about the note...
Is he embarassed?
Is he in trouble?
Will he ever trust me again..

I did apologize and said it wasn't bad, what I asked I just wanted to make sure you were okay!

He turned to the window and sulked.

I felt kinda stupid then. Maybe, there is a time that even as the mother of a special needs child, I need to just back off and let it all play out. Then, again, the world is a cruel place.

Pre-teenisms

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I got the first glimpse of Middle School hormone angst today.

A note addressed to Vitaly from a girl.

Alarms went right off. I am always worried about him being bullied. He is in the Special Needs classroom so it might be very funny to some pre-teen girls to pick on him. What an easy way to prank him but to write a note and have him think someone "likes" him.

The note went something (remotely) like this:

To Vitaly
From (name)

Do you think I am beautiful or pretty?
If you are going to be my boyfriend are you going to hold my hand?
I hope you think I am pretty and not fat if you think I am fat then that would make me sad.
Write me.
name

Alarms!!! Really does my autistic spectrum/PDD/FAE child even understand what it means to "like" someone in such a way? Sure he knows what a girlfriend is but he doesn't know what a "girlfriend" really means. Two completely different things to him.

So I had a mini meeting with dad. He read it. Seemed a bit concerned.

We asked Vitaly about it and he got very embarassed as he grabbed the note and ran (and then hid the note)

Yes, he said he did write her back and told her, "Football is number one and Go Packers!" I guess that is a twelve year old boy for you.

Not sure if I am ready for this pre-teen world!

Uh-oh!

2011-10-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh!
Oh No!
Crash!
It's broken!
Look what happened!
Stormy! (aka the bad dog)

Don't you just love when you hear those. Too me it means one thing. Something will need to be replaced. Perhaps it is junk (cross fingers) or something valuable (*@%>). Either way it seems to be a constante lately in our home.
I think I just about had enough when I was in the bedroom and I heard the sound of breaking glass on floor. That is never a good one! Then I heard the sound of little feet up the stairs and "mommy don't be mad at daddy." Great. What can that mean? Must be something I have treasured and bought to enjoy.

Then from the bedroom I hear the sound of glass going into a trashcan. As I am told, "he didn't mean to break your plate!"

Now it hits me. Must be one of the plates of a collection of FOUR (not a collection of one but a collection of FOUR) on the kitchen wall that I have enjoyed pre-mommyhood bought for my enjoyment!! MINE!!!!!

Sadly, it is one of the the four. So now I have THREE. Doesn't quite look right. Missing one like missing a tire on a bike. The sulking begins (but I will stalk EBAY)

Next day...

From the bedroom.

Loudly stated from husband "Stupid Psycho Dog~!"

Uh. Oh.
Can't be good. We have already seen our living room carpet that she has decided need her claws to dig at while we are away.

I go upstairs. I see a large hole. I see what is actually under the carpet and foam! I see alot of it in fact. I turn to the left, I see carpet remains and bits of foam.
Really? What was she thinking? I know what I was thinking. This is a mess. We will have to get new carpet but how can we because she is still psycho and still lives with us.

Then I hear, mom- Vitaly is in the paint! The craziness continues..

Seven Years

2011-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

No, You can't do it I tell her...

But, Mommy you have to let me....

No, not if I can help, it I say. If I had it my way, you would all stay little....no more birthdays!

Oh, and remember Grandpa said there is no September on the calendar (I remind her).

She said "yes there is- see (pointing to the big day)!"

And just like that, my little girl turned seven.. and there is nothing I can do or say, to stop my little girl from growing into a beautiful young lady. Happy 7th Birthday Oksana.

(And even earned a little girl rite of passage - She got to get her ears pierced!)

Back in Action

2011-06-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so I apologize for the neglect of my blog. Facebook has become a favorite and if anyone wants to friend me feel free just let me know you are a blog reader.

I will definitely be posting some new pictures as soon as I get my husband to download them.

The summer is beginning with a new sitter and a new start for the kids and I hope a regular daily upkeep of the blog.

Things we have learned the past few months:

Vitaly plays soccer a lot better with his glasses on (they always made him take them off) so contacts will be on order for football season!
Nikolai can eat two Frisch's big boys for dinner (he was very happy with this accomplishment-!)
Oksana is a budding artist- which right there says she is not any genetic relation to me- as I cannot draw or paint.
Job change is not always a pleasant experience but if it pays the bills then I will move forward.
Dogs can destroy your carpet in one afternoon at home alone.
A child can go destroy three bikes in three months.
Nikolai is a pretty decent little leaguer!
If you leave the water running in the bathtub and it overflows- it can come through the kitchen ceiling!
New applicances can update a kitchen in one day.
Weeds love my flowerbeds.
Hiking the same trails with my kids, that as a child I breezed through, is a lot harder as an adult.
Many more adventures are ahead....

In Memoriam

2011-03-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

My best friend lost her son tragically on March 17th, 2011. It was one of those tragic accidents that are hard to even think about. He was struck and killed by numerous cars on a busy highway.

His name was David Vantrease. He will be forever 22 years old.

I remember the first few times I met David. He was six years old. RaeLynn and I worked together. She was a single mother. We spent so many hours at her house watching him entertain us. One of my favorite memories was when he wanted to be "Major Payne" and got his hair shaved as such. I remember him sneaking out of the house and sneaking back in while his mom was looking for him and him asking me not to tell he left. He was a friend to so many.

He was so adored by his mom and his sister (although she considered him a pesky little brother).

He moved away later in his life to live with his father but we still got to see him during many occassions.

He loved my kids and my kids adored him, especially the boys. His step sister Erin got married in November. David was just a big kid at heart and hung out and danced with Nikolai and Oksana.

His smile was contagious.

We will miss you terribly David and grieve of the years we will spend without your smile walking into a room.

Life with boys...lesson #1

2011-03-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Nice family dinner.

Nik estatic and smiling has something to say...

Guess what I can do now?

Family- What?

Nik- Armpit farts- listen!!! (He proceeds to raise his shirt, and make noise from his armpit)

I guess I have to always encourage so I say- Good job! Oksana joins in- Wow Nik! Vitaly always supportive states- Who cares! Dad- muffled sound maybe in awe of son's accomplishment but cannot decipher.

Nik smiling from ear to ear proceeds to continue in a songlike trance.

He stops and says well I can't do the knee airfart yet like Vitaly.

I guess that means he will be practicing to achieve these feat of greatness.

Another milestone in boyhood achieved!

Hitting Puberty

2011-02-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Puberty
The word itself it just scary/awful/hard to say, etc...
I personally remember sitting in fouth and fifth grade "girls only" gymnasium talk with a film describing the "whole" thing, but in a cartoon form. As if any of us are animated figures. I remember one young lady named V actually lifted her hand and told everyone she had already had the "period!" We all were in awe of her, but then again she also had a bra. Something, I personally begged my mom for although I didnt quite need- just so I had the bra strap under my tshirt.

Now Vitaly is entering the big P! He is eleven. He is wearing a size 11 men's shoe. Larry has borrowed his boots this winter to do some shoveling. He no longer fits in any pants that were purchased pre-fifth grade in the fall. They are considered floods. He has a weird Peter Brady sort of voice that goes from a screechy kid to a deeper sound that is a bit scary.

He has a thing lately for my magazines. He especially is fond of the JCPenney lingerie sections.
He talks about a young lady in his class as "hot". He is growing hair and as Nikolai states not on his head! He also is learning about Oxy Clean pads and deodorant and washing your hair regularly.

We had a stop at the Physician's office the other day. He is in the 95% for height. That is quite tall for an eleven year old, at this rate he will easily surpass 6 feet and this is a kid that missed out with nutrition his first 15 months of his life. He has made up for that now, because he can eat, and eat, and eat. Doesnt matter what good things or bad they are all consumed at an alarming rate that would cause any normal adult to gain weight and go on a diet. Not with him. He has almost zero body fat.

The one thing I cannot imagine is my baby with a mustache and a beard! Really? He will soon have to shave!!!

Oh the joys of puberty.

The Bachelor

2011-01-04T06:21:00.001-08:00

Oksana was sleeping in the bed with me last night as I flipped through the TV stations. I stopped at "the Bachelor", which is a bad train wreck, but you just have to stop. The girls were all greeting the guy dolled up in formal wear, when I hear, mommy did you see that blue dress! I look over and she is awake and watching the TV. Then she commented as each girl got out of the limo and started to ask lots of questions:

"Is he a Prince?"
"Are they going to get married?"
"Why do they all keep thanking him?"

I sort of explained the premise and told her to go back to sleep, but she was like I want to see it and she was so excited!

I thought this episode is probably pretty tame, so why not.

When he gave the rose to the first girl, she turned to me and said, "So daddy gave you a rose too and that is how you got married?"

Well, not exactly, I told her.

Then as he gave all the roses out she said, "He is going to marry a lot of girls! He will need lots of money!"

Vitaly's Story Part IV

2010-11-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty: "Birth Certificate"-10:00a.m.-HotelWe get up sort of late. I am tired, because I have not been sleeping well. The mattress is very old and thin. Everytime, I lay down I disappear into the hole it makes. We go to the internet cafe. We are trying to contact Swiss Air about changing our reservations. Our flight is supposed to depart tommorow from Warsaw. I am totally stressed over getting the reservation changed. Swiss Air has not responded to our emergency email so we had back to the hotel to wait for Masha.1:00 p.m.- TernopilMasha comes to get us in our room. She wants us the hurry and talk to the head of Vital Statistics. We run to the building, but the lady refuses to see us because she is hungry and going to lunch. She tells us to go away, until after lunch. So, we go to the first restaurant we ate in, when we arrived in Ternopil. I order the sausage stuffed with spaghetti, only because it comes with ketchup. I really miss my condiments and spicy hot foods I crave. The one thing we notice is all the restaurants have similar menus. There is mostly soup, pizza, pork, dumplings and potatoes. Masha comments the lady at Vital Stats seems very mean.
2:00 p.m.- Vital Stats officeWe go back to the Vital Stats office. Masha talks for awhile and then we have our new birth certificate. She is not so mean afterall. Meanwhile, Larry and I cannot figure out how to change our airline rez. We decide to call our travel agent- Janice- even with the time difference. She is there! In one minute, she is able to reschedule our flight for one week later. Masha is amazed by our technology. She says Ukraine needs more computers, so there would be less running around. We all laugh.5:00 p.m.- Passport OfficeThe passport office says it will take five days at least to get a passport. No way around the time of wait. Masha talks to some other ladies, they say they will have it by the morning. So, we run to the notary to finish the paperwork.7a:00 p.m.- DinnerIt is our last night in Ternopil. We want to go to the Europa, but it is extremely crowded. So, we go back to the Mermaid. We go to bed early, because we know tommorow will be a long day.

Day Twenty- One: "Gotcha Day" 9:00a.m.- DowntownI am searching for some paintings of the town. I cannot decide and think I will return later to buy one. We never do buy the painting. We do get some other souvenirs luckily. We meet Masha and she is estatic. She has the passport!11:15 a.m.-OrphanageWe go to the orphanage to get our son. We are very excited. We meet another American couple adopting twins. The first Americans we have seen here, but a day late. We take the caregivers a cake and say good-bye. Suddenly, just like that, Vitaly is going home with us!noon- HotelWe go back to the hotel to get our luggage. We think we are getting a rental van, but instead it is an Opel Omega. We cannot possibly fit all of our luggage, 4 adults, and an infant in this little car. Larry and I sit smashed with Vitaly on our lap. The car rides turns out to be miserable. Vitaly is doing great though. Once again, we almost get into a car wreck. They really do need car seats. I remind Vitaly, as a baby i too traveled across Europe, without a carseat.5:30p.m.- KyivWe are lost in Kyiv. Our driver cannot find the Tourist Hotel. We have to wait for a taxit to pick us up, and transfer everything. We are going to stay in a flat with a lady named Olga. Vitaly is beginning to run a fever and is coughing. I am worried about getting him fed and cleaned.6:30p.m.- Olga's apartmentOlga has helped many other families. As soon as we arrive, she takes Vitaly. Before I know it, she has fed him two bowls of cereal and milk. She finishes with a bottle, bathes him, and puts him to bed. What a relief! She wants to feed us too, but we choose to grab a quick bite at McDonalds. We both take a long hot bath and I get to shave for the first time in two weeks. I go to bed, but I worry about Vitaly so I watch him sleep.

Day Twenty-two: Saturday Dec 9th- Kyiv7:00 am- Olga's apartmentVitaly is definitely following his regular schedule! Larry and I get up and we decide it is bathtime. He does not like it- but he smells much better. Besides, being very thin overall he looks quite healthy. Vitaly has a cold and cough now. So, we give him some juice with some medicine in it. Vital's breakfast is a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, then a bottle of milk. Both are fed to him by Olga, who has returned to feed us. We are served our breakfast, which is fried potatoes, cheese, hot dogs, and beets. Way too much food for us to eat. Vitaly is served one hot dog too.Noon- KyivMasha and her husband Vlad meet us for a day of sightseeing. Olga is watching Vitaly for us since he is sick. We go to the "Mother of our Mother" statue and WWII museum. Both are extremely fascinating. We decide to have a snack at a tourist stop restaurant across the street. It is way too expensive and not worth it.4:30 p.m.- Olga'sWe meet Olga's neighbor- Freida and her granddaughter. They are missionaries from Tennessee. They play with Vitaly who thinks it is very funny and we hear him laugh for the first time. We also see him crawl. This is a totally different baby then we have seen yet. He also has eaten ALOT by Olga.8:00 p.m.-bedtimeVitaly finally goes to bed. he has had a huge first day away from the orphanage. Larry and I are very grateful for Olga's help.

Day Twenty- three and four: KyivWe spend the next two days shopping, getting the medical exam, and also saying good-bye to Masha. She has a wedding to attend in her hometown for her Mother- In- Law. We sadly say good-bye. We will miss her very very much!!!Day Tweny- Five: KyivWe have a new translator named Igor. We do more shopping and eating. We spend the evening packing and get ready to leave. We will be departing for Warsaw in the afternoon.Day Twenty- Six: KyivWe say good-bye to Olga and leave for the American Consulate. Another family we met earlier in the week is traveling with us. They are Robyn, Bill and their new beautiful daughter Elizabeth. We go to the consulate and then head for the airport. Unfortunately, the only flight we can get is 615$ for the three of us and we must go to Budaphest first. Oh well, it is our only option this late in the day. Vitaly does great on the plane. I wish I could see Budaphest, but it is dark. 9:30 p.m.- Warsaw SheratonWe are at the Sheraton. It is spectactular!!! We lounge for awhile with Robyn and Bill, then I go to the room. I take a VERY long bubble bath, and really wash my hair well. They have big white terry-cloth robes, which I love. I send some of our clothes to be laundered for the trip home. It is a bit pricey, but worth it.

Day Twenty-Seven: "Embassy Day" 9:30a.m.- WarsawWe walk to the American Embassy for our appointment. We are glad we brought the stroller now. When we get to the entrance, we get to pass by the huge line of people waiting to get it since we are Americans. It takes @ two hours to process our paperwork. There are other Cathy Harris couples there and we all talk.Noon- WarsawWe go back to the Sheraton. It is time for Vitaly to take a nap. I watch TV and Larry goes to meet Bill downstairs. We plan to meet for lunch at 2:00p.m.2:00p.m.- SheratonWow- what a treat, we are eating Tex Mex type food. I am so happy to be eating spicy nachos for the first time in weeks. YUM...3:00p.m.- EmbassyBack to the Embassy to pick up the visa. We get it and then decide we will go to OldTown with Bill. We head to OldTown Warsaw. What a beautiful place. It is December 14th, so everything is decorated for Christmas. We spend time walking, shopping and eating before heading back to the Sheraton. It is a wonderful city.8:00p.m.- SheratonRobyn and Elizabeth join us for some food and drinks. We are leaving tommorow morning very early (4:30a.m.). We take some pictures and pack then get some rest.Day Twenty- Eight: "HOMEWARD BOUND"- Warsaw4:30 a.m.- SheratonWe are getting up at 4:30, it seems like we never even slept. We try not to awaken Vitaly and carry him to the taxi. Too late, he awakens when the cold air hits him. 7:00 a.m.- AirportWe are departing Warsaw on a beautiful SwissAir plane heading to Zurich. Vitaly is being very good and hams it up. We are thrilled.9:30 a.m.- ZurichI am changing a second messy diaper. Luckily the Zurich airport has a terrific family area for the children to play and parents to relax. It is wonderful and really helps. We finally get to the counter to get our seats. We are worried because the flight is "sold out", and we were not reassigned any seats. At first, the counter tells us no seats together. We are devastated. Then suddenly, she says she has found three. Well, three becomes four when noone sits in the other. What a bonus- sold out flight and we even have the only spare empty too! Our flight is 10 hours long.3:00- ChicagoWe are back in the US and they are playing Christmas music. It is sort of odd because we almost forgot it was close to Christmas. We are thrilled to be back in the states. We even remember today is our TEN year wedding anniversary! Our flight to Dayton has been cancelled due to ice in Chicago. We are desperate to get home and plead to every airline. Finally, we are successful and depart Chicago.12:00 a.m.- Dayton, OhioWe are home! Aunt Sally, Christy, Cathy, Rowland, Judy, Hunter and Joe S are all still waiting for us. Amazing- and we never expected anyone! We are thrilled beyond belief. We get home and go directly to bed after giving the dogs a huge hug.We are so happy to be home and with our new son!

Vitaly's Story Part III

2010-11-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twelve: "Our Suitcases Return" 9:00a.m.-orphnageWe get up early to go to the orphanage. Vitaly does not cry this time, when he sees us. Grumpy- yes, but upset- no. I think he might begin to like us. 5:00p.m.- TernopilDima has joined us again. He has all of our suitcases, because they would not fit on the plane. We have had the same two outfits for five days. Some clean clothes and undergarments. I am so excited. I want to burn the clothes I have worn for the past five days. I do throw them away before we leave. We have dinner together and then play a card game called Fool.

Day Thirteen: "Scotch" noon-TernopilWe are in the hotel with Masha and Dima. Masha tells us that Dima needs some scotch. So, we say okay. So, we say does he need money to get his scotch? She say no, use the scotch in your room. Larry and I are confused. We do not have any alcohol in the room. So, we say he can go buy some. She says no get your scotch tape in your room. We laugh because we have duct tape, but no scotch tape. We are thinking she meant a drink.4:00p.m.-orphanageWe go to the orphanage to see V. We give him some more juice. He lets us hold him, but becomes very upset when his favorite caregiver walks by. Her name is Maria. She loves Vitaly very much and has raised him, since a baby. The second she holds him, he begins to smile and laugh. She tells us wonderful things about Vitaly. She is very happy , because Vitaly is going to America.7:00p.m.- TernopilWe go to dinner with Masha and Dima. We go to the most expensive restaurant in the town. We have decided to treat them to a nice dinner. I have chicken stuffed with mushrooms and mushroom "soap" (as the menu reads). Dima can eat and drink a lot and our bill is over 200 gryvnas!

Day Fourteen: "Dinner Treat" 4:00p.m.- orphanageWe go to the orphanage. Vitaly is in a great mood. They say because his belly is full. Today, they were given cabbage soup. He lets us play with him and he laughs. He is very cute and we are so happy.6:30p.m.- TernopilWe meet Dima for dinner. He wants to treat us this time. He really liked the expensive restaurant from last night, so we return. There are more people tonight including two very old men dancing with two very young women. There is a piano player and we have a lot of fun. Dima insists we eat dessert, so we split a huge ice cream sundae. He also gives us some bad news. They say we must wait 10 days after a court date for the vital statistics to be ready. Also, our paperwork will not be ready until Monday. This is upsetting, but not much we can do.

Day Fifteen: "Outdoor Market" 8:00a.m.- TernopilI get up earlier then everyone. I hate the bed. It is very old and caves in. I am glad Larry has brought a Gameboy, which I play for hours. We meet Masha and go to the outdoor market. I love it, but there are so many people. An old woman runs over my feet with a cart. Masha laughs and tells me the lady said I move like an elephant. We purchase a cute snowsuit for Vitaly. We also get some toothpaste, deodarant and a radio for the orphanage. We buy some children's tapes to play in the room.4:00p.m.-orphanageTime to see Vitaly. We cannot go earlier in the day, because the babies must sleep for four hours in the afternoon. Masha begins to call our days- "Groundhog Day". It is true, everyday seems to be just like the last. Vitaly is cranky and very hungry. We give him a bottle of juice. He likes Larry to hold him, but I think it is because he is tall. The hall we stand in has nothing for Vitaly to play with. We want to interact more, but they won't let us in with the other children. He sees Maria and screams. It is dinnertime for him, so we leave.7:30p.m.- TernopilWe head back to our favorite restaurant. It has great pizza and MTV. We head back to the hotel. Masha has a TV in her room. We play fool and watch a chessy American movie. Of course, it is dubbed, so we make up the words. Masha insists the start is a guy called Billy Zane. Larry says 'Nyet. So, they argue and laugh about it all night.

Day Sixteen: "Masha hat"- noon downtownWe go to the internet cafe. We are going to download a picture of Vitaly to send to everyone. We are all so excited for something to do. Masha goes shopping. It takes over one hour to download one picture.4:00 p.m.- OrphanageWe are going to the orphanage. Our cab drivers are getting greedy. They are like sharks swarming our hotel, when they know we will need a ride. When, we first got to Ternopil, cabs cost about 6 gryvnas one way. Now, they are charging 9 gryvnas. We think they have been talking amongst each other. When we see Vitaly, he seems very grumpy. We give him some juice, which helps to calm him. He is definitely very hungry. Masha plays with the Gameboy, while we play in the dark hall with Vitaly. We really wish we could use the nursery. Vitaly really seems to like Larry. He likes to look at everything. We take a picture of him in the Masha hat. ( It is a really cool different colored hat she wears.) Of course, we think this is really funny!
7:00 p.m.- Europa CafeOops, here we are again at the Europa Cafe. Nothing else to do but eat. We really like the Europa. They have traditional american style pizzas, and play American music. Whenever, we go in they will find us a seat- even if it is reserved. It is always crowded. We stop at the milk store on the way back to the hotel to get some drinks for the morning. We are tired and decide to go to bed early. Larry finishes his book and I play on the Gameboy.

Day Seventeen: "The Judge"- 9:00 a.m. HotelI awake early again. I am glad we have brought the Gameboy now for entertainment. We get ready to go meet Masha. Wait- no hot water- so no shower for me!11:00 a.m.- NotaryWe meet Masha and go to a new department of state office. We are notarizing documents, we have previously notarized. We wait two hours. Then they say it will be a LONG wait. At least, a couple of days for them to notarize. So we leave.1:00 p.m.- officeWe meet the Inspector Lady, who wants us to meet her boss for the final document she has collected. She is very happy and excited for us. Her boss is dressed in a very nice suit and looks great. We, on the other hand, are looking very shabby. Imagine, everyday we have tried to look presentable just in case, but the day we don't care BINGO. He asks us many questions like why Ukraine, why Vitaly, etc.. Suddenly, everyone is congratulating us and shaking hands. We have the signed paper needed for the NAC!1:30 p.m.- DowntownTime to notarize the NAC paper. We run to the first notary-not there. We run to the second notary- refuse to do it. We run across town to the third notary- too busy. We pant back to the first notary- jackpot! He says he can do it, but to come back later. This is bad, because we have an appointment to meet the court judge at three.4:00 p.m.- CourthouseTo the notary's office to pick up the papers. We then go to see the Judge, but he is not there. A lady Judge talks with Masha and says he will be back soon. We wait, the building closes at six. It is now 6:10 p.m. We are pacing back and forth. Suddenly, the Judge arrives with his friends. He refuses to speak with us. The lady Judge asks him if she can do the case. He couldn't care one way or the other. So, she takes the case and reviews it. She sets our court date for Wednesday- Yippee!! Could we be leaving for Kyiv by Saturday????7:00 p.m.- DinnerWe decide to try a new restaurant to celebrate the court date. It is called the Mermaid. The waitress is very friendly. The food is not very good, but the prices are. Our total bill is28 gryvnas for food and drinks. We decide to drink some vodka to celebrate. I ask for a bloody mary. Well, unlike American drinks, the liquor and juice are not mixed. So, you first shoot the vodka on top, then drink the juice underneath. We rename the drink a bloody Masha. We of course think it is very funny! Now, we have stayed to long at the restaurant. We are racing to meet the train to Kyiv by 8:45 p.m. We barely get to the train, with our papers for the NAC, before it departs.

Day Eighteen: "Groundhog Day"- 10:00 a.m.- HotelWe have nothing to do but sit and wait. Groundhog day as we have dubbed them. Masha has lots of work, it will be a long day for her. She is revisiting the Judge. Larry and I sit and wait in the room. We eat some snacks, we have brought. I am tired and feeling a bit cranky. I am catching a wicked cold. I go back to sleep.4:00 p.m.- OrphanageThis is the day we will give the donations to the orphanage. We meet with the Director. I have brought many clothes, shoes, blankets, meds and toys from the US. When, I give them, noone seems to care. We have lugged the bags all around Ukraine, and yet, noone really cares about the clothes. We have put a monetary donation in an envelope also. The Director and Masha are talking. While, I am sifting through the donations, I look up and everyone is looking at me. So, I smile. Masha asks "donation?" So, I am confused and say "not enough?" She looks confused and says, "where is it?" I laugh and point to the envelope they have missed. The Director now sees it too and laughs. Now, time to go see Vitaly. I have a cold, so I cannot interact very much. I try, but I am scared of making him sick. Larry does a great job though. He gives him a bottle of juice. I cannot believe it, but Vitaly cannot drink it all. And, yes he is full! So, I wonder if we are feeding him correctly. We are still new at this. Masha laughs and says yes. Vitaly wants to cuddle and I cannot believe how terrific he looks in Larry's arms. They are meant to be father and son. You can tell Larry will be a great dad and Vitaly adores him.8:00 p.m.- DinnerWe are trying a new dinner location. We like it very much. It is very quaint and good. I have dumplings, potatoes, and tea. Larry has schnitzel, potatoes and a coke.

Day Nineteen: "ADOPTION DAY"- DECEMBER 6th, 2000.
10:00 a.m.- TernopilSo, here we are. The day we have waited for the entire trip. It is the court date. We get up and go to buy some gifts for the Judge and her Secretary. We buy some office supplies for the Secretary. We also give her some cosmetics and paper. She is very pleased by the gifts. We decide to buy some beautiful yellow roses for the Judge. We stop to get a bite to eat to ease our stomachs. We have a small pizza and a coke.Noon- CourtWe pick up the Inspector. We go to the courthouse. We are expecting a big cold chamber for our hearing. Instead, the chamber is an office with seven chairs. The Inspector reads a magazine, while the Prosecutor (also a woman) looks very bored. The Judge comes in and the hearing goes something like this. (Stand up one at a time). Leanna or Larry what do you do/where do you live/will you take care of the child/will you want him? All are very basic questions. We ask them to waive the ten days, because he is delayed and we have airline tickets. They tell us to leave the chamber for ten minutes. The Inspector comes out and gives us her congratulations. Masha says it is a good sign. The Judge has us come back in the office. She has waived the ten days- YEAH! We are now his parents. We show her pictures of our home and dogs. She is very nice, but stresses the vital statistics office may not waive the ten day period. She says they are very hard.4:00p.m. - OrphanageWe are going to pick up Vitaly for his passport picture. He looks so cute in the outfit Maria puts him in. At first he smiles, when he sees Larry (papa), but it doesnt last long and he begins to cry. Since, I am still sick, I will not hold him. Larry carries him to the taxi. WOW- he loves it! He is very attentive and interested in the workd outside. He does not cry at all. Larry holds him close and he looks out the window. What a relief- we thought it might be more traumatic. We go to a photo shop. The photographer is not the best. We remind him it is only for a passport. The photos are very silly. We return Vitaly to the orphanage and go to dinner.

To be continued...

Vitaly's Story part II

2010-11-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

Day Six: "Thanksgiving" 11:30 a.m.-Taxi to MaripolIfeel today will be a good day. I know we will find our son today. We have departed in a taxi, which must be 30 years old. Larry and I are laughing, because it has to be the oldest one around. It has snowed overnight and the roads are very bad. We almost get in a accident. We hit ice and the car has spun out of control, crossing to the other side of the road. Now, I am frightened. We are very lucky the semi that just passed was five seconds behind. Masha even looks scared.3:30 p.m.-MaripolWe are at the orphanage. Dima is waiting. The director seems very nice and the orphanage is immaculate. She takes us into her office and starts arguing with Dima. Masha looks worried. I ask her what is wrong. She says "We will be shown two boys ages 5 and 3.5" I am stunned. I wonder why we are not being shown the babies? She says this is the older orphanage. Larry and I feel completely hopeless, when in walks a beautiful and happy five year old boy (Dima). Larry takes out a toy we have brought.and plays with him. Everyone is watching. I do not know what I feel. He is a great kid, but he is five. The 3.5 year old comes in and he has Down's. He is crying, so they let him leave. Then in walks a terrific dimpled five year old (Sasha). He is very sweet and cute. I still feel they are too old. I have been dreaming of a baby and planned for one. We do not know what to do. We know we might leave Ukraine without a child. After much deliberation and heartache, I decide I do not feel the connection to adopt a five year old. (Sasha was later adopted by another IUAFN family - YEAH). We hug the boys, thank the Director and leave. When I get into the taxi, I lose it completely. I am so mad and confused! I feel betrayed, since I did not see any younger children, and thought I was going to. Larry is upset too. It is not Dima or Masha's fault, it is just circumstance. They are working very hard. I ask to find a phone. I call Cathy Harris and she tells me to return to Kyiv and the AC in the morning. She is terrific and I feel much better.

Day Seven: "Back to Kyiv" 4:00 a.m.-MaripolWe awake at 4:00a.m. It is extremely cold. We take a taxi (without heat) to the Donetsk airport one hour away. It costs $40. Our flight to Kyiv is ($265) is surreal. The plane is very old and reminds you of an old fifties movie. There is lots of ice on the runway and the plane. I am scared to death.10:30 a.m.- KyivWe arrive back at the NAC for our next appointment. We wait for two hours in the hall, before Tatiyana calls us in. We begin to look through many pictures. We pick out of many boys, but whenever Tatiyana calls they are already adopted. We go to lunch, and return to look at more pics. We cannot make up our mind.4:30 p.m.- NACIt is time for the NAC to close. Since it is a Friday, we are beginning to feel desperate. We have quite a few pictures and are debating the diagnosis. Someone hands a new picture to Masha. It is a newborn picture of a 15 month old boy. His diagnosis looks very good. We know right away. This is our son. His name is Vitaly. He is in a difficult region called Ternopil, but we do not care.7:00p.m.-KyivWe hitch a ride with the local soccer trainer. We think Masha says circus trainer, so it is very funny. His daughter is in the car. She is about six and will not look at us. Wegive her two lollipops. Her dad is quite the talker! We go to a very nice hotel. It has a brand new bathtub, three beds, and a kitchen. Larry has meat dumplings, while I eat potato dumplings. We sleep great and dream of our son.

Day Eight: "Saturday" 10:00 a.m.- KyivWe get up early and go to the train station for tickets to Ternopil. We think we are going on the 2 p.m. train, but find out there is a fast train leavining at 10 p.m. Perfect. Now, we have a whole day in Kyiv. We tour the monastary, caves, and shop. We go to an internet cafe and have dinner. Masha is very funny and great to hang around.10:00 p.m.- Train StationWe board the train for Ternopil. We are in second class theis time and are swarmed by school children. They are very interested to speak English to us.. Some of the boys are talking slang.. They ask Larry "Yo Man, Waz Up?" Masha Stays in our cabin. The bathrooms on this train are very bad.

Day Nine: "We meet Vitaly" 7:00 a.m.- TernopilWe are in Ternopil. We take a taxi to the orphanage right off the train. The orphanage workers say we must wait for the doctor. We wait two hours.9:30 a.m.- orphanageAfter a quick meeting with the doctor about Vitaly's health (very good), we are finally allowed to meet him. She asks if we want to see "All the available children?" We decline. I am so excited. When they bring him out, he begins to cry. We are strangers. We laugh (because he is so cute) and hold him. He is mine!!! I know right away. We hold him and play. He is still very upset, and has huge crocodile tears running down his face. I am very happy and kiss him. We are led to another office in the orphanage. We are shown pictures of other adopted children. The director is very nice and loves kids.Noon- TernopilWe go to the hotel. It is very expensive ($35). Our room has twin beds, little heat, and a dirty bathroom. Hot water is three times a week and twice a day. I miss it everytime! Masha, Larry and I walk the town. we find a internet cafe and a great restaurant. We go to bed early. I dream of my new baby boy.

Day Ten: "The Cookie" 1:00p.m.-TernopilWe meet Masha for lunch. We have pizza and european salad. It is very good. All the food has been pretty good so far. We go shopping and walk around the town. It is very European and quaint. We really like it.5:00p.m.We go to the orphanage to visit Vitaly. He is still upset, but lets up hold and talk to him. We have brought him some cookies. He is standing in a wooden playpen. A caregiver breaks off a piece of cookie and gives it to him. He cannot swallow solids very well, so she is hitting the back of his neck. I do not like this. Vitaly gets so excited by the cookie, he lets go of the rail and falls backward. He cannot stand on his own yet. I gasp and she picks him up. She gives him some more cookie and he lets go again. I say no more cookie! I cannot stand to see him fall. We take more pics and say good-bye.

Day Eleven: "The Walker" 1:00p.m.- TernopilLarry and I have spent the morning walking the town and shopping. We meet Masha for lunch. We have to go to the education department and meet with the inspector. He is very nice and asks why we want to adopt and other general questions. 3:30- orphanageWe see Vitaly in his play groupa. There are eleven other babies. We have brought him some juice. They stick him in an old walker. He can barely move. He will not come towards us, and backs quickly away towards his caregivers. We give him the juice and can tell he is very hungry. I wish we could bring him with us.

To be continued....

Vitaly's Story- Ten years

2010-11-16T04:50:00.000-08:00

It seems a bit unreal that it has been ten years since we first traveled to Ukraine and adopted our first son.

We had done a "webpage" back then to capture Vitaly's journey. Interesting enough the sight later shut done because the new craze became a blog!

So, in honor of our first adoption I have decided to cut and paste his story here, as a little reminder of the journey to our first cabbage patch kid! (but I will do it a few days at a time..)

OUR ADOPTION STORY
Day One: "Plane Day" 11:45 a.m. Dayton, Ohio- November 18th, 2000I cannot believe our time to travel to Ukraine has finally arrived. We have planned, worked on our paperwork, and rerouted our adoption for almost one year. It almost seems surreal to be leaving in a few minutes. Even with all the planning, I am still repacking and trying to get every detail just right. Total luggage count: Two large suitcases containing my clothes/essentials/gifts. Two large duffels bags which contain Larry's clothes/baby clothes/orphanage donations/blankets/pillows. One carry-on with a change of clothes and paperwork. Two backpacks with personal goods. We are also carrying moneybelts with a total of 10,000$ inside. Our last item to carry-on is an umbrella stroller. Larry hates it, but I know it will be a savior later on.4:30p.m.- Chicago, IllinoisWe are finally departing the USA and heading for Zurich, Switzerland. We are traveling on Swiss Airlines. It is a very nice plane, but the flight will take approximately nine hours. Luckily, another Cathy Harris family is on board. Carolyn Braden and her daughter Brittany. I cannot believe our luck, because we are only one row apart! We are able to talk and share our excitement.7:30p.m.- Chicago timeWe are due to arrive in Zurich, in less than six hours. I am so excited, I cannot sleep. Even though I know if I do not sleep now, who knows when I will. The anticipation is killing me!

Day Two: "Kyiv Day" 8:30a.m. Zurich, Switzerland- November 19th, 2000We are in the Zurich Airport. There is nothing to do, but wait for our 10:50a.m.flight to Kyiv. Larry, Carolyn, Brittany, and I are beginning to feel quite tired and cranky. One good thing is I have finally found a use for the umbrella stroller. It can double as a luggage carrier. What a relief for our aching backs.2:00p.m.- Kyiv AirportI cannot believe it. We have finally arrived in Ukraine. The day is very overcast and dreary. The airport is very old. We all enter into a large room. On one side is a booth to buy medical insurance, while another line is for passports/visas. There are many other Americans in line and we all introduce ourselves. After we have retrieved our tremendous amount of luggage, we head to the customs line. Customs asks for specific items to be declared- anything electronic, money, jewelry, or medicines. Larry and I both must fill one out, because we are both carrying these items. I list a radar detector, we have brought as a gift for our facilitator. It is the wrong thing to do. Not only does the customs official want to know if we have gifts, but to actually see this "radar" detector. I am thinking- yeah right- I have no idea where it is. Seven bags and I am suppossed to find a radar detector. So, as we open and dig, I come across a cheap radio headset I forgot about. The custom's official is watching me, so I proudly say "Oh, here it is." Larry looks at me disgusted and says, "No, it's a radio!" And, I sternly say, "Here it is- the radar detector." Larry agrees and the custom's officials look a bit confused and wave us through.6:00p.m.- Kyiv, UkraineWe really like our facilitator Dima and our translator Masha. Dima is a rather large guy in Ukrainian standards and is very young. Our translator is a beautiful young woman and very sweet. They will be our companions for the next few weeks. We travel to the Tourist Hotel and our room is not bad. Clean and comfortable. Dima and Masha say good-bye and tell us they will pick us up at 8:30a.m., to go to the Adoption Center (AC). Larry and I decide to get a bite to eat at an English Pub, inside of the hotel. Larry orders a grilled ham/cheese sandwich, which is the size of a slice of garlic toast. I get some onion soup and rice. The food is okay. We are in bed by 8:00p.m., and sleep until 6:00a.m.

Day Three: "Adoption Center" 6:00a.m.- KyivWe are feeling much better after a good sleep and a hot shower. I cannot believe today, we are going to the NAC. We dress in our better outfits and wait impatiently in the lobby. Dima and Masha finally pick us up and have great news- we are first in line. We wait for what seems like an eternity in a dark hall. There are about 25-30 other couples. It turns out we are second, but who cares, much better then last. We see Carolyn and many other IUAFN (Independent Ukrainian Adoption Family Network) families. 10:30a.m.- ACWe finally are called into Mrs. Kunko's office. She is the Director of the NAC.(National Adoption Center) She asks us, "why we are you here?" We have brought a picture of a family who have adopted twice and smile. She says there are no available children under three and none healthy. We nod and say we want a boy under three with minor correctable conditions. She sends us to another room, where a lady named Tatiyana is waiting. Tatiyana brings out a book with many older children or children with very serious problems. We politely shake our heads no and wait for more pictures. We are shown a book from the Lugansk region. There are three boys pictures and they seem to be healthy and around the age of two. Larry and agree we will go see them. I am relieved there is more than one child, available at the orphanage. We hope there might be others available too, because we really want a younger child. As we are leaving, we once again see Carolyn and the other families. They are still waiting their turn. We are so happy our facilitator is Dima.Noon- KyivWe buy our train tickets and now have the day to sightsee until our train departs. Kyiv has many beautiful churches and we see sights like St. Andrew's and St. Sophia's. Masha is a terrific guide.11:30p.m.- Train to LuganskI am so relieved this day is over. The Adoption Center is one of the most stressful and emotional things, we have done yet. We are now traveling 17 hours on a "first-class" sleeper train. We give some presents to Masha and Dima and try to sleep.

Day Four: "Train and Lugansk Day" 7:30a.m.-Train to LuganskSo far, this train ride has been okay. We have heard horror stories about the restrooms and overall conditions in general of the trains. But, personally, I have slept in worse places. Our compartment has two bench seats, which convert to beds, a table, and a TV. Of course, they only show American films dubbed in Russian. So, Larry and I read and sleep. Looking out the window is very interesting. The landscape and villages are a scene right out of an old soviet photo. There are very small villages with people leading goats and cows. Everyone seems very busy walking, riding bikes, or doing chores. The villages seem so remote, I wonder where they could be going. Most of the homes are very run-down, yet they paint them in vivid colors. It is fascinating.1:00p.m.- LuganskWe arrive in Lugansk. Dima meets us at the train station. He has driven over night in his Blazer. Our bags are so heavy, it takes three trips to unload them from the train. Dima says we will not be able to go to the orphanage today. We decide to check into the "best" hotel in the region. It has hot water and heat, unlike the one Masha stays in. We are lucky to meet another family in IUAFN- Rob, Sue, and Noah Corrigan. What a relief, I am so glad they are here with us. They are adopting a two year old boy and will be in court by Thursday.4:00p.m.-LuganskWe all meet at the Internet Cafe across the street from the hotel. Now, we have something to do when we are bored. It costs 4.5gryvnas for an hour (@5 gs=1$).We decide to go to a restaurant in town for dinner. We of course are the only Americans, but they have an English menu. So, we point to what we want, but the waitress cannot read English! I order some chicken with brown gravy, and mashed potatoes. Larry has chicken soup, Schnitzel and potatoes. The Corrigan's have a type of ravioli and pork. It is all good and we talk about the children we might see at the orphanage. They tell us of a cute red head boy with green eyes available for adoption. He is one of the pictures we were shown at the AC! It is cold, but we walk back to the hotel.

Day Five: "A Terrrible Day" 5:00a.m.-Lugansk HotelI am not able to sleep. My mind is racing in anticipation of going to the orphanage. I get up and rearrange the suitcases and look over some notes. Larry awakes around 8 and we go to breakfast in the hotel disco. We are served salami/cheese/slaw and bread. The butter slices looks like cheese (which I mistake them for) and I take a huge bite. Larry thinks this is hilarious. Next, we are served mashed potatoes with an egg and beets on top with sausage. Desert is wedding cake!Noon: LuganskWe are leaving for the orphanage in two cars. The Corrigan's are going to visit their new son Andy. We are going to FIND our son. Our translator Masha has to stay in Lugansk to fix some paperwork fot the Corrigan's. We are traveling with the Corrigan's translator- Yman. This does not make me happy. I want to be with Masha. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the orphanage, which is in the middle of nowhere. As we pull up, I see a group of children bundled up and outside. Larry and I smile. We are getting very anxious to see the children. We wait in a hall for about 30 minutes, and then, we are brought into a bleak office with a desk and two chairs. The head doctor comes in and barely glances at us. She seems very rude and asks Yman why we are there. She says there are no babies, only two years and older. We say okay, and she tells the nurse to bring in the first child. We know right away he is very sick and cannot stand. He is about three and when he sees us he screams and bangs his head on the wall repeatly. We are not prepared for this and don't know what to do. They say he has CP and many other conditions. We know he is not our son. We feel bad, but, we know they will often show the sickest children first. The next child is older then three. He cannot stand/walk. They say he also has CP. I am beginning to get worried and a bit upset. The doctor is glaring at us and Yman asks if we want to see him longer. We try to explain, we have come to see the children we were shown in the AC. We say we would like to see children with minor correctable conditions or less severe maladies. The doctor shakes her head and leaves the room. She tell Yman there are none available. Yman tells us there are two more boys, but they are very ill. This completely upsets me, and I break down and begin to cry. Then, Yman says "That is all, then" I am crying and ask "What about the three boys we saw at the AC?" He shrugs and states "This is all they have." I am a wreck. Larry and I run outside. The Corrigan's also run outside and cannot believe we have not been shown any of the AC children, including the red headed boy. Masha and Dima finally show up. He demands we go back into the orphanage to see another boy. The doctor says he is very ill. I want to leave the orphanage and say "Let's just go." But, they make me sit and I am crying. The doctor states "He is 2.5 and his mom drank a lot!" (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) He is the size of a three month old and cannot even hold up his head. Everyone is looking at me and I tell Masha he is to ill and I want to leave. I am very upset for the children, and how I hate to turn them down, but I know they are not my son. We all leave the orphanage.

3:00 p.m.We are still sitting in a cold blazer. We are waiting to hear from the AC. We are also waiting for the Corrigan's to finish court. Dima answers the phone. There is alot of screaming. Masha is looking worried. I ask her "What has happened?" She says the AC wants us to go back to the orphanage. Thay think we have been shown the boys we saw in the pictures. I explain again, we were not shown them. I start to cry. About 45 minutes later the AC calls back. We are allowed to go to the baby house in Maripol. There should be three quite healthy baby boys under two. YEAH!6:00 p.m. LuganskThere are no trains to Maripol. So we hire a driver (50 dollars) for the three hour drive. We decide to leave in the a.m. We spend our last evening in Lugansk with the Corrigan's (who were successful in court) and Masha. Dima has gone ahead without us. We drink some good beer and eat undercooked chicken. We are asleep by ten. I am able to sleep for eight hours for the first time in a week. I dream of the boys we were shown in the orphanage.

To be continued tomorrow.....

October 1

2010-10-01T04:57:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone? I looked and it is suddenly October 1. Here is a quick update:

On September 12, my five year old turned six. I told her that she was not allowed, that she had to remain a little girl and mommy was not letting her grow up. She refused to listen and told me that I could not do that. She had to grow up! And off she skipped to enjoy the day and play.

All of the kids are having a great season with football:

Vitaly has played quietly for five years. He always has a smile for the coaches, but never quite gets the limelight. Well, his day to shine came a few weeks ago. He made three great tackles and helped stop a touchdown. The team and coaches were so happy for Vitaly, they poured the water bucket on his head! He came home proud, smiling and giddy. Yes, even a child with a major disability can be a star!

Nikolai continues to terrorize the football field as the unsuspecting safety that despite his size can do some brutal damage!

Oksana’s dream of finally getting to be a cheerleader has come true. She patiently waited until she was in Kindergarten to get her chance. She adores it and is a natural.

I have been traveling A LOT! I have traveled to Baltimore-Atlanta-Chicago and Salt Lake City in the past two months. It has been crazy but fun.

I included some pics of Nikolai working out with some UD Flyer football players!

MIA

2010-08-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been Missing In Action. I apologize for the oversight and will continue with some quick updates!

Mid- June my brother and his family arrived from Germany for a visit.

The kids got to go to Kings Island which they loved. Personally, I did not love the 100 degree heat nor did my sister in laws. Poor Nik was just a half inch too short to ride the big rides and coasters. Vitaly was tall enough but just didn't have enough guts, and there was no way I was going to attempt anything high or spinning.

For the Fourth of July we drove to Farmington Hills, Michigan to spend time with the cousins and my Aunt/Uncle.

Oksana and Nikolai excelled at Softball and definitely will be moving to the Baseball Fields next season.

I traveled to Baltimore for a week of training in July.

Football and Cheerleading has begun and the first game is two weeks away and school a short three weeks.

Summer has flown by!

A little Trim

2010-06-17T04:49:00.001-07:00

Nik and I were relaxing on the porch when he asked me:

"Mom, why don't you have hair under your arms?"

I looked at him and said- why am I supposed to?

He stated, well some girls have hair. I said like who?

He said Brittney Spears and Lady Gaga.

(Now, I have no idea if the above is true or not, and I am not confirming).

I said, I do not because I shave my legs and underarms.

He said,
"Well, daddy needs to shave then too!"

Reconstructive Surgery

2010-05-27T06:11:00.001-07:00

Oksana was admitted to Shriner's last Wednesday for a plastic revision to her nose and lip. The Physician told us he had to take the "whole thing apart" and put it back together but she really needed it. He told me that she will look different now- which made me sort of sad because I thought she was beautiful just the way she was. Hopefully this will help her nose; and she won't have so many sinus infections once it is opened larger.

We talked about what to tell everyone. I was worried she would not know how to explain her bruised face, stiched lip-nose and bandaged nose, with globs of dried blood, and a major shiner!

Instead of explaining she had cleft, I told her to tell them she had surgery to repair a boo-boo.

This has really helped because so far everyone thinks that:

A. She fell off her bike
B. She got hit by a baseball/soccerball, etc...

Two more weeks and we will see the new Oksana!

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day has always been bittersweet to me.
Through the years, my birthday has often fallen on Mother's Day.
I always thought how proud my mom was when she looked at me celebrating my birthday, on her special day.
I always loved to surprise my mom with a homemade card, some wildflowers and maybe homemade desert.
Twenty years ago, I gave my mom a card on mom's day, as she laid in the hospital struggling with the pain of complications from leukemia. It was the last mother's day, I would celebrate with her. She passed away that June. Twenty years ago this year.

Today when I came down stairs, I was greeted by some beautiful plants and cards! Smiling proudly stood my own daughter; who reminded me so much of myself at her young age.
She was so proud to have snuck in the flower surprises without me knowing; and happy to see me smile! She had inpatiently waited for three days, to retrieve her goodies she had made at school for the occassion as well. She was giddy with delight! Of course, the boys were more interested in playing their video games instead.

I hope she remembers these special days and surprises twenty years from now. The same way, I recall the special bond Mother's Day held for my mom and me.

Quickly catching up

2010-05-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been negligent in my blogging- so I will quickly backtrack.

March came and went with three significant occurrences.

Larry turned 45.
Nikolai turned 9.
And four years ago on March 31st, we were shown the first picture of a little girl that was precious Oksana.

April began the start of Soccer for all three kids.
They are all doing an outstanding job for their teams and Vitaly even scored a goal (huge feat for him)!
Nikolai is a powerhouse with the soccer ball and great goalie.
When not conversing with the other players or picking flowers on the field Oksana has exceptional soccer abilities!

At the end of April, I got to travel to San Antonio for work.

Last we are slowly getting our remodeling completed with the help of a hired handyman. Unfortunately the slowness is due not only to my lack of interior decorating finesse but to our handyman’s calling in sick policy- which happens a lot! Maybe by the end of May, I can post the pictures of my new dining room!

The Cabbage Patch Kidz: World Autism Awareness Day

2010-04-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Cabbage Patch Kidz: World Autism Awareness Day: "Today is World Autism Awareness Day.

As a parent of a child that encompasses many of the spectrums of the Autism Rainbow, I feel compelled to talk a little about what it is like.

Having a son that is not typical is sort of like landing on a new planet. A world that is completely new or as a Clincial Social Worker once described my son- very complex!

His planet although similiar to ours is just in another galaxy. Some days it feels like he is light years away and some days he is circling like the moon. It is a world full of wonder and colors, but also hidden trenches that we cannot enter, but he can.

There are days which he may seem very normal, and there are days the differences are vast. As a parent it is very hard to know that normal will probably never be his world. The best I can do is nuture and hope that others can do the same. I can pray that one day that he will have a best friend, maybe find true love, be able to pay bills, have a job, and maybe just maybe, even live on his own."

Something is LOOMING

2010-03-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those times where something is LOOMING..and the LOOMING something is a fear or dread that you want to run and hide from but you can't and you know it.

Each passing day the LOOMING something gets nearer and your anxiety rises.

This past weekend my something LOOMED in front of me for ready to finalize today.

It invaded my happy thoughts, it disrupted my peaceful weekend rest, it made me want to throw it in the garbage. But, it would not go away.

So I did my LOOMING something and now it is over (or at least for now). My blood pressure is back to my normal, I can concentrate on other things, I am looking forward to the rest of the week and beyond!

The Powerpoint Presentation is over!

The joys of winter

2010-03-02T03:48:00.000-08:00

"Surprise" picture

2010-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning up my computer at work and came across this cute and cuddly little girl being kissed by her new mommy about four years ago.

I had just returned to work after the adoption.

My dear friend Kim decided to throw a "surprise" shower for me, during lunch. Unknown to me, my babysitter and Larry were in on the surprise. After I had dropped my bundle of love off for the day, they turned around and dressed her in a new outfit with shoes and all! Luckily, the sitter did her hair and not Larry. Then, while I quitely ate my lunch in another room, co-workers, Larry and Oksana hid in wait. I walked in after they called me and saw my wonderful surprise. I cried!

She is so tiny here- only about 20 months old!
So sweet and precious!
My Ukrainian Princess~

Nocturnal

2010-02-01T05:06:00.000-08:00

As we drove in the dark this morning, Oksana says- Mommy bats sleep during the day. I said yes honey that is correct, they are nocturnal. Do you know what nocturnal means?

Nik- yeah they sleep during the day and come out at night!
So what else is nocturnal I asked....

Owls, foxes, coyotes, ....and then from the backI hear...
Teenagers!

The future...

2010-01-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Looking into the future...

I have a scary feeling....

In ten more years....

This might just be reality!

He looks just a little TOO comfortable!

Skye Update

2010-01-13T10:01:00.001-08:00

I have been asked how my dog is doing?

http://thecabbagepatchkids.blogspot.com/2009/12/skye.html

Well, she has made a 90% improvement. It has truly been a miracle the way she has improved. When she first went down, I had thought would not return from the Emergency Vet. I had thought her time had come and at her age, there was nothing they could really do.

Amazingly, TLC w/ lots of rest and encouragement has sprung her back to her old crazy dog ways. She has now rejoined us at the dinner table (not that this was a good thing) stealing what she can when noone is looking, wrestling with our other dog, scratching (to my horror) our carpet, barking persistently at unforeseen enemies, and the most annoying of all licking her paws and floor over and over. The only difference is sometimes her head is cocked at 20 minutes after the hour degree, in a weird sort of angle. She has also decided she prefers to be carried up the steps- but carrying a hefty and stocky 60 pound border collie up a flight of stairs is not the easiest thing for her or me.

Oh and just yesterday, the kids conveniently left the door open and she escaped. In the past, she would have continued to run until she cornered some unwary stranger she could circle and snarl at, found a large creek to wade in, or chased a squirrel up a tree. Instead, when I ran out to look for her, she saw me from about four houses down and ran TOWARDS me!

Something is Missing

2010-01-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

It starts with a wiggle...

Then a few more...

And a tug or two... a pull and..

Oksana has lost her first tooth!

Traffic Report

2010-01-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

Weather: Snow and Ice
Roads: Slick
Traffic Report on the Radio: "Many spin-outs on Interstate..."

..a moment of silence after the report, in the van, and then...

Nikolai (with total excitement): AWESOME!!!!! Spinouts! wrrrrrrr..CRASH!

Seriously, why DO little boys love this stuff?

2010

2010-01-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went in the regular traditional fashion with church, Santa, too many presents and too much food, with the laughter of family and friends, and tired overloaded children.

Before we knew it, New Year's Eve was upon us, but we were all tucked quietly in bed, as 2009 ticked down and 2010 came to be.

2010. It sounds so futuristic- just like a movie title back in the 1980's.

I personally have decided to make it my reality, and run with the prospects of a new year and the amazing new things it will hold.

My first plan of action is health. Although I do not talk of it, my health has not been as good as it should be and I completely blame myself. Sure I am ready to finally lose those extra pounds, but there are other conditions too. I am determined they will get better first and foremost.

My second plan of action is family. Although I would like to be the smiling mom with the perfect children, it is not reality. Nope. Not even close. Instead, we as a family will strive to respect, love and do our chores! We will not yell, fight or leave our dirty clothes on the floor!

My third plan of action is faith and friends. I will take a mmoment each day to pray/meditate and keep in touch with those I love.

My fourth plan of action is to plan. I have a lot of planning to do...vacations, finances, futures, etc...

My fifth plan is to soar. Seize the day. Go with the flow and maybe make some waves!

Welcome 2010!

Ho Ho Hum

2009-12-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

I am having a hard time getting into the whole Holiday thing. Only four days left to find it! Maybe, as soon as the presents are wrapped and I have marked off the last to do on my list...

In the meantime, I will back track and maybe find some...

Here is the start of the Holidays, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. We spent a very quite evening with my sister and my niece and nephew. If you look closely, you may even see a glimpse of the otherwise, elusive and rarely photographed...me! (between my niece/nephew).

The following day was our traditional outing to the Christmas Parade with a stop at Spaghetti Warehouse. It just happened to be the coldest day, yet of the season.

The gang is bundled up and having fun (not sure why it is yellow?)

Here is our attempt at a holiday portrait prior to the kid's singing in the choir at church.

Some people strive to post the oh-ah pics of their kids on their blogs.

Instead this is what I get trying to get a portrait, as a photographing Queen...

We did not quite hit the Christmas card mark, we were aiming for!

In fact, this is as close to a Christmas card as we are going to get! Joy, Peace and Love All!

While the boys spent the weekend with a friend, mom snuck out and carefully raided the aisles of Toys R Us, Walmart, and all in search of the last parcels of loot.

Dad in the meantime took our Snow Princess to see a very, very tall tree, and a glimpse of the big man and the misses!

((Go ahead you may ohh and aww over the cuteness!))

Finally, I was informed yesterday when the boys returned from the weekend that Nikolai had the nerve to tell me that Santa is not REAL! Excuse me? Did I hear right?

To that I answered, wellI guess then you won't get the things you asked the Big Guy for because Dad and I don't know what they were!

Which in turn, he started to chant..."I believe, I believe, I believe..." You better young man, or at least, until I decide when I retire as Ms. Claus!

Skye

2009-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday was not a good day for my dog Skye. Our old rescued dog that doesn’t like strangers, has been to a dog psychologist and is a hard-working Border Collie. We think she is 12 but we are not for sure.

On Saturday, she had gone for a walk and was her old annoying self- barking at any perceived threat, jumping on the table in hopes of grabbing the kid’s food, stealing “treats”, scratching at the carpet, etc…

Then on Sunday, she seemed a bit lethargic. Limping a little the way she does when her old hips hurt. So, Larry took Stormy for a walk and Skye stayed behind with me.
Suddenly, she went right down hill. She vomited, walked into the furniture, got completely confused, fell over and her eyes started to twitch.

I held her and cried and called out for anyone to help (like the kids) but everyone was outside. Finally, Larry showed up and I said she needs to go to the Emergency Vet right now! So he carried her to the car, I cried and said good-bye thinking this was the end.

Then he called and said he was bringing her home and she had a degenerative vestibular disease and yes it can come on that fast. The last few days have passed and she has slowly getting better. Her head tilts to the left and she doesn’t like to stand, but she is alive and even oversees Stormy’s behavior with the occasional bark and growl.

Now, only time will tell what her future holds; and if she can improve enough to lead an old dog’s slow life.

Three Favorite Words

2009-12-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Oksana loves learning how to spell.

Lately, she has a new favorite.

She loves to spell- I LOVE YOU!

What could be better than hearing: Mommy guess what? I L-o-v-e Y-o-u!

What is THAT?

2009-12-16T08:23:00.001-08:00

So Nik and Oksana were chasing each other, falling on the ground and wrestling, yesterday in the backyard.

Yes, we have two dogs so it is not uncommon for the occassional run-in with some doggie doo doo on a shoe.

They came running inside and Nik ran into the wall. I looked at the wall and saw something that should not be there!
I said what is that?
Then, I said turn around...and yes it was just like I thought- Dog doo doo in his hair! GROSS!

So I told him, NOW we can officially call him a "poopyhead" when he gets pouty!

December 15

2009-12-15T09:02:00.001-08:00

Nineteen years ago, on this date, Larry and I got married. We were so young!

Nine years ago, on this date, we arrived on US soil with our first son- Vitaly. I remember crying, as I heard Christmas music and English! What an amazing ten year anniversary present!

One year ago tomorrow, Larry had his heart attack but is thankfully, now healthy.

Tonight we will celebrate the milestones of love, family and the gift of life, that seem to occur on December 15th.

Phase One...

2009-12-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

Phase One: Becoming a pre-teen, a trip to the Orthodontist

Vitaly was referred to the Orthodontist by our Dentist for a severe overbite.

Now,he needs a spacer to do this and that to his bite, for about nine months.

Total cost for such an appliance such as this:

that goes in the roof of your mouth.....

a little over $3500!

And that doesn't even cover the costs of the braces to follow. (don't even want to know what they will cost, but 5K seems @ average)

YIKES!

Then the Orthodontist looked around at my other two cuties, checked their teeth and agreed they too would be seeing him in the future. Big sigh.

Oh and looking at supplemental insurance plans to our own plan, they do not help when it comes to the Orthodontist.

Luckily for Vitaly it came in many colors, glitters and swirls. His pick...

Orange and Black.

The same colors as his two favorite football teams: His Black Attack team and the Bengals

Boogie Shoes

2009-11-17T04:53:00.000-08:00

So, I guess there is a new song out.

Previously, it was called (My) Boogie Shoes, by KC and the Sunshine Band. An upbeat little song, that has the tendency to stay in your head for the day.

Today, when it came on the radio Oksana chimed up it's " My Mommy's Boogie Shoes!" She proudly proceeded to sing with the chorus, which went something more like this...

"I wanna put on my, mommy mommyy's boogie shoes! and Boogie with u!"

Of course, Nikolai thought this was just hilarious, as he began to dance in a strange hypnotic off beat way.

Poor girl, if she only knew mommy's boogie shoes have no rhythm, she would not want to put them on!

A Time to Give

2009-11-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Dear All:

Oksana wants to give back to the children of Shriner's and the wonderful care she receives, this holiday season and beyond.

She has talked about the children that live every day in a hospital room.

Most have nothing to do but watch TV/DVDs/play games and do activities, while under painful treatment. These activities are their only release. Most are severly burned and spend months/years undergoing painful operations and recuperations.

Each time we go there, Oksana gets the best care and thankfully, we get to leave without the scars these children will endure the rest of their lives.

As we did our most recent surgery, Oksana and I noticed that they had a wonderful selection of DVD's for the kids, but they did not last forever for a child that might be there for weeks- months.

Nor, did they have other language DVDs or PG rated adult Dvds as many of the children and parents have come from all over the world.

So we gratefully ask that if anyone wants to donate slightly used or new DVD's to Shriners, we would be excited for you to join us. You may send them to your own local Shriner's or if you would like to send them to us, as we will be taking them to the Cincinnati Shriner's for Oksana to give to her new/old friends that have endured many painful surgeries for burns, clefts and ear pinnings.

If you would like to send us your DVD's or other donations (toys gifts) we will be happy to take them to the children, as Oksana will give them back to her special friends and others.

We can make many trips :)

A simple email and I will give you the address to send, at boomerseyler@yahoo.com

Thank you!
From,
Oksana and all of us!

Fall Back

2009-11-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

I love an extra hour to sleep, just as much as anyone else!
But, truth be told, the Fall Back time change has put my body out of whack!
Last night I fell asleep at 9:00 pm, because technically it was 10:00 to my body. (yes, I usually go to be early).
Then, the past two mornings- awake- way to early.
Yesterday, it was probably 4:30 AM and today 4:20.

To make the situation even more crazy, Oksana came bounding into our room at 4:30 AM this morning. Wide awake. Then, she got into our bed and proceeded to babble away, until we got up at our usual time- which is 5:30.

Of course there is a positive note too: the boys are easier to get out of bed in the morning and they go to sleep earlier- YEAH!

Bad dreams

2009-11-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

I really don't know what to think when your little girl in her sleep screams out:

Don't Vitaly! NO! Don't Vitaly!

Then, a little while later:

Don't do it Nikolai, don't touch it! That is a real knife put it down or I am telling Mommy!

These are what she screamed out from her sleep last night, and awoke me (and others)both times!

I asked her about it in the morning and she said she had a bad dream. I would agree! Now it looks like we need to discuss these teasings with the boys!

And then what HAPPENED?

2009-10-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Okay Okay

I plead the working mommy 102nd commandment for working mommies- I will update my blog after major events!

Death by stitches or see previous blog.. for Nik's stitches response...

Oksana's preop overnite at Shriners she had a blast with the other kids eating popcorn and playing games, while Mommy struggled with pre-op sleeping in the room.

Seven surgeries and still a good girl. No wonder throwing up is much more traumatic with your tongue tied! Eight hours of post surgery yuckies and then a deep sleep until, she awoke crying...

She said mommy I need to go to the bathroom and go home!

As a seasoned veteran to hospital stays I told her you must drink and eat first!

So, she did like a strong little girl!

And then she got to do this with her favorite Nurse... (she did the drawings) and say good bye to some of the most amazing burned children from all over the world. They are the true heroes of Shriners! Please give whenever you can to ensure these amazing hospitals!

Hi ho hi ho and off to the hospital we go!

2009-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

We have been having some time at the hospital! Two Sundays ago, it all began when Nikolai had a run in at a friend's house with a dog cage to his scalp. After much crying, bleeding and deliberation the decision was made to visit the ER. Nik of course wanted NOTHING to do with a stitch to his head, but after some numbing meds, he felt no pain. Although he did cry out to the stitching staff... "Are you trying to KILL ME or what!" He now sports eight stitches!

Oksana and I are back at Shriner's. We are spending the night getting her ready for her surgery, in the morning. It is the same surgery she had a year ago, that needed revisions. If all goes okay we should be home no later than Saturday, but hopefully Friday. She did ask if Santa was going to be here again (he showed last year for trick or treat). I told her probably not, he was probably busy getting ready for Christmas!

Black Attack 2009

2009-10-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

Vitaly's Team:

Although this year they have not been as successful as their 8-1 record of last, it is still great to see him with a group of young boys that call him a teammate (photo courtesy of their team mom)

Player of the Week

2009-09-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Who would have ever guessed that Nikolai was going to be so into Football that his tackling and Safety/Linebacker skills have earned him the title of "Player of the Week" for his team!

That is right Player of the WEEK!

Nothing could make a child prouder who has worked so hard, to prove that small does not mean fierce!

The team also got to travel to the local University and work out with the players.

Here he is with a QB for the Dayton UD Flyers.

How cool is that!

Slammin' and the Paralyzer

2009-09-18T05:24:00.001-07:00

You may not want to mess with this 45 pound terror (aka The Paralyzer):

if you are playing in the bantam black league...

BEWARE!

Yes, the "P" has put major hurt on those unsuspecting players

that have felt the sting of his tackles. And cried a few tears caused by the pain.

Two QB sacks and ten major tackles. He is the tiny, unforeseen, speedy weapon.

(We think the blue shoes make him faster!)

Here is Slammin'

A lineman that has gone against a boy that weighed over 150 pounds.

Unfortunately, his team has been up against some hard (BIG)teams this year

But playing hard is still the name of the game!

Mommy, I have to!

2009-09-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's not going to happen I tell her. But, Mommy I have to!

I still say you are not allowed. But, Mommy that is not fair!

I tried to stop her. I begged and pleaded for her not to do it,
but she knew I couldn't stop her...

And, poof just like that my baby girl turned five.
And, there was nothing I could do, but enjoy the tiny footsteps of a young little lady.

May you never quit believing in your dreams

I hope you dance...

And dance....

My sweet beautiful Princess!

Feet

2009-09-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

We went shoe shopping because Vitaly can literally grow right out of his shoes! His old shoes had toes hanging out and holes as big as a quarter.

He wanted some fancy new velcro Sketchers. So, we went and picked out his size of six at the store and tried them on. But for some reason, they seemed a bit on the short end.

So I took out his foot and placed it in that funky foot sizer...7!

What a size 7? How can that be he just turned 10. Mom (me) wears a six (EE-yikes). That means his foot his bigger than mine. That doesn't seem possible. Unfortunately, he still got Sketchers but they were tied not velcro, and not as cool!

Now, I am worried what his pants for next year will look like! I am guessing there will be a flood!

First Day of School 2009

2009-08-25T06:16:00.001-07:00

Polo Shirts - Check
Transformer Backpacks- Check
Summer Tans- Check
New Lunchbags- Check
Jealous Dog (in door window)- Check

Presenting one Fourth Grader and one Second Grader ready, but not "overly excited", to return to school.

Can't you just see the "Joy" on Nikolai's face!

Summer update

2009-08-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

So as everyone can see by my lack of upkeep of the blog for the summer, I will retrace the main reason for the delay.

In mid June, I traveled to Las Vegas for a work conference.
I returned for a short period, before departing to Denver with Oksana in tow to visit my brother, SIL and niece.
After a whirlwind trip to Denver, I returned home for a few days at the beginning of July.
July 5, I left for a work conference in New Orleans for a week!

I came back for a week to work and take kids to Doctor appointments; then we packed up and left on July 18th for Orlando returning on the 27th.
On July 31, I headed out again, this time to Michigan for some family reuniting and blueberry picking. Needless to say, by that Sunday I had a raging fever, my body was exhausted!

On Saturday, August 8, Vitaly turned ten years old. I can't believe I have a pre-teen! We celebrated his birthday and enjoyed catching up with some friends.

As I take a big breath, I am happy to say that I will not be traveling anymore, at least through the end of August! I will enjoy these last few days of summer, and even take a day off to really enjoy a summer day with my children, before school begins in less than two weeks. The summer has literally flown by me!

The Final Florida pics

2009-08-12T16:43:00.003-07:00

Masha with a cold beverage, hot sun and great pool- can it get any better!

Ukrainain Angels Reunion 2009

Valerie, Oksana and her Ukie Best gal pal Z!

Cool Dude

Downtown Disney

Cinderella and her Prince

Valerie treats the kids to a Disney Pez (she is soo sweet!)

Princess Oksana

A Ukrainian Rose

Discovery Cove Florida - in pictures

2009-08-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

We LOVED LOVED LOVED Discovery Cove in Orlando!
Valerie and Masha swam with the dolphins
We swam in coral reefs among manta rays, beautiful fish and even sharks nearby.
Vitaly and Valerie did the (what felt like) half mile lazy fresh water river about 15 times and enjoyed every adventure!
We loved the stingray lagoon and swimming all day and the food and drink was great!
A great time was had by all in this little piece of paradise hidden inside of Orlando.

Masha, Valerie and the gang!

Florida: Seaworld

2009-08-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

SEAWORLD: What a great time touching dolphins and stingrays, riding the rides, and watching Shamu and the other shows! Fun was had by all (especially getting drenched at the shamu show!)

Florida (in pictures) days one and two

2009-07-29T17:27:00.001-07:00

We arrived in Florida after 15 hours (but a rest overnight) to meet our dear and best friend Masha and her daughter from Ukraine. Here are days one and two... more to follow (click the pics to make them larger :))

Our Condo Pool (Vitaly, Valerie and Masha)

Nik " I am Pedro your Pool boy- do you want a swimmy or perhaps a cold beverage with an umbrella?"

A Ukrainian beauty at 11 and having the most amazing adventure of her life! (Considering she has never left Urkraine until now!)

Daddy does the slide (mommy NEVER did! Scary looking after all!)

Masha LOVED RED LOBSTER the last time she was here. Called it her favorite restaurant ever! So of course, we took her back to her fav and she LOVED it even more. I think it was the shrimp scampi!

Of course we needed a group shot (Minus me the typical photographer)

And what cannot finish a photo shoot without the bunny ears! (your classic picture for years to follow!)

bad words

2009-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting and talking to some newly acquired friends at the pool, Oksana runs up and says,

"Mommy, Vitaly said a really bad word!" "
"He said a really really bad word!"
"Not stupid or shut-up, but the really really bad one! Like the one you say all of the time Mommy!"

Denver continued.... in pics

2009-07-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for the delay right after Denver, I had to fly to New Orleans for a week! One word I have for it..CRAZY!!)

Here are some pictures from our Denver trip where Oksana met my brother, her Aunt and cousin S (who is the same age) for the first time. Their home is a little girl's dream with princess toys, and dress-up clothes that had Oksana thinking she had flown to a little girl's paradise..:)!

Cousin S and Oksana ready to visit my friends new baby

My Friend's new baby....(for those that know her ;)

Brother and his family

Rocky Mountain National Park- BEAUTIFUL~

Crystal clear stream that my brother found two "fake" gold nuggets from for the girls:

Rocky Mountain Cutie!

The girls and I

Two beautiful cousins

Little Miss Sunshine!

Feeding the chipmunks at "Chipmunk City"

Lunch in the park

Summertime Fun!

tidbits

2009-07-02T16:28:00.001-07:00

Oksana was so excited for her first airplane ride (post adoption).

Tidbits:

Oksana after a two hour non-stop conversation, mommy asked the following after landing (outloud)

Mommy...you can be a pilot or a stewardess if you want.

Oksana.."nope"

"I want to be a mommy and YELL at everyone"!

Second tidbit:

Oksana to me with MM's...wow mom they have CHOCOLATE in the middle ...with a smile:)

National Guard Chopper

2009-06-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

The boys were SO EXCITED to go see this patriotic themed chopper built by Orange County Choppers; and donated to the National Guard last night.

Here is a photo the NG sent to them.

awesome comic

2009-06-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Just loved this when I saw it.

new Camera

2009-06-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

Larry's new camera

So now that we have a nice camera,we will start with the "MAN" photos taken by Larry.

Also known as...action shots ...

or just a ray of sunshine

And what is more summer than sparklers in the yard in your jammies and staying up "late"

and the sparklers wore out dog #2

A new camera, new adventures and new memories,

that's what life is all about!

Where am I?

2009-06-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

Oh where have I been??

and...

And here...

And of course all around here...

So if you guessed Las Vegas- you are a winner! Just like me! In fact I won over $300! (including $168.00 on a penny slot machine!) YEAH!!!

A few days at a conference at the Paris Hotel and a chance to destress!

Next up...Denver :)

Memorial Weekend 1

2009-05-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Vitaly ran his first 5K ever, under 36 minutes, at a veterans memorial race. And to make it even better, he won his age group!
Here he is holding his number and dog tag medal.

The event also had a wonderful memorial day celebration. It is a beautiful veteran's campus and has a huge national cemetary,amazing history ( see church) and it is a great place to remember and honor those that have served. Here are some pictures

Civil War cannon, notice some of the national cemetary gravestones.

Freedom Horses

And isn't this he the coolest Abe!

Fish Food

2009-05-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

I traveled to the pet store to pick up some food for this:

Special little pellets made just for a Betta fish.

I said that doesn’t “look” like the same brand of pellets, we had before.

The pet store girl said the Betta’s eat it here.

I said, what if he doesn’t “like them”? She looked at me like I was crazy.

I took home my $4.00 little jar of pellets for Spike.

Guess what?

He didn’t eat them.
He spit them out.
He is a picky fish.
He prefers the other brand. Is that possible if you are a fish?

2 army men a girl and a birthday

2009-05-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

So our friend had a REALLY cool birthday for her son and the boys especially LOVED it!

Here are some cool army dudes...

and a REALLY COOL army cake

And the sweetest girl in the world that turned even the shyest little girl into her friend.

My friend's daughter is ultra shy and would not talk a word. Oksana said she is shy and I said " well you are not so go talk to her!" And off she went, and before you know it she had all of the girls playing
Here she is leading the girl army!

And

why I have been slacking.. well everyone knows I hate turning another year older.

Of course, it happened again...

A few birthday memories compliments of my son, Nikolai, that stole my camera as we ate at SAKI!

Waiting for a table at Cheesecake factory and told a THREE hour wait...WHAT?? Goodbye!

Self portrait driving to Saki

Grandpa enjoying the soup!

O Using her chopsticks and loving it!

Too many fried eggs!

And a bedtime story to end the day with our Aunt R:)

Sweet dreams~

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

Around 6:30AM on Sunday, I heard the patter of little feet going down the stairs. Since Oksana and Nikolai are a little scared to head down alone, I figured it was Vitaly.

I got up and saw Nikolai coming back up the stairs. In his hands, he held two papers, as he smiled proudly at me!

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy!” He happily exclaimed, as he opened the papers and began to read a story he had written for me. As a tear came to my eye, I felt blessed that I have been chosen, to be his mom.

And so it begins..

2009-05-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

And so it begins…

Yesterday, Vitaly took a major step in growing up. He went on his first school overnight.
The third graders from his school headed to Columbus, to spend the day and night, at COSI http://www.cosi.org/. He badly wanted me to go as a chaperone, but I wanted him to take that big step on his own.

When I was Vitaly’s age, I fondly remember spending the night, at COSI, too. (Although, when I was a child it was a different museum, for those oldies like me).

I have great memories of meeting many other children, eating our special meals, sleeping on the floor, and bringing home a:

1. Peanut plant (that actually grew a peanut later)
2. Hermit Crab (Bet my mom was ecstatic about that! I truly doubt they give these away anymore)

Vitaly’s group had such a big day and night planned. There was a dance party scheduled for 11:00 PM! Those poor chaperones that went with them! I can’t even imagine hundreds of third graders on the move that late at night. When he was in the car I told him they were having a dance and he might be dancing with a girl! The look on his face was priceless.

I hope he had a great time, and maybe, even got to dance!

A Man and His Dog

2009-05-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead...He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?''This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered... 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked. Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked. 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets..' The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' 'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked. 'This is Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.' 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.' 'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

The past weekend

2009-04-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

So Friday night, we headed to the Shrine Circus (free tickets of course) and the kids with our friends child got some event books. One fun point for the purchase is that the kids would have each "clown"sign their picture. At one point the kids saw a clown and left to get their prized signature. I went with them and we started talking and I told him how awesome the Shriner's had been with Oksana during her surgery. Then he said come with me! And he escorted the children into the "closed off area" to meet ALL of the clowns! So they all got their books signed and even a special medal that was given by the "top" clown! They were so excited!!! How cool is that!

Then Saturday the boys headed out for the Spring OSU Buckeyes scrimmage and the girls went to the spa. After getting my hair done and seeing the 80 temperatures in Ohio, I looked at Ms. O and said we need to get our toes done! So we did :):)

Blue for Ms O and Tropical red for me (fuzzy pic but who wants to see my 6 EE toes anyway!!)

Here are some boy's day out Pics...

Vitaly and Nik at the Horseshoe way cool!

Typical dad staging picture. A fence and a wall
and two boys!

And the fun of the game! GO Buckeyes!

Pictures from Easter, eggs and Sping break

2009-04-22T17:46:00.001-07:00

presentation

2009-04-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

For me giving a presentation to a large group of people is worse then cutting off my big toe without anesthesia. Seriously, I might choose the latter.

But...Since option B was not viable, I have completed option A.

Now, the weight has been liftedand it feels so good.
I have finished giving my presentation to all of the bigwigs where I work.
No more nightly studying of my presentation speech.
No more restless nights with dreams of failure.
The presentation is finished.
My boss said good job.

That sums it up for me. As long as she thinks it was good, then time to move forward.

The sun is shining, the weather is warm, and the stress is gone. YEAH, it's a beautiful afternoon.

Choir

2009-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday and Sunday, the kids performed with the church choir, during the Redeemer performance. They did a great job!

On Sunday, I was sitting near the exit in the back. The kids were able to see me, as they came in to sing. Oksana proudly smiled and waved to me, as she passed. Nikolai was a proud choir member staring straight ahead with a smile and following the next in line. Vitaly was embarrassed and shy, as he walked.

After they had finished singing their hearts out, the congregation applauded very loudly.

As they left, Oksana walked by me proud as could be, and loudly asked for the others to hear,

“Mommy, did you clap?”

Rite of Passage

2009-04-07T04:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I found Vitaly deep in thought, lying on my bed, looking at a magazine.

In front of him was the JC Penney circular.

He was staring at the women in the… lingerie.

Actually, to be more specific they were all in their bras.

He looked at me and said he thought they were very pretty, and he wished they were his girlfriends.

I told his dad, who seemed a bit embarrassed himself.

I guess it is one small rite of passage for a little boy, admiring the lingerie girls in the catalogs.

It is probably a good thing we don’t have the old National Geographic’s, in the house. You know the one’s. The same Nat Geo’s that seemed to enthrall my brothers for hours, when they were Vitaly’s age!

April Fools

2009-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

April1:

As we were getting ready to leave Nikolai ran out the door and yells, “Happy Birthday Mommy!”

Then Oksana follows him out and shouts, “Happy Birthday!”

What? I am confused.

So, once we were in the car I say, why did you wish me a happy birthday?
Nikolai says because March is over and it is May, and your birthday is in May.
Oksana agrees with this analysis.

Then I say, no you sillies, it is April first which is April Fool’s Day. I thought you had played an April Fool’s joke on me, when you said Happy Birthday.

Then I hear, “Mom there is a bug in your hair!.....April Fool’s.” Of course these little jokes go on and on.

Well, this morning as I am driving to the sitter’s Oksana says, “Mommy, you have a ballerina on your head…April Fool’s!”

Then Nikolai responds, “It’s not April Fool’s Day that was yesterday. Today is April second, and that doesn’t make any sense for her to have a ballerina on her head!”

Can’t wait to see what jokes next year brings!

The Fun of living with Little Boys #4

2009-03-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

Discovering "Hidden" Treasures.....!

Nik Turns Eight

2009-03-24T02:27:00.001-07:00

Today my quite little baby who was so mellow at 14 months

Who would just hang out sucking on his pacifier, taking in the day...

Has turned into a football, army and soccer loving kid! He loves to be silly! But, most of all he is a kind and gentle boy~

Happy Birthday to my Eight Year Old Nikolai~

Little Miss Chocolate

2009-03-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

One of the girls at work decided to get Oksana a little box of her own chocolates; after hearing about her sadness of not winning her box, at the quarter auction.

Here is a picture of her with her mini box (and Cinderella dress of course).

And here is one of her eating all FOUR chocolates in one sitting. Where is the self control?
As she bit into one filled with peanut butter, she gleefully exclaimed, “Mommy it has peanut butter AND chocolate!!!”

Chocoholic

2009-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Oksana and I went to a charity event for Breast Cancer.
The event was a quarter auction for donated items ranging from T-shirts to gift certificates and boxes of chocolate.

Oksana picked her paddle and chose number four (since she is four of course). Then the bidding began. The concept is you put a quarter in for each item you want to bid on and if your paddle number is called you win!

Oksana’s number was called early and she proudly won gift certificates to local restaurants for free food and sandwiches….

But, that is not what she really wanted. She didn’t even care about the Build-A- Bear or other little girl goodies. No, all she wanted was one of the five boxes of Ester Price chocolates.

Every time the chocolate came up for bidding, Oksana would stand up and hold her paddle as high as it would go, just hoping that by raising it the highest somehow she would win. When the auction ended, she did not win the chocolates. But, mom has learned an important fact. My daughter is a confirmed chocoholic! She once even told me she “needed” some chocolate. I had thought in the back of my mind she might be a chocolate craver. Like her sister-in-laws, aunts, and other women before her she needs her chocolate!

Intermission

2009-03-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in the continuation of fun with little boys. Mom has been MIA due to the cold and flu and down/out for almost five days straight! It is really that bad!

Tomorrow, back to our scheduled count down….

The Fun of living with Little Boys #3

2009-03-05T14:12:00.001-08:00

Exploration...............!

2009-03-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

The fun of living with Little Boys #2:

INNOVATION!

(volleyball net with a ballon :))

Living with little boys #1

2009-02-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

The fun of living with Little Boys #1:

Convenience..

An apple a day

2009-02-23T09:24:00.001-08:00

One day at lunch, I had cut up some apples for the kids.
Nikolai had chosen not to eat his.
So, I did the "mommy" philosophy thing and told him that eating apples makes you grow tall.

I pointed to Larry and said" see Daddy is tall because he ate his apples." Turning to Vitaly and Oksana I mentioned that "they were growing too because they just finished theirs!"

Then I looked at myself and said, "see I didn't eat my apples enough!"
---------------------------
A few days later Oksana and I were walking together. She turned to me and smiled and said mom I am growing very tall and will be as tall as you soon! I said, that is probably very true.

She looked at me and said, "mom you need to eat more apples!"

Smart little girl.

Search and Find

2009-02-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

Can you find the sleeping child...

Hidden amonst the sheets and pillows he lay...

Where he had climbed into his parents' bed to play...

But learned a valuable lesson instead...

Warm comfortable pillows, in a big soft bed, on a cold winter's night...

Can never beat the sandman to bed!

It's a...BOY!

2009-02-16T07:45:00.001-08:00

Introducing the newest member to our family....

SPIKE!

Nikolai had done a big goldfish project and we decided it was time for him
to have a pet of his own. He proudly took his Walmart gift card and proceeded to purchase the bowl and food. We then headed to the pet store, where he became the proud owner of his first fish a crown betta.

At least, he did not want a big hairy tarantula!

Eyeliner

2009-02-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just thought this was one of those "is this really happening" moments.

My eyeliner pencil broke and I needed one before work. So, I asked Oksana if mommy could “borrow” hers, from her huge Christmas stash.

She said, “Sure mommy, do you need me to help you?”

Now, I am just wondering…is it wrong for a mother to be borrowing eyeliner, from a four year old?

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

As we were heading to the sitter's I was explaining Groundhog Day to the kids. I told them that the groundhog that was hibernating would come out of his home and check the weather....

Oksana thought about it for a minute then said, " Mom, groundhog's don't have TV's!"

creative abilities

2009-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Oksana was so excited to get a BIG assortment of her own make-up at Christmas, thanks to our dear friends Mark and Rae Lynn.

Here is she demonstrates her creative ability with her goods...

She was so proud of herself!

What does one do on a cold, snowy, Ohio weekend?

The beginning....

Of Gumby Cop...

The proud creator of Mr. G Cop!

My Life Before

2009-01-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

On an Ukrainian adoption group we are part of. A family posted this story from their son who is now 13. The family has okayed me posting this for their son. They said he would feel honored. It is beautifully written and touching.

Here is their email and a little history"

"We adopted our son a year and a half ago when he was 13. He has decided to write a book of his time before we adopted him. Hope he can keep his stamina! Reading his stories, which he really wants to share with us, has given us so much insight into him and his life and thought process. Thought you might like hearing what goes through a kid's head. This story is from the time our son still lived with his biological parents. He was around 6 or 7.
Hope you like the story,"

MY LIFE BEFORE
I had three friends. One of them was kinda rich with a big house and nice stuff. I still remember. His name was Sasha. To go to his house you had to go straight and then high up the hill and to the right. Sasha had a scooter. Before school I asked if I could have it but he said “no”. His father had given it to him. I stole it in the winter at night.
It was during the day that I had decided to steal the scooter. While in school I thought about how to do it, drawing my plan on blank papers while the teacher talked. Without a plan things can go wrong. During the day his mother was always working next to the house putting out laundry on the lines. I knew at night would be the best time because everyone would be sleeping. If you want to steal something the best way is to do it at night or during the day when no one is home. At night you have to be careful because people have guns. I knew Sasha’s father had a gun because he went hunting. He could shoot at a shape without looking at the face.
After school Sasha went back to his house and I went my way. The guy was a good friend. When it was cold and I didn’t have food he brought me some, a big kind of fish. The night comes early in winter. I stayed up; didn’t go to sleep. I went to his house. He had a fat, sweet rottweiler. The dog knew me. I gave him a piece of bread while he was eating it I took the scooter. I got it and started running. I was so happy. A light in the house came on but I was running and, by that time, far away.
In the village where I was born there are four different colors. Spring is grey because the water is running on the streets. In summer everything is green, so green it looks fake. In autumn the village is yellow and orange but mostly orange. And in the winter it is pure white like the sheets I have on my bed now. Then it was winter and I couldn’t use the scooter. It had three wheels and a seat and couldn’t roll in the snow.
Sasha didn’t realize until spring that his scooter was gone. He always asked me if I knew where it was. He would ask me questions like, “Do you want to go to your house to look for it?” I would say, “I am your friend I would never do that.” I had no feelings in that life. Now, I can say how sad that was.
One time when no one was at the hill where we usually played I took the scooter to ride. My friend was hiding behind a tree and came out. He said, “I knew you took it. Give it back.” I didn’t even feel ashamed when he took it back. We stayed friends but he didn’t trust me so much. I was never invited in his house again. I had to wait outside. I didn’t care. I didn’t have anything and didn’t care about anything.
It was Ukraine. Everyone is poor. In the beginning people try to do something with their lives but it doesn’t work. They give up and drink. If you don’t have anything it’s easier to be drunk.

Comforter

2009-01-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

Before we had children, Larry and I had bought a paisley bedspread set way back when.

After three kids and three dogs, it is WAY past it's time. Chewed pillow corners by a dog or two, one too many washings, and the most awful color scheme. You may now find it at the local Goodwill store.

A new year and it is now time to invest a little time in MY bedroom!

A few weeks ago Oksana and I went to JCPennys's and finally purchased a whole new comforter set. Crazy as it sounds there was a box of kleenex, that had the colors I sort of had in mind. A mixture of jade, dark brown and cream. Here is what we bought (this is not mine though this pic is from the catalog)...

I can't wait to sleep tonight in my new sheets and warm comforter.

The dogs will have to find a new place to sleep at night (they just don't know it yet).

Broken Resolutions

2009-01-13T05:22:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe it is the second week of January, and I have broken my three big resolutions:

1. Get back into Weight Watchers eating mode (I quit in November after losing 15 pounds)

2. Exercise at least four days per week. This included walking the dogs. Larry seems to have taken over this duty and has been walking 2.5-3 miles a night with them. So, why do I need to bother?

3. No yelling. Calm and collective discussions with children about things like bedtime, picking up one’s room, getting ready for school, playing fair, no back talk, etc…
This one I probably broke the first day.

So I am extending the start date to Monday, January 19. It is a holiday for me. I will have no reason not to on that date: Get to the gym, sign up with weight watchers, and create a no-no/yes-yes board for three crazy kiddos!

December Recap In Pictures

2009-01-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

December Recap..

(Nikolai took all of the pictures of his Bengal outing)

Nik's first Pro football game and the Bengals won
Believe it not Larry got the tickets for $10 each on EBAY
Cant go wrong there for a kid that LOVES football!

Kids at the church Christmas program

Daddy and Vitaly Christmas brunch
who knew this guy was recovering from a heart attack!
The little tree behind them is our UA ornaments tree

O Trying to get in good with Mr. Claus
(somehow I think she already has him wrapped.. no message needed!!))

Who is that handsome daddy :) Bring on the loot from GrandPAS and Aunt S!

Now the chaos at my dad's house...
Grandpa and V with his new backpack

Cousins in Grandpa's house and a shot of his Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

Happy 2009

What is College?

2009-01-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

Driving to the sitter’s before school:

Nik: Mom what is College again?
Me: That is the where you go after High School and study what you want to be when you grow up, like a Doctor, Teacher or Nurse or something.
Vitaly: And a Police Man?
Me: Yes you would go to college for that.
Nik: How about a BMX rider?
Me: No, not for that.
Oksana: What about Mermaids? Do they have Mermaid College? I am going to be a Mermaid!

The weekend past

2008-12-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

Two oclock on Christmas morning the boys awoke.
We had to re-direct them after many cries of glee back to their beds.
At seven am, mom and dad agreed that it was time to see what Santa had left:

Nail polish (her number one request), a Dora vanity, and Leapster for Oksana
A Digital camera, razor scooter and a GI Joe for Nikolai
A Razor scooter, GI Joe and a new 18 speed for Vitaly
Assorted Bengal gear, jeans and a new hammer (broken earlier in the summer by Vitaly) for dad
Fry Skillet, muffin pan and a yearly Christmas cold for mom

After a wonderful brunch with Larry's family, it was time to unwind and give thanks for the gifts and the birth of Jesus.

On Saturday it was a balmy 68 degrees in Ohio! We opened our windows and played outside. Saturday night, mom spent a few hours catching up with a dear childhood friend. Sunday, we ventured to my Aunt's house in Columbus. We had an awesome time! My dear cousin is pregnant and as we were talking, Miss Oksana was listening in.

I turned to her and said, Ms. C was having a baby! Oksana's eyes and mouth flew open in awe! Then she turned to me and asked in complete wonder...

"How does the baby get out??!!"

Oh the questions of a four year old in a room full of people~
----------

I will post some pictures of the past few days soon!

A Christmas Story

2008-12-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

I dont know about you ....

but the last movie shot of the couple in a Christmas Story watching the snow fall and the kids asleep with a glass of wine relates to me

the perfect ending of a Christmas day...

Peace and good will to all!

Recovering

2008-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

It just seems a bit surreal right now.
To think that on Monday night I celebrated 19 years as a wife, and on Tuesday, I could have been a widow with three small children.

Larry is doing extremely well. He is adjusting to his new lifestyle. He is advoiding foods that before were second nature, as a meal. He is not over exerting himself. It is weird to know that my very strong, tall and athletic husband will no longer be shoveling snow or helping my father with his hay baling, during the summer. It is a new adjustment that is for sure.
Maybe, allowing Vitaly the opportunity to mow the grass on his own was definitely a good thing!

Our friends, family, and blogger buddies have been sooooo supportive! Thank you for the flowers and food. Thank you and God Bless you all!

How life can change

2008-12-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

How life can change in a day.

Larry has been feeling ill for a few weeks now.

Typical upper respiratory symptoms of chronic cough, ache, wheezing, pain etc… Over Thanksgiving he went to an Urgent Care who gave him some antibiotics and sent him on his way. Still, he just didn’t feel like he was recovering with pain in his chest and arm. Thinking he probably had pneumonia he went to our family Physician on Monday. They took a chest xray, mentioned his blood pressure was higher then typical and ordered some blood work and a stress test in the next few days.

On Tuesday morning predawn, he awoke me saying he needed to go to the hospital. Thinking the pneumonia was the cause of the panic, I packed up the kids and drove to the closest hospital. After letting him off at the ER, I parked and brought the kids in to see how he was doing. He was having tests run and he said bye to the kids, so I could take them to school. I returned to the hospital to find out that he was suffering a heart attack; and would be airlifted to another hospital with a Heart Cath Lab.

Oksana and I said good-bye and left to meet them at the next hospital.

His procedure was successful and they were able to fix him.

Noone saw it coming. Not even our family Physician, who called in complete disbelief.

He is 43. He is active. He is barely overweight. He has never smoked. He eats his veggies and fruits and has a varied diet. He doesn’t look like a heart attack waiting to happen. But, it did.

He has been the model patient and luckily will be going home very soon, and healed.

Wake up call!

Happy Anniversary

2008-12-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today is my anniversary.
Nineteen years ago, I walked down the aisle and married my husband, at the tender age of 23.
It is amazing that nineteen years have now passed.
It has not always been an easy journey.
There are so many memories good, bad, happy and sad.

We have been each other’s strength through the loss of our mothers. Hand in hand we have walked the Caribbean beaches, skied the slopes, attended football games and traveled throughout Europe together. We bought our first home and dog. We have held each other, as we cried over the loss of our beloved dog. We have met many friends and watched over the years, as some of these friendships slowly faded, and others emerged. We have known years without children and the freedom of doing what we wanted, as a couple.

We have traveled to Ukraine in hopes of building our family. We have known the pain of the possibility of returning home childless; and the joy when our prayers were finally answered. We have known the elation of arriving home with our first son, on our ten year anniversary! There was never a better gift to have received. We have shared the excitement of meeting our other children for the first time halfway around the world.

We know that each year is a gift and a blessing, and we have enjoyed them together for nineteen years with many more adventures ahead.

The Results

2008-12-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

Well the results came in for Nikolai's growth hormone testing and the verdict....

He is destined to be small.

There are no abnormalities that they can locate to explain his height deficiency, therefore qualifying for growth hormones. Now the only way he could get the growth hormones is if we pay for them ourselves without any assistance from insurance. That is not a possibility. I have heard the cost is in the thousands.

I feel for him. I have been very short all of my life, so I know the challenges he will face.

I know it will be harder for a boy.

Thank goodness he is such a nice, funny and beautiful child and can light up a room with his gorgeous dimpled smile! Besides he doesn't really want to be a basketball player, he would much rather be "the Paralyzer" and cause havoc on the football field!

I still remember

2008-12-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

I still remember the smell of Ukraine
I still remember what I was wearing
I still remember the weather
I still remember the smile on everyone's faces at the announcement
I still remember what it felt like when I was officially announced a parent
I still remember my husband's smile
I still remember that I cried
I still remember that it was the most amazing moment of my life
I still remember that I will never forget it

It was the day I became a mom for the first time...
Eight years ago today
Happy Gotcha Vitaly!

Home Sweet Home

2008-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have been on working on a project for work out of town all week and just got home today.

Traveling is definitely hard work but part of the position.

Luckily, this time it was in driving distance and I didn't have to fly. I had my van with me to hit the shopping/dining spots after the work groups so I was not hotel bound!

So, when do those miles finally add up that is what I want to know!!

Home sweet home!!

All I Want..

2008-11-30T16:49:00.001-08:00

Two months ago... with a my brokenc clavicle,,,,

They were still there and now.....

All I want for Christmas

Are my Two Front Teeth

I know cliche but it is sooo true!!!