Updates from past few days

Well it’s day 12 in Kiev! It’s BEAUTIFUL outside, sunny and cool. When I woke up and looked at the clock I was pleased to see that I had slept around the clock from 10:40pm – 10:40am. About an hour later, when the clock still said 10:40 I realized that the batteries had died on the clock. So I didn’t really sleep till 10:40. Actually when I realized the clock was dead we were still a long way off from 10:40am!

Just to give you updates on the last few days – when we were on “dark side of the moon.” – that’s how Beth was referring to it. One day we got just a little bit of internet – when I was balanced on the balcony in the rain picking up signal from coffee shop across the street. Was able to email the kids – and got call from Rachel within minutes. Thanks to Janis and Beth for calling and checking up on us too.

Monday was rainy, gloomy, no progress on paperwork, no internet, no visit to orphanage – a day we’ll just try to forget.

Tuesday we had an unexpected guest! This building has locked door on the main entrance. Visitors have to punch in our flat number – then we buzz them in. Well our phone rang – Mark couldn’t understand so he put Anastasia on. The guy said he lived on the 3rd floor and didn’t have his keys. So being the naïve nice Americans we buzzed him in. Within seconds we had a policeman pounding on our door (yep he lied to get into the building). We didn’t answer and called our facilitator. He reiterated what we’d been told by our facilitator during our first adoption – do NOT open the door to police. So we just stayed quiet and he finally left. Recently Anastasia’s grandma opened the door to police over here and the guy robbed her. Yuri, Anastasia’s facilitator, had told us NEVER open door to police unless you smell smoke. Later on in day in talking to our other facilitator she said if you smell smoke open the door to a fireman – not a policeman. So for those of you traveling guess the tip is – NEVER open the door to a policeman over here. That also explains why so many of the kids we bring home are terrified of policemen (Anastasia was). We have a policeman who lives on the street so she got over that pretty quick.

Yesterday we also went to Anastasia’s grandmothers. She insisted on fixing us some potatoes. I figured what can a few potatoes hurt. Well by the time she got done we had chicken and bones covered in some kind of lard (that she pulled out of the cupboard – not the refrigerator), mushrooms (that she had picked herself in the “forest”), some kind of fried fish… I thought I was literally going to throw up watching her cook. I served myself and she shook her head and started the piling the food on my plate. During the meal, Janis called. Mark told her this was too good to miss as I was turning many shades of green so he ended the call with Janis. I know Janis was more sympathetic and must have prayed for me cause I was able to keep it down. Every time Grandmother turned her head I put food back in the serving bowls or on Anastasia’s plate (she loved the food). Anastasia loved being back at Grandmothers as she lived here for years before moving to the orphanage. At the end of the meal Grandmother said I was a terrible eater! ☺ We had a wonderful visit. Were there several hours and Grandmother gave Anastasia all kinds of stuff to take home with her to remember Grandmother and Ukraine.

Getting picked up to go to orphanage soon – more pics later!


Going back home can be exhausting! Here she is asleep on dad's lap!

We are keeping up with school work! Thanks to Anastasia's teachers for getting her work together.

Grandmother gave Anastasia and me new shirts! She insisted that I try mine on.