The Computer Translator

My girls have had a hard time obeying and while they have been getting better Lena pushed me over the edge tonight with her emphatic and rude "NO." I have tried to be really patient and encouraging but tonight I had, had enough of the NO business and decided that some consequences were in order. So I told Lena I wanted to talk. We sat down at the computer translator and I explained to her how it made me feel when she disobeyed. I told her in a family it is rude to say NO to your mom and that it made me feel sad. I then asked her why she was being mean and telling me NO so rudely. I asked if it was because she was mad?

She started to sob and sob and I wondered what in the world I had said. She pointed at the word mad in Russian on the computer and said, "me no mad" I said o.k. but was still confused by the onslaught of tears. She then sobbed out that she was not crazy and made the universal sign for crazy. I then realized that she was crying because she thought I said she was not being nice because she was mad crazy.

The poor thing, I felt so bad and tried to take it back and in the end she understood that it was the very stupid computer and not what I meant. How sad though it broke my heart, she was devastated that I thought she was crazy. That is the first time I have used the computer translator and what a mess it turned out to be.

We did settle on the consequence for disobedience as no bike for the day. Oh boy, that was a rough one.

Later I asked her to do something, she said no and then quickly gasped and covered her mouth. It was so funny I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Sara either compensating for Lena or wanting to avoid Lena's pain was quick with a yes mama the rest of the night. It is funny how I can feel so exasperated with them one minute and then love them more than ever the next.

We are home

I was feeling a little homesick for my Ukrainian friends and so I finally looked at my blog and Wendy's tonight for the first time since I have been home.

It is hard to believe I have been home for over two weeks. They have flown by. I think I am finally starting to feel a little normal.

I honestly expected the worst when I came home and have been pleasantly surprised by how happy I have been. I have moments when I feel a joy I have never felt before. Jeff and I are so happy and we often laugh at the girls and say how lucky we are. Our house is full especially when the boys are here and we just love being parents full time.

Amidst the joy, we have had plenty of girl drama, crying and slamming doors. Thankfully it is always followed by a sorry mama and a sweet hug and I love you.

My favorites so far:
Bra shopping with Lena and Sara. Sara always wore a jacket even in 90 degree weather. When I told her to take it off she said no mama and covered her chest with her hands. She was embarrassed of her little bumps, so a few Hannah Montana bras later and no more jacket. We laughed and giggled in the bra aisle and they came home proud owners of their first bras. Sunday was awesome with the pink sports bra strap showing under the dress. Too bad I didn't notice until it was too late.

We have done lots of swimming and the girls have become fearless. They even do front flips off the diving board. It is hard to imagine that these same girls were squeezing my neck scared to death just two months ago in the pool in Dnipro. They love to copy me swimming laps and copy just about everything else I do. Scary!

The little English they know is laced with my favorite expressions. Oh my word! Oh brother! It is so funny to hear them repeat them in their cute accents.

It is has been interesting to realize all the funny little things I take for granted. Like how to work a garbage disposal. I love how they both jumped when I first turned it on and now it is their favorite thing to do. They are fascinated with how the food disappears.

I asked them if they wanted to go to school and they pleaded not to have to go, so I told them they would have to do school with me instead. So everyday we spend time together studying and playing all sorts of things. This is the favorite part of my day. We have so much fun and laugh endlessly. It is so funny when they get their English words messed up and call my hair a spoon then we all get laughing till we can't stop.

They love to help clean and cook and do whatever makes mama happy. They always ask if I am happy and when I say yes they hug me and get the biggest smiles on their faces.

I tell my friends all the time I got the better deal here as they do everything for me. They are so sweet and loving and I feel so blessed and happy.

They finally are letting me have some input on their clothes, well at least that they match and are modest. They absolutely will not wear anything they don't want to. I assume this is normal as I remember being the exact same way. Sara will never let me do her hair, which I guess serves me right since I did the same thing to my mom.

On important occasions she will wear a barrett, but it will only last until church or whatever it is is over and she asks every five minutes if it is time to take it out yet. I ask myself is it even worth it?


Sara also got her ears pierced and then after several days complained they were crooked and would not rest until I took her back to get them both pierced again to her satisfaction. She is happy with them now. Oh boy! Who would have thought.

I consider it a successful day when I get more "yes mama's than emphatic "No's." All in all we are all doing very well. The girls have warmed up to Jeff and are constantly playing practical jokes on him. It has been fun to watch them go from being shy around him to the laughing, joking, hugging and kissing that goes on now.








Lena did her hair to look like Oxana. She said me Oxana and we laughed and laughed. Those of you who know her will know why this is so funny.

On Our Way Home

Jeff you and your posts on my blog. It is always exciting to see what is new.

We are in the Frankfurt airport. We made it out of the Ukraine. Barely. The guy who stamped our passports took forever with the girls paperwork and even when they started calling our name over the loud speaker, he still took his sweet time and was so rude. When we got to Germany we almost died at how nice the people are. What a change.

Yesterday, when we came out of the American Embassy with Visas in hand the girls cheered and gave me hugs and kisses and said Yeah America.

It has been funny to watch the girls in the German airport where no one understands them anymore. The tables have turned. They tried to spend their grivnas at suprise they didn't work. We tried to tell them but they wouldn't believe us till they tried for themselves. So funny.

I fell asleep on the flight but apparently while I was sleeping Lena and Julee's girls ordered coffee and drank it . Melba said she opened the cream for them and everything without realizing until it was too late. I told them no more coffee, Lena bargained for Coke. I agreed Coke on the plane but no coffee. Oh my word these girls are so funny.

We can't wait to see everyone and to finally be home.

Final Countdown......

I spoke with Amy this morning, all the Embassy stuff is done, she has the Visa's for the girls and they are counting down the time until they leave. She and the girls are Very Excited to come home.

Arrival Information!!!

This is Jeff, Amy and the girls arrive Wednesday night, May 20th at 7:45 pm. United flight 6449 from Chicago. Everyone please come and welcome Amy and the girls home! Yeah!! Amy doesn't like alot of attention as most of you know, so please remember to bring balloons, posters, banners, etc.. and make lot's of noise!!! And if anyone wants to bring chocolate chip cookies per Amy's prior posting, I'm sure you'll be her hero. I would, but I don't think she meant chip's Ahoy?

 

Yesterday we went to the Sanitorium and Dolphinarium.  I love the way they translate those words in English.  Lena wasn't feeling too well, hence the happy face.  She has a cold so I'm sure it is just a matter of time before we all have it.  We share everything, at least only Julee and Mary got lice from the orphanage.  Sorry, Mary I couldn't resist.  That is one thing the rest of us have not shared.  

The town we are staying is so small and the roads are narrow.  Everyone walks everywhere and there aren't many cars.  Melba does all the shopping for food, water and toilet paper so she has made friends with all the lady's in the booths.   They get excited when they see her coming.  

This is Lena outside our apartment helping the neighbor boys fix their bike.  The kids have made friends  and they are always outside playing soccer, riding bikes and running wild.  Everyday they new cuts, scraps and dirt everywhere.   They are so tough and hardly ever cry about a wound.   Lena has 5 really good ones on her body and when I say, Ouch? She adamantly says, "NO!"  She tries to be so tough.   It is really cute.  

The girls love my cell phone and always want to play games on it.  Because they are always using it I have had a hard time keeping track of it and we left one on the train headed to Moscow.  Oops.  For the second cell phone I bought a bright orange cord so we wouldn't lose it.  The girls thought that was awesome and with their 10 grivnas they get everyday they take turns buying fuzzy little creatures for the phone.  Oh dear, I'm so glad this kind of thing does not exist at home.  To date we have a cat, and three fuzzy dogs.  Talk about drive me crazy.  Nothing like talking on the phone with a fuzzy dog snuggled up next to your ear.     If Lena acts out all I have to do is threaten to take the phone.  

 This is a palace in Yalta, where Stalin, Churchhill and Roosevelt met to decide if America would join WWII.

 

We found out yesterday that our passports are finished.  Yeah!  We have two days at the Embassay in Kiev on Monday and Tuesday and then we are headed home Wednesday morning.  It seems unreal.

 I actually have enough clean underwear to make it till I come home. I won't have to do anymore laundry in the Ukraine.  I can't wait for a dryer.  I am so tired of line dried crispy clothes and hanging my underwear out for all the neighbors to see.  

We are taking the train back to Kiev tomorrow so I don't know when I'll be posting again.   I can't believe I can count the days on one hand till I come home.  I have a long list of foods I am dying to eat.  Chips and Salsa are at the top.  Chili's anyone?  Oh I can't even talk about it. I have had enough bland potatoes to last a life time.   For a spice lover like me this country has put me in famine mode.   Anyone who brings chocolate chip cookies to the airport will be my best friend forever.  Mmmmm!!

Melba got her water from the Black Sea.   We get such a hoot out of how the men at the beach dress.  They have no shame as you can see.  

Yesterday we went to Yalta for the Day with Lena.  You can see from the pictures that the kids adore her.  

In many places you go here in the Ukraine they have clothes you can dress up in and take pictures.  We always pass them and laugh but have never dreamed of actually wearing them.  Yesterday, as we passed these places near the sea in Yalta, Lena our friend insisted that Julee and I do it.  We complained, said no, resisted in every way possible but Lena payed and prevailed and this is the result.  After we did it the girls wanted to and then we all managed to get Melba to do a Harley Pose.   

I hated every minute and kept covering my very immodest self with my fan.   The girls laughed and laughed.    

We found out what the girl's would look like with hair.  

Last night when we got home from Yalta Lena told me she had scheduled dance lessons for me.  I told Melba and Julee I absolutely was not going.  I told them I am was tired of doing things I didn't want to.  I feel like I am always eating things I don't like, going places I don't want and have lost total control of my life just to avoid offending anyone.  I was determined not to go and told Lena absolutely no.  Of Course I ended up going to dance lessons.  Oh my word! Latin dance lessons.  Needless to say my hip muscles are so sore today I can barely walk.  I have never moved my hips like that in my life.  Lena, Natasha and my girls laughed so hard at me.  After my coffee scrub and Latin lessons I have lost all dignity.