Day 3 at Home

It is absolutely weird how much Tamara and June are alike. They look alike and that is only the beginning. I don't want to get in trouble, so I will stop there. I took the girls to the community pool yesterday. That is the most fun thing in the world and a must for a new sister. I tried to enjoy the moment and have been trying to become an American again. You try to focus on the here and now, but find your thoughts wandering to where you were and who you left behind. Our friend Rhonda is still in S-town and has had a hard time with her adoption.
I learned today that the fifteen year old girl I befriended has had a disturbing past. When I offered my phone that day to call her mother, I wondered why she didn't want to. When my dear friend was younger, her mother prostituted her to boyfriends. One thing that made me feel better about TA was that she had a mother. I left thinking TA and her brother would age out of the system and live with mama. I don't think that she and her younger brother have much of a chance for adoption. The other girls consider her mean and have nothing to do with her. That is the reason she became my friend. The last day we visited the orphanage, I gave her self addressed, stamped envelopes, so she could write us. I hope she knows there is someone who cares.
Papa Dennis

Doma

It was a traumatic experience flying home from Ukraine. Delta and JFK airport in New York tried to kill us. Today I woke to find that little has changed. It will take a while to recover from seven weeks in Ukraine. We have the experience of living in a foreign country and becoming comfortable with the way of life there. I did enjoy living in that smaller town where almost everyone is your equal. Most people do not own a car and are comfortable riding the very reliable bus system. That is what we did most of the time. We joined the foot traffic on the sidewalks or jumped on one of the buses. In the summer there are outdoor bars everywhere. That is the thing you notice first. So many people are carrying beer everywhere you go, even if it is nine in the morning. I did see some abuse, but we did live behind one of the local outdoor bars.

I met a Brother I did not know I had. He worked security where we stayed. Our apartment was part of a larger store, loading dock, disco, restaurant, and beer tent/bar. He invited us to tea at his house and we went to church with him and his family. I will miss my friend, Vacili.

Today is quiet here. Someone wants to ride bicycles, but I have to recover from the trip. I can tell she is trying. I waited until we were completely through customs in New York before I told her firmly that she doesn't tell me, "I don't want to." That was her favorite thing to say to me. I wasn't mean and she understood, but I did get the LOOK that teenage girls are good at. I think she is beginning to understand that we do care about her. It seems the less I try, the closer she lets herself get to her new dad.

Papa Dennis

Home

Home is such a wonderful word. It carries much more meaning than just those four letters. I have never been so glad to be home! Ukraine is an experience that we will never forget, but NO place is better than home:)

In Kiev (Again:)

The last few days have been so busy, I can't even recall everything we did right now. We did get the next day passport, barely. We did get the train tickets, barely. We did make it to the Embassy today, barely. We did get Tamara to the medical center, barely. We do get the visa tomorrow (Friday) at two o'clock and fly out Saturday morning! YYAAAYYY!! We are so ready to be home. Then again, it was so hard leaving the kids behind.

Saturday -- 3; Sunday -- 2

Okay, I know. It's getting boring now. All we can do is visit the orphanage and wait. Tomorrow will be our last visit to the orphanage except for Tuesday when we get our daughter out for good!

I liked the cabbage rolls so much at the little cafe that I tried some from the grocery store deli. They weren't as good since they were filled with rice instead of meat. Now I know to ask for the ones filled with ground meat.

Can't wait to have our busy days starting on Tuesday!:)

Friday -- 4

The countdown is still on. Yes, S, I know you're counting with me;)

Got passport pictures today. I finally was able to try to cabbage rolls at a little cafe today.

Thursday -- 5

We're more than halfway through with the waiting period!! YAY!!

I guess today was a boring day. Went to the orphanage by bus. No detours;) Ate lunch, went home. Now, I'm at the internet. When I'm through we'll have to talk about what to have for supper.

I'm finding that my two years of typing I took in high school are paying off quite a bit here, especially today. The letters on the keyboard I'm using are totally gone:0