First Week Home

Well, we're settling in.  Everyone seems to be sleeping fairly well and eating fairly well.  We do a lot of correcting of behavior - like how they let us know they don't like a certain food or not to run out in the street.  Hanna is getting very good at parroting, "on your bottom," as we tell her ALL THE TIME to sit down on her bottom.

After the excitement of church and the shower, we've been to the farm twice, to Taekwon Do, to Target, to the grocery store and to AWANA.  Seems they are handling it all fairly well.  Both big kids enjoyed TKD and AWANA.  We went to the farm this morning for their official Occupational Therapy evaluations.  Good news all around.  Turns out that Lena is the most affected by sensory issues.  Hanna needs some oral motor therapy to help her with the tongue thrusting and sucking difficulties.  Oleg just needs some social skills with kids his age (and a physical activity outlet).

When we got home last week, Cliff was not feeling well.  On Monday he went to the doctor and found out he has pneumonia.  He's now on medication and feeling better, but he's still not 100%.  And now, as of this morning, I am running a fever.  Not sure where it will go, but I definitely DON'T need to be sick right now.

School work is going well with Oleg.  He spends about half and hour or so on an English language program and then does some math.  I have determined that his basic facts are solid.  He does not know how to regroup in addition/subtraction or in multiplication.  We haven't looked at division yet.  Not sure how to explain it to him given the language difference, but we'll figure it out.

Lena has no formal schooling, and given her activity level, she's a challenge to "teach".  But she does want to learn, so we will figure it out.

Emma and Vivian are a great help.  They are tired, as they are not used to this activity level or starting their day before 8 am.  But we're getting used to the new routine.

Please continue to pray for adjustment, for health for Cliff and for me (as we are both under the weather), and for me as Cliff leaves Monday for 2 weeks in DC.

Shower

Our church held a shower for us on Sunday afternoon.  I can't tell you how much that meant to all of us.   We received so many wonderful gifts, notes, and gift cards.  Their love and generosity are overwhelming to us.  The decorations were lovely and the food was great.  They even took into account our gluten free and diabetic needs.

We got everything home with the help of some friends.  Oleg loves his new bike.  He has been on it every chance he gets.  The super soaker was also a big hit.  He filled it up, went outside, and "washed" my car with it.  Vivian joined him and got the garden hose.  They started having a water fight and got completely soaked.  They even came in to change to swimsuits and continue the fight.  I wish I had pictures or video.  They were really having a good time.

And the shorts for him are terrific.  He was concerned about not having shorts.  Jeans are too hot, and we hadn't had a chance to get him any shorts.

Lena has touched/handled everything we received.  She asks, "Me?" with every item.  She loves pushing Hanna around in the stroller.  Both girls slept in new pajamas and have worn new outfits.

I now have everything sorted into the laundry baskets we received.  It controls the chaos - a bit.

First Time to Church

Believe it or not, we actually made it to church this morning.  Our morning started early (like yesterday).  Got everyone fed, clean, dressed and ready.  The kids walked right into church, shook hands with people, and went readily into their classes.  At the end of service, our pastor announced that we were home and gave the kids' names and ages.  It was a really good morning.

1st Day Home

Hanna was up in the night, but really slept fairly well considering the long travel day.  Lena apparently awakened Oleg before he was ready to get up - early.  We had a good morning anyway.  Hanna got a little nap, then we left the house and went to the KVPAC Family Day.  Our house showed while we were gone (they liked it, but have to sell their house first).  We were gone a couple of hours (it was HOT!).  Made burgers and tots for dinner, watched a movie, and went to bed.

I am still really tired.  I went to bed shortly after Hanna and Lena.  Cliff has been great to stay up with the other kids.  He is not feeling well and would probably prefer to be in bed early himself.

Marathon Travel Day

So I went to bed, and about 2 hours later, Hanna was awake and not going back to sleep.  That meant I didn't go back to sleep.  We wrestled for about an hour.  I finally got her to relax enough that she could doze a bit more.  I went ahead and got up.  It was only an hour until the alarm would go off.

I got dressed and made some coffee.  I got my Bible and devotional guide and decided to "catch up" on the readings that I had missed.  I was really not in the right frame of mind.  I was mad that I wasn't getting as much sleep as possible before the trip.  But then I got to Friday's reading.  Totally refocused me.  So I wasn't going to get the sleep I thought I would get.  I just had to deal with it.  The kids would need me to be calm and patient whether I slept or not.  And I didn't have the luxury of being grumpy.

The alarm went off.  John and I got everything ready.  We got the kids up about 20 min before Andre arrived.  We met him at the door, got everything in the car and headed off to the airport.  It was a difficult drive just because we had to sit for 30 min.  It allowed us to get sleepy again.

At the Kiev airport, we got our boarding passes, ate some breakfast (that we packed), went to the bathroom, and headed upstairs to passport control.  THAT took longer than we thought it would, so we ended up being among the last people to board our flight.  But we DID get on.  Lena slept on that flight. Just 2-1/2 hours to Munich.

Once in Munich, we had to go through security twice, but at least we didn't change terminals.  Once through the second security point, we had a passport check.  This is where we had trouble.  The attendant took our passports and proceeded to declare that we could not travel, because the kids' visas were expired.  I just about lost it.  Thankfully John stepped in.  As the attendant was chastising us for traveling the day after the visas expired, John pointed out that the visas were ISSUED the day before.  She disappeared, and another attendant approached and apologized for the delay and explained that the other attendant had mis-read the issue date as the expired date.  Once that was cleared up, we barely made the flight to Newark.

This was an 8-1/2 hour flight.  Hanna slept for about the first 2 hours (YES!!).  I sat with her on the 2 seat side.  John had Lena and Oleg in the 3 seat middle section.  They did well - playing games on the video console, watching movies (I think), etc.  I really don't remember. And we survived the flight.

In Newark, we had to go through customs and immigration before catching our last flight.  The embassy in Kiev gave me a packet of documents for each child that I had to hand over.  This is where the embassy staff said we "could" have a problem due to the mismatched pictures of Hanna.  Fortunately, no problems.  Would rather have gone through in Houston.  While no one was actually rude, the attitude is different there.  We made it through with enough time to get to the gate and call home.

The last flight, both Lena and Oleg slept.  Oleg asked me to sit with him.  That upset both Lena and Hanna, but I did it anyway.  He and I took the 2 seat by the window.  Lena was across the aisle, so we could hold hands from time to time.  John took Hanna duty - for a while.  Shortly after take-off Oleg was asleep with his head partially on my lap.  Hanna ended up with me.  Lena stretched out with John.  We actually had to wake them up to land.

We got off the plane and headed for baggage claim.  When we got there, Cliff, Emma, Vivian, and Grandma Johnson were there waiting for us with a big "Welcome Home" banner.  The big kids ran to Cliff to give him hugs, then hugged everyone else.   We got the bags, got them all in the car, and drove home.  Hanna fell asleep on the way, so we decided to go home and make dinner.  Fortunately, I had stocked the freezer with a few things for our return.  Cliff had pulled out burgers and spaghetti sauce.  Oleg really likes spaghetti, so that's what we did.  

John went ahead and left for Austin, so dinner was just us Johnsons.  We had a good evening.

Headed Home!!!

Packing while the kids sleep.  We will be up really early to catch our 6:45 am plane (that's almost midnight CST).  Our route takes us from Kiev to Munich, Munich to Newark, Newark to Houston, arriving in Houston about 6PM still on Friday.  While the whole Johnson family will go home, Uncle John will still have a 2+ hour drive back to Austin to HIS family.

PLEASE pray that we have a good trip.  Not sure how this is all going to work out.  We're tired and excited and so ready to be home.  It could be great or it could be a nightmare.  Pray especially for our passage through immigration.

I won't be able to update in transit, so this is it until we get home.  Even then, don't expect much.  I'm sure when I'm not sleeping, I'll be chasing kids!

Have Visas, Will Travel

Took the kids to a park this morning.  Kinda chilly.  Hanna likes to swing.  Oleg likes to run.  Lena likes to show off ("Mama, LOOK!").  We were trying to keep them occupied as we waited for our appointment at the embassy.

Zhenia arrived at 1pm to take us to get new pictures of Hanna.  For some reason we were one picture short yesterday, so we're getting new pics made.  We were early for our appointment at the embassy which was acutally good.  I got the last few things written in on our paperwork (I wanted to confirm with Zhenia what to put), and was the first in line.

When I got to the window, I found out that the pictures we had just made of Hanna were not acceptable.  I needed and exact match to the picture I gave them yesterday or the computer wouldn't take it.  It would be another 24hours before we could get our visas.  I said that was not acceptable.  We finally worked out that they would put a smaller size of the same picture with a larger size of the new picture with the paperwork that was going to the States with me.  She said I might have a little trouble getting through immigration, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I figure the paperwork is all in order, and I have the rest of the copies of the photos, so I should be able to prove that I am her mom.  That, and I'll just agree with them that I did it wrong but that I have EVERYTHING ELSE right.  I can't imagine that American immigration would give an American citizen a super hard time over the size of a picture when everything else is in order.  Then again. . . . .  So please pray for us getting through immigration.

After getting the papers turned in, we waited another 10 min or so for our "interview."  The officer just needed me to sign the papers in front of him and to see all the kids.  Thirty minutes later we had the visas.

While we were waiting I had a chance to talk with some other American adoptive parents.  One couple from Ohio using our agency and Zhenia and adopting a cute 4 year old boy.  Another from Nebraska who had adopted before.  We just exchanged some info while we waited and wished each other good luck.  Even though I was first in line, I was the last to get our visas.  I figure it was 3 kids versus 1.  No worries.  I have them now, so we are 100% ready to go home.

Zhenia brought us some gifts before he left us.  He will not come to the airport at 5 in the morning, so this was our last opportunity to see him.  He gave me a hand carved chess set for Cliff.  Two matrushka dolls, a porcelain plate of Kiev, and a fridge magnet.  He also gave John a hat with the symbol of Ukraine, a matrushka doll, and a magnet.  He made sure he told me that he doesn't usually give his families so many gifts.  He just feels especially close to us.  After a couple of hugs, well wishes, and goodbyes, we were left at the flat for our last night in Kiev.

John and the big kids are wrestling now.  Before he left, Zhenia made sure the older kids know that we are going home tomorrow on 3 different planes and that they need to listen to John and me and stay close to us.  I hope they heard him!

In a little while we will go to the Fat House for supper, come back to the flat, try to get the kids to sleep, pack the bags and food for the trip, and try to get some sleep ourselves.  Andre will be here at 4:30am to take us to the airport.  And then we will be on our way home.

Please pray for some sleep tonight, for us to get up and to the airport on time, for our flights, for managing the kids through the airports and flights and anything else you can think of.  Also pray for Cliff and the girls as they prepare the kids beds for our arrival.  We will be in Houston around 6pm Friday night.

Embassy

We slept until about 7:15 this morning.  Amazing!  We got up and got our day started with some oatmeal.  Predictably Hanna loved it, Lena refused (then ate it after she saw Hanna eating it), and Oleg tried it but didn't like it (he's not much of a breakfast guy).

Zhenia arrived about 10 to take us to the embassy.  I didn't realize that he would not be going in with us.  That unnerved me a bit, but it was okay.

We had a bit of trouble getting through security.  We didn't realize that it would be more strict than airport security, so we had things with us that were not allowed - like our diabetes monitors (that we always have with us) and Oleg's GameBoy - but we also had things in our pockets that we forgot were there that caused problems as well.  It really wasn't that big a deal.  They took everything, put it in a box, and gave us a claim number to get it when we left.  It just took longer to get through than it could have taken.

Once inside, we went to the adoptions section.  They took the packet of documents that Zhenia had given me and had me fill out the visa applications.  For some reason, I did not have three of them prepared ahead of time.  I have 3-4 of every document EXCEPT that one, so I had to fill out 2 by hand.  I was shaking the whole time.  Excited to be so close to getting the kids home.  Nervous about doing something wrong.

I finished the paperwork, paid the fees, returned the receipts to the paperwork lady, and we left.  Zhenia was upset with us for causing problems for him at the security station.  We didn't do it on purpose, but he didn't tell us what we could and could not have with us.  If he had said, "No electronics. Nothing with batteries.  No metal.  They have a toy room for the kids.  Just take some diapers for the baby," we would have done what he said and understood why.   Apparently security gave him quite a lecture.  Then we got it from him.  I understand that he doesn't like to look foolish.  Nobody does, but sheesh!  He does this for a living.  We're doing ONCE.  I was pretty peeved with him at the time, but I think I'm over it now.  Unless he pursues it.  Then I'll give him a piece of my mind.

Back at the flat now.  Had lunch.  Hanna took a long time to quiet down.  Still not sure she's asleep.  John took Lena with him to buy some presents for his family.  She came back with chocolate all over her face (ice cream).  While they were gone, Oleg worked on English.  He really likes it, and he works hard.  He likes to get 100%, so we will work on something over and over until he gets it just right.  He likes being smart.

Not sure what we'll do tonight.  Maybe take a walk or watch a movie.  We have the morning tomorrow to see some sights with the kids.  Then tomorrow afternoon we go back to the embassy to complete the visa process.  Flight on Friday is at 6:45 am.

Please pray for the remainder of our time here.  That visas will come through without problems.  That we can sleep Thursday night and get up early Friday morning to get our flight.  That we make all our flights (3 in all).  That we can manage the kids through airports and planes.  That we clear customs with no issues.  And anything else that you can think of to make this as smooth as possible.

Medical Exams today

We arrived in Kiev about 7:30 am.  Andre the driver picked us up and took us to the flat to stow our bags and eat a quick breakfast.  Everyone seemed to sleep fairly well on the train.  The girls and I had a "room" and the boys had a "room."  I slept with Hanna.  Lena fussed a bit about not being sleepy but was snoring within 5 min of turning off the lights.  Hanna took a bit more, but did sleep.  And I slept more than I thought I would.

The flat is in a different location from our first Kiev flat.  It is likely the "nicest" that we have had.  More on it another time.  Pictures, too, if I can.

We arrived at the medical center for 9am appointment and of course had to wait.  We saw Dr. Yuri who did a good job of evaluating the kids.  He talked with them and not just examined them.  I didn't get everyone's stats, but I do have the paperwork, so I can look it up.  I do know that Hanna has gained 1.3 kilos since her last checkup in September.

Oleg has a hernia that we will need to have checked when we get home but is otherwise healthy.  Lena is healthy.  And Hanna is healthy, although he did give us a recommendation for an antibacterial ointment for the spots she has on her arm and face.  He thinks they are just a little infected.  She also has a spot (not a birthmark) on her bottom that he says is probably nothing but should be checked out at home.

Spent the rest of the day at the flat.  I got a nap with Hanna.  Lena fell asleep, too.  John and Oleg had some "quality time" together that just about drove John nuts (according to John).  Supper (chicken, spaghetti with tomato sauce, and pineapple chunks) went over fairly well.  Oleg ate ALL of his.  Lena ate some and didn't complain about the taste.  Hanna eats anything, so she was happy as well.  Then baths, a movie (Toy Story 2), and bed.  Got a quick skype with Cliff and a good talk with John, and now I'm ready for bed!

Embassy interview tomorrow morning at 10am.   It should just be filing paperwork for the visas and for the kids' files.  Visas should be ready Thursday, then fly home Friday.  Zhenia says we are 98% done.  Oleg is ready to be home.  Me too!

Traveling tonight

Had a reasonably good night and a good morning.  Went for a walk past the Odessa Opera House and around to the Potemkin Steps.  Had a picnic lunch and headed back.  Weather was partly cloudy, more mild, but cold wind.  Zhenia arrived just as we were leaving for our walk, so he joined us and took a bunch of pictures for me.  He "liked" my hat.  I don't think he really did.

Trying to get Hanna to nap now.  Maybe she will sleep some.  Trying NOT holding her and just putting here down (and back in bed when she gets out).  So far no luck.  But it is getting better.  Thanks so much for your prayers!

Quiet afternoon, supper at Fat House (maybe with Rachel, Jonathan, Sasha, and Boris), then catch the overnight train to Kiev.  PLEASE pray for our travel.  The kids have never been on the train before, so it could get wonky.  Also we have medical exams in the morning (after dropping our bags at the new flat in Kiev).  So we will likely have some VERY tired kids tomorrow.

Should have internet in the flat, but if not, we know we can do wifi at McD's.

Getting closer to home every day!

Black Sea!!

I got to really see the Black Sea today!!  Special thanks to our new friends Rachel and Jonathan and their boys Sasha and Boris.

We were up a bit later than usual this morning (yes, another rough night) and met our friends at 9:30.  Rachel got us taxis, and we were on our way.  When we arrived at the waterfront, we checked the times on the dolphin show and found we had about an hour to kill until show time, so we walked up the hill to a big park above the water and looked down on the docks and out across the water.  The big boys had a great time "wrestling" as we walked.  Boris and Lena walked holding hands sometimes and usually in animated conversation.  I carried Hanna so long, I think I sprained my left wrist.  She got down and walked some, but she didn't want anyone but me to carry her.  We walked and talked, had a snack, then walked back to the aquarium for the show.

The kids LOVED the show.  John got some video, so I'll upload when I can.  I know I keep saying that, but we're just so busy we don't have time for things like that.

After the show we walked along the beach.  The kids loved that, too.  Very excited.  I have a pocketful of shells (Hanna had a diaper full of sand).  The water is cold.  Jonathan and Rachel said that the whole area where we were walking was ice just a couple of weeks ago.  The weather today was beautiful!  Hard to believe that it was snow and ice so recently.

We returned to the flat about 1:30-2pm for Hanna's NON-nap.  Yes, refusal again.  She's really wearing on us.  Fortunately, she's been fairly good-natured even without sleep.  She has her moments, but for the most part she's a happy kid.  When she got up, all three kids played together for a little while.  It was really cute to see them all together.  Oleg is a really good big brother.  He plays gently with her and she loves it.  Lena wants her to be more of a baby and let her carry her and dress her and such.  Hanna knows she isn't a baby, so she's not very happy when Lena gets bossy.  However, she does love to be chased and tickled and play hide-and-seek with Lena.  That was really cute.

Late in the afternoon John took the big kids to the grocery store.  We have one more night here, and we needed some supplies for tonight, tomorrow, and for the train tomorrow night.  I can tell John is really tired.  I really hope he can get some sleep tonight.  While they were gone, I was able to skype for a little while with Cliff.  Our internet has been down for a couple of days, and I just wanted to see if I could get on today.  Thankfully, yes.  It was so good to see and talk to him.  Made me really miss him and the girls and home, though.  Five more days and we'll be in our own beds!!

After supper and cleanup we dimmed the lights, lit some candles, put on some music and tried to get the girls to quiet down.  Lena started to cry which made Hanna cry a little (she's a sympathetic crier).  Got them somewhat calm and put them down.  Hoping that letting Hanna put herself to sleep will work better than what we've been trying.  I put Hanna down first (with strict instructions from Oleg to go to sleep).  Then we put Lena down.  I think they probably played a little, but Lena is asleep now.  Hoping Hanna is, but kinda afaid to check yet.  Here's praying!

May have lost the internet again, so posts will be delayed until we get to Kiev and get some time.  Zhenia says we will have passports tomorrow.  Medical exams on Tuesday.  Embassy interview on Wednesday.  Visas on Thursday.  Flight on Friday.  PLEASE pray that all goes as planned, all paperwork is in order, and we have no delays or snafus!!!

Tired!


Here's a picture of the kids and me on the beach.  The Black Sea is behind us.  Not exactly the pose I pictured, but you take what you can get!  I LOVE IT!

Odessa Zoo today

Today we ventured out to the Odessa Zoo.  I know I've said it many times before, but John is just amazing at making plans to get us out of the flat.  Good thing, too, because left on my own, I would not get out at all.  Better to be out and about.  Less TV, GameBoy, whining, etc.

We called Zhenia to get us a cab and set off on our journey.  We got there, got tickets and went in.  We were among the first to get there.  The animals were just getting out for the day.  We saw everything in about an hour.  It is not a large zoo at all, but bigger than it looked initially.  The enclosures are small and dated.  The good thing is that we could see the animals. The bad thing is the animals were cramped in concrete cells.

Oleg took the camera (which I found in the bottom of my suitcase when I rearranged).  Most of the pictures are his.  He needs to learn to slow down and let the camera click before he moves on to the next thing.  Most were really blurry but some were really good.  Then he handed the camera to me, so the rest are mine.

After the zoo we went back to the flat for lunch and nap for Hanna.  In the evening we met another family for supper.  They are adopting Boris and Sasha from the same orphanage and just made it to town.  Boris is friends with Lena, and Sasha is friends with Oleg, so it worked out really nicely.  Rachel and Jonathan are from California and are first time parents.  They are very good with the kids, and Rachel even speaks some Russian after an exchange experience in Khazakstan in college.

At the end of the evening we decided to try the beach together tomorrow.  Should be a fun experience.

I'm sure there's lots more that happened today.  I just can't remember it now.

Second Day on Our Own

Well, here we are at the end of our Second Day on our own.  Had another rough night with Hanna.  She was awake in the night for a couple of hours, I'm guessing as I couldn't see my watch.  Fortunately she did not wake Lena and DID go back to sleep.  AND she took a good nap this afternoon.  BUT we're going on 3 hours of trying to get her down tonight.  I had her asleep but couldn't get her put down without waking her.  I hoped she would roll over and go back to sleep, but she started her stimulation behavior (lip smacking, scratching, kicking, playing with her hands).  Left her alone to maybe work it out and go back to sleep, but no such luck.  John is in there now.  Hope he has some success soon.  I'm beat!

Had a good day.  Followed John's plan.  I took the big kids out in the neighborhood and to McD's for lunch.  Found a bookstore and got Oleg a couple of books to read (so he doesn't do as much GameBoy, etc.).  Turns out the kids really don't like McD's (no big loss to me), so we won't be doing that again.  Rather go to the Fat House myself - IF I'm going out.  Also got Lena a cute hat to keep her warm.  Hanna did nap.  And we got to skype with Cliff briefly before we lost connection.

Took some cute videos today.  Will try to get them uploaded soon.  Maybe.  Eventually.

I need to get Oleg started on English.  Lena MIGHT be able to do it, too.  I think Oleg will think it is too easy, but he could surprise me.

Our house showed yesterday, but the lookers weren't interested.

It really was a good day.  Just too tired to put it all into words.

May go to the zoo tomorrow morning, return here for Hanna's nap, skype with Cliff and (hopefully the girls), and maybe meet up with another family from our orphanage (adopted sons who are friends of our big kids) if we can work it out.

Night!

First Day on Our Own

Today was our first day on our own, and it went fairly well.  Zhenia went back to Kiev to keep working the system to get us out of here at the end of next week.

We got more sleep last night than the night before.  Both girls were up in the night but still mostly asleep, so they didn't stay awake.  We actually got up around 6:30, and the boys were still asleep.  I got the girls some yogurt, and we went back in the bedroom to give the guys some more time.

John got up and made breakfast.  He took the girls to the park, so I could take a shower.  Oleg chose to stay with me.  I wish we'd had a little more time together after my shower (during which he colored in his Spiderman coloring book and played GameBoy).  He got out the Star Wars lego set that John bought for him and went to town.  He is really good at following the picture directions.  Fast!  I was just figuring out which pieces he needed, and he was done with each step.  It was nice to have some time just with him.

Oleg got "grounded" from the GameBoy after lunch, because he refused to wear his jacket when John asked him to go to the store with him.  That was interesting.  He was mad and acted it for a while, but he and John smoothed things over when John got back.  He'll get to play again tomorrow.

I spent most of the afternoon trying to get Hanna to nap.  I would just get her to the point that I thought I could put her down, and she'd wake up.  I didn't want to go without a real nap, but I didn't have a choice.  I had planned to spend her nap time giving the older kids (especially Lena) some more time with me.  Didn't work out.

While I was with Hanna, John got Oleg to try the math assessment I put together for him.  He did okay.  Definitely some holes in his knowledge and some cultural differences (decimals - "." in States, but "," in Europe).  The kids also watched Shrek 3 with Russian subtitles (another John idea).

Late in the afternoon, John took all the kids out, so I could make dinner undisturbed.  One thing we've noticed is that as soon as the food comes out we start to hear, "Me eat" from Lena, Hanna becomes a pest, and Oleg snitches food off the counter.  Just easier to have them out of the way for a little while.  I made little meatballs from some ground beef that John found (yea!), mashed potatoes (for Hanna and Lena), rice (as an option to potatoes), steamed broccoli (Hanna liked it, she likes rice, too).  Oleg and Lena didn't eat much.  John said it was good, so at least he, Hanna, and I enjoyed our supper.

Bath time was fun.  No poop in the water this time, though.  Hoped it would settle the girls, but they had so much fun it just riled them.  John is still trying to put Hanna down - about 1-1/2 hours later.  I don't know how she does it, but Lena goes to sleep through all the crying.  I got more one-on-one time with Oleg.  He read a Russian kid's magazine to me and we played some of the games in the magazine.  He is bright and has a fun sense of humor.

I have to brag on John.  He is absolutely amazing.  He plans almost everything for us from food to activities.  And he is great with the kids.  This trip could only be better if Cliff was the one here with me. Tomorrow, John wants to take Hanna duty and let me have some time with the big kids outside the flat.  The weather may not be very good (cold, drizzly), so he suggested McD's (ick!) for early lunch and some exploring of our surroundings.  I must admit being a bit hesitant.  I'm not as adventuresome as he is, but I do need to get out and see Odessa.

Zhenia called tonight to say that it looks like it will be Monday before the passports are ready to be picked up.  All passports are made in Kiev but must be picked up (with signature by parent) in the region.  That means we are in Odessa until Monday night.  We will take the overnight train and be in Kiev for medical evaluations on Tuesday.  That's the plan for now.

Tax Numbers and Passport scans

Well, it was a long and a short night.  A long time to get Hanna to sleep and then not so much sleep.  I think she may have slept about 4-5 hours.  We were awake way before dawn, but she actually behaved quite well.  The first thing she said when she woke up was, "Ect," ("yest" means "eat").  So I got her a snack and hoped we would go back to sleep.  No such luck.  Lena was awake a little before 6 and then there was no hope of going back to sleep.

First order of business for the day was to feed everyone.  Oleg wasn't hungry (WHAT??), but the girls ate well.  Then we got them all bathed.  THAT was fun.  Hanna and Lena got in the tub together.  It was interesting that Hanna really didn't seem to know what to do in the tub.  Lena had no problems entertaining herself.  John fashioned some make shift tub toys out of plastic bottles, and the girls went to town pouring water.  I had just gotten Lena out of the tub when Hanna pooped in the water.  Huge thanks to John for cleaning up the tub while I took care of the girls.

Just before lunch, Zhenia came to get me to go legalize the birth certificates.  I had to sign some things at some office not far away, and we were done.  Got to ride in a Russian car (Lada) that Zhenia says is a piece of junk (I must agree).  John kept the kids while I was gone.  When I got back we did lunch.  John got some hot dog type sausages at the grocery yesterday.  I boiled them (the Ukrainian way), cut some apples, and shared the last of our American potato chips.  Seemed to work well.  Hanna didn't like the potato chips.

Just when we were ready to put Hanna down for a nap and have John take the big kids to the park, the landlord appeared with a satellite repair guy.  They did fix the satellite, but they delayed nap time by about an hour.  John took Oleg and Lena to the park to work out some energy.  Poor Hanna only got about an hour before we had to head out again to do passport pictures.  But before we left we had a chance to Skype with Cliff.  The kids were so excited to see Papa. They wanted to tell him everything we've done and show him pictures and videos.  I had to tell them that we would send them to him, because he couldn't see them through Skype.

Passport photos went well, and we had a few minutes to "relax" at the flat before Zhenia came back to go to dinner with us at the "Fat House" for some authentic Ukrainian food.  He came bearing a gift that requires some background.

When we got the kids yesterday, we were all so excited that we forgot to be sure the kids had any of the the toys and things that we had given them - including Oleg's GameBoy.  When we asked about it, he said he forgot it.  Then later he said that a caregiver had taken it from him when he didn't put it down immediately to do his chores.  Zhenia called another caregiver to inquire and heard a different story that Oleg had given the GameBoy to a friend.  We have no way of knowing what really happened, but Zhenia arranged for Vitaly to pick up the GameBoy and take it to the bus station to give it to the driver coming to Odessa to bring it to Zhenia (did that make any sense).  Long and short is that the GameBoy made it here - minus the charger.  But we now have a charger.

The Fat House was fun.  Really cool when 5 people can eat for $20.  And it is good food, too.  Oleg said I should try a certain salad, so I did.  Pretty sure it was crab.  And it was good.  I had a chicken steak (flat chicken breast dipped in egg and fried in a skillet), buckwheat, and one of Zhenia's cabbage rolls.  Hanna had mashed potatoes, some of my buckwheat (which she liked!), some of my chicken (which she didn't like) and some of the cabbage roll (which she liked).  Lena had mashed potatoes and 2 big meatballs with tomato sauce.  Oleg had chicken kiev (which he always wanted to try but did not like), dumplings (which he didn't eat because he got too full), coleslaw, skillet potatoes, and something else.  

After supper, I took the girls back to the flat to get them ready for bed.  John, Oleg and Zhenia went to the drug store to try to find something for these spots that Hanna has.  Zhenia called the orphanage doctor to find out what to get.  That's when we found out that Hanna has a citrus allergy.  Apparently someone at the orphanage must have given her citrus, and she now has about 5 spots on her arms, legs and face that are about the size of a dime.  Wish I'd known!  I asked specifically about food allergies when we met Hanna the first time.  They said she didn't have any.  Kinda ticks me off, but there's really nothing I can do about it.  I would still be her mom.  And we'll see what the doctors in the States say.

Had another hard night with Hanna.  Not as bad as last night.  About half as long.  She just can't let herself relax and go to sleep.  She keeps stimulating herself to stay awake - rolling her tongue, smacking her lips, scratching her spots, kicking her legs, etc., and she refuses to close her eyes.  I console myself with the fact that it was better tonight than last night.  Hoping it keeps getting better! 

So I should close now and take advantage of her being asleep by getting some sleep myself.

P.S.  I have a very sweet son.  He brought me flowers today and he gave me a big hug when I put him to bed.

Gotcha Day!

Today is what's know in the adoption world as "Gotcha Day."  It is the day we picked up all the kids.

The court decree took longer than we expected - about an hour longer.  Then we ran to the orphanage to get Lena and Oleg.  We changed their clothes, said some goodbyes and jumped in the car for the 2-1/2 hour trip to Tarutena to get their birth certificates.

The kids were great in the car.  They ate every bit of food I had with me.  Once at our destination, Zhenia went to see about the birth certs, and John, Vitaly, and I entertained the kids (and some locals, I believe).  We also got to experience the closest thing I've ever seen to a Mexican bano (Cliff knows what I mean).  I signed for the birth certificates, and we were on to get Hanna.

Once in Bilograd Dnistrovsky, we stopped at the notary to start the petition for passports and then went to the orphanage.  The director was lovely as usual and very happy that we were taking Hanna to be part of our family.  The big kids were AWESOME with her.  Lena is already "Little Mama," playing with her, holding her hand, brushing her hair, feeding her.  And Oleg is terrific with her, too, doing many of the same things.  Before leaving town, we finished at the notary and then got on the road for Odessa.

By the time we arrived in Odessa it was too late to get the tax numbers and start the passports.  Vitaly's car started having some problems, but he made sure he got us to Odessa.  Zhenia found us a reasonably priced flat near the city center, so we dropped our bags and headed for McD's.  Oleg said they had never eaten there before, so tonight was the first time.

Oleg ate his cheeseburger and fries, filched a few fries from Hanna, and ate at least half of Lena's cheeseburger before he said he was full.  Lena refused the cheeseburger but ate all her fries and a few of Hanna's.  Hanna ate all of her cheeseburger and most of her fries before she started playing with the fries by taking them out of the box and putting them back in the box.

From McD's, we did some shopping - diapers, pacifier, sippy cup, toothpaste, and a few other essentials. Then the boys left us girls at the flat to get ready for bed while they went to the grocery to get us some food for tomorrow.  Lena LOVES her pajamas - Tinkerbell.  Hanna was actually quite helpful in getting herself dressed and ready for bed.  I decided NOT to try bath, brushing teeth, etc. tonight.  Everyone is exhausted, and I thought it was better just to get sleep.

While the guys were gone, I tried to get Hanna and Lena to settle down, but Lena was too excited by her new clothes and trying to "help" with Hanna.  Once John was back, he took over with the girls, and I settled on the couch with Oleg and the computer.  Emma had sent me an email, so I responded to her and caught up on some other email stuff.  Next thing I know, Oleg is reading my emails out loud to me and actually doing quite well.  When we got to one from Cliff, he read it to me, read my response, and then I asked him if he wanted to say something to Papa.  He did, so I typed it for him and sent it.

The internet quit working, so I checked on John and the girls.  Lena was snoring but Hanna was still wide awake and really fighting sleep.  I really thought it could go either way, but I suspected that we might have trouble with her.  She did not have her nap this afternoon and was WAY past tired.  As I type, we are about 2-1/2 hours into trying to get her to sleep.  It is John's turn now.  Lena has barely moved since she went to sleep.  Oleg is asleep, too.  Looks like a long night for John and me.

Somehow I got here without a camera.  Thankfully, Zhenia has  taken some great pics today, so I will post when I get a chance.

I think it may be time for me to go give John a break.  Wish me luck!

Getting to Izmyil

Train ride was uneventful.  We actually slept fairly well, although it helped that we had already been traveling for more than 24 hours and were exhausted.  

We arrived in Odessa around 6am.  Yuri, our driver, met us at the train and helped us get the bags to the car.  Then we started for Izmyil.

The road to Izmyil actually took us through Moldova for about 15-20 minutes.  So now John has unofficially been to Moldova as well as Ukraine.  About an hour from Izmyil we stopped at a roadside cafe to eat.  Since John needed to have a fully Ukrainian experience (according to Zhenia) we had the pork shish-kebab dinner for breakfast.  This is the same restaurant that Vitaly took us to on our first trip.  It was a definite hit even if it wasn’t a traditional breakfast.  

We arrived in Izmyil around 10:30 and went to the flat.  We had determined that we would need to stay here 1 night, and we needed some rest.  Zhenia left us and went to do work (pictures of the kids for the embassy, documents, notary, etc.).  We freshened up and got a quick nap.  We also went to the bank to change some money and went to the grocery store to get some supplies.  On the way back to the flat, we met Zhenia in the taxi.  He was looking for us to take us to the orphanage to see the kids.  I had forgotten the phone in the flat, so we didn’t know he was on the way.

At the orphanage, we met first with the director.  I gave her a donation for the orphanage and signed some documents.  She gave us the kids’ medical and school records and some documents needed for the rest of the process. Then she asked if I was happy about the kids.  I assured her that I was very happy.  Then we went to find the kids.

Turns out they were outside (it was a beautiful day).  I saw Lena first.  She came walking up to me with this, “where have you been” look on her face.  She seemed glad to see me, but she did not hug me.  Oleg, on the other hand, was behind me, and when I turned around, I saw him running toward me with a big smile on his face and his arms outstretched for a hug.  It was a GREAT hug!

We went inside to visit - to our usual spot.  I introduced John to the kids before we went in, and they seemed to take to him quite readily.  The kids entertained us for quite some time by wrestling with each other.  Oleg was quite gentle with Lena but definitely the dominant wrestler.  But Lena was persistent.   He let her get him down a couple of times, and she took full advantage.  Its a wonder she didn’t hurt HIM. 

An Italian couple came in with their boys, and our friends from California came in with their boys.  All the kids kind of played back and forth between us all for a while.  Then Oleg asked John if he wrestled.  So they wrestled some as well while Lena pretended to be asleep.  And, of course, they ate the snacks I brought.  All in all, we had a good visit.

As we were leaving, Oleg asked if they were going, too.  I told him we would be there in the morning to get them.  Haven’t seen a smile that big in quite a while!

After the orphanage, we went to another restaurant that we tried on the first visit - the little hole in the wall - for an early supper.  We enjoyed a Romanian soup, pork chop, and homestyle potatoes.  John had a Ukrainian beer, and Zhenia and I had green tea.  We sat and talked for a long time.  Zhenia gave John a short version of his background and passion for helping orphans.  It is quite a story.

Back at the flat, John and I decided that we needed to stay up until about 9pm, so we spent a couple of hours just talking about all kinds of stuff.  I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad we took the time.  After tonight we will have the kids with us and may not have another opportunity to talk like that.

Update on the bag:

My missing luggage was delivered to Andre, our driver in Kiev.  Zhenia arranged for Yuri, the driver from Odessa, to drive to Kiev, pick up the bag, and deliver it to us in Izmyil.  This is no small task.  Yuri left Izmyil after dropping us at the flat and should return about 2am.  John agreed to get up in the night to receive the bag and pay Yuri (thank you, John!).  Whew!  Now we have clothes for the kids and the gifts that we brought for our Ukrainian friends.

Plan for tomorrow:

For whatever reason, the court decree was not ready today as we thought it would/should be.   So......

We will be ready to go tomorrow at 7:45.  We will get the court decree, go to the orphanage to get the kids, and get on the road to their hometown to get their birth certificates issued in their new names according to the court decree.  We have all the documents we need from the older kids’ orphanage, so the next stop will be to pick up Hanna and her documents.  Then we go to Odessa for their tax numbers and to apply for passports.  We hope to get all of that done tomorrow.  Vitaly will drive us, so I will be able to give him his gift - a jar of peanut butter.

I hope I can sleep tonight!

Public Dance

So in our wanderings today, John and I stopped to watch some street dancers and a live TV show featuring dancing.  The street dancers were pretty good.  John even recognized some of their music selections.  The TV show was a bust, though.  Not nearly as interesting as we had hoped.  Lots of what appeared to be technical difficulties.

John took some video of both events.  When I get it, I will post it, so you can enjoy it as well.  It may be a while, but I'll let you know when I post it.

Back to Ukraine!

After a week at home trying to make preparations to bring our three new gifts home, my brother and I left for Ukraine.  Our flight left Houston mid-morning.  We changed planes in Newark and again in Frankfurt before arriving in Kiev at one this afternoon (6am CST - we are now 7 hours ahead with the time change in the States).

Upon arrival we learned that one of my bags did not make it to Kiev.  It was checked straight through from Houston, but with 2 plane changes, it could have gotten "misplaced."  Zhenia's VIP arrival crew took very good care of us.  We got all the necessary paperwork filed, and we hope to have the bag located and on its way to us tomorrow.  Unfortunately it happens to be the bag with all the kids' clothes and the gifts we brought for some of our friends here.

After filing our paperwork, we met Zhenia and Andre and headed into Kiev.  Zhenia helped us stow our bags and then left us in our old neighborhood to wait until 9pm when he comes back to get us for our overnight train to Odessa.

In the meantime, I showed John around.  We walked up the hill to St. Sophia and down the street to St. Michael.  This time at St. Michael, we went inside (we couldn't go on our last trip, because we didn't have scarves or hats to cover our heads).  Once inside, we were struck by the intricate and ornate artwork.  Not speaking or reading the language, we really didn't know what were were seeing.  It appeared to be several "stations" dedicated to saints or apostles with candle sticks for people to light candles.  For what purpose?  We don't know.  It seemed to be an elaborate process of crossing themselves (like in the Catholic Church), kissing the likeness of the saint, praying (possibly) and then lighting the candle.  Very interesting.

From there we walked to the overlook of the river and then down to the square.  By then we were thirsty, so I showed John the market.  After that we located at McDonald's for some free wifi, and here I am posting.  We are going to the cafeteria for supper.  Then more waiting until 9pm.  Probably back at McD's, as it is our meeting place with Zhenia.

More soon!  We may have the older kids tomorrow night!

Meet Our New Family

And now it is time to introduce you to our kids.  You will recognize Emma and Vivian in the pictures.


First is Hanna Sofia Johnson (pronounced HAH-nah), formerly known as “Thumbelina.”  She’s three and a half.  Born in September 2007.  She had a rough start in life but she’s tenacious and here for a reason.


Next is Helena Elizabeth Johnson, nicknamed Lena (pronounced Lenna) and formerly known as “Giggles.”  She’s 6 and a half and born on her cousin Holly’s birthday in 2004.  She may be small, but she’s full of personality.


And Oleg Matthew Johnson (pronounced ah-LEG), formerly known as “GameBoy.”  He’s eleven and born on his Uncle John’s birthday in 2000.  


You will remember that the kids are in different orphanages, so we don’t have everyone all in one picture, yet.  I'll post more when I get a chance.

Emma, Papa, Hanna, Vivian

Lena, Mama, Oleg, Papa, Vivian, Emma

Court Today!

The court building (the only one in Izmyil for all civil, criminal and administrative matters) is down the street from our flat.  We really could have walked, but Zhenia insisted that we drive.  More professional.  Walk to SDA.  Drive to court.

We arrived before the kids.  They came separately with the lawyer for the orphanage.  GameBoy arrived with his short haircut, new sweater, new coat, too big slacks and a HUGE smile on his face.  Giggles was buried in her coat (girls size 12 with sleeves rolled up), striped turtle neck, blue cable cardigan sweater, adorable jeans with heart patches on the knee, the coolest little girl boots and her normal beautiful smile.

We gathered inside and waited for the inspector to arrive.  We were about 30 min early for our court time at 3pm.  Everyone was excited and a little anxious.  I don’t think Vivian breathed until court was over.

A little after 3 the court administrator called our case, and we moved into the court room to wait for the judge and jury to come in.  We were surprised that there was another couple there for an adoption (Ukrainians adopting a younger child).  We knew we were being squeezed in.  We just didn’t realize HOW squeezed.

The judge and 2 jurors arrived and took their places at the head of the room.  The Prosecutor was on our right and the inspector and lawyer for the orphanage on our left.  Zhenia sat with us and translated the proceeding.  GameBoy and Giggles sat with us on the front row.  Emma and Vivian sat behind us.

The judge read our petition and then asked us questions.  Each of us had to stand, state our name, birth date, address, and occupation.  He also asked each of us if we had been told and understood the health of each child.  He asked Cliff about our other children, so he introduced Emma and Vivian.  He asked me why we wanted to adopt.  We each had to state our request for the court to approve the adoption petition.  Then he asked for the comments and recommendation of each official.  The Prosecutor stated that he “fully supported” our petition in the interest of the children.  The inspector and the attorney also supported the petition in the interest of the children.

We expected the judge to talk to the children.  Perhaps ask their thoughts about the adoption or somehow gage their understanding of what was happening.  He did not.

Then the judge and jury members adjourned to consider the petition.  In the interim, we chatted with the Prosecutor (through Zhenia) and played quietly with the kids.  The prosecutor has a good sense of humor, and law is his “family business.” 

The judge and jury came back about 15 min later.  The judge read the whole order and pronounced us a family.  Then he wished us good luck.

To celebrate we took the kids to have pizza.  We gluten free folk tried local Ukrainian salads (my opinion, all were good) and either borscht or chicken soup.  Then we took the kids back to our flat.  GameBoy thought it was “so cool.”  We visited with the kids, told them that we had to go back to the States for a few days, and gave GameBoy a GameBoy and 2 games to play while we’re gone.  Then we had to say Good Bye.

I can’t tell you how hard it is to leave them here even for 10 days.  I know they are okay, but I will miss them terribly.  

Hair Cut and Lost Tooth

Today we arrived at the orphanage to find that GameBoy had gotten a haircut and Giggles had lost a tooth.  A lot can happen over night!  GameBoy doesn't like the haircut.  Too short, he says.  Makes me wonder what he'll want when he has a choice!

We don't know how (because we haven't talked to him about it) but GameBoy knows about court tomorrow.  We had a brief conversation about it.  We have not talked with the kids about our impending absence.  We thought it best to do that with an interpreter.  Zhenia will be back tomorrow, so we'll tackle that subject with him.

Another family here had court today.  From their blog, it went well, and we now have some idea of what will happen today when we go.

All in all another good day.