Hi. It was a good day.....our first without Ted and the girls.....so a little lonely without them. We made the best of it though. We took Valera to a movie today. We saw Ice age 4 - in Russian. It was 3D. He giggled all throughout the movie and kept trying to reach out and touch the things popping out of the screen. Speaking of popping, he especially enjoyed the popcorn. He told Anya that he had never had popcorn before. And had never been to the movie theatre before. Fun. Fun. As much as he loved it, when we left he was still counting down the days until the Donetsk Shaktar futnol game. It's tomorrow. He talks about it all day.
We took a walk around the park, ate lunch then headed back to the apartment. Pa and Valera watched a Superman movie in Russian then Valera and I continued our UNO marathon, he is winning 24 games to my 4. And I am not letting him win. I am really not. No more Mrs. Nice Guy holding on to my "draw fours" - oh no! I am trying to take him down. He is thrilled to be beating me so badly. We are keeping tally marks and he loves to add another mark on his side.
After we ate dinner at the apartment, we went for a walk and kicked the soccer ball..then got another ice cream cone.
He likes watching Tom and Jerry on the iPod. My dad and I find ourselves smiling hearing him laugh. It's so sweet to the ears.
We have started doing some letter recognition and colors/animal vocabulary in English. Nothing too intense but doing some fun games on the iPad.
I am going to hit the hay. I am so excited to know that Ted and the girls will be home soon. I love you guys so much. Delaney and Mary Kate - you are the bravest girls I know. Enjoy drinking all that water from the tap, brushing your teeth with the tap water, and eating fruit!
Please keep the comments coming. They lift my spirits!
looking forward to chatting with ted and the girls sometime tomorrow and the ukranians on monday
ReplyDeleteHey Girlie!!!!! I'm sooo thinking about you there with your dad and Valera! You guys seem to be having a blast! Does he get to stay over night with you in the apartment until the court date?
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteWe are so proud of you and are praying for you. We look forward to seeing Ted and the girls at church, and more than anything, we can't wait to meet Valera when you bring him home. Also, I would really love to meet your Dad. He is truly an inspiration to me. Thanks so much for sharing and for being so open and honest!
Love, Rochelle
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave soul to go see a 3D movie in Russian! I'm sure Valera was just beyond excited. Seems you doing a great job with all the ins and outs and quirkeyness(for lack of a better word) of Ukraine. A piece of your heart will always remain there as it has for those who have gone before you. Glad your dad is there too and that everything is moving along (all be it slowly, but still moving)toward that glorious day when you get to come home. You should try the Vereniki, it's like potato or beef filled ravioli's. Take lots of pics of the orphanage as Valera wil want to look a them after some time has past. He will cherish pictures of friends, teachers, his room, etc.. Probably not right away but at some point he will be glad he has those.
Stay strong and know that God is paving the way for you with His goodness and light! Will look forward to some more posts as your journey continues.
Blessings,
Laura Passanita
Oh Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a strong woman and such an absolutely wonderful mother. Valera, Delaney, and MaryKate are blessed beyond belief. Praying for all of you and love you very much!! Enjoy each and every precious moment with your dad and Valera!!
Love, Tracy
Lisa, I had to smile reading about you teaching Valera his letter recognition and colors/animal in English. Your gifting as a a school teacher is now fully being utilized with this precious son of yours! Just had to give a wink at God for realizing why it so important that you... train Valera up in the way he should go......Your family is going to have a remarkable year! God bless you and keep these beautiful posts coming. We sure do love reading them :) XOXO, Cindy
ReplyDeleteIf you came to Donetsk, You definitely should visit its theatres. Ukraine Travel Guide created a list of Donetsk theatres to help you to choose the most appropriate for you. Moreover, you can find there a lot of useful information for Ukraine tourism like accommodation, cafes, pubs, entertainments, hospitals, taxis and other services you may need during your travel to Ukraine.
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