Our Ukranian Adoption

Build a Bear!!

2008-10-06T12:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Masha and I met my friend, Darleen (see picture), at Build A Bear in Fashion Island. Masha really enjoyed herself and was very well behaved. Masha picked out a wedding outfit for "Vika" and then Darleen had her pick out a few more. She got pajamas and slippers and a daytime outfit. Masha loved checking out all the accessories at the store. She'll probably go back with Brynn in November to add to her collection. It was great having Darleen there as she really knows the ins and outs of that store. She hooked Masha and Vika up with every color ribbon and bow in the place. Masha has already had her new teddy bear in all three outfits. Thanks, Darleen, for a great day!

Also, Masha went to Russian school on Sat. It's a school in Newport Beach that is taught in Russian. She is taking five classes-Russian literature, Russian, math, drawing, and science. There were over 40 kids there. Most of the kids have one or both parents who speak Russian. Masha was the only one there with no parents speaking Russian. Masha had a blast and was so glad to have kids to speak Russian to. We're going to have Viktor take two classes so he can start to brush up on his Russian again. Having Masha here has helped him to remember some Russian and he's eager to relearn it. When she was getting ready for school today, she asked if she was going to Russian or English school-funny!

Disneyland!!

2008-09-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Brynn came home from Missouri this weekend to spend time with Masha. Even though I vowed we would not take her to Disneyland so soon, I let Brynn convince me it was okay. I was afraid Masha would be overstimulated and not be able to handle it. I was wrong! She was great. She loved all the Halloween decorations and even saw Goofy and Mickey on Main Street. We met my friend, Lea, who is also going to be Masha's teacher, and had lunch at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. That was the only time she got a little impatient because she wanted to get back to the rides. We let her know in advance when there were about 3 rides left. She counted them and then was very good about leaving. We have annual passes so we'll be back often. The picture that most makes me smile is the one where she is in the teacup. When she first got in the cup, she sat on the circular thing in the middle. She thought that was how it was supposed to be ridden. I wish we'd gotten a picture of that. Also, the Space Mountain picture is classic. She actually liked the ride and wanted to go again! We went past and through many stores and she did ask for a souvenir but we told her that the trip to Disneyland was her present. I am so happy that Brynn speaks some Russian-it was so helpful. She wasn't happy about not getting a souvenir but didn't make a big deal of it. It seems that every time she goes somewhere or meets new people she gets something. She needs to learn that is not usually the case. All in all, she has had a very positive first week. No major dramas to speak of.

Masha at School

2008-09-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

I have been taking Masha to school the past few days for just an hour or so at a time. I wanted to see how she would handle it. She and the students in her class have done very well. Her teacher, my good friend Lea, has made it a positive experience for her. The first day she didn't want to go. The second day she came bounding down the stairs with her backpack on and ready for school. Whenever I mention her teacher's name she smiles. To prepare for her time at school, Masha labors over her hair. This is what she ends up with. What you can't see is the third ponytail sticking out of the back of her head. She also puts every barrette she owns into her hair-front and back!!! I figured that the other kids would kind of make faces at her hair and then she would alter it the next time. When the kids saw her hair they all exclaimed, "Oh, it's beautiful!' Shows what I know. The smile really speaks to Masha's outlook on life. She truly is a happy girl who brightens up whatever spaces she's in. Today she did an addition worksheet while at school. She had been having trouble with this a few days ago but was able to do it independently today. She couldn't wait to show me the paper and the happy face on top. As soon as she saw Viktor, she showed him her accomplishment. It is now hanging on the refrigerator for all to see. I have noticed that she is enthusiastic about learning. I hope this continues.

The First Few Days

2008-09-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

I keep hoping that these past few days have not been a "honeymoon period" and that she will continue to do as well as she has since arriving. We have had minimal problems with her. She is listening well and getting along with Viktor beautifully. He has really stepped up and taken on the role of big brother. He has been patient with her and very attentive to her needs. When she first saw her bedroom, she about flipped. There were Barbies there, along with some accessories-swimming pool, car, furniture, clothes, etc. Viktor was very good about helping her set up her Barbie town. She also spent hours making jewelry with a bead set she got as a gift. The only problems we have had with her are when she gets overstimulated. This has happened a few times. Saturday we went to the mall to hear Viktor's boys chorus sing. She loved watching the performance but got a little hyper as we were walking through the mall. We had to get out of there as soon as Viktor's concert was over. Sunday we had quite a few family members stop by to meet her. She did alright at first but then I had to ask them to leave as she started having trouble listening. We spent the rest of Sunday at home relaxing and she did much better. Today Masha and I started some school work. I plan on staying home with her for about five weeks and then she'll start in 3rd grade at the school where I teach. I worked with her today on letters and numbers. She definitely catches on quickly and seemed to enjoy the learning. I was a bit worried because in Ukraine she vowed she would not learn English and that everyone in America would have to speak Russian to her. It didn't take her long to figure out that's not happening! Well, my solitude has ended. She just came into the room asking for something. I, of course, don't understand her and she doesn't understand me. Thus goes our days.

An American Citizen

2008-09-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Masha and Mike arrived home around 5:00 this evening. She was very excited to see the house and to meet the pets. We had dinner and then told her in order what she needed or could do.

1. shower

2. play

3. ice cream

4. bed

She agreed and is now clean and upstairs playing with Viktor. They have been great together. Of course, we're only two hours into this and I realize sibling behavior will soon kick in. For now, though, I choose to live in my fantasy world. She picked up some English in the past few weeks and is trying to use it. We're going to sneak upstairs now with a video camera and catch the two of them playing together.

Tomorrow she will meet Patrick. I'll let you know what she thinks of him. Poor Brynn has called a few times already. I know it's hard for her not to be here. She's coming next week to spend time with Masha.

Ann and Bill, she has already mentioned you and wanting to see you on the computer. We'll definitely set something up soon.

I will continue to blog as she settles in with us. I will be as honest as possible but will try to accentuate the positive.

That's it for tonight.

One More Hurdle Jumped

2008-09-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Mike and he said he has her passport in hand. It literally took two minutes to get. They didn't even ask for his ID-they just had him sign his name to pick it up. They are on their way back to Kiev from Odessa. As I was talking to him, they got pulled over by a police officer. What they do is kind of funny. A few police officers will pull their cars to the side of the road and stand outside their cars together. They have a big baton or flashlight in their hands. As cars go by, they just point at your car with their flashlight/baton and that's your signal to pull over. Usually it's all handled by paying them a fee right there and then you're on your way. I don't know how much the fee is because that's one thing we weren't asked to pay for while there! The cars coming in the other direction are pretty good about warning you with their headlights. Anyway, Mike said Masha has calmed down a lot since he got there and that she did very well on their long drive today. I hope that behavior translates to the flight on Thursday.

Papa is There!

2008-09-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Mike arrived in Kiev today and is at Ann and Bill's house with Masha. I talked to him on the phone a few hours after he arrived and I could hear her excitement in the background. Her journey to America is almost over. I just finished Skyping with them. Everytime we talk and see each other on the computer, she asks to see the dog and her bedroom. This time I showed her the Barbie dolls that are here for her. We counted them together in English-five of them! She was grinning from ear to ear. By the time I saw them on the computer screen a few hours after the phone call, she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. I am a little worried about the trip back to the U.S. She has never been on a plane before and will be extremely excited. We are going to have some of Ann and Bill's friends from church talk to her about expected behavior for the trip home. Mike and Masha will also have a four hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. I figure he can just feed her during that time and she'll be fine! Please pray that the next few days of final paperwork go well and that they can return home as planned on Thursday, Sept. 18. Also, keep all the other families who are in Ukraine now in your thoughts and prayers.

The Passport Is In

2008-09-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

We just heard that the passport is ready! Mike is leaving Sat. morning and will be in Kiev on Sunday afternoon. He will go to Odessa on Monday and pick up the passport. Tuesday morning he will take Masha for her medical exam and then apply for the visa. He will pick the visa up on Wed. and they will head home on Thurs. Yea! It's hard to believe this is almost over. Masha will be so excited when she hears she'll be in America in a week.

A Letter From Ukraine

2008-09-09T05:15:00.001-07:00

Below are excerpts from a letter Ann sent me yesterday. The words paint a vivid picture of Masha's spirit.

"This weekend there were a lot of fun things for her. As you know we went to the Myers' house for a church picnic. She enjoyed playing outside all day as they have a lot of land. She played with the other kids in the hammock and rode on a scooter. And of course she enjoyed all the attention from the young people.

Then yesterday after church she went with Oksana and Lyena to swim in the river and another male friend in our church worked a little bit with her on swimming. She is not afraid of the water at all and should pick up swimming pretty easily. Oksana and Lyena visited our friend's apt. to get her a shower before coming home and she washed the dishes there while everyone was talking without being asked. Oksana and Lyena then walked her the long way home to wear her out some. Last night Bill stayed with her to study while I went to a church meeting. When I came home she had cleaned up my kitchen entirely-even organized the refrigerator. She has also been wanting to iron her own clothes every morning which is a very Ukrainian thing to do. She does it on her own with my supervision. She told me her mother taught her. She is not very good at it but it really makes her happy to do it.

Oksana described her as living each day so enthusiastically as if it were her last or the last day of a vacation. She doesn't want to miss out on any fun. Her eating has slowed down a little which may be a good sign- perhaps that she understands now that the food will not come to an end-maybe that this is a reality that won't be taken away from her. Oh-one more funny thing-she insisted on cooking dinner for us the other night. She told me she knew how to make eggs because her mother had taught her. She cracked about four eggs in a pan and fried them (no stirring or flipping). When they had become good and hard we scraped them out of the pan (with a lot of effort). She busily went about setting our little table for three and spooning the eggs onto three plates. Hers had the most and Bill and I received very small amounts. She poured drinks for us all and called Bill in. It was really cute-she was so proud of her dinner.

Oh yes, when we got home the other night after skyping with you and seeing her room, she was so excited. She kept talking about her room and how it was like a house. She kept listing all the things she had seen that would be hers including the toilet and shower, dog and cat, and balcony. The balcony was a big hit. She was just so thrilled and can't wait to come home."

Our heartfelt thanks again to Ann and Bill for being great "grandparents" to Masha. They are helping to ease her transition from Ukraine to America and will forever be imprinted on her heart and ours.

More Pictures

2008-09-08T21:37:00.001-07:00

This is Masha at Ann and Bill's apartment.
Masha is sitting at a desk in the classroom at her orphanage. This was right before we left. She literally ran to the car to leave.
Masha relaxing in her bedroom at Ann and Bill's apartment. She is playing with Viktor's Gameboy.

Hanh, This One's For You

2008-09-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

I was informed this morning by my co-worker, Hanh, that she has been checking daily to see if I have updated the blog. Since she left a comment on every post, I thought I should honor her request. Here, finally, is a picture of Masha. It was taken when we were out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with my friends Ann and Bill. They are the ones who are caring for her while we wait for her passport to get processed. We found out today that it is almost ready and Mike will head back to Ukraine this weekend and bring her home the next week. Yippee!! She is so excited to be coming to America. I can't wait for you all to meet her!

Hey

2008-08-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

I'm sure you're wondering what has become of me. It's been a stressful few days. I got here on Wed. night and we spent all day Thurs., Friday, and Sat. running down paperwork. After some confusion, I was allowed to pick up Masha on Friday night. Let's say our first day together was not great. She said "No" to everything I asked her. I couldn't help thinking, "What have we done?" I got back to Ann and Bill's house and had a great talk with them. I then called Mike and Brynn and they all convinced me that I needed a good night's sleep and that would help. The biggest problem is with her passport. They can't tell me when it will be ready. It could be a week or two or three. The passport office is closed for a while because they're moving. They say it will open next week but anyone who knows the Ukrainian govt. knows this is nothing you can count on. The thought of being here indefinitely without the rest of my immediate family was more that I could bear. Also, the system here is disheartening. I felt so beaten down. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to head back to America and Mike will come and finish up the paperwork and bring Masha home. While we're waiting for the paperwork to be finished, Masha will stay with Ann and Bill and their great church friends. Masha looks at Ann and Bill as grandparents and she loves the young girls from their church. I kow it's not the ideal solution but it's the best I can come up with. I worry about Viktor if I'm gone for weeks more. Though I'm grateful to all those who have pitched in and helped, it's hard on him to go from place to place. I will be home Wed. night and will need a few days to settle back in. Masha is fine with it all since she doesn't know how it's supposed to work anyways. She is happy to hang out with her new "family" and friends. I am so thankful to them for their generosity. As long as she knows she's going to America sometime, she's okay. Oh, she's also made great behavioral gains already in just 2 days. She doesn't have tantrums and gets over things easily. Things she was saying no to a few days ago she now does without being asked. There's hope!!!
Thanks again for all your support and prayers. It helped me tremendously when I was feeling down. I am not wearing glasses as I write this, so forgive the typos.

I'm Back

2008-08-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in Kiev this afternoon. I took a taxi to Ann and Bill's house. I will be picked up tomorrow morning by Olga, my translator, and Sasha, the driver. We will spend the day driving to the town Masha's orphanage is in to get the court decree. We then head to the town of her birth, which is south of Odessa, to get her original birth certificate and have a new one issued. After that, we will head back to Odessa to pick up Masha. We will spend the night in Odessa and then head back to Kiev on Friday to handle the medical exams and visa/passport stuff. Since Monday is a holiday, I probably won't finish up until Tues. or Wed. I hope to be heading home by Wed. or Thurs. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

Going Back

2008-08-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

I am heading back to Ukraine tomorrow to pick up Masha. I will arrive on Wed. I am lucky to be able to stay with my friends Ann and Bill while in Kiev. Since Mike won't be with me, this is a God send! On Thursday, I will go with our translator and a driver to the region where Masha is, which is Odessa. We will spend the entire day getting paperwork done-picking up the court decree, getting her new birth certificate, etc. I will then go and pick Masha up. We will travel back to Kiev to complete the medical exams and get her passport. I am hoping to be there a week. The one thing that could keep us there longer is the passport. That can take anywhere from 1-9 days to get. Please keep your fingers crossed for us on that one. I will be posting as often as I can. It all depends on the availability of internet cafes!

Getting Things Done

2008-08-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have been home for 3 days. I really needed this time to rejuvenate. I spent my first day home doing laundry. I've never been so glad to use a washer AND dryer in my life! I spent my second day shopping for clothes for Masha. Most of the clothes that were donated to us will not fit her. She is most definitely not as small as most Ukranian girls her age. Her dresser in now stocked with adorable outfits. I forgot how much I love shopping for girls' clothes! I just found out that I will be returning to Kiev on Wed., Aug. 27 and be in the Odessa region on Aug. 28 getting the court decree, birth certificate, passport, and, of course, Masha. If all goes well, I'll be there less than a week. But I know I can't count on anything going as planned. I really am not looking forward to the traveling part of my return trip but can't wait to get Masha home. I'll keep you posted.

Cathy

3 more days

2008-08-17T01:12:00.000-07:00

Brynn and I are counting the hours until we get home. Cathy and Viktor left yesterday and are home now. Since I will not be returning to pick up Maria, I needed to stay until Monday to sign some paperwork at the US Embassy. Brynn agreed to stay the extra few days to keep me company. We fly out on Tuesday.
Yesterday after Cathy and Viktor left, we spent the 1st part of the day trying to catch some of the Olympics. Not very good coverage on CNN or the BBC ( The only two English stations) so we watched it on a Ukrainian station. In the afternoon we went to Ann and Bill's apartment to pick up some luggage we had asked them to hold for us. They invited us to dinner at Papa John's Pizza along with their son Jake who was visiting them for the past 2 weeks and was leaving the next morning. Three of their Ukrainian friends also came along and we ended up spending the entire evening with them on a walking tour. It was a great way to spend the evening and help pass the time.
We are both looking forward to getting home.

On our way home

2008-08-16T01:45:00.001-07:00

The paperwork was finished on time and we were able to keep our court date! The judge approved the adoption and now we only have the 10 days to wait for it to be official. Cathy and Viktor are on a plane home, and will be in California Saturday night. Mike and Brynn will be in Kiev until Tuesday to deal with the remaining paperwork. They are bored.

Luckily, their apartment is nice and gets CNN and BBC- so they can watch the Olympics in English.

Go Michael Phelps!!!

She is Excited!

2008-08-14T03:33:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting to hear officially that our court date is tomorrow at 3:30. The SDA is supposed to have the paperwork ready by 3:00 this afternoon. If it's ready, we have a court date. If not, it won't be until next week.

We went to see Maria today for what we believe will be the last time for a few weeks. Although we felt as if she understood she would be coming to America with us, we weren't sure how she felt about it. Before we left today, we had our translator call her and explain things to her. As she was talking on the phone, she started to get more and more animated and excited. She kept saying, "Da!" When she hung up, she started dancing around. The translator then told me that she knew we were flying to American and wanted to know if she would be going. When she told her that she would be going in about two weeks, she was so happy. She ran into the building and started telling the workers and the other kids. She came back to me to check that she would really be flying on the plane with me in two weeks. Again, she took off telling anyone who would listen. All I could understand was "America!" So, I guess we passed the test. We are spending today getting things packed for our trip to Kotovsk tomorrow morning. After the court date we will head directly to Kiev.

Keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers, especially that Masha will be at peace these next few weeks as she awaits her journey to her new life.

Left Out a Detail

2008-08-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

I just realized that some of you may be confused as to why we aren't going to see her for a few weeks. My original plan was to stay in Ukraine during the 10 day wait between the court proceedings and when we can pick her up and take her. In Ukraine, you have to wait 10 days after the court date to pick up the court decree and your child. You then spend a few days taking care of Embassy things. I have decided to go home during that time and come back. Mike needs to get to work so I would be here alone. I thought I could do it but realized I don't really want to. The biggest problem is the language barrier. With Brynn here is was doable. With her gone, my 5 word Russian vocabulary just won't cut it. Plus I miss my washer and dryer, books in English, watching the Olympics in English, etc., etc.

A Great Visit

2008-08-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

We went to visit Masha for what we thought could be the last time before the court date on Friday. As you remember, when we last left her she was pouting about the iPod. We weren't sure how she would receive us or interact today. We needn't have worried. Today was the best day ever. She smiled as soon as she saw as and never once asked for the iPod or pouted. We brought a ball and a few games we found in Russian. She really enjoyed those. The only problem we had was when some of the other kids wanted to play with us and she got very possessive. We had to let her know it was okay for them to play. She finally accepted it, though she didn't love the idea. It just felt less forced today. It's so hard when you don't speak each other's language. I'm sure she thinks we're stupid Americans. It also was clear for the first time that she understands she is going to America with us and seems happy about it. Two funny stories. I was drawing her feet so I can buy her some shoes. I asked her what kind of shoes she wants. She got excited, said something in Russian and then went "click, click, click". She wants heels-just like all the other Ukranian women! No matter the weather or the types of streets, all Ukranian women wear high heels. I think I am the only woman wearing tennis shoes. Won't she be surprised when I bring her some cute flat sandals!! We also brought along a few articles of clothing to try on for size. Unfortunately, most are too small for her. There was one Little Mermaid nightgown that just barely looked like it would fit her. She grabbed it and ran to her room. We had told her it was for sleeping but she didn't care. Within moments she was back wearing the nightgown, which is probably one or two sizes too small. Of course, we have pictures! When it was time to go, we thought we would try to squeeze in one more visit for the day after tomorrow. Brynn asked in Russian. Masha then started saying, "Zaftra!" That means tomorrow. The worker smiled and said to come whenever we wanted. So we'll go on Wed. and Thurs. I will have our translator talk to Masha on the phone on Thurs. before we leave in order to explain to her why we won't be back for a few weeks. We left feeling very positive about how things are going. Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers.

Strays

2008-08-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am sitting her at a street cafe and thought I should let you know about all the stray cats and dogs here. They are everywhere. Bob Barker would be horrified that they don't spay and neuter. Cats are always walking around the cafes and people just act as if it's nothing. Dogs run around the streets, many times in packs. I've never seen anyone approach them or try to prevent all the strays from roaming the streets. I have no idea where they get their food . I actually think the people here love the animals and this is all they know to do for all of them. At our not so nice apartment there were at least 10 cats and kittens living in the courtyard. Viktor made fast friends with them and even gave them names. When we left, he had to say goodbye to them all. I will have Brynn get some pictures. Weird.

Finally, a Computer!

2008-08-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

By now you are probably wondering what has become of us these past few days. It all boils down to location, location, location. We moved to a new place. At first we were told a house by the Black Sea. It ended up being an apt. in a bad neighborhood. It was a long walk from the center of Odessa, which is very nice. We had no access to internet, the tv didn't work, and we felt so cut off from everything. The only highlight to Sat. and Sun. was that we were finally able to visit with Maria. We spent about 2 1/2 hours with her each day. She seemed very glad to see us. Our assessment of her personality so far is she's outgoing, friendly, spunky (oh no!) and bright. We were led to believe that she hadn't been to school much. We were pleasantly surprised to find that she reads and writes well in Russian. Brynn was reading with her and said she is fluent in Russian-yippee! We did encounter our first problem with her. We let her listen to our iPod-she loves music! She kept asking if she could keep it and we said, "No." When we were getting ready to leave, we had her give it back to us. She started to pout. But that was it-no crying or tantrums!!!!! It was funny because one of the workers saw that she was pouting as we were leaving and assumed it was because she was sad we were going. Little did she know. We were not able to visit with her today so are hoping she will miss us and think about how we won't give her anything she wants. She kept saying that because she said please we should give it to her. Oh, she has so much to learn. Any other time she was doing something and we asked her to stop, she did it immediately. She also shared very well with Viktor. All in all, I think we can work with it.

A Lazy Day

2008-08-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Since we weren't able to visit with Maria, we decided to just wander the city and see what we'd discover. We had breakfast at a street cafe. It was very good. It's so helpful to have Brynn here to do some translating. Even with her limited Russian, our orders sometimes get a little mixed up.

We then walked a few blocks up to see the Opera House. It is a beautiful building which is surrounded by many other beautiful buildings. A path behind the Opera House parallels the Black Sea. We took that path and discovered Potemkin Steps. These are 10 sets of 19 steps that take you down to the Odessa port. It is definitely a huge tourist attraction. Further along the path we came to some Greek columns (I don't remember the name) that also overlook the Black Sea. Unfortunately, the beauty of the column structure was diminished by the graffiti on it. All along our walk there were brides and grooms posing for pictures. I am talking about 20-30 of them. This area is popular for wedding photos. I don't know if Friday is a big wedding day or if they take pictures the day before the wedding. It was cool to see the styles of dresses. Many of them were typical to what an American would wear but many were more frilly and poofy than you would see back home. After seeing the Greek column structure, we crossed a bridge that had locks attached all the way across a metal bar. They were all locked and had things written on them. We think maybe new brides and grooms put them there. I will have Brynn post a picture of it since it's hard to explain. At the end of the bridge, we stopped to have a drink in an outdoor setting. It was nice and relaxing. We watched all the wedding parties cross the bridge and take more pictures!

In the evening we had dinner at a pizza place and watched the Opening Ceremonies in Beijing. We are learning to take our time with meals. The waiters and waitresses wait a long time before bringing the check. We have decided it's good to linger awhile after eating-very unlike back home. Brynn and Viktor went back to the apartment while Mike and I walked some more around the city.

We are moving from our apartment in the city to a house on the Black Sea. I'll let you know how that is.

Pictures Of Kiev and Odessa

2008-08-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Frustrated

2008-08-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

We just found out that the director of the orphanage will only let us visit Maria 3 times in the next week. There's nothing we can do about it so we're just going to spend the extra time exploring Odessa. We didn't see her yesterday and are waiting to hear if today will be our first of the 3 days. She was taken to a doctor for an eye infection and may not be back in time for us to go today. I am trying to not get discouraged by the things I cannot change.