Great Day

Today we had very few bumps in the road for the kids. Nobody came except a lady dropping of a meal for us at suppertime, and I'm sure the lack of "excitement" has helped a lot. Nice quiet morning (I broke out some playdough and they LOVED it.) They took turns kissing us on both cheeks (especially Liana) alllllll day. They just couldn't get enough. (And of course, neither could we!)

We read lots of books together today, and put Mary Poppins in again. We have taken out the tv altogether except for when they watch videos - Adam would be a couch potato otherwise. (Plus the fights over the remote would be quite bloody). We wouldn't let them watch tv at all, but we think it will speed up their English, so we're willing to let them watch a little each day, but only the videos we choose. Good thing we only have a small tv - lugging it in and out of our bedroom each day would get old fast.

Anyway, John had to go in to work again today for a few hours. Adam gets very nervous and moody when he does. Not sure if he thinks he's being rejected or what. He had begged to go with him, but of course that wasn't possible. So, he sulked for a while slamming doors and throwing toys. I sat him on his bed and reassured him that we loved him and that Papa would be back soon. He understood, but he was still upset. He told me he wanted to go back to the Detsky Dom (orphanage). Liana was in the room when he started to talk this way. She was quietly looking through a book, and when I started to remind him that he was MY son, not the orphanage's son, and that at the orphanage there was no Mama, no Papa, no bananas, no bedroom, no new clothes, no house, etc., etc., he got very dishrag-cuddly, but he still said he wanted the orphanage. Liana said she DIDN'T want the orphanage and Adam told her she did. She calmly (and sadly) said that the orphanage was bad and she hated it and that she wanted her mama and papa and her house in America. She never raised her eyes to either of us, and without my TEEENY bit of Russian, I would never have caught it, but after she told him that, he quit. I just held him and held him telling him I loved him, etc.

Thankfully John came home soon after that and he took everyone outside and played hide and seek, swung them around, kicked around a ball, etc. They loved it, and Adam was "all better" after that. We got a little good news (???) today. His boss layed him off for next week. Which is bad for our grocery bill (and our c.c. bill since we wound up having to buy all new tickets home), but it will be reallllllly good for the kids. Blessing in disguise, and I'm actually very relieved. Adam especially needs that Papa time.

When the lady from church brought us supper and the kids went out of their skin with excitement to see some more food coming into the house. The older ones kissed and hugged her, etc. Another eyeopener that we definitely need to cement our relationships more - they shouldn't be so indescriminantly giving away hugs and kisses. Up until now immediate family has come over, and so the hugs and kisses seemed very much appropriate since we'd shared everyones' pictures, etc., but these kids had never been told about this lady. Maybe it was because of the food, but it was alarming to me. (Though she thought we had the nicest kids on the planet!) We're going to have to make a rule that when we start going back to church, that they are not held by anyone but us and their grandparents. I'm going to have to put the word out too that everyone is considered a "mama and papa" to them. They were taught to call all adults that at the orphanage, so people should expect to hear that at first. It bugs me to death, but whaddaya do? Just keep correcting them and hoping they'll "get it" soon.

Anyway, the girls loved their bathtime again. They would have played and played in there, but once Aleksa announced that she peed in the water, Liana decided it was time to evacuate. Don't blame her! ;O) Liana didn't want to wear the jammies I picked for her - she wanted her pretty play clothes on again, so she wound up pitching a fit and screaming at me. So, since I still had to get Aleksa out of the Contaminated Water, John got to deal with Liana. He put her in a corner until she calmed down and then told her firmly that it was time for bed and that we wear jammies to bed, not play clothes, and he stood her there until she said she was sorry. (Mostly he did this because getting them to understand our authority over them has been pretty rough sometimes.) He let her pick a different set of jammies, and she happily put them on and climbed into bed. It has been amazing, but every time we have made them say they were sorry, it has taken a long time to get it out of them, but they have been IMMEDIATELY just fine, and quit crying, etc. All hugs and kisses again, and we of course reward them with snuggles, cuddles and hugs and kisses in return telling them we love them, etc.

The playing outside wore her out I think, so I'm pretty sure she was grumping because she was overtired. She is very particular over what she wants to wear in general though. I guess if I came from a place where I had no choice over what I could wear and had to wear it every day that I would be loving my pretty new play clothes too.

Though it is a nuisance not speaking the same language in the house, it hasn't been that much of a problem. We have understood the "important" things, and I think that has helped the kids enormously that we bothered to learn some Russian before our trip. Couldn't even IMAGINE how hard it would be at the Fisher Home otherwise. The more Russian you learn before your trip, the easier your transition. For those of you still waiting to adopt, (and especially those of you wanting to adopt more than one child), Go buy a few sets of Pimsleur language tapes. They'll pay for themselves in the headaches they'll save you. Just Do It. Some have offered us some interpretation services to us, but truthfully, we communicate just fine, and what we don't understand, we have figured out rather easily through pointing, gesturing, our dictionary, and especially by the vocabulary words that we already know.