Today's weather was GORGEOUS. Short-sleeved weather on a beautiful fall day with all the trees orange and yellow. Perfect day.
Dad needed a few things at Walmart, so the kids and I shopped this afternoon for a cart full of schtuff. Dad has my name on his checks so I can do such things, but unfortunately, I had forgotten my own checkbook and drivers license at home. So, there we were at the check-out with three kids, five bags of groceries, and me with a check without my drivers license number on it. They didn't quite know what to do with me, but when I told them they could "call my dad" and find out the scoop, they let us go. *whew* (I'm just so thankful the kids are so good in stores, or I would have really been stressed!)
We put together about 20 meals again today, so it doesn't look like we need to do a Cooking Day for another month. (He still had about 10 meals left in the freezer from last time.)
Anyway, after John was done with work, we took the kids to a park called Kids Coulee. It is any child's DREAM. We played over an hour and still didn't see it all. Lots of things to climb, lots of slides, mazes, steps, secret passages, etc. this park was built completely by the community with community donations and volunteers. It is INCREDIBLE. They had a blast! I got a couple pics of the park itself (or part of it!), but didn't take any of the kids playing... I was too busy playing myself! We all played hide-and-seek in it, and boy is that a perfect place to do it! Especially at 6:00 pm on a week night in October (I guess! - at one point we were the only ones there!)
John and I commented on the way home at how far Aleksa has come since she came home. She was running and playing and exploring right along with the rest of the gang... and didn't need to be coaxed or held. No screaming, crying, or whatever. When she first came home, she would have screamed at the thought of us setting her down at such a place let alone expecting her to "go play." (Remember when she gave me a death-grip-bite on the shoulder when I put her on an unfamiliar toilet back in Kiev? Oy!) Anyway, she loves slides, and they had spiral ones, enclosed tube-slides, and the boring regular ones. She loved them all, especially the biggest one (the enclosed tube). She's definitely come a long way baby!
One lady at the park asked me how old Aleksa was. When I told her she just turned four she was shocked at how little she was. I suppose she is pretty small. I haven't paid too much attention to what a "typical four-yr-old" should look like. She's the only one I got, so I just pay attention to her. As long as I feed her and give her her Flintstone vitamins, God can worry about the rest. She sure ain't gonna blow away any time soon!
While we were at the park I also got to thinking about what a vast difference this park is compared to what they've been playing on for the last two years at the orphanage. Thought I'd share some pics so you can better understand the delight when they saw THIS park!
Kids Coulee
Inside Kids Coulee
Playground at Orphanage
Playground at Orphanage
Tonight while tucking in Adam, he commented on how scared he was of the thunder and lightning outside (our perfect day ended with a big storm tonight.) We swung open the shade and sat and watched the storm for about 20 minutes or more. Liana joined us for a little bit while John tucked in 'Leksa. I talked about how big God is to be able to make a storm like that, and really tried to ooh and aaah about how pretty the lightning was, etc. so they wouldn't be afraid of it. After the kids started relaxing and started adding some oohs and aahs themselves, Liana finally said, "Mama, I like it, God!"
After she went back to her room, there were some pretty huge lightning bolts nearby and when they flashed, the streetlight outside would go out. I joked with Adam that the light must be scared too or something. Adam said, "Oh, ni boysya, light! It's ok!" (Don't be scared, light, it's ok!") Then, the light flickered back on. He giggled and then the lightning flashed again and it again went out. So, Adam told it to not be afraid again, and again it flickered on. He giggled so hard!! That happened a few more times too. It's so much fun to watch the rain with little kids!!!
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2 comments:
Maybe I need some supplemental mood enhancers because the Ukraine and USA playground comparison has totally depressed me. The contrast is painful. I was in Russia for my children and the apparatus look pretty much the same. The same stuff would be condemed here. I just can't seem to reconcile why God allows some of these children to escape that destitute,lonely and relentlessly meaninless life and other orphans stay there and die a little bit more each day. I am almost ashamed at the abundance my children live in (we are quite wealthy). Maybe that is part of why I enjoy your posts, Shelly. They remind me of our early days when each minute was a fantasy and adventure for my children. 4 years later, they are feeling pretty entitled much the way many children of wealthy parents do. Shelly, you sound really centered and able to focus on the things that matter. Oh are you wise in that regard. Don't miss a moment. They will catch up, grow up and become successful Americans. But for a very short time, you have them in your home to delight in them and they in you. I like very much how you are not pushing them according to some nebulis plumb line. Alexa, I am sure, is exactly how God wants her to be right now and I can't think of anyone's approval I'd rather have.
I must be missing something somewhere. I am lucky to do 1 meal a nite never mind 20 in a day. Can you describe this for we cooking challenged foks? Seriously challenged. My kids think MAC and Cheese and salad from a bag is clever.
A Mom
A Mom,
Thanks for the post. The playground equipment really was depressing - as it was in all the rest of the parks we saw in Ukraine. Very much like this everywhere were. Yes, it does seem shameful how much we have compared to those in other parts of the world. I just wonder, for example, how many of the children in "our" orphanage could have been fed by all the $$ put into the playground we were visiting yesterday. And to think there are children DYING every day because there isn't enough money to feed them.
You asked about my "20 meals a day" regime. It was no problem this time as my Dad had lots of things leftover from the last cooking expedition. Dad has individual plastic plates with lids that can be frozen. So, once a month or once every six-seven weeks, I come over and we make up plates for his dinner every day. Otherwise he'd live on cans of sardines and bologne sandwiches. Ew. We do things like ham steaks, fish filets, spaghetti, bratwurst, goulash, lasagna, etc. plus a vegetable, potatoes, and his all-time favorite Johnny-cake. I make a couple huge batches of the corn bread and then cut it into individual pieces. Whatever is leftover can easily be frozen for use for future meals (as was the case yesterday, which sped things up a lot). Probably sounds like a lot of work, but really it isn't, and I sleep better knowing Dad is eating well. (I tend to worry!)
Dad has a big freezer, so we can get quite a few meals put away at a time. I'd love to do Once-a-Month cooking for myself, (wouldn't put them on individual plates though - just by the pans), but we don't have a big freezer. I just make sure that when I brown hamburger or make chicken for something or other, I brown a TON of it and divide up and freeze the leftovers for future meals. Sure saves me time in the kitchen!
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