Ultrasound

Had our big ultrasound on Thursday! Little Fish is developing just fine, and all is well in the world. Even though I didn't get really great pics from the ultrasound to take home, I'm beyond relieved that everything is a-ok so far! (The doctor did tell me that since the 3D/4D machine was new, that they might drag me in to practice on me for future appointments... I think he felt bad that the pics weren't great... Little Fish was just not cooperating in what position to be in.

We also found out what the gender is, but the more I think about it, the more I think I'll keep that tidbit of info to myself. Enough people in real life know what it is that I want it to be a surprise for SOMEbody, and it might as well be you!! :O)

(So, all you who already know what it is, please keep it quiet, ok?

Nice Weekend

Had a nice weekend back home. Was fun to see my dad, my brother and his wife... The kids got totally spoiled on icecream treats and Auntie Gina's loot stash... (you should see the kites and super-soakers the kids wound up bringing home!) We also refilled Dad's freezer to the hilt, so he should be set for a while.

Also saw all the Fishers. John's brother's birthday was Friday night, so Saturday night we went to the Olive Garden (yum!) to celebrate. Stayed overnight with John's sister and her family. Stayed up way too late talking, but it was fun (even though we got to chatting about her horror-story labor... oy.)

Got to also see our "third" family back home this weekend too - our old church family. Love those folks. Sunday there was a big "sending off" celebration for a team going to Thailand on a missions trip. John's brother Jared is also going, so we were pretty excited for them. Though, of the eight people, four of them still don't have their passports in hand... And they're supposed to leave tomorrow! Eek! Two are going to Chicago to stand in line and see if they can have their passport handed to them, and the other two were told they were be delivered by today at three. Should be interesting to hear the final report... (John's brother has his passport already though... had it expedited.)

Still early... We got in late last night, and the kids are still sawing logs - gonna let 'em sleep in... they'll need it after the big weekend and the late night. Might just crawl back in bed myself.

***Edited to add: Woo-hoo! The last four passports have come in just under the wire! Horray!

Ukrainian?

This morning out of the blue, Aleksa asked, "Is the baby going to be Ukrainian?"

I told her it wouldn't.

She was a little upset.

She said, "Well, will it be my sister then?"

"Not if it's your brother," said I.

Not sure which mortified her more - that the baby wouldn't be Ukrainian, or that it Might be a brother...

(Heaven help us if it turns out to be both non-Ukrainian AND a brother.... oy... how will we ever accept such a child into our family!? *gasp* lol)

More of my favorite video clips

Uploaded a few more videos last night... Enjoy!

Here's my favorite Liana video... She wrote in Curtsy for the very first time! 2/3/06, age 7, home 1 1/2 years.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=841592545235980042

Here's a clip of Aleksa about her day... "Adam the fish" was dying, and she had gone through an entire roll of tp that day in one "sitting." 3/24/05, age 4, home seven months.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7918005512626766713

One of my favorites of Adam, taken at suppertime this winter... He started telling me about a book he was reading, and he was speaking so well and clearly that I HAD to grab the camera. This one really shows how far he's come... Taken 2/24/07, he's 12, home 2 1/2 years.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4650970945895709857

Adam Videos

Adam, Adam, Adam. This guy has had the toughest time with English. He's still a work in progress, actually. Language has always been hard for him - even in his native language, he struggled. He's come a long way, however, and I'm super proud of the hard work he's done to get this far. Adam crashes when I video him reading nowadays, so while I do have some, I don't think they're really a good judge of his ability. I'll post some "just talkin'" clips instead.

November, 2004; Adam is "reading" Dr. Seuss' "ABC" Very tough for him...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2949442193072297753


March 24, 2005; Adam is retelling the story of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." He's just newly 10 years old, and home from Ukraine 7 months.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-378670622141624474


Can't post Adam videos without reposting Adam remembering our "Metcha Day." I still get teary watching this one. And yes, Aleksa DID bite her brother when he tried to pick her up, and he does have scars on his shoulder to prove that she did so at least a few different times...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-876976978358705861

I still need to take a video of him this weekend, and when I do, I'll edit this post with another addition.

Liana Videos

Here are a few before/afters of Liana reading "The Three Little Pigs" too...

First one is taken the same night as Leksa's in 11/04. Age 6, home almost three months. I'd almost forgotten how tough those "r's" were for her way back then. *sigh*

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4862203685817400075

Here's today's version. She's 8, and home 2 yrs, 10 mos. So grown up... :O(

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-232506499317265329

Aleksa Videos

Someone recently brought it to my attention that pictures and video clips from when the kids first came home from Ukraine aren't showing up on my blog. Bummer!

So, I'm reposting a few video clips as I upload them onto the internet - it takes a LONG time to do this, so I'll post 'em as I do 'em. Here are a few to start us off....

Aleksa's November 2004 (home almost three months) version of "The Three Pigs" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2288837970286810893

And now, here's one I took of her today reading the same book. She's been home from Ukraine 2 years 10 months... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5447418898577135070

Oh, and here's another one from today... My favorite book from my childhood was "Caps for Sale" and when Leksa reads it, she has to dramatize it too... She's definitely our little actress. Here ya go... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8134069185174227675

Birthnames

Last weekend when we were at the park (pre-deluge), I asked the Mrs. if she ever used her daughter's birthname with her. (Her son actually goes by his birthname). She said her daughter gets mighty huffy if anyone ever calls her by it, so, no, they only use her American name.

I've been thinking about that ever since. I use my kids' birthnames with them alllllll the time. Probably half of the time with the girls, and fairly often (usually mornings and nights) with Adam. Perhaps they like to hear their birthnames because their siblings called them that, and the "bad association" with Ukraine isn't as acute? Or, maybe since I use their birthnames as terms of endearment? "Zina Ballerina" or "Valentina Ballerina" for example, and of course there's "Princess Liliana Valentina" or "Princess Aleksandra Zinaida." Adam is my "Misha bear" and has bear pajamas and bedding to go along with that theme. (Mishka evidently means "little bear.")

I have heard so many stories of Ukie kids not wanting anything to do with their birthnames once they are home in America... I just wonder if my kids always having each other takes the urgency out of "needing" to fit in to their new lives in America by using an American name.

Who knows.

That said, I am glad we changed their names. Well, we didn't totally change them, rather we moved their birth names to their middle names... It was a right of passage for us as their parents to give them new names, and also a gift to the children to give them names that wouldn't make them stick out like sore thumbs as "not from here." But, I also feel like, as long as the children LIKE their names, that I should use them. (Besides, I love their birthnames, and they are fun to say!)

Grounded

We have such a pathetic child here today. Adam went and got himself grounded this morning, (don't ask!)

Since his neighbor friends have come home from school, he's been glued to the window like a little puppy dog. One of his friends (his best friend, actually), came to the door asking for him, and Aleksa told him that he was grounded but that SHE could go out and play with him.

(I didn't see it, but I'm fairly certain she had to have batted her eyes about right then. She Looooooooves "Robby!")

This did not make our sad puppy any happier, lemmetellyawhat, and I have been seranaded by a loooong string of heavy sighs for the past half hour.

Life is so hard sometimes.

Papa Birds

Don't know if I've mentioned our "Pa-pa!" bird... It has been driving John CRAZY this spring.

We've been having to sleep with the windows shut :O( because this dumb bird screeches at us in the morning almost right outside our window. And it doesn't just screech... John is quite sure it is saying, "Papa! Papa!" And it makes him NUTS.

We haven't ever seen this guilty bird in action to identify it, but I decided to do some poking around on some audio-clips of birdies today, and have discovered that it is most definitely a ring-necked pheasant. We've seen them around, so it isn't surprising...

I'm thinking John just might just be persuaded to become a hunter! lol!

Fun Day?

And so today we had a wonderful picnic/get-together time with another Ukie family in the area... It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time.

Well, check that. It was a beautiful day until we were Just about to leave. Then it dropped a thunderstorm on our heads and completely drenched and froze us all. Unfortunately we had wound up parked about as far away from the zoo as we could possibly be, and therefore had a nice 15 minute walk, er, run through the torrents (yes, torrents) of rain.

John led the parade, and several times I had no idea where he was because he was so far ahead, and I couldn't remember where we were parked. Talk about a panic!

Leksa was crying. Liana shivering. Adam loving every adventuresome minute.

Me? Well, I am now sitting with my foot propped up with ice. I twisted my ankle *twice* in the process of the mad rush to the car.

But we had a good time, and I'm quite sure not a one of us will ever forget this day. If and when our camera dries out, perhaps I'll post a picture or two. But I've been wanting a new camera anyway, right?

Now we're getting ready to go to some friends' house for supper.

We plan to bring an umbrella.

Poor Liana!

Liana was all geared up for No Math today (finished her book yesterday).

She got "all done" with her schoolwork when who should knock on the door but the postman delivering a package.

"That's NOT my new math book, is it, Mama?"

Her only consolation was that her new book is Pink.

*tee-hee*