Rachael's Birthday Cake.

It didn't turn out too bad considering I have no experience in cake decorating. And Rachael was really excited about it, much more so than I expected from a 2yo.
Here it is:


We went to our friends' house whose baby girl is turning 1yo today and celebrated both girls. We had a wonderful time, though the kids did get tired (we were having so much time we were not paying attention to the clock and stayed till about 9pm which is too late for the kids to be up. But they had a really good time, too. We are hoping to have them over again soon)

Time To Pull Out Big Guns

Or something like that.
We have been running errands all morning. Rachael is turning 2 yo tomorrow and we were invited to celebrate with another family from church whose daughter will be turning 1 yo on Thursday. I am making their cake. Not just a sheet cake, a princess cake with one of those barbie dollies on top and cake for a dress. It would have been easy if I were just to bake a cake in a bowl and decorate it. But I do NOT like unfilled cakes. So, I'll be baking a LOT of rounds, filling, stacking and the cutting to shape a dress. Considering how tired and unmotivated I have been feeling, it does NOT sound fun at all.
So, back to big guns. I had to stop by the vet and get Lucy some stuff for her ear infection (that the groomers discovered yesterday) and a swollen tear duct. I left the kids in the car (you never know how many sick dogs you will find in their tiny waiting room, it's no place for 4 and 6 yo boys, and Rachael has a hard time keeping her hands off of our dog, I wouldn't want to see her pulling on a strange pitbull's ear or she might end up loosing hers.) I come back five minutes later to a car full of screaming boys. Turns out, Daniel got a sliver on his 4th finger and was crying and Jadin was crying in sympathy (and I thought 6 yo don't cry in sympathy because of a little sliver)
Daniel wanted it removed right away but had to wait till we got home. And now he is not letting me touch it. At all. While screaming for me to remove it. And it's half an inch long and in deep. I tried talking to him. Doesn't help. Explaining? No.
So, finally to the big guns. I put in 'Ice Age' and tried to get it out while he was watching it. So far, no luck. But at least he is not screaming. I guess, I should go try again.
Sigh.
**Update**
The movie didn't help. We had to wait for daddy to do it today (Wed.) He pretty much held him tight, didn't worry about the screaming and tears, and did it.
I do NOT have the guts for this!
Thank God for daddies!

Merry Christmas

from our family to yours

Prayer Buddy Reveal

I have had the privilege of praying for My Heart Exults for the last few weeks. It was wonderful to get to know them a little better.
I was so hoping for a miracle for them. And it did happen for a few beautiful weeks. My heart is breaking for their loss. When you pray for someone on a regular basis, they become a part of your family, there's a connection established that is not easily broken. I wish God had chosen to answer my prayers in a different way. But in all things, may His name be glorified!
Please, join me in praying for this family.

7 Quick Takes

1. It's our month to clean the church. We usually do it once a week between services. I decided to take the kids along and do it today, so that we don't have to worry about it tomorrow on M's day off. Honestly, with his parents coming to visit he has A LOT to do around the house. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.
2. We have been having people over for lunch after church every Sunday for the last couple of months. M had to take all the junk out of the dinning room (and that includes painting supplies, a seat he took out of our car to make it easier to access kids in the back and quite a few other items) Having no space for the stuff, he put it in the guest bedroom. It's a tiny room and now you can't see the floor, let alone walk on it. Did I mention in-laws are coming to visit? That's where they are going to stay. So, they either have to grow wings or M. will have to figure out what to do with the stuff.
3. On the subject of in-laws, they came to visit us once this year while they visited M's sister twice. I am upset. You want to know why? They live 5 hours away from us, and 3 days away from her. They were invited over here for Thanksgiving and Jadin's birthday but decided not to come. I don't understand why they care so little for their grand kids who love them to death.
4. After we were done cleaning the church I took the kids out to Mc.Donald's. It was too close to Rachael's nap time and I knew she would have been asleep by the time we got home. I wanted her to eat. So, we order, sit down at the table and start eating when this cleaning lady comes over and starts talking to the kids. She is usually very friendly and I don't mind. Well, today she says to the kids 'Oh, no, not these pests, not these pests again' two or three times. Seriously???? When she left Daniel says 'Mommy, why did that lady call us pests?' What do you say to that? Highly inappropriate. I was considering talking to the manager but decided the lady probably needed that job.
5. I asked for flute lessons for my Christmas present this year. M didn't mind so I started looking for a teacher and found this lady who has been teaching for over 20 years and has been playing principal flute for our Symphony Orchestra for the last 14 years. WOW! What a wealth of experience! I called her and left her a message. She never called back that day. Bummer! So I called her back the next day (just in case it was actually not her number, you couldn't tell from the answering machine.) A guy picked up and said she was out of town. Makes sense.
6. So, on the subject of flute lessons, he said he e-mailed her my information and that she would be calling me back. I wasn't holding my breath, a teacher with that kind of experience can pick and choose her students and there was no reason for her to choose me. I am not that talented or advanced (not that she could tell from the information I gave when I left a message which included my name and cell number. LOL). She called the next day, asked me where I was at with my studies (uh, I know the fingerings, what level does that put me on? Below beginner?) and said she will teach me. WOO-HOO!!!!! I am so excited I can't wait for Jan.1 to arrive! I can't think of anything else!
7. For some reason I have no motivation to decorate the house beyond the Christmas tree. We also have no presents for the kids. It's sad, really, considering Christmas is only 3 days away. Oh, well. Wednesday is going to be a busy day.

Christmas Presents

And we are greatful

What Makes A House, A Home?

Have you ever thought about that?
When we first got married it was decided that I move here instead of us living in Ukraine. The main reason for that was M's inability to provide for us due to his not speaking Russian. Of course, we could have chosen for him to stay home and for me to work, but that would be too hard for him. We both believe in biblical roles for husbands and wives, and that meant I move to the US.
M. had owned this house for some time when I joined him. He worked really hard to make me feel at home, to make room for my stuff and to get anything I can possibly want that I had to leave behind. He bought a big dresser and made room in the closet.
I didn't have problems adjusting. Not really. I knew the language and way of life and it was acceptable to me. Most importantly, I was finally re-united with the man I loved.
Yet, without realizing it, I felt like a guest in his home for the longest time. I didn't feel comfortable re-arranging things. I felt I needed to ask his permission if I was to deep clean anything. In addition to that, I moved here in February and our first son was born at the end of November that year. In 9 short months I was no longer working, lived in a new country with no real friends or any family close by and had a very fussy infant to care for. For months I wouldn't sleep in our bed being afraid of Jadin disturbing M's sleep. Like a good guest, I tried my best to let him rest while rocking MY crying baby. For some reason I didn't realize he was OUR baby. That HE was responsible for Jadin as well. I felt very alone.
Years have passed. Jadin is no longer an infant. God added two more kids to our family. On Saturday as we were making chocolate waffles and raspberry whipped cream and listening to Christmas music, I realized I no longer felt like a stranger, a guest in this house. It was my HOME filled with aromas of breakfast, voices of children singing and playing, comfortable chairs and love. Full of memories. It's no longer me versus him. We are truly 'us'.
I am not sure when that transition happened. I no longer feel like I have to ask permission to put stuff where I think it should go or invite a friend over. I don't need advise on everything and anything. It's all figured out, for the most part. If I need help I ask. But most importantly I feel like we both have our own place and a role to play. An important role. Sure, I don't 'put food on the table' but I cook it and set that table to serve it. He still doesn't take care of kids 'after hours' but he will get up and help clean up when Jadin throws up in the middle of the night. I am no longer alone or a guest.
We are in this together.

It Is Hereditary.

I am pretty sure now. You'd think that after yesterday fiasco I'd give up on trying to find gadgets for family. Apparently, I inherited my Dad's love for all things technical as well as his lack of judgement in that area. Because this morning as I was getting kids ready for school, I started thinking about mom-in-law really missing her daughter who lives in AL. And you know what was the first thing that came to my mind? Vebcam. Wouldn't it be great? It's free with high speed internet, they would be able to see each other often and it would be killing two birds with one stone, for I am pretty sure S (the daughter) doesn't have one of those, either. So, we can get two, mail them early and they can have a virtual Christmas together. What a present!
Well, in-laws don't have high speed internet. Ooops! Hubby says that it's not available in their area, but I am sure he is wrong. I e-mailed mom-in-law today to check on that. I also talked to sis to get her prospective. She will be discussing it with her hubbs and calling me back. I do hope it works out, it would truly be a present that keeps giving.
We will see.

Eating Cake And Being Frustrated.

Christmas is not about presents, no doubt. Still, it's a tradition to give presents on Christmas and I had what seemed to me like a good game plan. I was going to take full advantage of Cyber Monday and get a Kindle for my husband and a digital frame for my parents. Easy enough, right?
Um, not for me. First, i don't buy anything without reading reviews. So, let's start with the frame. I read so many reviews on so many brands and models I can't keep them straight anymore. It seems like every frame has at least one review saying 'this one freezes after a month. Don't buy', 'it goes dark and quits', or 'it says it has internal memory, but it really doesn't' (the last one's not a problem, flash cards are so cheap these days) Every.Single.One. After spending hours on the computer I am not even sure they will like it. They are attached to their computer anyway and Dad carries his lap-top everywhere (he even brought it here when they came to visit, because, you know, we live in Africa and don't have a computer. LOL) Also, Dad LOVES playing with electronics, they have lost sooooo many computers because he thinks he knows what he is doing. I feel that no matter the quality of the frame it will be short lived. I have no idea what to do.
Now, to the Kindle. I though that would be an awesome idea for M. He LOVES to read. The thing is, I can't find anything under 150$. Also, he loves reading BLOGS. I don't think you can get those on Kindle. I doubt I will be able to get books that he would like, either.
I am back where I started this morning.
As to the cake, it's soo good and we have a lot of it left...

Parade Of Lights.

Parade of Lights takes place every year after Thanksgiving. It's wonderful and colorful and a lot of fun especially when it isn't too cold. This year it was on Jadin's birthday and it was also the warmest it has ever been. We parked the pickup along the rout early so that we had a comfortable place to sit.
Here we are, all ready for the show to begin:


A few of our favourites:


This one is done by our Airforce base and the airplane was moving! It was awesome!


We went out to eat (I baked all day and didn't realize that the kids hadn't been fed until it was time to leave for the parade, so we all were starving!) Rachael fell asleep on the way back from the restaurant. I took her out of the car, dug her out of the snowsuit and put her warm jammies on. She never woke up. I don't think she has been that sound asleep ever in her life.

So Many things to Post, So Little Time

First, my firstborn son, Jadin, turned six on Saturday.
I am still in denial. He can't be six! I remember his birth like it was yesterday. And now look at this tall young man!
It is a family tradition to invite our friend and doula and her husband to dinner on Jadin's birthday. This sweet lady was on a romantic getaway with her hubby when my water broke. She left their expensive hotel in the middle of the night and rushed back to assist me in labor and delivery...

Mr. and Mrs. G had other plans this Saturday so we got together on Sunday night. We also had Pastor and his wife over.


From left to right: Jadin, Pastor's wife, Pastor, Mr.G, Mrs.G, the doula.

I made a dinosaur cake for home and a spider man cake for church:

It took me two days and an extra batch of dough to figure out the baking thing (this cake is half a sheet, big enough to serve 50, so having to bake it twice wasn't fun). It was so worth it, though. Both cakes were divine! The cream cheese filling is perfect and I was able to find a good recipe for butter cream icing that would be stiff enough for piping and still taste good. I still remember having to throw the whole dinosaur cake out a few years ago when I used store bought icing (it was so bad even the kids who normally eat anything with sugar in it refused to eat it).
One of the highlights of the weekend was receiving a package from my family. Mom sent real Ukrainian chocolate and caviar and presents for all the kids (for Jadin's birthday) We were in caviar heaven! All three of my kids L-O-V-E caviar and we ate two cans! M. says that though he doesn't mind it, it's not his favourite. Fine by me! LOL.
I also made chocolate cars on a pretzel for Jadin to take to school today, but be had to stay home because of the weather. Oh, well, he's be happy to take them there tomorrow.
Now, with Jadin's birthday behind I have Rachael's to plan for. I am considering making one of those dolly cakes where the cake is the dress and you stick a plastic barbie on top. That should be interesting.
-------------------
Christmas time is great for flute. I had so much fun playing all those carols on Sunday and quite a few people said they really enjoyed it afterwards.

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of Those Days.

I woke up this morning feeling a little bit under the weather. Not really sick, or anything, just a sore throat and low energy (that last one I should be used to by now, right? No, not really) And it's 3F outside. I HATE having to do anything when I am cold.
What I want to do is sit at home with a book. What I have to do is run to the store and get things for Thanksgiving dinner and for Jadin's birthday cakes (yeah, there going to be more than one), buy Jadin's birthday present, clean the house (in desparate need of being cleaned, too) and do laundery.
When I am done with all that, I need to go work out, though Rachael said this morning 'Momma not work out, momma not faaaaat!' (I wish! With Thanksgiving and a birthday coming I can't really afford to not go to the gym)
Oh, and than there's Jadin's Thanksgiving program tomorrow morning. I decided I am not going to make food (being Daniel's room mom and having to organize Thanksgiving for 150 people on Monday was enough).
And than there was the incident yesterday with Rachael and the teacher of the other pre-school class. I was at school before 8 am chopping, peeling, arranging, getting the food ready, recording the program on two different cameras and cleaning up afterwards. Rachael didn't get any of my attention. She was such a good girl, never really making a fuss. Until it was time to serve the food. She saw the toys in Mrs.H's class and went in to play with them (I am not talking fancy toys, stuff like babies and blankets). Mrs.H discovered here there and brought her out kicking and screaming telling me she can't touch the toys. She will break them. SERIOUSLY??? You can SEE I am helping with the food, you KNOW I have been here for 3 hours with her. How hard is it to give her a baby? Is she really going to break it in the 20 minutes while I am serving the food? Rachael cried the whole time while I was trying to feed the boys, help with the food and clean-up.
I am upset. I understand rules, but there was not compassion or understanding. Just rules. She can't touch.
Oh, well. I am glad Daniel's in Mrs.R's class. And for Easter I am going to stay low. After all, Mrs. H has a room mom, too.

'Tis The Season

I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I love driving around in the cold weather looking at Christmas lights decorating people's houses. I enjoy fixing hot cocoa for my family and going Christmas tree hunting with our church, and watching the parade of lights.
But not only is it a festive time of year, it holds a special significance to our family. Two days after Thanksgiving our firstborn son took his first breaths, made his first cries and wore his first outfits. I even picked the day of his birth (no, not a c-section, my water broke two nights after Thanksgiving just like I predicted a month earlier.) Also, a day before New Year's Eve or third child and first daughter made her appearance.
This time of the year is very special not only for us but also for my sister-in-law and her family as they celebrate birthdays of two of their children as well. Needless to say, it means LOTS of shopping.
Though I really hate shopping for myself I LOVE shopping for my family and extended family, especially if I can do it by myself. M likes to participate, too, and I never buy anything for our children on my own, but since he is so very busy and I know what my sister-in-law wants for her children (because we are girls and we TALK (and LISTEN!) it's much easier for me to do it with just Rachael in tow while boys are at school and hubby is at work. In fact, Rachael and I held the following conversation in the car today. Me 'Rachael, mommy needs to stop by the house and get a coke.' Rachael 'No-o-o-o. I want to go shopping!' What can I say, it's a girl thing :)
So, we went to T.arget (couldn't find the lacing beads for Daniel's class but I spied a couple of things that will make a good birthday gift for Jadin. Now I need M's approval and we are good to go.) and TJ.Maxx and bought Christmas gifts for all the nephews and nieces a birthday present for E., my niece. I am going to get a bottle of wine from our local winery (their wines are exceptional! when Sister-in-law and family were visiting, they bought a whole case to take home, so I figured that would be a good present) for sister and brother-in-law, wrap all the presents and mail! I am doing it early because E's birthday is in the beginning of December and that way we only have to go to the post office once.
Here's what I got

Oh, and since I couldn't find those beads for Daniel's class I showed the lace-and-trace that I got for one of the nieces to his teacher and she said that she loved it even better than the beads. Problem solved!
Can't wait to start wrapping them up!

Things Work Out.

Somehow they always do.
I called the pastor's wife yesterday to see if she would watch the kids. She said she would exept she needs to take another church member to the airport at that time. She called another lady from our church to see if she would do it, but she had things going on, as well.
I tried calling other parents to see if they would take my place at school serving. The food was ready to go and I was even willing to bring it to the school.
No one answered the phone.
Great.
As a last resort, I called my neighbor. She works so odds were not good. But I had no one else to turn to. We are not close, though they are very friendly and we exchange dog sitting services when one of us has to go out of town. Lucy (my cocker) loves them! She loves S and plays well with their dogs.
So, I called. You never know, if she is willing to watch my dog maybe she can watch the kids for an hour and a half. She said she will take time off work and come watch them!
WOW! I could not believe my ears. After all, we are not really friends, we just chat occasionally. She said since she works alone (cleaning houses and running errands for people) she can leave and go back later to finish the job. I was moved to tears. I could not believe someone would do that for me. She also said she would be willing to do that any time I need her to. For free! I would never use her generosity without a very serious reason, but what I relief! For years I've lived in this city with no one to turn to in case of emergency. The words are not enough to express my gratitude.
I made her a loaf of bread that night since she commented on how good the house smelled (I baked some bread to take to school) You should have seen the expression on her husbands face when I walked in with a bag of groceries (she came back from the store and had her hands full so I helped her carry stuff inside) and a loaf of bread! it was precious. LOL. I explained that she babysat for me earlier hence the bread.
What a blessing it is to have neighbors like that!

Bad News.

Not that a child throwing up is ever good news. But a child throwing up on that one day when your hubbs is out of town and you HAVE to be at the child's school serving teachers lunch...What am I supposed to do?
I am the room mom for Daniel's class. It means I help organize things, like Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter and serve teachers lunch once a year on the designated day (all of us room moms take turn doing that once a month to show our appreciation. It's not hard, there's only 15 people to cook for including secretary and the principal) Today is my day. And Jadin was sick as a dog last night. He threw up all over his bed and the chest of drawers, the living room floor and the bathroom, of course.
Fun.
We have no family in town, no one to watch them. All my friends work. The only person who might agree to watch them for me would be pastor's wife. She is a sweetheart and I know she will agree unless she has other plans. The thing is, if Jadin has a stomach bug, I don't want to expose J. to it. The are leaving early next week to go visit family.
I have no idea what to do. I can't bring Jadin to school with me. I can't leave him alone at home. I don't have any one to watch him. And I can't re-schedule.
Last year, when I was room mom for Jadin's class, I made sure the lunch was scheduled on M's day off. He would take the kids and I would go and do my thing. The night before M came down with a stomach virus. He was miserable. I was miserable. Neither of us slept. I had three kids in tow including a baby.
I think this is the last time I volunteer to be room mom.

Meet Adam

And here he is in all his glory. Like I said, I am not good at these things.

Now,so you don't think that those three years of humiliation at school didn't pay off, here's my semi-successful project (the dress and the hat,not the baby, she is drop dead gorgeous and a total success :)

Why I don't like school. ANY school.

I don't like them because of projects. I HATE PROJECTS! I am not creative, or handy, or patient. I do not see in my mind how things will turn out. My worst nightmare was home ed class back in 6th-8th grades. We were taught to make clothes from scratch, to measure, make patterns, cut and sew everything from a house robe to dress clothes. My teacher always showed my projects to everyone in the class to demonstrate how things should NOT be done. I once permanently attached a pant leg from one of my projects to an arm hole of another project. And then had to take the stitches out and cut a hole in the said leg while doing it. (Sigh.)
Now, fast forward a week ago. My son comes from school with this huge paper turkey saying that he has to decorate it and they will hang it in the school for their Thanksgiving festivities. UH-OH! You mean, I am supposed to HELP you buy the stuff to decorate the turkey with and then GLUE it on and EVERYONE in the school will see it???? All freaked out, I started contemplating the possibility of switching schools after our 'art project' is seen by others. (I love my son too much to make him go back to that school the day after). No, we already payed for the school year.
(SIIIIIIGH)
(God, can I exchange my musical abilities for a little bit of creativity and a new pair of hands? No? What do you mean it doesn't work that way?)

At least he is still little and in time the turkey will be forgotten.

On top of all that he called his turkey 'Adm' (I did write another 'a' in there not that anyone will notice after they see the poor guy)

Why I Like My Boys' School

The size of the class
The wonderful teachers
The christian curriculum
The fun they are having while learning new things
And, of course, this:


And here is Jadin and his Itsy Bitsy Spider

What We Have Been Up To.

I know, I know. I haven't posted in a while. There's simply not much going on worth to be mentioned here, unless you want to listen to me bragging about my flute accomplishments (I can now reach all the notes except for third B and forth C. YAY!)
We've been having wonderful fall weather here, staying in the 60s for the most part. I do NOT care for fall or winter because of the cold, the wind and the muck so I am really happy it's still warm.
Halloween was nice. I have a hard time celebrating the evil spirits, so we don't decorate or dress up (we can have fun dressing up and playing on any other day, and there's plenty of candy in stores) Our church hosted a nice Reformation day evening service complete with singing, a great message by this man and treats and fellowship afterwards. The kids had their treats and we didn't have to compromise our values. Wonderful!
Kids are having no school this Thursday and Friday and M's bosses have been insisting he take his vacation days. So, we are going to visit grandparents. And since we have wonderful neighbours who are willing to take in our dog, we don't have to worry about M's parents chaining our Lucy in their barn and listen to her desperate cries all night. She simply loves S and A and their two dogs. S keeps Lucy in her house at night and lets her play with her dogs during the day. I L-O-V-E them!
Rachael is talking more each and every day. We went out to eat on Sat. night to our favorite place and the kids always get ice-cream after their meal. I was holding Rachael's bowl so that she doesn't dump ice-cream on herself. She said 'Don't touch it! Momma get her own ice-cream!'. She is not yet two! What am I going to do when she is 13?

Something I Forgot

I really shouldn't experiment with food. When something sounds simple, it's usually because there's something I am not noticing. In this particular case, how many people it is intended for.
Now, how can you go wrong with something that's called 'Easy Breakfast Roll-Up'? You open a tube of crescent rolls, you put your browned sausage+egg+cheese mixture on the dough, roll it up and bake it.
But, no, I am too cheap to buy the tube of crescent rolls, so I find a recipe for bread machine dough. Easy enough. Throw it all in the bread machine, take your dough out in about 2.5 hours.
What I didn't know is how big a roll all this makes. Let me show you:



This baby is big enough to feed my family for a MONTH! Aside from that, it's 2pm and it's intended for breakfast TOMORROW.

Sigh.

I will put in in the fridge and hope it warms up really well in the morning. And the leftovers are going in the freezer.

Mommyhood - gotta love it

We are having such a wonderful day today! It started with a trip to Ta.rget to get Daniel a winter hat. No, it's not THAT cold here yet, but we had to get one for Jadin because he is going on a school trip on Monday and it's going to be cold, and Daniel really wanted one, too. So, hello, Tar.get.
I also had 2 pairs of Jadin's jeans to exchange at Sea.rs and the mall doesn't open till ten. So we wondered around and I found this GREAT pair of work out pants. I would have never paid 20$ for something I wear to the gym, but this pair was LONG! I have never EVER owned a pair of work out pants that was long enough. Trying those on was like being in heaven. So, they really do exist after all. I was starting to believe that 5'10" women are not meant to exercise judging by the lack of gym clothes on the shelves. Yes, I paid the 20$, and, yes, I feel guilty about it. But I am, oh, so very exited to own a pair of pants that make me look like I am 17 yo and never had kids and that are LONG!
I was just talking to a mom friend of mine at Jadin's school when Rachael started asking to go potty. I told her I will take her in a minute. Well, when they TELL you they need to go, it means THEY NEED TO GOOOOO! By the time we were done talking she (and the car seat that I can't take out of the car to wash by myself) were soaked. Oh, joy. It's also Thursday, which means I have to spend 5 hours at the YMCA. Staying at home and avoiding the pee soaked car seat is not an option.
It took me 20 minutes to blindly disassemble the car seat without taking it out. I am not sure I can put it back together, but at least Rachael (and the car) will not smell like pee...still have no idea how I am going to get to the Y...
(I have to mention here that just yesterday I made a mistake of leaving her asleep with daddy while I was exercising. I came back to a screaming soaking wet baby and a sleeping daddy. The pack-and-play HAD to be washed and dried before night time. 'Sigh')
I also made the kids spaghetti (had some left over sauce in the fridge). BIG mistake! Rachael (and half the dinning room) was covered in tomato. Hello, bath. (have I ever mentioned that she HATES being washed?)
Oh, the joys of mommyhood.
PS. I did have a HUGE piece of cake in the freezer to lighten up the day...it was vanilla, not chocolate, but better that than nothing. It's all gone now, so I am hoping to not see any pee-throw-up disasters until we have a back-up plan (read 'chocolate cake').
PPS Yes, Jadin did throw up after having too much of said cake on Sunday night. And, yes, I should have known better than to give it to him and his sensitive stomach but we haven't had any disasters ever since I discovered probiotics...

How Lucky Am I?

I never really thought of or wanted to get married growing up. My family was all about great education, career, accomplishment, being smart, and that kind of thing. I know, I was a huge disappointment :) I am not that smart. According to my mom, good education can cure that...or, in my case, sheer luck. A great job found me when I was still working on my Master's theses. I LOVED the job, and I LOVED my boss. When I started, I was a shy and socially awkward girl who wouldn't talk on the phone to people she didn't know even if her life depended on that. I am still not that great socially, but did I learn A LOT from that man! He also made me a part of his family. I taught his son English for a few years and loved every minute of it, too. His wife did my makeup for the wedding (let me tell you, she did a wonderful job, I did look much better then I ever have in my life)
But I am getting ahead of myself. My mom never taught me to cook or keep house. She always said that great education comes first, and if a woman gets that, she will be able to learn to do the house stuff on her own. If she gets to have a husband and a house, that is. I have no idea why she thought that I wasn't marriage material. She even apologized for that (when she learned I was engaged to an American and to move away) and said that I shouldn't despair and that they will find me a nice UKRAINIAN guy. Mhahahahaha. Isn't that what every girl is dreaming to hear from her mom?
Now, to the point of this post. When I became a Christian, I accepted the fact that I will most likely stay single. There were NO Christian guys in my church or among my acquaintance and I am too opinionated and vocal about my faith to be able to marry a non-Christian. Plus, I know what the Bible says about that. I was happy working, doing things at church and translating for church groups occasionally. That last thing was a lot of fun. The groups were made of American teens and I just loved working with them! Until this one group came. They were not teens, they were pastors. Older people who came to see how work in Ukraine was going. You know, important guys, the guys who made decisions about sending people to serve in Ukraine. If it's not nerve-wracking to translate for a group like that, I don't know what is. Luckily, I was assigned to these two guys who were lay members of a small church and just wanted to learn about missionary work in Ukraine. Wew.
The rest is history. I was married to one of those guys 6 months later. Why? He is the smartest, the funniest, the most generous and hard working guy I have ever met. He is a very talented engineer. He works on cars and he can build a house from scratch. He can wire, do plumbing, lay tile, you name it. Yet he knows history and theology better then some of the professors I translated for at the seminary. In addition to all that, he is C-U-T-E.
So, how on Earth did I get so lucky? God must love me very much to give me a guy like that!
Now, I have to show off his most recent project.
Here's before:



And here's after:




I am one lucky girl!

And I Am The Carrier

So, we have these strange things happen to our sound system at church. First, we were getting faint radio feed through it, that wasn't supposed to be there. No one can figure out why it's there and we do have a couple of sound systems specialist in our congregation. We figured out that it goes away when our guitarist turns his monitor on. Problem fixed...for a little while, anyway. Then one Sunday morning we come to practice like we always do, and the monitor plugging isn't helping anymore. Luckily for us, I had to play my keyboard on one of the songs, so I turned it on and the sounds magically disappeared. Weired.
Last Sunday we start practicing and my drums are not working. The sound system guy says I am turned all the way up on the board yet there's nothing. It takes me a couple of minutes to figure out that my set is turned waaaay down on my side. I am the only one who ever touches that set. No one knows what to do with it or what the knobs are for. I definitely didn't touch it. So, who did? We only have ten people in church that have access to the building during the week, me and my husband are two of them, the rest are cleaning crews. The worship team jokes about having demons in our sound system.
Ok, so this morning we dropped Jadin off at school as we do every morning and were on our way back. I usually have Christian radio station on, not because I am so fond of the 10 songs that they play over and over and over, but because I know that music has a huge impact on me and I'd rather hear a Christian message, even if the same song played 10 times a day is a little irritating. I had radio on this morning, too, until it switched to CD all of a sudden without any help from me. WHAT IS GOING ON? Am I the carrier of the demons? They seem to have infested my car now, too. Like I said, weired.

PS. No, I don't think I am the carrier of the demons or that they would even think me enough of a threat to do that. I am sure there's an explanation. I do believe that our members are under attack (which, believe me, is a strong statement for one one who is of PCA background). One of our members lost their father unexpectedly last Thursday, another one is likely to loose her dad any day, and we have too more members whose parents are deathly ill. There's less then 50 families in our church. It's a lot of losses in a short period of time. Makes me really worried about my family.

Childhood Obesity

It affects a lot of kids these days. Or, so I am told. Apparently, my family somehow missed the epidemic, because my kids are very skinny. I have to work hard to get them to eat.
So, in view of this epidemic, explain to me, why my children's school insists on feeding kids snacks when they only spend three hours there. It is disruptive to our family routine. It's difficult to get them to eat a healthy breakfast (who wants eggs if they know they will get chicken nuggets at school) and they refuse to eat lunch with the family since they just ate said chicken nuggets at school half and hour ago. Did I mention the fact that they are only at school for THREE hours?
Why am I bringing it up? Well, because today I only gave Jadin chocolate milk for a snack. Daniel was not going to school, so I decided I will feed them all right after Jadin comes back from school, and that Jadin should be hungry by then. Well, turns out he was fed pretzels at school. PRETZELS! I am AGAINST pretzels. They have no nutritional value.
Of course, when I offered them pelmeni (which they LOVE) he politely declined. He wasn't hungry. And I am upset! If I decide to only send chocolate milk to school, WHY are they feeding him junk? We all ate, and he will be hungry after he wakes up from his nap which means I will have to cook another meal just for him. Because, you see, I have nothing else to do around here then to cook at odd times of day because the school thinks they have to have a snack.

!!!

Who Needs a Doll...

...when you have a brother?
Putting her dolly, uh, I mean brother, night-night:



All done:



P.s. You can't see it in this picture, but her pants are backwards. And I don't mind, because she put them on by herself. At a tender age of 21 months! (can't you tell I am proud of my little miss. 'do it by meesef'? It does get very irritating when we are in a hurry, just in case you are wondering :)

The Ride of Eternal Significance.

I don't know why I am called a 'stay at home mom'. Some days I am only at home when it's time to go to bed. Yesterday was one of those days. M was home so we took an hour for ourselves after he dropped the kids of at school and I had my teeth cleaned. We went to T.arget and got a pound of freshly ground Sta.rbucks coffee (oh, what a difference a cup of good coffee makes!), a mocha and a scone for M. It was so wonderful to only have one child with us.
After picking the boys us from school we went to Fire.house for lunch. I had lunch all cooked and frozen but M had discovered a gift certificate for Fire.house in his wallet the day before and I LOVE their beer bread.For some reason I always have to drag him there. He likes their food, so I don't know why he doesn't want to go. That certificate was two years old at least. Our lunch cost us 50c!
M. took the kids home for naps and I went to the YMC.A to work out. When I came back 1 1/2 hours later everyone was still sleeping. Did I get a chance to enjoy it? Yeah, right! Remember, I am a 'stay at home' mom. I did get a chance to take a quick shower before we had to go get our flu shots. I haven't had the flu since I moved here almost 7 years ago, but M gets it twice every year (and denies it, too) and he told me he will only get it if I get it. Well, ok. I had three kids with no pain meds, what's taking a little prick for the one I love? Plus, we had a coupon for Co.ld Sto.ne for after we were done (Jadin and I had the following conversation in the car on Tuesday after they got their flu shots. Me 'Mommy and Daddy are going to get those tomorrow, too, but unlike you we are not getting any candy' Jadin 'Oh, I will give you a hug and a kiss for your treat, then' Have I ever mentioned what wonderful kids I have?).
Than it was time for kids' swimming lessons. After that we had a potluck and a movie at church with just enough time to bake my hot dish in between. And while it was baking we went and bought a waffle maker (it was on sale 1/2 off and while I hate pancakes I really like waffles). By the time we finally came home it was time for bed.
So, now to that ride. Since we spend so much time in the car, that's where most of our conversations happen. Jadin started asking why we were not decorating for Halloween. I had to explain to him that Halloween is a celebration of evil spirits and some people that decorate like what we had seen, do not know God. He asked me if they are sinners and if they are going to hell. I said that, yes, some of them are. Then he asked about us. I told him that if we know Christ we will go to heaven where God had prepared wonderful mansions for us (something he told me he was looking forward to when he goes to heaven) and that we decorate for Christmas instead of Halloween. We want to celebrate the birth of our Savior and not the evil spirits. He thought for a minute and said 'Mommy, I choose that. I choose Christ'. His first ever profession of faith.
Sometimes you just have to turn off the music...

What a Difference a Doula Can Make

My friend V asked me to write her a letter of recommendation as she is applying for Mother-Friendly Nurse Recognition. As I was writting it I was reminded how big a difference a good doula can make.
So, to honor my friend and all those women who are there to support us during labor and delivery, I am going to publish my letter.
Here it is:

Dear CIMS Staff,
I am writing this letter to recommend my personal friend and wonderful nurse V.G. for Mother-Friendly Nurse Recognition. Let me first tell you about my background and why Mrs. G’s services were so crucial to our family. I moved to the USA seven years ago after marrying my wonderful husband and we got pregnant right away. Coming from a former USSR country I didn’t know what to expect. I was afraid to ask questions or going to doctors. Prenatal care in my native country is far from great.
V. approached me and offered birthing classes to me and my husband. Knowing that we could not afford to pay her at the time and being a strong believer in importance of positive birthing experience for every family, she gave us her time as a free gift. Her classes were very informative and lessened my fears. She was willing to answer all my questions without making me feel uncomfortable or uneducated. V turned my feelings of fear and embarrassment into feelings of confidence and pride.
When the time came to deliver V. answered my call and rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night even though she was out of town on a getaway with her husband. She was there when the pain hit and helped me use the techniques of relaxation we had talked about during our labor and delivery classes, like breathing, cold compresses and warm showers to make pain less intense. Not only did she provide support to me personally, she also gently guided my husband in being the best birthing partner he could be and worked with the hospital staff to insure a positive experience for all . Her support helped me stay with my original plan of drug-free delivery. She also was there with me after the birth of our son so that my husband could go and be with him in the nursery while I recovered.
V. was there for the birth of my second son and though she didn’t quite make it for the delivery of my daughter she stayed with me in the hospital during recovery. The words can not express the depth of my gratitude and appreciation for what V. has done for us. She and her husband will forever be a part of our family.
I believe that V’s classes and her presence made the births of our children a calm and happy experience.
With best regards,

Olya Bunger

THANK YOU, Mrs.G!

Really Disappointed.

I love a good deal. I also am addicted to little girl dresses. So, yes, I shop on e-bay all the time. I was able to find these most adorable summer dresses for Rachael last spring and paid less then 10$ for three of them.
So, when I couldn't find any pretty winter dresses in the stores we have I went to ebay. And found these:

I know, the picture is a little small, but don't they look adorable?
Here's what came in the mail today:

Let me tell you this picture really doesn't represent the dresses. The blue and black one is really really worn and faded and has holes in it! See for yourself:

This is what normal fading from washing looks like according to the seller's description. If I knew it was THAT worn I would have never EVER bid on it. This dress has NO life left in it.
The read one with bears is very faded and the read one with flowers has elastic coming off of it (though it is so worn the elastic is shot anyway)
I wrote the seller an e-mail telling her how disappointed I am. The problem is, even if she returns my money she wanted so much for shipping (and it will cost more to return them)that at the end of the day I am out of my 15$ any way you look at it.
Sigh.
** Update **
Since posting this I have contacted the seller and she agreed to refund the full price (including shipping). So I will be mailing those dresses back. I am glad she was willing to work with me.

Protected By Cuteness Factor

Alternative title : 'Why Did I Get A Dog?' Yes, she is cute (my dog, that is) but I didn't mean her. I meant the babies. God makes them cute so that the parents don't get rid of them as soon as they can. At least, that's my theory :) Let me explain. I was making shrimp sliders yesterday which is an involved process. First, you have to stuff 48 of them (with 1/2 t. of stuffing at a time, guess how long THAT takes). Then you fry them 5 at a time. That involves 1/2 of water in a HOT skillet and grease spattering all over. Yes, not a fun thing to do with a 21 month old trying to help. And then said 21 mo decides to play with her high chair (which she was told NOT to do on more than one occasion, since she can get the tray loose and it usually lands on her head) and half of those sliders go tumbling down with the plate they were on and the tray on top. The grease is still spattering and the current batch is burning (I was just reaching to get them off the skillet) The dog goes for the plate with the raw sliders. I am trying to save said sliders and absentmindedly put the plate with 5 of the cooked ones on the floor. By the time I am done saving the raw sliders I realize that the dog is happily swallowing the cooked ones whole. As quickly as they would go down, because she knows that the second I figure out what's going on her time will be over. But that's not the end, folks. The sliders were so hot that the dog's stomach can't digest then and proceeds to throw up on the kitchen and dinning room floor while I a trying to get her to go outside while keeping Rachael and the boys from stepping into the throw up. All the while Jadin keeps whining about not liking something in his food. The sliders on the skillet are beyond saving. The kitchen is filled with smoke, the stove is covered in grease and my food just got wasted by the dog. I still have to clean the vomit off of the floors (which is a problem because our dinning room floor is concrete. Have you ever tried cleaning dog vomit off of concrete? I don't recommend trying).
And my bathroom is still covered with pee because apparently Daniel can't aim. Little kids really are protected my the cuteness factor.

Dinner Plans

Why, yes, it is a bag of home made pelmeni. We are having them for dinner tomorrow. A couple from church is coming over and I don't want to have to fuss over what to serve and then have to make the kids eat what I served. It's a win-win. It takes 15 minutes to cook and my family will do ANYTHING for these little guys. Also, the wife is from Brazil, so I thought it would be fun to share my favorite dish from Ukraine.



And what does this pic have to do with the dinner plans? Absolutely nothing! I just love my chunky monkey :)

My plans...

are to get back to blogging. I have been very busy with the boys starting school and doing some freezer cooking and holiday freezer baking/cookie dough making. I am done now (as much as anyone can be done with cooking :) so I am hoping to have more time for blogging. We will see how that works out.

It's nice to be home.

No, wait. Scratch that. I WANT TO GO BAAAAACK!!!! We had so much fun! The only thing I can say about driving for 8 days is I am sure glad we bought that DVD player. I can NOT see us surviving without it. Thought Rachael wasn't entertained by it much (except for the time when we let them watch 'S.tar W.ars' Nothing like a beeping trash can to make a girl happy) it kept the boys occupied and even quiet at times. Two days into the trip I discovered that Rachael's car seat she inherited from brothers was so old and the padding was so far gone it hurt her to sit in it. She was basically sitting on plastic and she let us know quite loudly how unpleasant it was. Point taken. I will be putting some padding there today. I don't want to get her a new one because this one is semi-reclined and she can sleep comfortably in it. It's impossible to find something like that new unless we are willing to pay a lot of money. Which we aren't.
Back to the trip. We stopped in St. Louis for a couple of days since we prefer to observe the Lord's Day. We worshipped in a PCA church, went to Covenant seminary to look around and then headed to the Zoo. The kids loved it! Their zoo is very impressive and in theory free. Until you add up the parking fees, the fees to visit some of the areas of the zoo, fees to ride a train and a 8$ nuggets for the kids' meal (they tasted awful, too, but it was better then nothing) Still, it was worth visiting. Unfortunately we forgot the camera so there's no pictures.
We arrived at M's sisters' house late Monday night. They had a tough evening as their 2yo fell off a chair and split her head open. They took her to the emergency room and she ended up with four staples. Poor little girl. The next day we decided to keep it low key and went to this fancy shopping center that had great fountains for the kids to play in.

We went to the air museum

and the beach:



More to come, stay tuned :)

Jadin Made His Momma Proud.

You know how every mom is hoping that her kids will take the lessons they have been taught and put them to good use in new situations? That has been my hope, too. I want to not only correct their behaviour at the moment but also to teach them principles they can use later in life to base their decisions on. Like, taking responsibility for their action.
So, I come back to the nursery after a workout the other day and this volunteer tells me she's been having a hard time with Jadin. No, nothing terrible. He was just being a 5 yo he is. There was another boy his age and they were playing kind of loud. She told them over and over to quiet down. And Jadin would, for about 3 minutes. And then he would start again. I know the other boy, and I understand why it was hard. We had had a similar situation with another boy before. They both ended up in time out three times. It's interesting how kids' reactions differ depending on the ammount of dicsipline they get at home. He was opently defiant. He even thretened me (he said that his mom beats up teachers). Jadin was having a hard time with it. It's hard not to react when someone keeps stirring up trouble. So when we got home that night I explained to him that having to be put in time out three times is not acceptable. I told him that when someone gets in trouble he needs to walk away and find a puzzle or some colors. And then he got a spanking. Next time the boy came in Jadin stayed away from him. Someone pointed that out and said how amaized they were to see that kind of change in a 5yo.
So, back to that situation the other day. I asked Jadin to come and talk to me. I explained what I was told about him and that next time he will need to quiet down the first time he is told. That he is only responsible for HIS OWN actions, regardless of what other kids do and that if it happens again he will be given another spanking. He listened quietly. When we were done talking I went to get Daniel and Rachael and I see him apologizing to the volunteer and giving her a hug. No, I didn't tell him to do it. He did it by himself. The volunteer had tears in her eyes! My little guy is learning. He sure does make his momma proud.

And here it is...

Remember when I said we had about 20,000 bikers every year? I was wrong. It's a lot more than that. A LOT more. Someone told me just yesterday they are estimating as many as 750,000 this year. I think the number is a little too high, but you never know. We just stay home with exception of going to the YMCA and don't try to turn unless there's a light. It's pointless.

We are almost ready for our big trip. We are going to visit M's sister in Alabama and then a close friend of mine in Florida. I am SOOOOO exited, I can't stand it! We will be spending two days in St. Louis, visiting a PCA church, a seminary and a zoo. And did I mention Gulf Shores? I think everyone would agree that that's as close to heaven as it gets. We will get to play with cousins, too! And I get to meet my friend's hubby and kids for the first time! WOO-HOO!!!!!! Let's hope Rachael doesn't pee all over their carpet. :)

I will not have access to my computer. That means I will not be able to read or comment on your blogs. I will sure miss you all!

I will also be missing Valia P's B-day. Happy Birthday, sweet girl! I hope this next year will be extra special.

Now, back to dreaded packing. :)

Awkward

So, after my boss called me yesterday about the free swimming lessons I rushed to the Y to find F to sign Daniel up and to get a quick workout. She was gone. I went to the gym and was doing the usual routine when I saw her giving a tour. That was strange (she's the director of aquatics department, what was she doing downstairs at the gym giving a tour?) but whatever. I got off the machine and went to ask her about the lessons. She is very hard to find so if you see her you better take your opportunity. I addressed her by name and immediately she said 'Oh, I am not F, I am P' pointing at a HUGE name tag. Can you see my face turning red? It was sooo embarrassing! They look so much alike that I didn't even stop to look at the name tag, I was so sure it was F. Ooops.
Anyway, I found her later and she told me she signed up BOTH boys for the same class. Free. That was wonderful except that Jadin graduated from that class 6 months ago. She was on the phone so I couldn't really tell her that and after all it was free. He will be the star of the class, I am sure :)

It's Monday.

Again. Which means I survived another Sunday at church without C, our pianist. It's though, I am glad she will be back next Sunday. Because when she's gone I have to play 5 songs, an offertory and something for Communion. With no time to practice, obviously, due to three little helpers fighting over the two spots on each side of me while I am attempting to at least look at the music. I have to say that yesterday went quite well. I was especially nervous about the offertory and the Communion since that's when I play by myself and everyone can hear it. I had to pick something on the spot for offertory because the two pieces I prepared were long enough to last through Communion only (it seems like EVERYONE and their dog was in church on Sunday! Praise God!) I decided on 'Let All Things Now Living' It's one of my all times favorites and we also sang it at our wedding. So, I went on stage and pretended I didn't know there was a professional pianist visiting and tried to hit the right notes at the right times. It wasn't too bad. It's nice not to have to worry about getting something new ready for next Sunday, though. C, you are sooo welcome back!
We went to the playground early this morning to get some play time before the crowds hit (four bus loads of kids, to be exact. I don't understand why they ALL came to this particular park, aren't there more parks in our town?) The playground was mostly empty, except for a few girls who came with their older sister and were particularly rude to Jadin (he went over to meet them and they started making fun of him soon after. He is too young to understand what was going on. I did yell at them, they were old enough to know better) We stayed for two hours until those buses of kids arrived. Rachael was hungry anyway so the timing was good.
I fed Rachael (the boys snack on leftover pizza) and put her to bed when my phone rang. It was my boss from the Nursery. She told me that the aquatics department was looking to fill their swimming lessons (Daniel's level) and even had scholarships so if I called right away I wouldn't have to pay. I called but the person was out of her office (she usually is out in the pool area all the time) i hope she will call me back. I am going to ask about that again when I go to work out. They are not very expensive, about 30$ a child for two weeks Mon-Thurs. but for some reason we are always broke by sign-up time :)
Oh, an we will be leaving for vacation in two weeks. I CAN"T WAIT!!!

That time of year.

It must be because the bikes are everywhere. Once a year they ALL come to Sturgis for the rally. Or at least it feels like it. I mean, we usually score 20,000 of them. And they are nuts. They don't care about the rules. Or speed limits. They travel in large groups, sometimes 5 of them side by side in one lane. I don't dare drive during the week of the rally (want to live, thank you very much) We stock up on everything a week ahead. But it seems they start coming earlier and earlier each year. The rally is not for another two weeks and they are everywhere already. I wish we could just leave town like all normal people do. But in addition to everything else M will be crazy busy at work starting this week. More terrorists...oops, I mean, tourists :) mean more food to feed them. I will be a single parent for a while. Oh, well, at least we will be going on vacation at the end of it.

P.S. I wasn't going to put any pictures of my kids at the end of this post, but I just can't help it. They are soooo cute. This one is of Jadin during the rally of 2008.

Lost

We do not have a big house. In fact, until two years ago when M built an addition, all we had was one bedroom, a small living room and a tiny kitchen. It's a little bigger now with a dining room and two small bedrooms but it's still not big by any definition. So why do I loose things? And I mean not loose something in a mess for a time but permanently loose things like clothing and, now, drugs. Boys' pro-biotics to be exact? Those pills run 60$ for a month's supply. I had at least another week and a half worth. And they are nowhere to be found. To say that I am upset is a severe understatement! I turned everything up side down, looked in every spot including the boys' toy box! I have been so tired lately that they could have been easily misplaced. But they are gone. So, we are going to Walgreen's for more. *sigh*

The reason why I was so tired is because Rachael had horrible fever Sat. night through Sunday night. And before that we went camping.



No, we are not abusing our daughter, she was just really tired and wanted a nap but the car seat is not good for that. It turned out to be a perfect solution.



Jadin has been taking swimming lessons at the Y for a couple of years now. At only 5yo he is a strong swimmer. It's amazing that such a little guy can learn to swim so well!



My little flower girl :)



It was freezing the night before, I didn't get much sleep.



This one is just so cute. And look at her. Not a slightest sign of fever that would strike only a few hours later. We did discover a tooth responsible for it. On Sunday night she was doing so badly she looked like she was dying. Her little face was beet red, her lips swollen, her breathing fast and shallow. And that was an hour after I gave her the meds. There was nothing else we could do. M wouldn't agree to take her to the emergency room. And on top of that our pianist was gone so I had to be in church or they would have no music. Both in the morning and at night. I wasn't going to go at night (and the Pastor's wife called and said that if she wasn't doing well I could stay home with her) but I took her to the mall (daddy HAD to take a nap, he was going to work at 1am Monday morning) and she was very happy, refused to sit in the stroller and ran around and played the whole time.
So, anyway, when we came home from church Sunday night I was crying watching my baby suffer like that. M proposed a cold compress, and though she cried, I kept it on her head for there was nothing else we could do for her. 15 minutes later the fever was completely gone. Just like that. She was fever free all night and though she was a little warm in the morning, Motrin took care of that and she was just fine. I hate teething, last time she had a fever like that for a WEEK! No other symptoms, just the fever. And 4 new teeth. I am really not looking forward to more teeth!

Grilling and Food Related Quotes

Another thing I have never done since moving to America is grilling. M is excellent at it but for some reason is refusing to teach me. Well, the absence of teachers never stopped me before. So I finally decided to grill us some bratwursts yesterday. I know that M doesn't dump the old coals, he just puts a couple of new ones on and drizzles a generous amount of lighter fluid on. How hard can it be?
I decided not to mess with his coals and just put the lighter fluid on what was already there. The flames died down 5 minutes later. So, does it mean I can go ahead and put the meat on? The grill didn't feel very hot but at that point there was no turning back. So I put some foil paper on (to avoid the clean-up :) and there went the brats also. I went back to look 20 min. later and the brats looked just as raw. At that point I started thinking of what else I could feed three hungry kids.
So, after some time the grill got really hot, which makes no sense to me since the was no flame that I could see. And the brats got a little crispy on one side. But they were still delicious. I served them with some potatoes and green beans (last time we went shopping I really wanted to try this steamer bag of veggies in garlic sauce. Jadin liked them a lot) Another American experience down my belt. :)
And now, the food related quotes from the kids (my favorite part!)
From Jadin: I was cutting up some strawberries for Rachael and asked Daniel if he wanted some as well. Jadin came skipping in the kitchen saying 'Oh, mommy, I want some as very well!'
From Rachael as she was sitting in my lap eating/playing with a slice of apple. She started raising her hands saying 'apple! flying bah-ball!' Baby Girl, if you think a slice of apple is a flying ball, wait till I share my favorite sci-fi books with you!

My Faith Story

I really enjoy reading other people's conversion stories so I thought I'd share mine. After all, how cool is that to see God at work in so many different ways!

Dedicated to God and ALL of His faithful servants who were willing to exchange the comfort and safety of their home for uncertainty and danger of witnessing to people who never heard the Gospel.

I grew up in a family of atheist. And so did my parents. When they were little Communist Party still had a really good grasp on the society and most people lived in fear of being called the enemy of the state. If you were declared that, they would come without any warning and usually late at night, so that you would not have a chance to escape. They take you away and your family would never see you again. If both parents were under suspicion, the kids would just be put in an orphanage. It was a dark time.
My parents grew up believing in the Party Line. It's a religion in and of itself with God taken out and replaced by the current Party Leader. Though my parents never heard about God, the longing was still there in their harts. I remember when I was about 15 and we were on our yearly getaway to the Black Sea my mom saw a kid's bible on a book stand. She said she wanted to buy it. I laughed in her face. After all, who wants this bunch of old wife's tales in the house. She bought it anyway.
That fall a close friend of mine asked me to attend English lessons with her. She didn't want to go alone, they were late at night and it would be safer for two girls walk home afterwards. My parents always encouraged classes of any sort, so I went. A couple of months later her family ended up moving to Russia. And I stayed. By then I was in love with the language and the teacher (don't worry, he was 60 yo by then :) He kept saying that if we really wanted to know the language we needed to practice with native speakers.
My opportunity to practice came through another friend who introduced me to a co-mission team. It was a group of young people who came to Ukraine to teach the Bible in public schools. I wasn't interested in the Bible but I really liked the young people. They were so different not and just culturally. I didn't know what it was but I wanted to be like that. Since a very early age I took social injustice very hard. My kindergarten teach told my mom that she had a little freedom fighter of a daughter (she told me that years later, of course).
Fast forward a year. I was studying the Bible with the co-mission people, still just for the language. It's not that it sounded silly, if there really was a God, it would make a lot of sense. But I am one of those people that need tangible proof. I had been dating for a year at that point and was engage to be married (on July, 4th :) Something bothered me, though. First of all, I really wasn't in love THAT MUCH. Secondly, I knew, if there was any chance of there being a God, He would not have approved. The guy was selfish and very ambitious, the kind that doesn't need any one's help, definitely not from on high. So, one night I challenged God. I told Him that if He really existed and if He really wanted me, He would have to stop the wedding. The plans were in place, we were registered with the government to be married a month later. I didn't think anything would happen, it was just for my own peace of mind. For I had doubts.
Well, two days before the wedding my husband-to-be was drafted into the army. It was highly unusual. The drafting period ended in may when he was still a student and didn't qualify to be drafted. That year was the first year EVER when they decided to extend the drafting period just long enough for him to be done with school. Two days before the wedding he had to report.
Be careful about what you ask for for you might get it. In my mind I knew I got my answer and that meant that God was after all THERE. And he wanted me. That meant that everything the Bible said had to be true. That's how my faith journey began.

PS. In August after 15 years of not seeing her I am going to visit a friend who was on that co-mission trip and played a major role in my conversion and Christian growth.

Changes

(Warning: if you don't like reading about other people's kids, skip this one)
We are back home and life is back to normal. Kind of. I have been very slow going back to reality.
Rachael is at that age when I have to keep a note book and a pen handy at all times. She is developing so quickly, saying and doing more and more every day. She watches me so closely and imitates. When she is frustrated she makes these little grunts that I recognize as mine. She spilled some water today and when I gave her a paper towel to lean it up she went and found a plastic bag to put her used paper towel in (I did that at early stages of potty training when I had to blot pee out of the carpet) It's scary at times to realize how everything I do effects her. EVERYTHING!
She interacts with brothers more, too. Yesterday Daniel was being stubborn wanting to go exactly where she stood. There was a ton of room to go around on either side but he stood in front of her saying 'Excuse me' over and over and OVER again. Right in her face. She observed for a while than shoved him aside saying 'excuse YOU!' I was rolling on the floor laughing. I wish you were there to see it.
She is quite stubborn, too. On Wednesday night she decided that sleep was severely overrated. She was sooo tired yet refused to go to bed. She was wailing and screaming for an hour. I am just not used to that. She is always out about 15 minutes after we put her down. I was sitting at the computer by her crib the whole time (don't want her to think I am abandoning her) She stopped for a minute and I turned around to see what she was doing. She was standing in her bed looking at me. When she saw she had my attention she started saying 'Baby crying! Baby crying' NO KIDDIN! That's a severe understatement! I said 'Rachael done crying now' She agreed and quietly sat down saying 'Baby all done crying' Ten seconds later she was asleep. Just like that. Go figure.

Jadin has really grown up over these couple of months. She takes up more responsibilities. For some reason he decided he was going to unbuckle his brother. We always encouraged him to help Daniel, and he did it every once in a while. Now he insists that HE does it. He also picks up his toys with pleasure taking pride in his work. The changes are amazing. He keeps telling me that he is my big helper and that he likes cleaning up. When Rachael is using the potty in the Nursery it is Jadin she is asking for.

Of all the three kids Daniel is my baby, my cuddle bug, my sensitive one, the one who comes for hugs and kisses often, the once who reminds me again and again how much he loves me. He is the one I have to be most careful with when I talk. I think it's going to be harder for them to go off to school than it was for Jadin even though he can't wait for fall.

The kids are growing so fast, changing so much. For the first time in my life I wish I could stop the time, to bask in their baby love just a little while longer. But I also enjoy the changes in them.

Experiencing America

10 fingernails at a time. Another one of those things I always wated to try and never had a chance. I now look like a 6th grader with these fake finger and toe nails. I think they are awesome even if not comfortable and obviously very fake. How do people live with fingernails that long? I am not even sure I will be able to put makeup on and I am definitely leaving my contacts at home. And I finally understand why my piano teacher demanded very short nails at every lesson.
Also, once I put them on I realized I have no idea how to remove them. Or the glue that my fingers are covered in (it's horrible, I hate the feeling!) Does anyone know?
We are leaving here in about 30 min to go to M's parents and attend our friends' wedding. Be back on Monday night.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Hello, Blog.

I have been neglecting you. Too much going on in the summer. I am always tired. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. I feel like I can't think in complete sentences. Let alone write.
Speaking of writting, my essay won third place! I am sure it was because there were two other adults participating. Ha-ha. They gave me a really nice T-shirt and informed me I was outperformed my an 8yo and a 10yo :) Still, 3rd place? Not too bad for a foreigner :) :)
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I have to put this picture on here. I just can't help it:



I told M that all I wanted for my birthday was a cake. He heard me! Look at this beauty! It's a chocolate ice cream cake with layers of moist velvet cake and raspberry filling. AND chocolate shavings. From Cold Stone. I found that Cold Stone ice cream tastes almost as good as Ukrainian.
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Cell phone drama continues. We got the phone the company promised us only to find that they cent their 5$ 'el cheap-o' model instead of the one they promised. M sent it right back to them.
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We are going to visit M's parents and attend the wedding of our friends tomorrow. This will be our first trip since Rachael was potty trained. It takes about 6 hrs to get there. I am not sure how this will work with a baby that needs to go potty every hour and a half and refuses to drink out of a sippy cup.
Also we will be bringing back 3/4 of a cow that M's parents are giving to us (and some of it to sell for them) It has to somehow fit into our van along with three kids and all our luggage. I wish the van was stretchy.
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I am still going to write a post about the priesthood of all believers. I am pretty sure what we (and the Bible) mean by that is quite different from what the Catholic church does. Also, I want to post my faith story, the story about my conversion. I would love to read your stories, too. I will even try to put a link to your faith story here, with your permission. :)
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And to finish this post, here are a few cute pics of our fav. summer activities:



Rachael and a goat at Old McDonald's Farm



Ahh, the lake. That rock I am sitting on has a story to it. I was standing ankle deep in the water wishing out loud for a chair to drop out of heaven to sit on. My wonderful husband went right ahead and rolled this huge boulder in the water for me. I am married to the most wonderful man in the whole Universe. :)



And finally, the dog that our neighbor uses to keeps us awake all night :) It found a way to escape her back yard, too. Do you see what I mean when I say it's a pit bull the size of a miniature horse?

Have a wonderful weekend

Cell Phone Drama

I think I mentioned the fact that my cell phone got washed and quit working. While the battery is fine, I can't hear anything. The good thing was M was able to transfer my 418 minutes to his phone. Now, to the drama part. I mentioned to my mom that the phone is no more. I really shouldn't have, knowing my mom, but I couldn't resist. See, when the phone was in the washing machine and the water started pouring, it made a desperate phone call (on it's own initiative) to my husband's number. Even phones in our home know who is likely to step in and save the day.
My mom didn't find the story amusing at all. I think she forgot that they raised two children just fine without a cell phone.
So, anyway, they have a collection of good phones at home (both dad and brother LOVE high tech toys so they buy a new phone pretty much every year or sooner if they find one they really want :) He insisted on sending me one (or two :) of their old phones. I was trying really hard to explain that they will not work here and why. I also pointed out that we use tracfone for a phone, not one of the big cell phone companies.
Fast forward to Thursday. My brother calls me around 2pm (which is past midnight in Ukraine!) asking me if we were going to be home on Friday, because he just sent me a birthday present. I knew right there and than it was a phone and was fearing the worst. I was afraid he bought one of those really expensive cell phones that require a very expensive contract. And I wouldn't have the heart to tell him 'Gee, thanks, you went out of your way to buy a very expensive phone in the US (I still have no idea how he did it from Ukraine, but out of the two of us he's always had the brains and I have...something, I am sure:) And you overnighted it so that it got here on my birthday, but we are not going to use it, because it requires a contract'.
Well, the phone came, and it was a tracfone (obviously he has more brains than I give him credit for :)! The nicest they've got, too. I was really exited! Well, M went to activate it and it wouldn't. See, my brother bought it on e-bay from a guy in Arizona, not knowing that it wouldn't work in SD. M spent 2.5 hours on the phone last night trying to figure out what to do with it. He got tracfone to promise to send us another phone (the kind we wanted, too) with a prepaid envelope to send this one back to them.
When he was finally done, we went to the store to look at the phone 'in person' just to find out it is on sale for 15$, and that includes a car charger and a hands free ear piece! We bought it. It was just too good of a deal and we can always use the car charger, if nothing else. Plus, M's phone is about to die. So we will be using the phone the company sends us to replace M's when it dies and I got a brand new phone for 15$. With a card that doubles our minutes! (the card alone is 50$ if you buy it at the store) We are not sure why it doubles our minutes, we think it's because my old number was transferred to it and it had the card on it (another hour on the phone this morning).
Life is never dull here :)