Welcome to Katya's office!

Last month, my son Steven moved into his first apartment after being in a dorm the last 3 1/2 years! This left an empty bedroom next to Katya's room. This empty space is now Katya's "office." We had a desk in our storage room that is now in her office, and she is "shopping" the house to fill her new space. I retrieved my kitchen rug from her office this afternoon and a few decorative items are missing from the living room! We planned on moving her into Steven's old room this spring because it is a larger room, but she may have other plans! She told me she wanted a couch too, but I don't see that happening!!

WOW - I haven't blogged for weeks!

I can't believe I've let so much time pass since I last blogged. Like everyone else with a job and a family, there is so much to do and only so much time in a day!

Katya continues to blossom. Her English is so good we seldom struggle to understand each other. She still loves school and cannot wait to get there every morning. One of her pieces of art was selected for an art show recently. (see photo above) Her last basketball game is this Saturday but she will start playing soccer this spring. She can hardly wait to get braces, which will be soon. She thinks they are "really, really cool!" Her first dentist appointment was last week and she thought it was exciting. She is getting her teeth cleaned tomorrow and told me tonight how excited she is about the appointment. I sure hope her enthusiasm for the dentist continues throughout her life! I am currently seaching for a camp for her to attend during spring break next month. She would hate being idle for a week!

Lessons Learned

I have learned quite a few valuable lessons lately. We have had a few quiet weekends lately and one four day holiday due to teacher workdays. During those l-o-n-g winter days and holidays, I learned that Katya DOES NOT like "down time." She wants a playmate every waking moment. Because of her last 8 years in an orphanage, she has had her choice of playmates at her beck and call. She never had to occupy her own time or sit quietly and read a book. This past weekend, she wanted Fred or me to play with her ALL DAY. This is fine for a few hours but now that I am working again, I have a lot I need to accomplish on the weekends and truth be told, I don't WANT to play basketball or card games for hours and hours straight! She has paints, books, puzzles, and crafts but she doesn't want to do anything alone. It is not enough to be in the same room with her, you have to be interacting with her or she is not happy! What did all this teach me? One important lesson: She will be in summer camps from the first day of vacation until labor day! It also taught me that when we go to the beach for a week this summer, we will take a friend! I am trying desperately to teach her the love of reading, but I get the feeling that reading was not encouraged in Russia and she groans when I even mention the word book. We have a long way to go but I am confident that once she feels more comfortable with those quiet moments life gives us on occasion, she will learn to appreciate and even want the calm and stillness of a lazy day.