Braces, Bed and Brother

Katya's life lately has been all about her braces, her bed and her brother. We have been to the orthodontist six times in the last three weeks because of loose wires, a new palette expander and general check-ups. We have to return tomorrow because we cannot turn the mechanism that widens her palette. Steven was home last week for spring break. Katya loved having someone to play basketball with and I loved having him home! Steven painted her new room for her which thrilled her to no end. We bought Katya a canopy bed but finding the right comforter, etc. has been a real challenge. I tried to talk Katya into choosing the comforter and window treatments FIRST, making the decision about the paint color around the linens. No, no, no. She insisted on painting the room in her choice of blue and selecting the soft furnishings second. Sounds easy? It's not. We have scoured the internet and all the local department stores trying to find linens she likes AND that match the walls. Today, I pulled some boxes out of storage and found the Laura Ashley set in the photo above. I didn't even ask her if she liked them, I just put them on her bed and waited for the explosion. To my surprise, she likes the pattern and seems happy. If Katya is happy, I'm happy.

Katya started soccer on Thursday and had a tough workout. This is her first time playing soccer so we don't know if she will like it as well as basketball. Time will tell. We'll keep you posted.

Stormy Atlanta!

Fred, Katya and I traveled to Atlanta on Friday to see my brother George and his family. We have had a wonderful time catching up, cooking, playing and even visiting the Atlanta zoo today. I should say George, Fred, Katya and Lillie visited the zoo; Jeanie and I shopped for decorating accessories for their beautiful home.

We weathered the storms Friday night and yesterday,experiencing wind, hale and a lot of rain! The tornado sirens were blaring yesterday afternoon and the golf-ball sized hale was beating my car to a pulp as we trekked down the highway in search of just the right piece of art for their living room. If we would have perished in the storm at least we would have died doing something we loved! I shouldn't joke, the storms were horrendous but rain, nor hale, nor wind, nor tornados could stop us from our mission of that perfect picture!

We don't know what's on the agenda for tomorrow, but the skies should be sunny so we'll see. My sister suggested the Atlanta aquarium, but I don't have the time to take out a second mortgage on my home to buy our tickets! It would be a $100 day by the time we purchase our aquarium passes, Marta tickets and lunch! Maybe we'll just see the new movie, "Horton Hears a Who." Two movie tickets, popcorn and drinks would only be $50!!

Can you believe it's been six months!

I can't believe Katya's already been here six months! The progress she's made in such a short period of time astounds me! We rarely struggle to communicate. She gets confused about multiple meanings of the same word which can be funny at times. She has assimilated into American culture beautifully. As I type this, she is watching her new favorite TV show: Project Runway! She loves edgy and chic fashion. (Check out her socks and flip-flop combo in the photo above!) She is comfortable in any social setting, but she's still a bit confused about some of the manners we observe, such as asking adults how old they are upon meeting them. When I took her to my office she asked my boss how much money she makes! She told her orthodontist braces cost too much money and he should be embarrassed. (I agree, and I want to know why braces are now in the $6,000 range? Katie and Steven's braces didn't exceed $3,000!) He told me he recently bought "another property" in Europe. I thought: "Of course you did, thanks to me."

Katya's basketball season ended last week but she will start soccer after spring break. Her spring breaks starts this Friday and we are heading to Atlanta to see my brother George and his family. We are really excited about the trip and family visit. It will be her first long car trip so I am loading up on books and activities. I am hoping she'll sleep a lot!

Tomorrow night is a Cultural Fair at her school and we will be representing Russia. Katya and I are setting up a table with Russian food, artifacts, books, flags and money for display. It should be a fun evening. Katya is proud of her heritage and I love that she has an opportunity to showcase the motherland! If she gets angry or upset she says, "I can't help it, I'm Russian!" She tries to use that excuse for not wearing a coat too, but I don't buy it!

Katya has made a wonderful best friend whom I adore. She could not have picked a nicer girl for a best friend. Elizabeth is a patient, kind-hearted child from a large family. I think that's where Elizabeth gets her patience as she has three younger siblings! We are taking Elizabeth with us to the beach this summer so Katya will have a playmate. We rented a house in Nag's Head, North Carolina the first week in August, so pray that the hurricanes stay away!

Thanks for checking in on our wonderful daughter! I'll start blogging again more frequently I promise!

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.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!

If you have been trying to call me on my cell phone and I haven't returned your call, it's because I lost my cell phone on January 6th. I also lost my prescription sunglasses and my new watch, all in the last 30 days. I have no idea where they are, but I keep thinking I will find all of my lost items in one place. I am giving up on finding my cell phone and replacing it this week, but I am not replacing my watch or my sunglasses for the time being. Way too expensive. I'll just do without!

I remember losing my mind and memory along with my belongings when Katie and Steven were babies. Being a new mom is overwhelming and trying, so perhaps that's what I am experiencing now. I've been Katya's mother for four months now, so I can equate that to what I was like with a four month old baby. Now it all makes sense. Frustration, sleep deprivation, cluelessness and second guessing all parenting decisions...that's what I did then and I am doing now. There are no absolutes for parenting a new baby and no absolutes for parenting a 12-year old, so we are just following our heart and hoping we are doing the right thing!

If you know where my lost items are, please give me a call, on my house phone!