Monday, November 2, 2009
Booo!
We got home at about 7:15 in time to still pass some goodies out to kids in our neighborhood. The kids handed out stuff out by the fist fulls so we were out in minutes. Then Sasha volunteered his loot and poured it in the bowl and handed that out for the next forty five minutes or so. It was such an amazing thing to have a kid give up his own stuff, but he had fun doing it! Imagine seeing three kids on the sidewalk/front steps in full costumes (princess, blue angel, and ghoul) handing out candy in the rain - they loved it! We finally called them in and got them changed and feed and off to bed. We laughed when even after the outer lights were off and the door bell still rang... turned out we forgot to unplug the spider lights hanging from the kids 2nd floor windows and they were hollering out at any kids going by - the last kids at 8:45 said to us - we love your kids as we heard giggles coming from upstairs. You would think it was Christmas eve - so needless to say, they and we enjoyed our first Halloween together!
-Heidi
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Warpspeed
Inigo Montoya, and his taste for revenge have only been out weighed by the impact of three Swedes and a Norwegian. We had a movie night a few weeks ago and watched ABBA's Momma Mia. They can now parrot all 16 tracks on the cast album I dug out of the closet from when Heidi and I saw the show in London on stage.
And last, but not least, the newest adoptee in the family, Chi Chi! she is a 9 year old terrier mix who is a hoot to watch bouncing up and down the stairs at the house. She puts up with the kids just fine and Masha took to her at first lick.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Shout out!
Well, I think the kids dentist is from New Jersey.... she sent one of Christina's molars "to the tooth fairy" today. What a little trooper she is (with rotten teeth). More to follow...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Ahoy Matey!
Sanity Break for three please....
So, big kid sanity has been an objective in August. Masha took advantage of the tennis courts at Turkey Thicket rec center where the kids had their last summer camps to brush up her skills and challenge Heidi to a grudge match.
Bowling and Bolling for Happy Birthday-day
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Let the chips fall where they may!
Monday, August 3, 2009
New and imporved weekend adventures
festivities (kinda like preseason games I guess) and Masha and I took the
kids on for the weekend.
Life has its ups and downs, and so does ice skating. And in Tanya's case it had
a whole lot of them. The rink guard told me she never wanted any help every
time he checked on her ( I'm not a good enough skater to risk my neck and
theirs on center ice for this learning experience). Just like riding bikes, a
lot of falls and cussing but they where all happy at the end.
Masha and I worked on our fledgling moves as the kids gained mastery. By the
end, Christina had taken Masha under her now expert (her third time out) wing and
was coaching her to try something for two minutes and she would check on her.
One Sunday We attended church and then went to a community arts organization open house
that featured events like African story telling, flamenco dancing, making hip hop tee shirts and
the ever popular face painting. The high point was a kids theater presentation
of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by two very flexible Thespians.
a quick lunch and adult nap and we bundled them off to Potomac park for
scooter riding and play-grounding.
The real treat was on the ride back. The kids in their seats in the back on
the Mazda 5 were discussing something in Russian earnestly. Masha told me they
where talking about religion. Tanya, the seven year old, was holding her
belief that your soul goes to Heaven. Christina the eight year old held that
your Heart goes to heaven.
I have to say we adults were surprised by this. And at this point Papa
completely blew his big chance at discipling with his children by going for
the cheap shot.
Papa told them in English that in Sasha's case it is his "butt" that will go.
The kids started laughing very hard. I must of took them by surprise and it
sounded like my timing was perfect.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sailing, sailing.....
So several things to consider over the last weekend. Mortality, ageing, mentorship, friendship, youth and red eyes.
Sasha and I went on a coast to coast dash over the weekend, last. Leaving Thursday evening we flew to California for my 30 year High School Reunion.
Sasha did so well, I was very proud of him. This is certainly the first time he has been away from his sisters since we met him in December, and possibly in his life. he listened well and overcame his shyness with time.
We saw my big bro Noel and Sheila in Los Angales coming and going in their above the Fog residence above Ladera Heights, pushing up the coast on Highway 1, we got to Santa Barbara in time for Friday lunch at Mobey Dicks on Sterns Wharf with my folks. Fish and chips with pelicans flying by the window. We farted around the harbor and Sasha Hijacked the harbor taxi on one of our trips, Toot toot!
The visit with my folks was nice, Sasha is still very shy around them, but he was able to play around the house pretty well. I don't think he broke anything important, that I found.
The Reunion has amusing but the keepers for the weekend was the time I spent with Newell Raxter, a fellow '79 grad but a fellow guardsman and ROTC classmate and two hours or so I had with my high school mentor Mr. Ken Larson.
Newell rode over from Phoenix on his BMW and we had a little time to catch up for the 19 years we have been shouting out to one another from different timezones. Mr L, or Ken was able to free up for a very nice chat on Sunday.
Sasha was able to visit with his Grand Parents, my folks, and caught his own Blue Belly Lizard (let PETA know no lizards were hard in the preparation of this blog entry).
And just to make it a full experience, we came back on a Red eye into Dulles, I just have to say I'm not feeling as young as I used to be after that sleeping in the seat thing.
The absolute best part of the trip was seeing the Heidi and the girls on Monday. Heidi survived her all girl weekend and Christina preceded to start a sentence that kept going and going. I just about fainted, since two or three words was good a month ago.
Now Heidi is packing out for her "Trip to Dallas" for a bridal shower weekend of one of our DC Buddies. My turn in the barrel for the all kid weekend.
Hay Ho and a way we go!
Erik, Pa pa on the road, have booster seat(s), will travel.
Monday, July 20, 2009
It's hard not to be proud, but what a show
As we have mentioned in the past, we belong to a very "Young Church", by that I mean the average age is in the high 20's, with a lot of very enthusiastic and energetic people (theaterchurch.com). They host a summer Baptism by the Bay. A couple hundred church folks, 20 boxes of Popeye's Chicken and pot luck fixens and ooooh so yummy desert tables. Over twenty members of our Church took the big step to commit or recommit themselves to their faith in the waters of the Chesapeake bay . It was a grate event and full of fellowship and good times to remember.
So when I saw her e-mail about the big finish I had to share it:
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wow, that was a quick month, so sorry for the lapse in updates. Just recovering enough to fill in the story:
Four kids on the beach, and I'm proud to say to my knowledge, only one crab gave its all for the sake of scientific exploration. Well, I have just recovered enough from the trip myself to put my thoughts together enough for an addition to this blog.
The task that was ahead of us was: get our three kids to CA to meet up with Papa's Papa and Mama. We took it over the top by having Heidi's mother, her brother Jerry and wife Karen bring Maxim out too.
This is the first time all four have been together since February, time flies doesn't it. We all were very interested in how the kids acted together and how they acted with us. As you may have heard, Jerry and Karen would like to make Maxim a permanent part of their family, and we all agree this is the best fit all around for all the children's needs and temperaments.
We had many great moments to try to get caught up with all the friends and relatives, it was really a whirlwind of activity.
So many wonderful moments and adventures. Masha, our right hand came along for the trip, but we wanted her to get out from the old fogies for a wile. Loren and Amy Vogelsang came back into town to meet the kids and give Masha the twenty somethings tour of San luis Obispo (they got the cake but they chickened out on the waterfall at Madonna Inn ;).
The Wands and Rockwells put together a welcome bash at the Rockwells Casa, great food, wine and BBQ! Many of the supporters of our journey and central coast life.
I am getting ready to take Sasha out to California again this coming Weekend for my 30 year High school Reunion, and Heidi is taking Christina to her grandmothers 90th Birthday in Minnesota in August.
Things age changing at a Tidal Rate, at a glace you dont see it but come back in a bit and wow, the boats stuck on the beach, or out to sea!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Skate board, Check!
knee pads, check!
Wrist Guard, check!
We went to a picnic at a park and one kid had brought his board and safety rigs. Tanya supplied the cast all herself! life is good, just another 30 days is all.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Being there, for the next one
Stress, frustration, need for support came across loud and clear, and that was just the e-mail. We where forced to review in our minds our first week. Wow, what a flashback! The kiddie Olympics complete with the hand to hand child wrestling, Mattress toss, Door kick and down the street kinder sprint. Those where the days!
We headed to the store for some barbecue supplies and the newly minted family came over for a chance to meet, greet and speak our respective languages.
The kids paired up and had a chance to compare pasts and stories as did the the parents. Masha was indispensable at shedding light on some minor mysteries and the elders compared experiences.
Masha is helping with a little respite time for Mom and the little girl gets a chance to relax a little and ask some questions. As time goes on we see the kids unwinding, acting and trying to make sense of this crazy world they have found theirs selves dropped into.
This little girl is doing great, and our kids have set the bar mighty high on histrionics. Its nice to serve as an example, one way or the other.
Erik
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Well another week under the keel.
The kids, as an average continue to improve. More English words slip into their usage. We have not been pushing them to speak English in our times together, leaving their classmates and teachers to do the heavy lifting. Friday was a day off for me and Heidi took a pass to run around town a little. Oil change for the car and we swung by school for the Asian Cultural awareness presentation. We watched two of the kids participate in class presentations in the cafeteria. We continued our parents play date by getting pedicures and meeting Masha and the kids at the Smithsonian Sculpture garden for the. Jazz in the park series.
The kids discovered the fountain in the center of the park. And about15 seconds to discover the copious quantity of tossed change on the bottom. My solution to the possible problem of them completly destroying the parrent child economic ballence was to tell them it was okay to scoop up the coins, as long as they toss them back out in the center of the huge fountain.
So at 1100am on Saturday, two hours into inflatable pool operations in the back yard. One mild touch of hypothermia (poor Sasha, he has about a half cup of fat in his whole body), one damp cast and three kids watching cartoons to warm up for a few. Now, hot dogs in the backyard with a afternoon trip to the "world" corn hole (bean bag toss) competition by our church on the national mall. Then we plan on going off to COSTCO to pick up Sasha's new glasses. Its been so cute, he has been asking for them every day since we learned he was blind as a bat past 5 feet (like Papa). Good times in the District. Love to all, the three Cossacks et al. Erik
Friday, May 22, 2009
Sent: Thu May 21 14:14:43 2009Subject: Fw: Tanya at doctor's office - check out her new friend!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tanya get down from there!
Flexible Papa, at your service
Friday, May 8, 2009
Pasta Party
here are some of tonight's photos, we went to an Italian restaurant and we had several big breakthroughs!
Tanya asked for Pizza, a first!
Christina, and Sasha had spaghetti with sauce (first time they did not put a few drops onto it, we had asked for it on the side by but it came smothered) and tried the pizza, and Christina gave Tanya some of her spaghetti with out a fight. Then they all used Parmesan cheese too! I just about fainted.
All this happened after Heidi left Masha and I at the table to run off to an author reading and book signing event.
I just put them to bed after wrapping Heidi's mothers day present.
Tomorrow, soccer for S and C, Train Day events at Union Station and a Bounce house Birth-day party for a classmate of Tanya's. all before 6pm. wow! did I mention panic flower buying and the dog groomer too!
Love this family life!
Papa in Charge