Tanya get down from there!

For those of you who may have been following this blog for a while you will remember the fears and panics of December, the Triumphs and near Tragedy of January (1 February Post), and the Chaos and Confusion of February (Operation Squirrel). You will be able to see just how far we have come since we first met these little Cossacks (a term of endearment, I assure you)..

As I sat in the E.R. Last night, I was going over it in my mind all the progress. Friday we had our first ever parent teacher meetings, three of them. All the teachers where very happy with the kids behavior in class and their progress academically:

Ms Kane, Tanya's Kindergarten teacher. Is very happy with her socialization and determination to complete assignments. She let us know that her school assigned speech therapist is practicing with a translator so they can give Tanya a detailed assessment of her speech issues.

Christina's Ms Gu, her second grade teacher, has done wonders giving her confidence at trying assignments and has turned her into a little art factory. We are fast running out of flat surfaces to take her output. She has made great improvements at becoming more of a child and less of a prisoner sworn to escape.

Ms Ratchford, Sasha's third grade teacher, told us about his buddy/competitor from class, who is also in an ESL track. They are always trying to out do each other and both have taken to the classroom computers very well. Of course its hard to get them off of them.

So the week of school, dance class and soccer practice culminated in the Friday, school holiday/parent teach conferences. We, of course can do nothing simply:Heidi and I jump on our trusty Vespas and go to work and appointments in the morning.

Masha keeps the kids engaged around the house.

Noon the parents disengage, slip into telephone booths and head to school for our first ever Parent/Teacher meetings with our capes flapping behind us.

Masha jumps in the trusty Mazda 5 to take the three little Cossacks in tow to the National Zoo for the afternoon.

The simple plan was to meet at the world famous Ben's Chili Bowl for dinner.Heidi and Masha would take the kids to the Movie on the grass our church was sponsoring at Lincoln Park. I would just scoot over to Georgetown University to attend Sagar's graduation reception (a grad student friend from India).

Well, best laid plans of mice and men... So Tanya manages to fall playing at the Zoo. Masha, the calm adult in the family, stabilizes the situation and calls me about the ouch'ie. We decide to keep to the script and meet for dinner.

Over french fries and chocolate shakes, we determine the little hard head did do a number on her arm and even after a half hour of icing it, is still swollen. The reset plan sent Masha and Tanya in the Van and myself, scooting, to the E.R. At George Washington University hospital (a familiar place thanks to the pioneering work done by Masha, on her adventures).

Our Friends, the now engaged Clinton B. and Jennifer (look at that ring!) B. Swooped down to rescue the marooned Heidi, Sasha and Christina on the corner of 12th and U street NE, we had left them at. Mama provided a motorcade feel on the trip back to the house before showtime.

All was well, the break was a clean one of the radius, just below the wrist.The movie was Madagascar II, enjoyed by all. The Hospital adventure ended early enough to make the Volcano scene and closing credits.

Flexible Papa, at your service

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

Find the Cossack, round two!

If its Picnics, it must be summer!

The kids are doing very well this weekend. Two BBQ's in two days, they seem to be able to take what dish out to them, including Ice-cream.

The first Picnic of the weekend was the year end one at Georgetown for the American Friends Program. Both Heidi and I had been paired with international students, Leslie from Paris for Heidi and Sagar from Hyderabad for Erik. Since the beginning of the adoption Odyssey we have been very neglectful friends but it was very good to see Leslie at the event.

On the way to the car the kids found a bunch of college students playing bean bags on the grass (the place had more sunning co-ed on the lawn than leaves in the fall). They started watching, then caddying stray bags and in 10 minutes they had control of the game.

Its a good thing Tanya is so shy and demure (that's a joke by the way), this is her own photo shoot style. Sasha and Christina both try out the football for the first time.

Many firsts this weekend, like most; bean-bag toss (Corn hole as the NCC's call it), Frisbee and the afore mentioned "football of the American variety".

Summer time, and the living is easy...of course its not "Summer" summer time yet, but its 98 degrees at Haines point Park for a Church BBQ, so close enough!

The first of many school photos. this will give you an idea about our school. Its a very diverse and progressive school. I haven't heard what the kids think of their Chinese lessons so far.

See if your can play Wheres the Cossack!

Papa Daddy

Happy Brithday Masha!

Happy Birth Day to you...Happy Birthday to Yuooooooo!

Happy Birthday Day to Masha! you are on our mind and in our heart!

We had a little impromptu Birthday party for our main Gal Masha at Five Guys in Chinatown here in DC this week. of course the kids supplied most of the revelry!

Easter Smester, where is the candy

Firstly I want to thank those of you who caught up to me to shame me into updating and those of you who just thought that! I get the message. Spring has sprung and look, our summer is on the way!

Easter, wow, what a long time ago we landed at Baltimore-Washington Airport. We can still vividly remember the dark first days as the test of wills began. I remember sitting on the family room floor at five in the morning desperately searching the Internet for some form of support group and listening for the first sounds of movement that would mean we had very angry, frustrated and confused intruders or rather prisoners trying to escape.

Masha has come through the shock of an injury (we promise the kids were not involved in any way!) and is now working on recovery. The patience part of healing is a little harder with the kids to contend with. She has been overwhelmed by the well wishers, flowers and cards. She is a trooper and itching to get back in the game.

The week of Easter was very strange, having Friday off, in the week after break. The kids are confused enough by the pattern of a normal week and now compound that with extra off days when we both worked and Easter on top of that.

Our Church held their annual eggstravaganza event and as it turned out the light drizzle did not dampen their spirits in the least. The netted about 5 lbs of candy and goodies between them. The older and faster two made short work of the egg hunt. They all enjoyed the kiddie carnival immensely.

The world must be a very strange place here, with wonder upon wonder around each corner; dance classes, soccer, parades on Constitution Avenue with no less than Burt and Ernie compared to the seasonal monotony of their orphanage. With a steady methodical build up to each event on the calendar, carefully orchestrated to culminate in the musical play with a quarter of the 200 children performing for a smattering
of town VIPs and themselves.

The confusion is compounded since Masha is not speaking Russian to them, so explaining Easter was a little trickier. I don't know what the Orphanage interpretation of the passion was, but it was looked forward to when they understood that was ahead.

On Saturday night we took the kids to the Hanna Montana movie at a theaterplex in Crystal City. Sasha was singing along with a tune radio in English as we headed for the freeway, Tanya sitting on the edge of. Seat and Christina enthralled with what she could make of the story.

Flash! the kids ate spaghetti with sauce! I thought I was going to pass out!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it is nice to know ya'll are stopping by to look.

Erik, Motrin is my friend