Saturday, June 28, 2008

Saturday, June 28 in Kramatorsk

Today is the first day that we are on our own. Nothing to do except visit Dennis. How nice. After some coffee and cereal we headed for the orphanage, but decided to take a different way and explore a bit.

Here are the beautiful wild flowers I was telling you about. I don't think anyone out here owns a lawn mower, but there are wild floweres and planted flowers everywhere.

I think this is part of a school track and field playground.

Someone asked me if there were women joggers in Ukraine. Yes, there are and here is one to prove it!

This has got to be a school. We couldn't think what else it could be. Funny how the fence has a 1 1/2 foot gap at the bottom---- looks like kids could sneak out easily.

I took this picture because I thought it was good to see a man helping out around the house. Here he is beating out a big red rug.

On the way to Dennis' room, I got a sneak peak of what appears to be the orphanage kitchen. Wonderful smells of eggs and compote filled the air.

The nurses gave us a banana to feed Dennis for the third time in a row. Pour guy probably eats nothing but bananas here in the orphanage. We bought him Mango puree, Strawberry puree, rice cereal, and yogurt. They wouldn't let us feed him anything except for the food in the baby jar. They said he can't have it ------ yet the baby food had yogurt in it. Go figure. Having been through this with Anna and Sveta we thought to ourselves, "That's what you think. When he is out of here we are going to give it all to him!"


We decided to explore the orphanage and found this cool room with a big bird cage. Dennis couldn't take his eyes off of the colorful, singing birds.

Dennis is trusting us more and more each day and enjoys going on walks with us. In the beginning he was a little hesitant to go with us but he now knows that we are not strangers. We are his Mamotchka and Papithcka!

John sure knows how to tire out Dennis. Here they are taking a break.

We broke one of the biggest no-no's here at the orphanage by taking off his socks. Shhhh- don't tell nobody. Would they have preferred that we keep his socks on and let him slip and fall as he was holding on to things and walking around? Socks are slippery on wood floors. Plus, I wanted another chance to look at his cute little feet.

Towards the end of both visits, we took Dennis outside for a walk. He is very sensitive to the light and appreciated the hat that we brought for him. After a while, he fell asleep in our arms. To us, it is a sign of trust. I wouldn't want to fall asleep in the arms of someone who I didn't trust. Would you? Also, two days ago, I don't think he would have.

Today we washed a small load of clothes.

Ladies, this is the size of washing machines in Ukraine. And there are no dryers, even in more lavish apartments which ours is considered to be.

And last but not least, here I am hanging out our clothes to dry.

As I close, I wanted to share that I decided to try kefir. I mixed it with the cherry compote and it was very yummy, kind of like a yogurt drink. Thanks for the suggestion.

Again, I am so blessed by all of your comments. At the end of the day, I come over to the computer to read them and suddenly feel as if I am not so far from America. Thank you. We miss you kids and hope you are being good! Oh and Anna, it is not nice to say be quiet to an adult. I hope you told your sister that.

35 comments:

Mike & Tara said...

How precious that he fell asleep in your arms! That is absolute trust.

Thanks also for the fruit compote link in yesterday's post - Tuesday in International day at Nicholas' day care and I'm making another Paska....now I'll add the fruit compote as well for a really nice dessert for the kiddos!

... said...

So sweet seeing him snuggled in your arms sleeping!

Keeping the blogging up we love reading about your day and seeing the sights of Ukraine!

Besos & Blessings!
Lisa
http://payne-familyadventures.blogspot.com/

Laurel said...

You are making tremendous progress with Dennis. That is awesome and no surprise at all to me! What a blessing he is and you are to him. God knew what He was doing in this match!
Laurel

adopting2fromUkraine said...

Those flowers look like blanketflowers or firewheels. I know the technical name, but can't remember how to spell it unless I look it up. They are native to TX. It's amazing that they found their way so far across the world!

That's great that Dennis is showing so much trust in you both so early:)

June

Rita Andrews said...

Christine, Im so glad he is finally feeling comfortable with his new Momma and Pappa! Praise God!! Cant watit to see his beautiful smile!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for blogging so much Christine. I really feel like I'm there with you. The pictures remind me a lot of Sao Paulo, Brasil, though they are a whole world apart. I guess developing countries all look alike in a way. The picture of him asleep in your arms is so precious.

Connie said...

Dennis looks like a happy little guy! Very precious!! I am happy that you are able to spend so much time with him, and also to get out and about and see the area some. Get lots of photos - he'll probably enjoy seeing them as he gets older. Lots of love to you all. Connie

MyGirlElena said...

I am so excited and happy for you. That pic of Dennis walking with his daddy is precious. It really made me smile :)
Congratulations on your court date!

Meredith said...

How neat to see such a beautiful side of Kramatorsk! Thanks for sharing all of the pictures! We went to the 'bird hall' one day when the playroom was locked and there were cribs stacked 2 or 3 high all down one side. It was dark and damp, but in your pictures looks beautiful! I guess you never know what the seasons might do to a place. What a beautiful expression of trust that Denis fell asleep in your arms. Blessings on you all and your trip! Oh, and in case my friend Rob didn't e-mail you-- He asked me to tell you DON'T FLUSH THE TOILET PAPER!! Seriously, that's why they had to replace the toilet in the apartment you're staying in. Weird, I know. Just like a broken pipe causes the entire city to not have water for a day- or a week- a tp clog means you have to replace the entire toilet! Just a word of warning :) Enjoy your days, looks like you are doing just that!

LeFemmeMonkita said...

Thanks so much for giving me the scoop about jogging! :-) Now I can pack my running clothes!

Such a great blog! I love following it.

Best wishes,
Puttiesmom

Annie said...

My feeling about the little washer in Moscow, was - I WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS!!! Actually, my colleague and I were just talking about Jesus' instructions to his followers - keep it simple! (Since I am in ministry, I should probably take these ideas more literally than most). I do feel SO weighed down by STUFF. In Russia, visiting people there, I just want to MOVE IN. A couple of outfits of clothing. They don't need enormous washers because their kids don't change into five different outfits (like Anastasia did this morning) and leave them all on the floor!

Well....I have a lot of housekeeping to do, so that is me, venting.

My kids love kefir. I think you can buy it in sealed containers to take home to your girls.

No - I don't think he'd sleep in your arms if he didn't trust you. He is so blessed experiencing such love for the first time.

I am curious. People say you have to spend so long in Ukraine. Are you going to have to be there for several weeks after court? This seems to be going very fast for you.

Marlo said...

I'm not sure there is anything better than when a baby (or a toddler) falls asleep in your arms. We used to carry Mackenzie around when she did that and you could feel her heart beating against yours and how relaxed she was. I miss those days.

I wonder what it's like to be Dennis. To be in this home with all these other children. I'm sure he wasn't sad as it seems the orphanage treats them all very well but he must have wondered when his Mommy and Daddy would be there to hold him close and bring him home. I bet he used to lie in bed at night and make believe he was in this very moment that he is in now. Thank you both for making his dreams come true, He is one special little boy!

www.halfdozenscrambled.com said...

We are traveling along with you and praying that Dennis' heart will be knit to yours quickly. Our Ukraine adoption fell apart and we are SO enjoying watching your experiences there. Maybe we'll try it again someday!

amyl4 said...

Christine, I love the picture of you holding sleeping Dennis in your arms.
Amy

Dave said...

So good.
The days get closer to him being yours and you being his. Can't wait.
Gina

Anonymous said...

Hey, watch out for that washing machine. When the rug below gets damp and the machine's running, sometimes there's a current in the floor. If you touch the metal tub faucet or wash your hands in the water running from the faucet, you can get lightly shocked.

Don't flush toilet paper. Don't let the kitchen sink overflow. Don't get caught drying your socks on the radiators.

- Robb the Lurker who came before you

Anonymous said...

Up, I just saw Merediths post. Yes, they had to knock the toilet out with a hammer since it's CEMENTED into the plumbing system. Masonry and wood, not a PVC elbow joint. It took 3 days.

-Robb

Martha said...

I am loving your beautiful story(and the fact that you stopped to visit me). I think I would like to visit a simpler world too.

Jeri said...

Hi Christine,
Thanks for posting each day, I look forward to seeing your progress with Dennis.You guys are just warm putty in his hands and that's how it should be!

While you are there, you may want to find someone local that speaks pretty good english to be a helper for later,once you're home. What I'm referring to is that we had a wonderful young lady that we would send money to and she would buy supplies and treats for the kids at Alex's orphanage. Even using Meest, the money spent on shipping goes so much farther when used to purchase things there. Irena would go on holidays, etc and arrange little parties and send me pictures of this. (Our son's birthsister that we knew nothing about when we chose Alex was still in the orphanage so Irena helped with that also and making contact with the maternal grandmother.) As you well know, it's so hard to forget the faces of those we have to leave behind.

Oh, and does the director have photos of Dennis that you can photograph or even have copied? Just a thought.Jeri

Christie M said...

What precious days and time you are spending with him. That is great for all of you. :)

I wonder if he'll like bananas when he leaves the orphanage? :)

Gudl said...

I think, too, it is great that he fell asleep in your arms. ... I hope you get to go home soon.

Kristen said...

I find myself coming to your blog as soon as possible, just like I did with Meredith. All of your pictures are beautiful and the joy is seen in all 3 of you. You can see the trust as Dennis holds your hands down the hall or falls asleep in your arms. What a blessing for all of you!!!

joeks said...

Dennis is a perfect fit in your arms!

Carla said...

I always look forward to reading about your days! Dennis sounds so sweet. So cute snuggled in your arms! I am sure it is a relief that he is attaching and bonding so well.
I have to say, y'all are pretty rebellious..LOL taking his socks off??? I would, too!! He does have some cute feet!!

Blessings,
Carla

Anonymous said...

You are making us feel as if we are there with you in all that you write. Dennis is a blessing to all. He has so much trust in you both already. Bless you all.

Brandi said...

Most definitely trust to fall asleep in your arms! How sweet. . and that picture of you guys is adorable!

Brandi

Rachel said...

I love the fact that he fell asleep in your arms and I love the picture showing it.
That little guy is about to have a whole new world opened up to him, and I'm so excited for him! I love reading your story and I'm sure he will too some day.

Paula said...

Dennis looks like such a little cutie pie. I can't wait to see all of him. Its so neat to see the pics that you take, its a totally different way of life. It seems simpler and that is nice.

Tami said...

What sweet pictures! You're right. He wouldn't fall asleep in your arms unless he was starting to trust you. What a great gift that little guy is going to be!

ArtworkByRuth said...

The one with him sleeping in your arms seems to sum up your whole journey so far!
I can't figure out the benefits of the washers without the dryers either...
I too can't wait at the end of each day and check the computer for adoption updates!
God Bless!

Chelley said...

wow reading all the comments left you really can feel such an out pouring of love!

The time you are spending with Dennis is such very important and for you to be able to share it all with us... Thank you so very much for taking the time to share not only your son but the amazing country of Ukraine..

I will pray that everyday will bring you closer to your Little Man then on to home and your wonderful family!

Tereasa said...

Wow! Have I been out of the loop! Honestly, I haven't checked your Ukraine blog much at all. I had no idea you were in with your son. What a sweetie!

God bless!

Stephanie said...

What a fascinating glimpse into your journey ... your little boy is precious! May the three of you soon be home and reunited with your family. GOD bless!

Salzwedel Family said...

Dennis looks so sweet snuggled up sleeping in your arms!

Bethany said...

Sounds like he is bonding more and more. I can't wait until he is yours!