It's Getting Hot in Here

Okay.  super inappropriate song and I will be leaving my clothes on, please kindly leave yours on as well!

We made gulash!

But it is quite hot and although I should be sharing cute things about our little man, like how he laughs when Bard makes "Mr.Giraffe" talk to him and how he is quite insulted if we put him down, I am just too hot :)

I mean, I am a PNW girl, if it is above 80 then I better have an icedtallhalfcafvanillanonfatlatte in my hands.  And, it better be a nice dry heat, none of this humid crap.  And, I better not be on 95 degree subway pressed up against 70 zillion other sweaty people so that when the train breaks I don't even have to hold on because the lady standing behind me, in the same spot, will ensure that I don't fall over.

No.  That better not happen.

Although, Dear PNW, stop being such idiots and voting down every single mass transit bill and wake up to the fact that even crammed into a sweaty train is an infinitely superior way of traveling when compared to the fact that you are choosing to wake up and go sit in your car for 2 hours while it moves 28 miles.

Not sure what that has to do with our adoption but just thought you needed a public service announcement from Eastern Europe.  And, let's be honest, I'm guilt blogging because I'm behind but I can't really focus so you're just going to get whatever happens to splat out of my mouth.



Vitaly!

Here's a cool thing!  We have a great driver, Vitaly, who is a wonderful guy, speaks English, is patient with the girls (keeps a broom in his trunk so he can brush out all their cheddar bunnies-smart man.)  And his family has a little house in the country-outskirts of Kyiv-where he grows all sorts of different fruit trees and  bushes.  Yesterday he brought us a whole bag full of freshly picked plums, apples, and a cup of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.  Isn't that so sweet?!  We have  enjoyed hearing his perspective on the past protests as well as the continuing occupation of Maidan.  And, he said he would take us to the ousted president's house which is now a tourist attraction where you can feed one of his many trout, see the emus, and board the pirate ship.  Ah, tyranny!

Speaking of paperwork (And, I'm back!) the next layer of ours is complete, due to be picked up, and submitted tomorrow during the allotted times which are Mon/Wed/Fri between 11am and 1pm. 

Ah, tyran, er, bureaucracy!

Love these girls, such troopers!

As long as that goes well, we then wait for a court date, which we are hoping will be yesterday. Tomorrow marks two weeks since we left and in a way it feels like a flash, in a way like eternity.  And, kind of like deja vous since I'm pretty sure I wrote that before!  We still are very excited to be experiencing so many wonderful parts of this country.  Let me tell you, you do not need Target when you have a subway.  Each station is a one huge underground street fair.  You can buy donuts, crystal, matroshka dolls, groceries, SIM cards, razors, batteries, hair straighteners, body wash, umbrellas, coffee, soccer jerseys, books, mugs, and more, and more, and more.  I know I have mentioned it before, but it really is amazing-you have to see it to believe it.  Russia was the same-an entire network of tiny street vendors and large drugstores all hidden underground in a maze of tunnels.  I have been on subways in Paris and Rome, Venice and DC, New York and... dang it I don't have another city-but I have never seen anything like this.  Sure, other subways have their charm, New York has its urine and Italy its lateness.  But no one else has Walmart, broken into a million tiny countertops each with its own person to sell you whatever your heart desires.

Except of course bagels.

I've decided to replace bagels with ice cream-it's really the only possible way I can stay hydrated and I ate ice cream twice a day on our honeymoon in Italy as well.  My metabolism can not possibly have changed in the past 8 years and having two children, so I am sure it will be fine.

Onward and upward!  Stay tuned, I really do need a people themed blog and every day I have more wonderful people to add to it, so I better start soon because I have a feeling it will be a continuing story of this adventure!  How many amazing people from around the world can become part of our adoption journey?

I think the verse at church this morning sums it up,

The people I formed for myself

that they may proclaim my praise

Isaiah 43:21