Den Roshdanya!

Happy Birthday to the best American/Ukrainian dad I know!  Bard might not remember a lot of his birthdays, but I bet he doesn't forget this one :)  To sneakily prepare for a celebration, Cici and I went on a little adventure yesterday afternoon.  Bard and Evelyn were feeling mostly better but still laying low.  So it was the Queen and Princess of Feisty, out on the town.  We walked down to Maidan and entered the subway.  I only got lost three times (which is a miracle considering there are three levels and innumerable corridors to discover) and we found everything we needed!  A birthday sign-in English no less, how weird is that?-balloons, a cake topper with candles, a lighter, tape, a cool Ukrainian baseball hat, and a bag of chocolates.  We also went to my favorite drug store, Eva, and bought stain remover, a pumice stone, markers for the girls because they destroyed theirs, napkins, and spent several minutes trying to decipher the Russian word for conditioner because I had only bought shampoo and since my hair is so fabulous now it needs to be properly conditioned.  No luck, but I considered the trip a huge success-finding napkins made me ridiculously happy and I sit here now with my heels so soft and smooth, it really doesn't get better than this.

It's the little things people.

Where was I?  Oh, and of course we bought a cake.  We went out of the subway at the exit closet to the grocery store-Villa-and we were on the other side of Maidan.  There are probably 6 different entrances and I'm never sure which one I'm using-and I don't even think I have used them all!  We headed back up, past the partially dismantled stage where a large group of people had gathered for a tribute concert.  It was a quiet night and we watched the Lego Movie, ridiculous and fun.

Then this morning I decorated the kitchen and we had scrambled eggs with yummy sweet bread.  Bard opened his presents and we headed out to the orphanage.  It was another great visit, we were able to learn a lot about pumpkin head's family which is a huge blessing and one that many adoptive families do not get to enjoy.  We have a lot on video and captured pictures as well-after a minor heart attack in which the camera battery died and we switched to Bard's iPhone.  Evelyn in particular really wants to be involved with her baby brother. She shows him things and plays little peek a boo games with him. Today he got a present too (Monday is family present day-more on that later), a pacifier, which he loved!  Evelyn was put in charge of keeping it safe for him, which was perfect because she had just expressed concern that if we left it at the orphanage it would get lost.  Little worrier, just call her Babushka Evelyn!

After a nice rest in the afternoon, we visited the Gapchinska Gallery which I have walked by many times and been wanting to visit since we arrived.  Her art is all over Kyiv and it is just wonderful, very happy and sweet. We are ordering three prints, one for each child.  We were just crossing through Maidan, on our way to a birthday dinner for Bard at a French restaurant-the one with Ice Age-when Cici decided to stage her own protest against the clean up taking place in the square.

Meaning, she threw up all over the place.

It might be a long time before I eat kiwi :(

Remember when I said Bard would find this birthday memorable? This is so hard, we thought we were through the yuck, but now we just don't know-I'm hoping I don't get sick too!  She's been sick twice and fell asleep watching Cinderella.  So far the plan is for Bard and Evelyn to go visit tomorrow and hopefully after that everyone will be healthy.   Again, the night is making me a little nervous...it's hard to go to sleep when you are worried little voices might be calling you to the bathroom...or worse :/  So much for the chocolate cake I have sitting in the fridge, with Happy Birthday candles-also in English. Does anyone else find that odd?!

And, I'm stressing a bit because now we are in countdown mode-ha-hurry hurry wait wait wait!  I need to make a bigger shopping trip sometime this week, you know, things like diapers and clothes and food!  I have several touristy places still to visit, oh and a million presents to be for all of you. Anyone want a Seahawks matroshka doll??!! No seriously, I saw one just the other day.

Please pray that we can all be healthy and welcome little man into our germ free apartment just one week from now.  If I got our family ready to travel in just one week, surely I can handle this preparation in under a week as well.  But incessant vomiting does tend to slow one down...

Budstrarov-Be of good health!