We packed Vladik's suitcase last night.
Even *I* was impressed with how much stuff I crammed in there!  I have one more load of laundry to do tonight- mostly the stuff he wore over the weekend, but I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to put it. I got the suitcase in under the maximum weight of 50#.. but in order to do so, Vladik's backpack is SO FULL! I would guess that together, the suitcase and backpack weigh nearly as much as he does. (But from the facebook postings of other host parents... I'm not the only one!)

Joe asked a couple of days ago if he could come with me to take Vladik to the airport.
I told him yes, but that he needed to understand that it wasn't going to be a quick trip... that we would be gone much of the day. And then his ulterior motives surfaced...
"Mom, if I come with you, can I play my DS?"
"Well, sure, some."
"Can I play it ALL DAY?"
As soon as I said "no" to that, he wasn't interested in coming with me anymore.

Thus far, Vladik has been very stoic about preparing to leave. No emotions, no tears, no.. nothing.
I wish I knew what he was thinking and feeling.... though I can guess.

On the other hand, it may be easier for me that I don't know.  If he knew more English, he'd be able to tell me EXACTLY what he's feeling.
Would that make it harder to say goodbye?
Probably.
Maybe it's better not knowing.

At Vladik's request, we're going bowling tonight and having ice cream for supper.
I think we'll take him to Cold Stone.

I've attached 3 links.
The first is for New Horizons, the organization through which we hosted Vladik.
http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org/

The 2nd is a video about human trafficking in Russia- which is an eastern neighbor to Ukraine. 

This happens all over the world, not just Eastern Europe. 

But the girls "graduating" from orphanages (somewhere around age 16) are more at risk... in particular, girls from Ukrainian orphanages.

http://vimeo.com/21728731

The 3rd link is about street kids in Ukraine. I'll warn you ahead of time, that there is some bad language in it- but it's subtitled.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/apr/05/ukraine-lost-children-video

I hope these videos effect you as they did me.

Our final Thursday and Friday...

It's been pretty low-key around here the last 2 days.
Vladik has had a few bouts of moodiness--- which considering he flies home on Monday... it's to be expected.

There have been a lot of neat moments during his time here.
But I think my favorite occurred last night.
Rick was changing the oil in his truck and rotating the tires... and he had Vladik help.

The two of them were a little slow to warm up to each other... in part because Rick was so busy in the fields for the first 3 weeks of Vladik's stay; but it was really neat to see this bit of bonding between them.
I don't know if Vladik will ever need the skills/words Rick was teaching him... lug nuts, in which direction to rotate the tires, how to measure the tread depth, using the star pattern, etc. But whether or not he uses or remembers it, isn't really the point.
It was a moment. 30 minutes of "guy time" doing "guy things."

It was neat to see.

What is it with men and power tools, anyway? Is it testosterone driven?

I have pretty much everything we need to send home with Vladik- short of a winter coat. I called Goodwill this afternoon to see if they had their winter stuff out yet, and they DO have some. So we'll be making a quick trip to town tomorrow to see if we can find anything useful.

I've had some wonderful friends donate items for Vladik's return trip: a suitcase, a backpack, activity books, etc.  I am so thankful for their support and willingness to help!

After we get back from Goodwill (with or without a coat), we'll start packing. It may seem a little premature, but I need to see what kind of room he's going to have to figure out what he can or can't take home with him. There's a weight limit to consider as well, so I'll have to nix most of the books, etc., I had originally thought about sending home.

We have just the weekend left- and that's it.

We have to be in Detroit at 1pm on Monday.

The time has gone unbelievably fast- and even though we're not adopting, I hope we've given Vladik a glimpse of how things *could* be... the idea of something different than what he's known. Certainly not the family dynamics seen on TV... we're neither the Cleavers, the Simpsons nor the Bundys; but I hope he's felt loved...
I hope he's felt wanted...
I hope he's felt safe...
I hope he's felt included...
and whether or not he understands it, I hope he's seen the difference Christ can make in the life of an individual, and in the life of a family.

Yesterday... Our final Wedensday

We had a GREAT day yesterday... although truth be told, it didn't start out that way!

Rick took the day off-- which is always a treat... and we drove up to Port Clinton and Lake Erie. But I'm getting ahead my self.

Our plan was to leave the house by 8:30 or 9am.
For those of you who have kids who don't get up at the crack of dawn, I realize that to be out of the house by 8:30 in the morning- especially during the summer- seems ridiculously early. But my kids are usually up by 6:30... Joe sometimes earlier.. so 8:30 is not an unreasonable departure time.

Well, Vladik picked yesterday to sleep in even later than his usual 8:00.
When he STILL wasn't up by 9:30, I went and woke him up.
Normally I would have let him sleep; but I'd been hearing... every 3 minutes... since the rest of us ate breakfast that morning... "is it time to go yet?"... "when are we leaving?"

So we finally left by about 10.

We got 15 miles up the road, and the tire pressure monitor in the car started going off. ARRRGH!
So Rick got out and looked at the tires-- nothing was OBVIOUSLY wrong, but you never know.
So, we turned around and drove home. Turns out 3 of the 4 tires were 15# low. So... an hour after starting out the 1st time, we were on our way again.

We ate lunch at McDonalds... which according to Vladik and my kids... is ALWAYS appropriate, and we headed over to the African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton.

I got a great deal on tickets through Groupon, so rather than paying $84 to get us all in, it was $25 for the 5 of us.  The entry fee included a little pony ride and a camel ride for each kid, plus a large cup of food for the animals.

Driving through the park and feeding the animals as they stuck their heads in the car is quite possibly Vladik's favorite moment from his whole time here with us. He was SO animated!

He, Joe and Kyle laughed so hard, I really thought they were going to make themselves sick! I tried to get pictures of Vladik feeding the animals, but the angle
was too awkward.

He was all grins on the pony camel rides as well. He liked the idea that he was maybe the only host kid from Ukraine who got to ride a camel on his trip to America.

Say "hello" to my little friend  :-)

After our adventure at the African Safari, we went in search of a public beach. We found one just up the road and the boys spent a couple of hours swimming and splashing in the water. 

I'm embarrassed to say that after living in Ohio for 12 years, it was my first actual trip to a Lake Erie beach. I wasn't quite as impressed as the kids were, but I supposed that has to do with the fact that many of my "growing-up years" were spent in Southern California where we frequented the "real" beach.
Regardless, they had a great time... despite the dead fish and the water snakes.

We cleaned up and headed over to Sandusky for supper, but on the way we stopped at Marblehead to see the lighthouse.  It was starting to get cloudy and the waves were starting to pick up... the boys enjoyed sitting on the rocks watching people fish.

Joe and Vladik both feel asleep on the way home, and even though I KNOW he was tired, we stayed up and worked on his English after the boys went to bed.

Vladik's personality just exploded yesterday. I don't know if it was because Rick was with us, or if it was just timing; but it was a joy to see!

Our final Tuesday...

Yesterday, Vladik had his final dentist appointment.
It went REALLY, REALLY well.
The nerve to the tooth in question was completely dead, so no shots were needed. There was no pain and no discomfort for Vladik - which after our last visit, I was really grateful for. He listened to Lecrae the whole time and I was able to talk to Dr. Garrison and the staff about New Horizons and our hosting experience.
They had a lot of questions, and  I was doubly glad Vladik had his earphones in. I always feel funny talking about him and his situation in front of him.

So--- 2 hours, a root canal, and a new tooth later.... he was smiling BIG! There have been a lot of smiles this week.

I'm SO grateful for Dr. Garrison and his staff... they took such good care of us!

My parents sent us a tetherball set AGES ago.
Rick, bless his heart... who has WAY to much to do... finally got it set up this afternoon.

I CLEARLY remember playing tetherball in the 3rd grade. That and playing "Frogger" with the massive row of swings on the playground were my favorite things to to at recess. Oh-- and trading scratch-n-sniff stickers. :-)   I think I remember one that was supposed to smell like tires. EWWW.

We went swimming this afternoon as well. For as often as it seems we go swimming, you'd think they'd all be waterlogged, but that doesn't seem to be the case. :-)

Days 25 & 26... I think. I've lost count.

So. Where to begin?

Vladik has 1 week left in America. 1 week left in our home.

We have 1 left week to love on him and include him in our family goings-on.
1 week left to stuff him full of fruit and ice cream.
1 week left to play games and work on English.
1 week left to touch him with the gospel through our words and actions.

7 days.

I imagine in many ways, he's ready to go home.
I'm sure he misses his friends and what is familiar and I think he'd be ready to not be surrounded by English-only speakers.
I can't really ask if he's enjoyed his time here. I'm assuming he has, but I don't want to put him on the spot.

Yesterday we were "talking" about some of the things I wanted to get done before he leaves.
I mentioned I wanted him to help me pick out some of the photos I've taken to put in an album so he can take it home with him.
I was surprised... and confused... and little hurt... when he responded verbally "no... photos... home."
So I typed... "You don't want to take any photos home?"

"no."

"ok."..... "you're sure?"

"no"  (I was starting to get a complex here.WHY would he not want to take pictures home? Has he not enjoyed his time here?? Did we do something wrong??"

"No, you're not sure, or no you do not want any pictures?"

 frustration...."no... photos... home."

"Ok. Thats fine. You don't have to take pictures home with you if you don't want to. I only asked because I'm told most kids want to."

After several back and forths... I *think* I figured out that he wants to take pictures home with him, he just doesn't want to help pick them out.... I think?

Sunday is usually our day to go out to eat, so for supper, we went to Friendly's. For my readers who don't know, Friendly's is like Denny's (kind of), only with AMAZING ice cream.
(It's not Blue Bell, but it's the closest we can get here in our little corner of the midwest.)

As Vladik would choose ice cream over breathing, we knew he'd love it!
Of course, whats *not* to love about ice cream?! We think the USDA should include it in the food pyramid as its own category.


Vladik had a bit of a revelation, yesterday.

School starts in about a month, so it's time to start thinking about school clothes, etc. I had gone down to the basement to get the tub full of Joe's old clothes that Kyle will be able to soon wear.  We were all in the kitchen and Kyle and I were sorting through the clothes. Evidently, when I packed up the clothes a couple of years ago, I wasn't as organized as I should have been as there were 3 different sizes in the tub. But anyway, with each item of clothing we pulled out, (it was a big tub) Vladik's eyes got bigger and bigger. He wanted to see everything-- feel it if it was textured, look at the designs etc....
And then it dawned on me... he thought these were all NEW clothes.

AS IF!

So after we sorted through them all, I explained to Vladik our term of "hand-me-downs;" and I said it was nice that I had 2 boys so that I could pass clothes on from one kid to the next.
He, of course, understands the concept of hand-me-downs. Most everything he owns is a hand-me-down.

He just didn't know American kids did it too.  I think he was a little surprised.

During our English lessons, we've been working with articles. When to use "a" when to use "an", plus the proper use of "this", "that", "these", "those" and plurals.  He's an eager student, which I appreciate; and I LOVE grammar, vocabulary... and the opportunity to "teach" what I know.

Of all the things we've done while Vladik has been here, I think our one-on-one time at night, working on English, ranks right at the top of my list of favorites.

Yesterday and Today, Days 23 & 24

New Horizons is doing their own version of cardboard testimonies. This is our submission.
Not familiar with cardboard testimonies? Check out this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rxojHiZoto&feature=related

When I was telling Vladik about the project, I asked if he had a favorite verse that he might want to use. He looked surprised, and then quickly shook his head. Oddly enough, it wasn't "surprised" like he hadn't expected me to ask. It was more of a shocked "surprised"... like having a favorite verse was inappropriate.

Anyway, we were supposed to pick a verse, and personalize/paraphrase it.  I had several picked out and Isaiah 40:11 is the one we chose.

We also looked at:

Jeremiah 24:6... I will always build you up, not pull you down.

Isaiah 49:16... You will not be forgotten. I have carved your name in the palm of My hands.

Psalm 24:0... I belong to Him!

Psalm 37:24... He holds my hand to keep me from falling.

Jeremiah 29:11... His plan for my future is filled with hope.

Psalm 121:3... He watches over me day and night.

Psalm 94:14... God will not abandon me.

Psalm 5:3... He hears my voice when I call to him.

Hebrews 2:11... Jesus is not ashamed to be called my big brother.

I Corinthians 2:9... He has prepared amazing things for me.

Vladik's mouth seems to be better and he's back to his normal eating routine. Yesterday for breakfast he ate 6 eggs, 3 slices of banana bread, and a small container of yogurt. And then a couple hours later, he was ready for a snack.

It's been hot the last couple of days.
REALLY, REALLY hot.
At 10 o'clock last night, the heat index was still
hovering around 100. YIKES!  So after I finished mowing, we went swimming.

Vladik LOVES LOVES LOVES to swim!

Today, Friday, we went to Mansfield.

Our first stop was at Dick's. Vladik left with

new soccer cleats, shin guards and socks. Kyle left 

with a new ball glove.

Vladik was funny while he was picking out his

cleats. Naturally, he gravitated to the $148 pair.

But I nipped that in the bud pretty fast.

After Dick's we headed to the movie

theater to watch Cars 2. It was Kyle's

1st movie theater experience. Rick and

I didn't think it was as good as the first

one, but it was certainly worth the 

matinee price.

We ate supper at Golden Corral.

It was pretty crowded, but Vladik seemed 

to take it all in stride...until I showed him the 

dessert bar.  I think the ice cream was 

probably his favorite part of the evening.

                                                                                   

Day 22

Well, it's been an interesting day.

Vladik and the boys were supposed to have their pictures taken this morning.
In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to schedule the pictures for the day after Vladik's dentist appointment; but at the time, I didn't know how bad his mouth was going to be.

He woke up at about 8:20 this morning... sick.
Feverish (temp of 101.3), clammy, and a stomach ache.
To be honest, I think a lot of it had to do with the 2 tooth extractions yesterday.

A little TLC, Tylenol, watching a couple movies on the laptop, a Gatorade and a bit of yogurt, and things were looking up.

By lunchtime, he was downstairs and feeling better. His mouth is still sore... but he ate 6 scrambled eggs for breakfast.. and then took some ibuprofen. Obviously his appetite is back.

I told him we were all going to take it easy today, especially with the episode this morning. I think it really scared him... and understandably so.  I reminded him this afternoon that the dentist appt. on Monday wouldn't be nearly as traumatic... or painful. Lets hope I'm right, or he'll NEVER trust me again.

He's feeling better... but he REALLY needs to take a shower!

Day 20 & 21

Monday morning, we took a few steers to the auction in Creston.
Actually, we hired a guy from church to do it. But Rick and all 3 boys went along for the ride.

Vladik's first reaction when they got home? He plugged his nose and fanned himself.

The animals stunk, and it's hot outside.

I had an appointment last night, so Rick stayed home with Vladik, Joe and Kyle. They played Old Maid (using Joe's rules... which means they changed every couple of minutes,) Go Fish, and a treehouse board game we have. Other than baling, it's the first Rick has been with Vladik without me in close proximity.

Vladik had his dentist appointment this morning. They took x-rays and upon seeing the inside of his mouth the dental hygienist asked "Has he complained about any pain?" Which, he hadn't. Then she asked "Have you seen in here?"  Well, actually, I had. But what I glimpsed was not a pretty sight, so it was a quick look.

As it turns out, Vladik had 2 cavities, 2 teeth that were completely rotten/decayed and needed extracted and a broken tooth than needs a root canal and a partial crown.  The dentist said, all things considered, the rest of his teeth were in pretty good shape!

We went back later this afternoon to have the cavities filled, and while we were there, Dr. G went ahead and extracted the 2 teeth. The first extraction went pretty well, the 2nd one was stubborn and took more work and quite a bit of discomfort on Vladik's part. Not pain... but discomfort. I won't go into all the gory details, but cracking/splitting teeth has a sound all it's own.

Needless to day, Vladik is pretty sore. I gave him some ibuprofen when we got home. As he can only eat soft things until he feels up to it, we all had home made ice cream for supper. NO ONE complained about that!

We go back Monday for the root canal and crown.

I can't forget to add, that Dr. G. is doing all this dental work free of charge.
I'm so grateful for his generosity and thankful that God, as always, provides for our every need.

One of the purposes in hosting, is to show Vladik not only the love of family, but the love of Christ.
Today, Dr. G showed Vladik... and me... the love of Christ.
Vladik may never recognize it for what it is; and for as sore as he is, he certainly isn't feeling any of that love right now.
But Dr. G was a part of the Lord's work today and I am blessed to have witnessed it.

Day 19.... part deux

 So yesterday... Sunday... I think it was a really good day for Vladik.

It started like any other Sunday... breakfast, church, lunch, etc.

We came home, but Kyle down for a nap and sat down to watch one of the videos we got from the library; the 1st Chronicles of Narnia... the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Vladik had already seen it- of course; and so had Rick and I, but Joe hadn't-- and Vladik indicated he wanted to see it again.

So, Narnia it was. I was SUPPOSED to be paying bills and doing book work, but after getting the movie started, I got sucked in and sat down and watched the whole darn thing.  It IS a good movie after all!

About halfway through the movie, Rick left to go help his BIL... they're building a shed.

Kyle woke up, we finished the movie, and then the 4 of us went swimming at my SIL's--- which is one of Vladik's FAVORITE things to do. Of course, I forgot my camera.

While we were there, it was decided we would go to my other SIL's for supper (where Rick was working on the shed.)  Building projects are kind of a family thing around here

Joe and Kyle were excited to go because "the girls" (which is the collective name we call 1 portion of their female cousins) were going to be there. Why so excited? I'm not sure-- we'd just spent the last hour and a half swimming with them.

Anyway, after supper the kids started playing keep away.. which of course, Vladik was best at.
We then did various races-- running, running backwards, bunny hop, crab walk, heel toe, and duck waddle.... which, of course, Vladik was best at.
So we tried freeze tag.... the "best" was kind of a toss up with this one.

All the kids had a really good time... but Vladik did especially, I think.

So many smiles!

Plus, he was the best- the fastest, the strongest, and the quickest... which I'm sure was a nice little ego-boost; something he may not often get.

Vladik goes home in 2 weeks. I wonder what his favorite memory will be?                

Getting ready to race...

Skipping...

Crab-walk...

Kyle crawled becuse he thought it would be
"SO much faster." Vladik still beat him!

This is what happens when an
almost 9 year old tries to crawl
through the legs of a 4 year old
while playing freeze tag.

This is what happens when a 4 year old
and then a 13 year old both crawl
through the legs of a 7 year old
while playing freeze tag.

Day 19

One would think that on Sunday....a day of rest... that I would have had PLENTY of time to update my blog during the day.

Yeahhh...... NO.

So, as it's nearly time for bed, this will be yet another short entry.

Actually... I think I'll write it up tomorrow.  Goodnight all.

Day 18

I'm sitting my my favorite chair and watching one of my favorite movies (Pretty Woman). All 3 boys are in bed and Rick isn't home yet (which is why I get to watch Pretty Woman.)

We went to a birthday party tonight to celebrate a nephew's 2nd birthday. Vladik's favorite, of course, was the cake and ice cream. He didn't say much/anything about the party when we got home. I wonder if it seemed totally extravagant to him?
There were a lot of people there.. several whom he'd never met.
 It has to be difficult being surrounded by people chattering away in a language of which you know very little.
 I think it would make my head hurt.

On a funny note... I think Vladik has a crush on one of Rick's nieces. The REALLY funny part.... I don't think it's one sided. They were playing footsie over cake and ice cream tonight. It made me smile.

As for English... I think we need to change tactics. Vladik is doing pretty well with his vocabulary, but now we need to work on using it in conversation. For example, he knows the English words "boy" and "girl" and what they mean, but he can't use them in a sentence, or understand when *I* use them in a sentence, no matter how simple.  Vocabulary is great... and important, but it's equally important to be able to use what you know.

Day 17

I didn't get anything posted last night.

Vladik and I went to see Transformers 3 (in 3D) last night in Mansfield. It was close to 10 before we got in.... 

Joe wanted to come with us... which wasn't going to happen. After seeing the first two, I KNEW it wasn't appropriate for a 7 year old to watch. I know that other families don't have the same rules that we do about what kids should and should not be watching..... but I was still surprised to see 4 and 5 year old kids coming out of the theater with their parents.  

Throughout the movie, I had a hard time making my brain switch gears, remembering that Vladik ISN'T 7... he's 13. 

I don't know if he'd ever seen a movie in 3D before, and even though he couldn't understand all that was being said, I think he enjoyed it.

We made our weekly trip to WalMart yesterday. <sigh>

My kids behaved even worst than the last time. 

But I discovered something. Vladik instigates more than I had previously thought.

He does something to pick on Joe (and he's stealthy about it), Joe retaliates, Kyle gets in on it, and by the time I turn around, things are getting out of hand.

Obviously, the next time we go to WalMart, or any store that isn't going to be a quick in and out; I'm going to have to sit down with Vladik (and Joe) and explain to Vladik (and remind Joe) what kind of behavior is appropriate, and what it not.
They feed off each other. When one acts up, so goes the others. Suppose it works the other way around? If one of them is good, the other 2 will be as well??? One can always hope!

We stopped at CVS yesterday. I had quite a few extra bucks that expired that day so I needed to spend them. The boys all got sunglasses. At first we could only find the adult sunglasses- which worked for Vladik, but not for Joe... and at $20 a pair... well, I didn't have THAT MANY extra bucks (even with buy 1, get 1 at 50% off). So after a little more looking around we found the kids rack, and a Vladik quickly found a pair of Transformers sunglasses. (I think he may have slept in them last night). Joe was a little more particular about his choice, but after an eternity (and trying on everything but the Barbie pair), he finally settled on a pair of lime green X-games sunglasses. Not to be left out, Kyle found some as well, but they're a little awkward since they have to fit over his regular glasses.

Our 5 weeks of hosting Vladik is about half-way over. 

Does it feel like he's been here for 2 1/2 weeks?

Yes and no.

It's like when someone asks "Can you believe your youngest is (fill in the blank) years old?" or "Does it feel like you've been out of school.... or married.... or whatever for (fill in the blank) years?"

There are days when it feels like Vladik has always been here, and there are days when it feels like he just arrived.

Day 16

Another "lazy" day at the Shoup house.

We must have tired Vladik out yesterday with all that fresh air and sunshine... he slept until after 9 this morning!  Of course, Joe and Kyle were both up by 6:30, so as usual, the rest of us ate breakfast without him.

French Toast Sticks were on the menu this morning-- I had to open a 2nd bag in order to fill his hollow leg.

It was cool this morning... unseasonably cool... so while I was waiting for Vladik     to get up, I pulled some weeds in my flowerbeds, sprayed Round-Up on the ones I couldn't get, and finished spreading the last of the mulch. I'm glad that job is FINALLY done. I'm going to have a lot of daylilies, as well as some Orientals and Asiatics that need divided this fall so if anyone is interested in my splits... let me know.

     The small remaining pile of mulch, that I think my SIL is going to take, was turned into a makeshift bike ramp for the boys this morning. They rode over that thing for well over an hour-- and they went back out after supper to ride some more.The mulch pile has compacted about 6" from where it was. :-)

They helped bale for a while after lunch, and then came inside and we watched              "Apple Dumpling Gang."  There's enough slapstick kind of humor that it held Vladik's attention, even if he didn't understand what was being said.

Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, squirt guns and supper later... and they're all back outside riding bikes... on the swing... playing tag.

A friend of mine from church has offered to take professional photos of Vladik.    Thanks, Rachael!!!!  A good head shot, I'm told, is INVALUABLE as we begin to advocate for him. For families who are interested in adopting, a really good picture makes a strong first impression. If they like what they see, maybe they'll choose to read the short bio I wrote about Vladik and his time here so far. From there, maybe a visit. Who knows?!

Vladik and I continue to have our best bonding time at night--after Joe and Kyle are in bed, while we work on his English. And we get SO much more done without any interruptions. I don't know if I posted this before, but he told me that he didn't have an English teacher at school... that all the English he knew was self taught. The alphabet, sounds, numbers to 10, quite a few words, and a very few phrases. He REALLY wants to learn, and he's working diligently to become more fluent and more comfortable in what he already knows. I'm proud of his effort, and pleased that I'm able to help him.  

     

Day 15

Another new experience today for Vladik.

He, Rick and the boys baled straw for about 3 hours after lunch.  They were in the field behind the house and I kept going out, making sure he was ok and checking to see if he was ready to come in, and each time I got a very firm shake of the head. It's not nearly as hot today-- which is a good thing. Baling is MOST unpleasant when it's 90+ degrees outside with 80% humidity and no breeze. UGH!

Vladik will probably be sore tomorrow. He was helping Joe pull bales- and they weigh about 45 lbs. a piece.. and they loaded several wagons.

Some time later, one of Rick's brothers-in-law came to help bale and brought 2 of his kids, girls.
Vladik met them swimming a couple of weeks ago.

After everyone piled back on the wagon... all 7 of them; it was a little too crowded, so all the kids climbed up on top of the bales and rode while Rick and John pulled and stacked the bales.

When all the kids were tired of baling, they played hide and seek for an hour- or more- until supper was ready. I loved hearing their squeals of laughter... giggling while they were hiding... and screaming with surprise when they were found.

Joe's dentist appointment was this morning, and I think it helped Vladik to see what an "American" dental cleaning was like. Host kids are often terrified of going to the dentist here in The States because of previous experience with dentistry in Ukraine. I'm told novacaine is not commonly used.  Anyway, I think it helped him to see that Joe wasn't scared or in any pain, and he was very interested in the "treasure" Joe got to pick out of the drawer when the appointment was over. Vladik's appointment is the 19th.

Dr. Garrison saw our big article in yesterday's paper and has offered his services for Vladik at no charge. YAY! And THANK YOU DR. GARRISON!!!

Kind of blurry, but this was yesterday,  right before
they shoved  the pillows up their shirts and
started chest-bumping each other.

Vladik pulling bales. I'm not entirely sure why
Joe is wearing his bicycle helmet.

  

... looks like a farm kid :-)

Day 14... all you need is love

After our big day yesterday, we decided to take it easy today.

Vladik slept until 9 this morning... so much for not being tired. :-)

After everyone had breakfast, I put Joe and Vladik to work in the yard and flower beds, picking up sticks, pulling weeds etc. They didn't last very long. Vladik probably would have stayed out longer if Joe hadn't whined so much about it. "It's hoooooooot.... I'm thirrrrrrsty..... My back hurrrrrrts.... My eyelashes hurrrrrt."
Well, not that last one, but you get the idea.

It *was* hot and humid this morning, so after about 30 minutes, I let them go inside.

The boys had a great time playing and goofing off this afternoon. They each stuck sofa pillows up their shirts and commenced playing "chest bumping sumo wrestlers."  It was pretty funny to watch and even funnier to listen to. They laughed so hard, they all ended up with belly aches.

Joe gave Vladik a sticker today....the single hand sign language for "I love you." Whether he meant it or whether is was "just" a sticker, I don't know. But Vladik wore it proudly for the rest of the day. It was cute listening to Joe explain how the position of the fingers represented each word.. I... love... you.

After putting Joe and Kyle to bed tonight, I talked with Vladik about stealing. The look on his face made me think he was going to try to deny it, but he never did. Of course, he never admitted to it either; but considering where I found the items.. there really wasn't a point in trying to deny it.
He understands our position on the issue of stealing now, and hopefully that will be the end of it.
But I'm still going to be checking.

I tuck Vladik into bed every night. Hugs, kisses, the whole nine yards. (He says prayers with the rest of us when we put Joe and Kyle to bed.)
Tonight, for the first time, he said "I love you, Mom" as I was tucking him in. AND... he said it in English!

I can't help but wonder if it has anything to do with the way I dealt with the stealing incident. No yelling, no anger... just a simple discussion of why it was wrong and how we felt about it.

Day 13

The battery on the laptop is low.
MY battery is lower.

We had a fun, but exhausting day at the Cleveland Zoo. It was CRAZY hot the first 3 hours we were there, and it rained the next 3.  We discovered AFTER we got there that it was "free admission day" for all Cuyahoga County residents... so every day care, church camp and girl scout troop in the county were there. It was CROWDED... more crowded than I'd ever seen it!  We had to park like in the back 40-- where I didn't even know they HAD parking lots! We met another host family there who is also hosting a teenage boy from Ukraine.
I had anticipated Vladik and Kolya would talk nonstop. I mean, they've been talking in single word sentences for 2 weeks, and FINALLY  they have a chance to exercise their tongues, right?

NOPE. They didn't say a word to each other.

A motley crew.. but even soaking wet, there were
still smiles!

On a positive note though, Vladik said he really enjoyed the zoo.
SCORE!!  Finally, I got something right!

On a completely different note, I've discovered Vladik has been stealing. I'm told it's not unusual, and honestly, I can understand why. He has SO little and he sees how much we have... how good we have it... and wants a little something of his own. He probably thinks we won't even miss it.

I like this one because it shows their personalities.
Kyle was being difficult, Joe was being goofy, and
Vladik was laughing at them- and me
trying to get everyone to cooperate.

And in truth, it's possible that he doesn't know that stealing is "wrong."
He's never had a mom who, upon finding her child has swiped a pack of gum, marched said child back into the store to return it and apologize.
     It's kind of ridiculous the things he's taken. Kyle's Leapster (which used to be Joe's, so it only works intermittently,) and a spare car charger for my cell phone.
I need to confront him about it today, but I'm not looking forward to it.
OH-and before I forget. If you're local and get the Times Gazette, Rick says we're on the front page.

Joe and Vladik working on a "hidden picture" book. 

Kyle on his way to a "full pull!"

2nd place trophy and an invitation to pull at the
Grand National competition in Columbus in January. 

Ice cream... always a favorite!