Merry Christmas Everybody!

Hi!

Here are some pics from Christmas. The favorite toy of the day seems to be the giant tiger that Poppy Nick and Elizabeth gave the kiddos. And of course some shots of them in their helmets that go with the new bike and trike!

I know it has been an absolute age since I posted but the holiday season and a crazy work schedule got in the way of things like blogging! Way too much travel in December for Mama and the kids were not terribly excited by that- it is so hard to be away from them and my 3 night trip to NYC was not fun for them or for Papa, especially as it came on the heels of 2 other short trips. It all adds up and I know they are as short as they can possibly be but it is hard, on them, on Papa, on me. Oh well, I am just thankful there is work for my company and if I have to travel then so be it.

Things on the home front are great, the kids had their first Christmas yesterday and it went very well. As many of you know we have been having crazy weather in Seattle for the last week- snow, snow and more snow. Because the Seattle infrastructure is completely unable to deal with even a flurry, let alone several feet of snow, the city basically shut down. We were able to get around due to Mama's big truck and Papa's ability to put chains on. :)

The kids love all the snow and have been having a blast. A quick rundown of our holiday schedule -

Sunday, Dec 21- we ventured out mid-blizzard to go to Hannukah at Grandma Marta and Grandpa Craig's house on Mercer Island. Original plan had been to celebrate at their place in Bellingham but extreme snow kept us from being willing to drive there and back in one day so.... It was very fun, the kids had a blast and we all had fun making cookies, eating latkes and opening presents.

Weds, Dec 24- after another foot or so of snow we left very early in the morning for the drive to Bellingham. Because of the amount of stuff, the dog etc we could not take my truck and had to roll in Aaron's minivan. This was pretty scary because the clearance is so low on a minivan but with chains and front wheel drive we did pretty well. It did take absolutely forever though- a drive that normally takes an hour and a half took 4 hours but we made it up safely! Spent the rest of the day doing "elf business" and then went to the traditional Xmas Eve dinner at Aunt Robin's. Having heard that her road was plowed we came charging up it- only to get stuck half way up because our car is too low!! Carried the kids the rest of the way and then Aaron, Craig and Tom spent more than 1/2 hour digging and dealing with the car, finally freeing it and making it up to the house!

It was fun though, Brooks was in from Hawaii/Pennsylvania and of course Max and his family so the kids all played with each other quite a bit and fun was had by all.

Then back to Jane's house for sleep. The kids (and Mama) are super bummed that Jane is not here this year- it is her year to be with Terry's family in CT and we miss them greatly but are so happy we got to use their house because it makes it easier to have our own space. :)

Then it was Christmas morning!! The kids slept really well and woke around 7:30. Santa had come of course and they were pretty excited. We did a few presents here and then off to Max's for the full family celebration. Chaos- the poor kids were having a bit of a hard time handling all the action and the dozens of presents coming their way and it stressed Sasha out a fair amount. He decided to bail and go into their playroom for some quiet play, which was totally fine but some of the other 'helpful' people there thought it was odd he would prefer that to presents.... It was just too much, he will be into the presents in his own time, when they arent being piled on him.

They were great though and pulled through. Went back to Jane's for a nap (not happening, way too excited for that) and to change and get ready for the big dinner at Poppy Nick's house. That was also fun and the kids fell asleep on the way back to Jane's.

Today we are supposed to be off to our place in Whistler for a few days but unfortunately Aaron woke up in the middle of the night really sick. not sure if it is something he ate or if he has the flu but he is pretty darn sick. We are torn because Demian (one of my very best friends from college) and his girlfriend are flying in from Mexico to see the kids in Whistler and we certainly do not want to miss that at all but with Aaron so sick it seems like it will be very ridiculously hard to get there. We are mulling over our options but I am super torn- I am dying to see Demian and he is flying 3000 miles to meet the kids so.... But sick Aaron is no fun at all!

So, that is the long and short of our holiday thus far. I have a few days off so hopefully I will be able to post more. Hope everyone is having a safe and fun holiday!!

SKB

So many things to be thankful for.

Hi All-

The kids first Thanksgiving went very well. Grandma Marta and Grandpa Craig slaved over a hot stove for days I am sure and we had a FEAST. Aaron's pies were very well received and everyone had a great day playing, eating, visiting and just being together.

It is so crazy to think about last Thanksgiving. Last Thanksgiving we were in Mexico (common theme in our family since our mom died- my dad likes to go away for a family holiday someplace warm and nice and not here) but we were at a swanky very un-kid friendly place that was great, but so different than this year. Of course, the only "child' there last year was baby Will and he had still to make his appearance so I am not sure that really counts... (poor Jane- flying at 5 mos pregnant!).

Anyway, what I want to talk about it the fact that last Thanksgiving we were all done with our homestudy and weighing our options as to which agency to go with. I was really on the fence and had a lot of trouble deciding between WACAP ( a great agency and the one that we eventually did sign with- and they had done our homestudy which made it even easier) and CSS - a very well respected agency in North Carolina. While we were in Mexico we got word that we had been rejected as applicants by CSS. Apparently my medical history (which is very old and ridiculously unimportant in terms of real life but can freak people out who are dumb or dont know better) and they felt that we were not good candidates for International Adoption and that we would not be able to adopt a child. Okay, I was CRUSHED. I wandered around Mexican paradise for 2 days in a daze of tears and hurt. My whole family was there trying to cheer me up -- Pop was offering to find us babies no matter what it took, Aaron was telling me there would be a way, everyone was being as nice and supportive and I was just devastated. I was sure we would never be parents- that a stupid idiomatic seizure disorder from 10 years ago that was long gone was going to keep us out of the parenting world forever. I was so angry that an agency would tell us that we were not good enough to go through the process when we have so much to offer a child(ren) and that they would be better off in Russia than with us etc etc etc. It still makes me super upset to think about this. I mean, we are sort of a catch really- we are nice, normal, well educated, love each other, have great families, have resources, want to be parents, had a parenting plan etc. For someone to tell me that I wasnt good enough was a real blow to my psyche (and dumb if you ask me).

But, I guess everything really does happen for a reason! Because when we returned we met with WACAP again (they had alreay agreed to represent us as they didnt think it was all such a big deal either and that "your pros outweigh your cons") and decided to move forward with them. I was nervous-- what if they changed their minds about us, what if the Russians didnt like us etc etc etc. but we wanted to move forward and so we did. And, you all know how that turned out- our kids, the kids that were so meant to be ours, were able to find us (with some help from Queen Markell and the folks at the MOE and the people at WACAP) and are now home playing as I type this. We never ever thought we would have our kiddos home before this holiday season- we were sure it would take at least 2 years and that we were looking at 2010 before we became parents. Just goes to show how the world works in mysterious ways. Our kids were ready for us now so CSS had to reject us, they dont work in the baby home our kids were from so if we had gone with them we might have missed them! It is all kismet to be sure.

It is hard because I miss my mother more at Christmas time than any other time of the year (which is saying something). She WAS christmas- ask anyone- this was her time of year for sure. It is hard to see the kids get so excited about it and know that this will be our first year with them and have her not be there. It is just really hard. I know that she is watching out for them and I know we have plenty of other family but without her Christmas has never seemed quite "right" for me. All i can do is try to make it fabulous for my kids- maybe that will help this year. I need to get in the spirit though and i am having some trouble there- must be all the craziness in the world!

Anyway, enough of my musings. I just wanted to post how happy I am that we are all home and safe and how glad I am to have my children going into this Holiday season. I am also glad Pop is not in India anymore and I hope that the situation there gets resolved as quickly and well as possible at this point!

SKB

Back from Mexican Paradise

Hi All-

I know it has been an age since I posted- but we have been a busy bunch. Just returned from 8 days in sunny Mexico with the family. The trip went well- the kids loved being around so much family and the house we stayed in was awesome. Thanks Poppy Nick and Elizabeth for making it all happen.

Sasha loves "the big waves" in that he had so much fun wave jumping with Mama that I fully see a surf board in our future. Ana, not so much. Aaron took her out and she swallowed a ton of water which led to an hour long sad sack crying fit- poor little girl! She did love the pool though and we went swimming twice a day every day! All in all it was super fun.

We do have a little bit of post vacation regression. It is nothing huge, just some extra neediness and a bit of forgetfulness on Sasha's part in regards to being potty trained. Apparently this is super normal as the change of the vacation is super stressful for the kiddos. I do think that they were a bit worried on the planes even though we talked a zillion times about how we were going home, Sasha especially seemed unsure on the way home (aka screamed for 2 hours, sorry all thos around us!) but was happy as a clam when we arrived on our doorstep.

Now Thanksgiving is here. We are off to Grandma Marta's for a Thanksgiving feast tomorrow and then home tomorrow night. Ana's 4th birthday is this weekend and she is very excited. We talk about often- she cant wait for the party and the presents- she has quite the list going! She is fitting into our American lifestyle very very well, which is pretty funny to watch.

We have a new cousin- Megan just had a baby boy (Miles) to add to the clan. I cant wait for this summer and totally hope that we can all get together at Wausaukee at the same time as there are now simply dozens of kids under 5 in the gang and it would be hilarious.

That is all I have time for now. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Pics to Mexico to follow once Aaron emails me some. My camera phone did not work well at all- too sunny- so all of my pics are totally lame! Hopefully better ones will appear soon.

SKB

Their first election day!

Hi Everybody!

So, of course yesterday was the kiddos very first election day. They went to dance class per usual and then Papa took them to vote! I had alreay voted absentee but Aaron still goes down to the polling place and he took the kids. Apparently they did very well (though Ana disagreed with Papa's/Mama's choice of candidate- I told you she was channelling Markell). Anyway, it is was a very exciting event for them and I was thrilled that they got to be here for such a historic election. This is one people wont forget and it will help ground them in their American history when they say "I remember when Obama was elected, I was little and brand new to the States" when they are old and gray.

Isnt the above pic the cutest of all time. It is one of the Becky photos and I love it! All of the pics are so cute it will be hard to decide what goes on the Xmas card but I have a feeling this one will be part of the final design!

This past Sunday was Will's Christening and party so we all went up to Bellingham for that. The church service was LONG but the kids were total troopers and got to leave before communion which was good because it just dragged on and on and on after that- the new priest at St Paul's is quite a talker! We had a great party at Poppy's after that and everything went well - good food, lots of people and everyone had fun I think.

Both kids are doing well. They are totally having a language explosion and really funny. It is hard to remember sometimes that they now understand most (if not all) of everything we say and I am often suprised when one of them pipes up in the middle of the conversation. We have had to start spelling words like "cookie" and "park" when we are talking about them so that we dont get them too excited- makes me feel very 'mommy' and is cool.

I am a bit concerned about Sasha's attachment to me- he seems to be pulling away from me which is not good. I know it is because I am not there all the time but I am still trying to figure out how to deal with that. I have special snuggle time with Ana which is great and totally helping her attach to me but right now Sasha doesnt have the same special time- I need to figure out a way to get it in there but everytime I try he is totally uninterested in the idea and wont sit still, let alone snuggle and let me sing to him. Any ideas? I have high hopes that spending lots and lots of time with him in Mexico will help and plan on doing just that. I know it is a process but I am just nervous that it is going the wrong way with him- he seems interested soley in Aaron and even that is teneous I think. I guess we shall just keep trying and see where that leads us. I am wondering how young is too young for attachment therapy - any ideas on that one? I think he is too young but maybe I am wrong. I just want him to be happy and healthy and I think being firmly attached is pretty important for that. Maybe I am overthinking it....

SKB

YAY Alaska Airlines

HI-

Here are some cute pics of the kids (the extreme close up of Ana is a bit crazy but Sasha is at a better angle/distance) at a Halloween party this weekend. Sasha (a pirate if you are wondering about the bandana) was not 100% sure about the bouncy house- while Ana was willing to bounce and jump all around the place he was content to hang on to the side for dear life and just very very gently bounce up and down, as long as we were right there- Aaron inside and me outside. This is funny because at home he is daredevil Sasha the destructor - willing to do anything, no matter how risky. I think it was the other kids- he was scared- some of them were much bigger. How cute are they though- Ana is a butterfly but it is hard to tell because it was so cold she put a big sweater over her outfit at the last minute.

In other news...

How often do you see someone saying an airline did a good thing? Rarely these days, yes? Well, I am so psyched with Alaska Airlines at the moment. If you recall we had a ticketing issue- Sasha's name is wrong on all of his US docs- his COC, his passport etc. So it did not match the spelling on his ticket for our upcoming vacation to Mexico.

Yesterday, I finally went down to the airport with his passport, a picture of my adorable children, and my sad sad story of government gone wrong, ineffective clerks who cant spell, my desire to show my little Siberian babies the Caribbean, the family nature of our vacation- I am telling you - my halo was shining bright and I laid it on THICK for this lady at Alaska. I was super scared they were going to cancel his ticket and then charge me full price for a new one- as others have experienced with similar problems.

Well, she got on the phone and after several conversations with supervisors where she repeatedly mentioned the fact that he was only 2, that he was a "little orphan boy" etc they finally changed the ticket - for free. Now I wasnt totally sold on how this all went down- as I am not sure I like trotting out our kids past to all and sundry but it truly is a product of the dumb government etc that his papers are all wrong. And it meant we werent charged $800 which helps too.

So, I am glad Alaska had a heart and we are all set now for our Mexican vacation next month. I am not sure what they will think of us when we approach check in with 2 umbrella strollers, 2 car seats, enough luggage to facilitate a move to Mexico and 2 kids in tow, but by then it will be too late!

The funniest thing is that the kids are growing so fast that all of Ana's summer clothes no longer fit so I am running around consignment stores trying to find 4T ones that will work - I dont want to buy "resort wear" for a child that is growing so fast that they will literally only be used for this one trip. And Sasha is finally fitting into his 2T clothes with no rolling of the legs! It is crazy. He is having a harder time with the growing part though- he keeps telling me his legs hurt at night- I know it is because he is growing but no idea what to do for it. Any ideas?

And, yesterday was Ana's last day of school. As many of you know we feel that the school she was in enrolled in was not the right choice for her- way too big of a class, not enough structure, the teacher did not 'get' it and Ana had super duper anxiety about Aaron leaving. So, I am thankful we only paid for a trial month and now we will start again in the Spring. We are thinking Montessori so if anyone knows of any spectacular places in north Seattle let me know!

Up to our eyeballs....

In craziness this past week!

Here are some cute pics of the kids for everyone to laugh at. :)

Yesterday afternoon our wonderful friend (and professional photographer) Becky Nelson and took a zillion pics of the kids and some family shots too. The kids were all sorts of cute in little 'fall' outfits from Gymboree and I cannot wait to see the results as I am pretty sure they are the cutest little ones in all the land. And, we will finally have shots for the adoption announcements (is there a statute of limitations in how long after you come home that you can send those out, if so we may be well past it) and a Xmas card- I am sooo on it (hahaha, I just am killing 2 birds with one stone). Cant wait to see them though!

I have had early meetings every single day which means not only does Aaron have to get our little munchkins up (something I try to help with most days) but I have left the house long before they awake- which makes them (especially Ana) MAD at mama. They feel strongly that it would be better if no one went to the office so we could play all day together. While this is nice it isnt exactly realistic so.... I feel guilty, Aaron feel stressed, the kids are grumpy- ugh- sometimes it feels like you cant always get what you want - a new feeling for me... Of course, it probably is because i have been working on developing their sense of entitlement- I need them to catch up to the rest of us you know :) and they are quick studies!

I am also dragging my feet on scheduling Sasha's surgeries - yes, they are willing to do a 'twofer' after all so he is getting it from top to bottom, literally with a adnoid, tonsil and circumcision in one. Poor thing- hopefully some day he will forgive me. I think we will wait until we get back from Mexico though because I worry about him not being fully recovered and trying to travel. Hopefully we will be able to do it really quickly after we get back though because mid-december is looking absolutely loo loo in terms of Mama travel so I need to have him mostly healed before I take off on back to back short trips that will have me out of town for a week probably. I cant believe I am already stressed out about a couple 3 day trips in 2 months- life certainly does change when you have kids. A couple months ago that wouldnt even be a blip on my radar yet and now I am totally sweating finding someone to help Aaron with the kids the days I am gone or thinking about them all going up to Marta's or something to help. I know it will all work out and if need be Aaron is perfectly capable of just handling the kids all on his own but I would like him to have some support- if only to make me feel less guilty for traveling - especially so close to Christmas.

SKB

Well it is about time!

Okay, fabulous news to report- our children are finally, officially, sleeping in their super fancy, beautiful beds! As many of you know our kiddos were very 'bed adverse' as part of their multitude of bed time related issues and have been sleeping in little 'nests' on the floor- mattress, duvets, pillows etc. We tried everything- begging, bribe, cajoling, demanding etc and nothing could get them to sleep in these darn beds. I was really starting to think that they would outgrow them before they slept in them (and they are usually good until about 8 yrs old!).

Well, in a nod to those who say kids will do something only when they are ready- about 10 days ago Ana just climbed in when it was time for bed and announced she would be sleeping in her bed from now on. We didnt say anything other than "good girl" because we didnt want to get too excited (we have had a few false starts) but here we are 10 days later and she has been in her bed every night! Sasha, who follows her every move, moved up to his bed about 5 days ago. We have the floor around him laid out with pillows because he does fall out every now and again but not recently. :)

This is big in my world- I was OBSESSED with these beds- for years, before we even started the process i knew I wanted these beds. Dont ask- it is just one of those things where you cant get away from an idea of something you want. So, it was a big deal to me that they hated them- I cant say why but it hurt my feelings. I know how dumb this is, trust me. But I am so excited that they are in them now! And, last night Ana asked me to stay while she fell asleep (Papa and I, but the first time she has been willing to have me there so that is something).

Anyway, here is a pic of the beds- just so you can see how loo-loo I truly am. :)

Pumpkin Patch Day!

Hi Everyone-

This past weekend we went to a pumpkin patch. It was totally fun and the kids had a great time. Attached is some video for you- just a short one- of our time there. Sorry about the bee reference- Mama hates bees and one interrupted her filming, leading to a shortened version of our day on my camera.

Our kids, like many Russian kids who have spent time in a Baby Home, LOVE to be bundled up. Please note their outfits, hats, mittens etc and then know that it was about 60 degrees out the day we went on this little adventure. The minute it hits about 62 they start asking for the super warm stuff. I am not sure what we are going to do in the real winter but we have already purchased down jackets and giant snow boots so hopefully we will be okay with our little Nanooks of the North.

Both kids both still have bad colds so no school this week so far for Ana - which is a bummer for a variety of reasons but mostly because I am worried she is going to stop wanting to go and we will lose the traction we were building with her dealing with being away from Papa and Sasha. We are trying hard to get her more used to be around people other than Papa and Sasha. It is hard enough when Papa leaves them with me, (she cries for anywhere between 5 minutes and 1/2 hour when he leaves the house without her) but a teacher has been out of the question so far- she freaks out! And a baby sitter is still out of the question which is too bad because going out to dinner with Aaron is a dream I have. Not a big dream, but a dream... Hopefully soon that will happen. Beth and Gina have volunteered to give it a try and if those two who work with kids all day every day can't do it then we are in bigger trouble than I thought. :) I am pretty confident we will succeed but just havent't 'pulled the trigger' on that yet. Keep you posted on how that goes.

That is it for now.

SKB

Swimming at Poppy Nick's

Hi All-

We had a great day yesterday! We decided to go up to Bellingham to see some family and because Mama had to be there for work anyway. So early in the morning (kid time, so way later than I am used to leaving) we piled in the minivan and headed on up. Aaron and the kids dropped me off at the Cap and took a quick tour of the offices. It was cute and funny and they love the leather chairs! Then Aaron and the bambinos took off for Baba Marta's house and Mama got down to work. The market was not helping anyone feel all that cheerful but we all took it in stride. :)

Baba Marta couldnt hang out too long with the kids because it was Yom Kippur and she had services to attend but they got to play at her house all day anyway and they also hit Whatcom Falls, Bloedel and Cornwall parks in the afternoon (ambitious park schedule due to Papa not being sure what to do next apparently) and then we all rendevous'd (sp??) at Poppy Nick's at around 4:30. The kids were super excited to see the indoor pool and agree whole heartedly that swimming in Poppy's pool is far far more civilized and all around better than at the local community center- warmed towels, big bathroom, bedroom with the biggest bed ever seen-perfect for jumping on naked after a shower and before putting your clothes back on, fluffy robes, no other kids splashing- I think I may have ruined them for our pedestrian lifestyle down here.

After the swim we all went down to the main house for dinner which was yummy chicken and mac n' cheese etc etc etc. The kids chowed down and Ana especially enjoyed the chocolate cupcake Elizabeth brought her for dessert. The kids had never had cupcakes before and she LOVED it. Then we changed the kids into their PJ's and loaded them into the van, covered them with beautiful silk blankies borrowed from Pop and E. because we forgot ours and headed home. The kids were asleep 30 minutes into the ride and here is the best part- they actually stayed asleep during the transfer to the house and bed and slept ALL NIGHT! So, the key may be to run them super ragged at several parks and then with a swim, feed them crazy amounts of food and then forgo the bath? Who knows, but it was very exciting to us.

Now it is back to work and to watch the market fall some more. Ugh- maybe Em was right and I should be out stockpiling precious metals?? I guess I just need to take the LONG TERM view here- the money will come back, it just will take a while... I need to keep telling myself that and all will be fine. :)

Later Skater-
SKB

What is in a name??

Hey All-

Can't believe it has been 6 days since I posted- it has obviously been busy. Work is just super busy- for which I am thankful - and the kids are busy so...

Anyway, I have a serious issue today. As you know we decided to keep our kids original names- Anastasia and Alexander. We felt this was best for several reasons and are happy with that decision. BUT, we hit a huge snag last week regarding Sasha (Alexander). Apparently in Russia they spelled his name wrong on the paperwork- Aleksandr. They told us at the time that this was fine, normal and would all be translated into Alexander here in the US. We believed them. Our tickets home said Alexander and all was fine, no one blinked that it didnt match his adoption decree or Russian passport.

So, we get home and wait for the Certificate of Citizenships - the document that makes it possible to get a US passport, SSN etc. Ana's comes right away- they have a 45 day window to get it to you after you land in the US and your child becomes a citizen. So, hers is here but no sign of Sasha's. We started to worry a couple weeks ago because we need US passports to take the kids to Mexico next month- a trip already booked. Well, we FINALLY Received his last week (it had gone to a totally wrong address- scarey!) and had finally been routed to us. Guess how his name was spelled??? Aleksandr!!!! This is a huge problem because this is not his name -- Alexander is his name, and it is a big deal to me!!! Because we are in such a hurry to get his passport etc though we have been advised (and started process of) getting it all in this dumb wrong name and then we will have to change it with our re-adoption in WA State. This is crazy, will cost us an additional couple grand in paperwork changes down the road and has me sooooo mad I cant even tell you.

Aaron doesnt see it as such a big deal- he thinks this spelling is "cool" and that maybe we should keep it. Well, hell no- it is sort of annoying to me that (okay, really annoying) that we didnt get to name our children the first time around and I will be damned if I am going to live with a spelling dictated by some dumb clerk.

I personally hold the court translator responsible. She is the one that spelled it wrong in the first place and that is what got this all started. UGH!

And, guess what the name on his Alaska ticket to Mexico is...Alexander. So now I have to try to get them to change that so it matches- which is never fun or easy. I guess I will have to go downtown or to the airport to do that as they wont do it on the phone, and maybe not at all- some rule about changing the name. Umm, he is 2, how much of a big deal does this have to be?? I am MAD!!!

Anyway, that is my issue this week.

On a lighter note, here are some adorable pics of Ana from yesterday- she was wearing her new coat (faux of course) and was so in love with it that she would not take it off. I would say she is channelling Queen Markell for sure- calculator, fur and a tiara. She coulnt be more like Mom if she tried. :)

That is all for now!

SKB

Surprises all over the place today

Hi Everyone-

Here are a couple pics from the other day- just for fun and because I think that it makes my blog more colorful! This week has been full of surprises- both good and not so fun. On the good side (YAH, we love good things) I really think the kids are starting to think in English. We knew they understood most of what was being said in English before but in the last couple days I have seen a real switch, especially in Ana, in the way she phrases things and I think (in my completely unprofessional, slanted, biased way) that she is brilliantly switching in her mind between English and Russian and making a concerted effort and progress to converse more in English. She knows her school starts tomorrow and is sooo excited about it and I think she wants to be able to talk to her classmates and knows this is the best way. Mommy is a little bit scared about school - I know it is only 3 mornings a week and she is ready and dying to go but what if she freaks out? What if she is scared? What if the teacher can’t understand her? I know, she will be fine- just keep telling me that! Aaron is going to put together a little Russian primer for the teacher today- the issue is that lots of Russian words actually sound like swear words in English and they are, of course, the ones our kids use often. We dont want any misunderstandings so I think it is best if they speak English in public (when possible) and if Aaron makes a list of common Russian toddler words for her teacher. Lets hope that goes well.

On the bad side poor Sasha had to go to the doctor AGAIN yesterday. We went just to get his stitches out and thought it would be a quick in and out but the doctor took a look at a boo boo on his bottom (he gets rashes and scratches them) and decided it was not a rash but rather an infection and to cut it open for a better look! Well, when you go in for a quick 2 stitches removal and end up with a scalpel to your bum, your day has gone from okay to not so fun. Poor little guy- he was very very unhappy. They biopsied the boo boo and we shall see. He is on really strong antibiotics while we wait it out! It is odd how things work out, in Russia we were told that Sasha was healthy as a horse and that Ana was the one to be a bit concerned about in terms of health and now that we are home and settling in and going to the doctor it is our poor Sasha who needs to have tonsil/adenoid surgery, had stitches in his noggin, has this infection etc. He has had a way worse time of it physically than she has- which was a surprise for sure. I just hope we can get this all sorted out quickly and stop visiting the doctor. Thankfully it is nothing serious really - it is all standard kid illnesses but still it is hard to watch him be unhappy at the doctor's office!

I still haven’t scheduled his tonsil surgery- we are waiting to see if we can do a "twofer" with a circumcision (I know, it just gets worse for him, doesn’t it?) but there is some question as to if they will allow that. They should, it would mean general anesthesia (sp?) only once which is way way safer but because the circumcision can be considered elective they may not. (please no comments on if we should or should not circumcise- that is a choice we will make, no flames please) Which would mean tonsils now, and we go back to the drawing board and discuss all over again how we feel about the other thing. We had made our minds up- for social, emotional, health related reasons but this is sort of a roadblock and we will need to re-evaluate if they won’t do it this way for us. I have strong feelings about putting a small child under and I am not sure if I can allow it twice. We will have to think hard on this and I will keep you posted.

SKB

Going to the Zoo

Hey Everybody-

Here is my first attempt to upload video to blogger. I think it is okay- it looks like some of the resolution was lost - probably because I compressed it. But c'est la vie. Here are the kiddos outside the daddy mobile after an exciting trip to the zoo yesterday. Here in Seattle we dont wait for sunshine to get out there - we would never go outside if we did! Aren't their boots the cutest things you have ever seen!

More later...

SKB

How to organize a life....

This week is all about crazy schedules and trying to fit way too much into our schedules in order to keep the Brand Family moving forward.

First it was off to Edmonton (on a Sunday!) for a quick business trip so Aaron had the kiddos all to himself for 2 days- poor guy is pretty tuckered, even with our brand new fabulous daddy's helper, Colleen, coming in for several hours on Sunday to help him. And, the kids were pretty mad at me when I did return Monday night just before bedtime- I had been gone 40 hours and they hadnt seen me leave Sunday morning because it was early. They hate that. I always agonize over whether to wake them up to say good bye (which is bad for Aaron after I leave but better for me maybe) or not and I seem to always decide to let them sleep- must be the mommy in me.

Then yesterday was just a flurry of meetings for me so I was crazy and the kids started their new dance class which was fun but apparently a bit scary for Sasha- who spent most of it in Papa's lap... Today I need to go to the office of course, we have swim lessons, Sasha also needs to have his tonsil surgery scheduled, both have dr appts coming soon, i need to check out Ana's school and write the check for that today, I have to be out of town tomorrow all day for a client (but no overnight thank God) and then Friday is the Charity Golf Tournament for the school for which I sit on the board. We have already decided that for this one, Aaron (who is signed up to play in a foursome with some of my fellow board members) will attend alone- it is sort of weird because he is the 'spouse' but he is the golfer and we can't both go- it is too crazy around here and who would be with the kids? I will have to stay home from the office and try to work from here - hahaha- but at least we have Colleen on Fridays for 3 hours as a daddy's helper so I might get something done from the house.

At what point do you say, "okay, it does take a village and the kids will survive with a sitter for a couple of hours?". I mean, they like Colleen, she is perfectly capable of us not being here (she sits for several of our friends families, is 25, etc etc), and someday it would be nice to go out to dinner or something.... We have been home 8 weeks today and we have not left the kids a single time- not even for an hour (though we did leave Sasha with Jaimie for a hour when Ana went to the doctor but that doesnt count as it is family) - and I am feeling the strain. One or both of us has been with them all of the time, no matter what. Aaron is also feeling the strain- I can tell- it is him that is with them every day all day when I go to work...I try to help by giving him as much down time as I can (golf, beers with the guys etc and he does get way more of that sort of purely social interaction than I do right now but still, I talk to grown ups all day so...) I know we are still cocooning/attaching etc but I am beginning to believe that we need to look to the health (mental included) of the whole family here. Now, I just need to convince Aaron that they will not suffer irreprable (sp?) attachment harm if we go to dinner or if Mommy goes to work while he plays golf for charity.... Any ideas? Am I just crazy? I just think they are more resiliant than that- and I KNOW that other adoptive parents havent gone to the crazy lengths to never leave the kids with someone else that we have gone through and I applaud them for it- we need to find the same sort of balance, and probably RELAX about it all. Easier said than done apparently....

SKB

Well, it was bound to happen.

Last night was our first trip to the ER. Poor Sasha took a header into the corner of heating vent during a game of "lets run around instead of going to bed". His socks were just to slippery and his sister was chasing him and well, that is how these things happen.

There was lots of blood (yuck) and Aaron called 911 before the situation was fully assessed by Mama so soon we had 6 firemen in our living room. We got the blood to stop fast with pressure and a towel before they even got there. They announced he would be fine but we needed stitches, so off to the ER for the Brand family. I think Sasha was a little bummed he didnt get to ride in the fire truck really. They had already taken off for the next emergency by the time we found shoes and got the kids into the car. I dont recommend Northwest Hospital on a thursday evening- we should have gone to Children's but this is closer. It is also apparently where the ladies of the night come for their late night needs - not as bad as Harborview, but not exactly what I was hoping to expose my toddlers too...

Anyway, 4 hours later, 2 stitches and gauze turban to keep him from scratching at it and we were finally off. Then it was time to put our kids (who were great and brave in the hospital) to bed now that they were home and could freak out in peace. LONG TIME for that. Anyway, all is fine now- he is running around playing dress up with his sister. Here is a funny pic of him taken last night- just for kicks.

Mama is tired and now that the adreline has worn off I need a nap!

Thanks for all the people that responded to my last post- good to know I am not talking to myself (makes me feel slightly more sane) and I will keep it up. :)

SKB

Time for school, already???

Hi Everyone-

Busy busy week- sorry.

So, the lame news is that we found out yesterday that Sasha does have to get his tonsils and adneoids out- and soon. They usually try to wait until they are 3 to do this because apparently it is safer but they dont want to wait that long because they are so big they are concerned that it is over affecting his sleep (it is!), his eating (not sure about this) and his general health. So, my baby has to STAY OVERNIGHT at Children's Hospital and get them out. We dont have it scheduled yet- we are waiting on one more consult but my guess is it will happen in early October. Yikes!!! I am scared and I hate hospitals (serious understatement) and he is so little and cute- I am freaking just thinking about him in the big horrible hospital bed. He doesnt like beds- he sleeps on the floor in a nest of blankets - they arent gonna allow that for sure...

They better let me or Aaron stay with him all night- that is for sure. Hopefully because it is a Children's Hospital they are used to crazy parents but I am not sure they have seen my level of mama-bear ness yet. And dont get me started on general aenestethia (sp?) and how I feel about that. Ugh, I feel sick just thinking about this. On to happier subjects.

Ana informed us a couple of weeks ago that it is time for her to go to school. She has brought it up time and time again since then. She is so serious and grown up sometimes it kills me- it is cute and at the same time very disconcerting and sad because a 3.8 year old should not be like that really. But, after some careful discussion, thought and observing how she does in groups of kids we realize that she is right. She is very social and she thrives on talking and playing with other kids- her little brother is a fine playmate, but at the end of the day he is still just a little brother. Also, her English has grown by leaps and bounds recently and can read along with simple books (Brown Bear for example). So, after lots of research we have settled on a 3 morning a week program at a preschool near our house. She went this morning for a tour and a teacher meeting and she did not want to leave- she was having such a great time. They liked her too. So, it looks as if very soon (as in next week) she will be enrolled M/W/F in a morning program. We are giving it a month trial and will see how it pans out. Hopefully it will be great all around. And that means Papa and Sasha will have quality one on one time 3 times a week which will be good too as he is still a baby in many ways and will love the extra attention.

I will keep you posted. :) I am not sure how much longer I will blog as honestly I think no one reads it anymore (totally fine, I know the adoption part is basically over and that was the draw) but I hate to think about talking to an empty room so to speak. I expect I will do it for another month maybe... who knows.

SKB

Water Babies!

Hi Everyone-

Today we went to see Dr. Epley.

Dr. Epley is the pediatric neuro-opthamologist that is the go to guy here on nystagmus. He did a full exam- Ana was a trooper- just a few tears when they put the drops in her eyes, and the news is mostly good. Her nystagmus is as minor as we hoped. Basically it happens when she is stressed or scared- which we have already figured out. He said that all of the indicators of something worse were not there so that is great news. He also said that her vision seemed okay- she is far sighted but she is okay- probably 20/40. They cant really tell that until she is 4 apparently... So, maybe she will have bad eyes and need some help with that along the way but there is currently no need to plan surgery or give her drugs- he said she is far too mild a case for either of those routes. She doesnt even have a null point and she can actually will the wiggling to stop if you ask her too- which apparently is just a fabulous sign. The only bummer thing we learned is that apaprently if her sight is bad due to the nystagmus glasses actually wont really help, because it is not a focus problem but rather a nerve problem. So if in fact her vision is bad then she will just have bad vision- and maybe have to have a few allowances in school for that. But, my hopes are high that all will be fine and we will continue to monitor it of course. She will go back in 6 months for a check up but right now we are all okay- yes, she has the wiggly eyes when stressed but that is okay and something we can deal with and the dr. thinks it will continue to lessen as she ages.

And then back to the office for Mama and home to play with Jaimie (YAY JAIMIE!) and Sasha for Aaron and Ana. He did super well for his first play time away from Ana since they have been with us- but of course it was with Jaimie so no suprise there.

We also had our first family swimming lesson tonight. I met the kiddos and Aaron at the Ballard pool for our 6pm parent and tot class. It was fun and the kids absolutely love swimming. We were nervous and we arrived early so they could check out the pool, watch other kids in the class before us swim, prance around in their swimmers etc. Well, they were just rarin' to go in. They couldnt wait for it to be our turn. They literally hopped into our arms as soon as we got in the water and we had a great 1/2 hour learning to blow bubbles (Ana is great at this, Sasha decided that he doesnt yet get the difference between breathing in and out underwater but he doesnt seem to mind the taste of pool water....), kicking- both are champs - and basically having a grand time frolicking in the water. i really feel like I bonded with Sasha during this swim- he was in my arms the whole time and we had a ton of fun eye contact etc. Next time i will have to take pics for sure!

Then home where the awesome Jaimie had made us dinner. Sasha is currently sleeping and Aaron is still trying to convince Ana it is a good idea so it will be another long night but we had a great day!

SKB

What do you mean, control freak?

Hi All-

It was a good weekend. K & C had a great welcome shower for us- I swear- I think the kids now believe that every weekend involves having a party that revolves around them and where they receive presents. Poor things are in for a rude awakening- this was officially the last shower. :) Everyone has been so awesome and supportive - the outpouring of support, acceptance and love has been so wonderful and we are so glad the kids have been doing well at integrating into the family and the wider circle of friends.

Grand Nanny Jaimie has been here almost a week now- her help is so so so great. Aaron and I are going to miss her immensly when she has to leave next week. It is so nice to have someone there who is so great with kids and so relaxed about it- we dont have to do everything perfectly- we just have to make it through the day and everything will be okay as long as all are safe and fed and clean. And, it has been especially helpful this week as Sasha and Ana (and Mama) have been nursing a terrible cold/cough and her medical expertise has been invaluable and probably kept us from an emergency room visit or panicked call to the doctor.

So a few people (most recently Jaimie) have told me that Ana is very very much like my mom, Markell. That is is channelling her for sure. This is basically because she is a control freak and wants it all her way. Unfortunately, I am also like my mom and therefore we have a long road ahead of us in terms of working out who is really in charge (me, of course, but it takes time for her to get this) and is entertaining along the way.

This made me think- I miss my mom so much and today would actually have been her birthday. I wish that she had been here to hold the kids and kiss them and show them how to do things because Queen Markell would have been a fabulous grand mother to my two little ones. I know she 'picked' them for us and that she is watching over us each and every day but I still would like to see her and hear her voice and watch her play with them. Not many people know this but Sasha was actually born while my mom was in the hospital in her coma - I think just maybe she was out cosmically searching for the right family for us and that took all of her energy that particular day- she just wanted to find them and then later she could lead them to us and us to them. Is that super dorky? Oh well, it is what I choose to believe so there ya go.

Later,
SKB

Social Butterflies

Hi!

So we had a busy busy long weekend as our lives slowly transition from forced cocooning and everyone staying away to a more normal social schedule. This is good but at the same time we have to be careful to try not to do too much, too soon or it throws the kids off. We probably overdid it this weekend but you dont know what is too much until you are there.... Everyone had fun though! Dinner at Clay's on Saturday, the Elflines at our house Sunday night and then Baba Marta and Dyuduska Craig for morning play time and finally Aunty Beth for dinner last night! Busy busy little bees. Here are some pics from the weekend I thought you might enjoy. Too crazed with a big work deadline to write more now but wanted to say we are so excited that Grand Nanny Jaimie is arriving tonight- we cant wait to see her!!!

More later-

Da Pazolasta vs. Yes Please

Hi-

So nothing truly exciting to report on the home front- the kids are doing well, Aaron is excited it is Friday and has already booked his tee time for tomorrow morning as he desperately needs some daddy time and Mama has been at the office all week, and the kids are starting to be okay with Aga - though not in the same room...

But here is what I am thinking about today. When do we stop speaking Russian to the kids? We learned a fair amount of Russian (nothing fancy, just toddler Russian, maybe 75 phrases) before we took custody and have been speaking a mix of Russian and English all along- more in Russian when we speak directly to them and then in English around them and to them occassionally.

Now, I would say that THE BEST THING we did in adopting 2 verbal toddlers was learn some Russian. I know there are those out there that think full immersion is best and that they dont have time to learn Russian etc etc etc but I honestly cannot fathom how hard things would have been if we could not communicate, soothe, talk and play with them in Russian. Especially in country and the first week home. I am not sure how people do that but I would say it would make your life way less difficult if you could learn a bit of Russian to help you along...

But we may have erred on the other side of the equation....We are pretty sure they "get" about 90% of the English spoken at home-- especially Ana as she chirps in often with her opinion even when we are speaking exclusivly in English. But their vocabulary is still pretty limited- 2 and 3 word sentences mostly. This is okay and normal for Sasha as he is only 2 but Ana's Russian vocab is much higher- she is/was speaking in full sentences and she still prefers to speak Russian I think as she usually does... So, while it is awesome to actually be able to communicate with them and I would not trade that for anything- do we at some point go cold turkey on Russian to get their English vocab ramped up? I understand that Ana will 'lose' her Russian before the English really kicks in (that is what the experts say anyway) but are we hindering her English skills by continuing in Russian? I for one would love to stop speaking Russian so much- it confuses me when I am out and about and I keep talking to waitresses etc at business meetings in Russian- which is just weird....

I am also seriously considering letting them watch more TV- now they watch about 1/2 hour of Sprout a day, but I think it does help their receptive language and am considering upping that to at least an hour- I just need buy in from Aaron on that one!

So any ideas on language acquistion or if we should go cold turkey on Russian at home are welcome!

SKB

Bye Bye Docteur

Hi Everyone-

Sorry it has been a couple days- things have been busy in Brand Land! The rest of our weekend was fine and dandy- nothing major to report. But yesterday was our first big doctor's appointment. So, Mama cleared her work calendar and off the 4 of us went to the UW Adoption Clinic for Pediatric Medicine (whew, long name) for the kids check up with our favorite pediatrician Dr. Davies. As some of you know Dr. Davies helped us evaluate Ana and Sasha from 14,000 miles away on Trip 1 and then on Trip 2 he was super duper awesome with helping figure out what was wrong with Sasha when he was sick and helping us figure out how to treat it. So, YAY Dr Davies. He was great with the kids and did better than anyone else could have. The visit on the whole, however, was pretty darn traumatic for the following reasons:
- underground parking garage (the kids have a very real fear of something being over their heads in terms of tunnels, overpasses, underground parking etc- no idea why but both of them have this little quirk) but they were troopers and didnt freak out too much. And they made it onto the elevators too so good for them!
-Then lots of paperwork for Mommy while Papa played with the kids and some waiting around.
-Off to be weighed and have our height and hearing test taken- all pretty okay- not too scary but still stressful, especially when we had to take off our beloved tufli (shoes) for part of it- that is still hard for Ana as she loves her shoes and doesnt want them to dissappear.
-The clinic had a translator there- apparently that is required if one of the kids is over 3 years old- we tried to tell them that Ana wouldnt talk to a stranger but c'est la vie. She was a nice lady but I think she wasted her morning. She decided to leave before the actual exam because it was obvious that it wasnt something we needed and we were all behind schedule.
-Then we had some more waiting and the kids had to change into these cute hospital gowns- which they did not like at all! And then Mama and Papa and the doctor talking for what seemed like forever and then the EXAM- Sasha went first and he was very very good and passed with flying colors. He may need a tonsilectimy (sp?) but it is not an emergency so we just received a referral to a specialist for him and then it was on to Ana. She was so not interested in being examined I cannot begin to explain it. It is scary and yucky I know but Papa was holding her and the Dr. was being great but she just hated it. So it turned into a very quick exam to lessen the drama and trauma all around. All seems fine though so that is great! She did learn the word Doctor though on the way in (Docteur if she is saying it) and she spent the whole time crying and saying NO DOCTEUR, NO DOCTEUR- Yikes!

Then the shots! They each had to have a couple shots - just the dire ones and we are back for more in a couple weeks. And then the blood draw- 4 vials each. This was the worst part- both kids hated it so much and especially poor Sasha - it was like his poor little heart was being ripped out. I do think it may have been more traumatic for me than for them in the end. But they both survived, the people in the lobby of the lab must have thought we were murdering them, but they survived. The lollipops in Mama's diaper bag helped. As we got into the car (which they were so happy to see) Ana started chanting "Bye Bye Docteur, Bye Bye Docteur" and got Sasha to join in. They did this the whole way home almost, only interspersing the chorus of their favorite ditty, "I want to go home aka Nasha Dom" every now and again. Funny.

Mama took off for the office for a few hours and Papa held down the fort with some lunch, nap time and play. A couple minutes after Mama got home we had a scare while Sasha tumbled down 6 steps downstairs, but he bounced right back up. Thank goodness kids are so pliable and resilient- I guess that is why they are also clumsy and fall down?!? Then dinner and bed. They actually got on my lap and let me read them a story- a first for us!!! It was sooo exciting. And I got to stay in the room with them until they fell asleep- no tears or screaming about No Mama! I think we are making real progress there. I mean Aaron had to be in the room too, but still, real progress is being made on the Mama at bed time front and that is good. I guess they must trust me more after the trial by fire that was the Dr.'s office. So, YAY!

Gotta Go!
SKB

Family Party!!!

Hi Everyone-

Well today was the awesome family party that Baba Marta, Aunt Robin and Elizabeth threw for us at Robin's house. It was great. A quick rundown:
Thankfully, the kids love being in the car. So other than 3 stops to pee (or to think about peeing) they loved the drive up to Robin's. We got there around 11:30 and the festivities began. Marta is so smart that she brought a whole toy basket of toys with her- so all the kids there would have things to play with. Ours dove right in and out came slinkies and blocks and bears- they had a good time! People started arriving en masse and yes, our kids got super shy, super fast. We figured this would happen but honestly they were so great- no tears, no freak outs, nothing like that. Seriously shy and attached to one of us at all times for the first couple of hours, then some tentative play and looking around for about an hour and then it was a free for all of fun. They were running around the table, going from patio to kitchen to bathroom and back- zig zagging around guests, laughing and smiling. They were careful to always keep an eye out for Aaron or I, which is a good sign, and it was a hugely successful day.

Highlights:
-"Happy" the dog on the patio- helped Ana get a little bit closer to the idea of petting a dog
-Cookies friom the fabulous spread of food put out by Robin, Marta and Elizabeth. YUM was the word of the day from the kids on that one.
-Sasha shaking Poppy Nick's hand- it was hilarious and I wish I had it on tape!
-Ana laughing and smiling and running through the house.

It was so nice to see the family- because of the chicken pox and the fact they live a couple hours away we hadnt seen everyone and many of the kids before today. It was awesome for our little ones to get to see the whole family in action and they really enjoyed it. Thank you so much Robin and Tom, Marta and Craig and Elizabeth and Pop! Here is a pic of Sasha and Craig reading at the party!

Aaron just got our super duper over stimulated kids to sleep and they did not love that part of the day. That is what too much fun, too much sugar and no nap will do to you but it was so worth it.

I feel bad though because this evening Aaron is making a big sacrifice. We realized at around 5pm that tonight is Wilder and Tonje's wedding! We have been so wrapped up in our world and the kids and all the new experiences that it slipped our minds- bad bad Aaron and Sarah! As many of you know, Wilder was in our wedding as a groomsman and he and Aaron have know each other since they were little. Well, we were obviously supposed to be there and Aaron and Wilder talked a couple of weeks ago and they knew he was a maybe and I was a no (because 2 kids at a night wedding is so not my style, for anyone involved) and we were hoping the kids would go down quickly and easily and Aaron would get to go. They have been hard this evening but they are finally asleep so while he missed the ceremony (which is technically okay because they really got married several months ago due to immigration issues as Tonje is Canadian) and dinner he is on his way as I type this to go to the reception for a couple hours. Personally I am so tired after today's festivities that I cannot imagine where he is getting the energy but I think it has something to do with the fact that we have not been "out" since before we left for Russia and he needs some peer socialization that doesnt include toddler speak in Russian. :) Trust me, I get it. I go to the office and talk to grown ups all day- he talks to Ana and Sasha- that is HARD and I wouldnt be able to do it without going a bit loo loo and he has been just awesome. He has only had a few golf breaks etc since we got back so if he needs to let his hair down with one of his oldest friends then woo hoo- go for it, be safe, and you turn into a pumpkin at midnight mister!

Lets all just keep our fingers crossed the babies stay asleep! That would be nice for Mama. :)

SKB

Who is that doggie in the window?

Hi Everyone-

So today was my first completely full day away from the kiddos. I had to leave the house at 6am to go up to B'ham to get some work done and I was gone from 6am to 7pm. I have been on a modified schedule to give Aaron a bit of respite in the afternoons and today was a real test of his stamina. The kids were a bit put off that I was not there when they woke up but they rallied well with a song about their new shoes that they sang over the phone to me at breakfast time. So cute.

Apparently the rest of the day went pretty well- a visit from Aunt Marion, Uncle Jim and Baby Mitzi was well received and everyone had good times. I got home just in time for dinner and Sasha had me hold him on my lap to feed him- he was in need of a little 'baby' time and I was more than happy to oblige. For those of you not well versed in 'attachment adoption parenting' if the kiddos tell you they need to be babied- they do! It is because they did not get the baby time when they were physically babies and this helps them feel secure and loved. So if he needs to be fed on my lap occassionally and is aware enough to know this and ask for it then woo-hoo we will do it his way!

We are having some bed time trauma (or Aaron is, they still dont like me in the room at bedtime due to bad memories of bed time) and they are not interested in sleep tonight- more so than usual it seems. But I am SURE we will prevail in this and Aaron will get them settled and off to dream land, where they will stay for at least 3 hours if we are lucky!

But the really good news from today is that we decided to pursue the whole kid-doggie connection a bit more agressively. We have been very diligent about the kids and the dog being very very separated- because the kids are scared. We have done everything you are supposed to do with the dog play outside and kids watching inside from the window and vice versa. We have watched videos of Aga, we have watched Mama play with Aga, Papa play with Aga. We even have the kids playing "Aga Sabaka" with each other where they pretend to be dogs and run around "arfing" and giving doggie kisses. But this has not translated to them being willing to be anywhere near her- to date we have always needed a real door or a window between them or there have been terrified tears and screams.

So, due to that fact and because it was pouring and Aga couldnt stay outside for long periods of time today we decided that if we just put her in the laundry room/office area and put a bigger baby gate up between there and the play room then the kids would eventually deal with her being that close. Aaron just refused to shut the big door and said that's it- the giant baby gate is safe and you will be fine. It worked! They were not thrilled to say the least but they do seem a little less averse at the end of the day. I think maybe in a couple of days they may even let her in the same room. It was also good for Aga- she got to watch them more closely and get more used to their sounds and actions- always a good thing. I think she honestly is waiting for them to go home so she can have her mommy and daddy back - but she will be fine once everyone starts loving each other! So YAY- maybe by next week we will be one big happy family and Aga will be able to sleep in our room again and not be shuttled around the house based on where the kids are moving to each moment. She will be so much happier and so will we!

I mean, look at the pictures above, is this a dog you couldnt just want to cuddle up too??

SKB

Weekend happenings

Hi Everyone-

So we had our first official outing this weekend! The kids are no longer contagious- YAY!! Ana still has a couple spots but they are on their way out and the doc says that because they have already come and done their thing we are good. So, to celebrate, we went to the park! The picture above was taken as we were heading out the door. Sasha is so funny, he smiles all of the time- expect at picture time. Ana is more of a ham, she loves having her pic taken and will smile and goof any time!

It was a sunny Saturday morning here in Seattle- this past week has been super HOT (in the 90's) so we loaded up ye old minivan with kids, diaper bag, snacks, sunscreen etc -amazing what you need to go to the park these days -- and off we went to the park a couple of miles from our house. It was super fun- Ana and Sasha played on the slide for an hour, up and down, up and down - they had a blast. It was also good for them to see other little kids I think. But some little park kids are mean! Poor Sasha got pushed by a little girl who was trying to cut in line at the slide and he fell down one step and on his bottom. Well, he was just fine- brushed himself off and sort of looked at her like "hey, we are in line here lady" but man, her dad was HORRIFIED. I guess around here people worry that you might sue if their kid pushes your kid? At least that is what he was worried about. Yikes, my kid was fine, his kid was fine, make her say sorry and off to the races- does that make me a bad mom? I just dont think it is good to get all worked up about a small "incident" (if it can even be called that) like this- if he isnt bleeding or broken or crying why make a big deal out of it? Oh well, maybe I am too old school, who knows.

It is odd- someone we know very well asked if "our kids are bullies because of their 'rough' beginning" - apart from being a dumb, and somewhat insensitive question, it made me think. Our kids are better at sharing than any kids I know. We have a lot of 3 and 2 year olds in our circle of friends, all good kids, but I can tell you that my babies are better at sharing! They are very kind with each other and if, for example, we are playing bubbles, one is very good at blowing bubbles and then reloading and handing to the other for her/his turn. Truly cute to watch. They also are good about giving spontaneous hugs and kisses to each other, and to us. Cutest thing ever was them holding hands while asleep our first night in Moscow. They were so tired and so scared and I was so happy they had each other. Makes me all teary now when I think about it- dumb, I know but it must be those new mommy hormones or something....

Anyway, back to the weekend- the park was fun but pretty stimulating and so we took it easy at home for the rest of the day. On Sunday Great-Grandma Carol, Great Aunt Gwen, Great Uncle Bob and their daughter Hannah (so cousin?) all came over to meet the kids and play with them. Because it is so hot we had a good time outside, playing in our "pool", blowing bubbles and playing ball. The kids really warmed up to Hannah and Gwen so that was cool. And they were so tired, because of their very very little sleep Saturday night and Ana's refusal to nap Sunday, and subsequent massive meltdown, that both were asleep before 9pm. Now this is a miracle in our house. It is true that Sasha woke up several times in the night and poor Aaron went in and laid down with him (not comfortable for A. as Sasha is currently sleeping on the floor on a mattreass due to his propensity to fall out of bed and his fear of his bed- long story, for a different day) for an hour at 3am but still we did get some sleep! This is a good thing for sure. Now, how can we make that happen everynight?

A good weekend had by all. Off to work for me now.

SKB

Random Musings

Hi-

So the babies were super cute this morning- very snuggly and I got kisses from both on my way to the office! Now, if we could just get them to kiss Aga (or be in the same room with her) that would be awesome as the whole family would be together!! It is hot here in Seattle today and the kiddos are making full use of the luxurious, high tech, kiddie pool (ha,ha - a piece of molded plastic) we picked up at Fred Meyer- Sasha prefers to swim 'au nautrel' in the buff while his sister has more wading and splashing in her than actual plunking down in the water. Now that we have decided to join the family on the annual fabulous vacation in Mexico this November we need to get the babies really swimming so they can enjoy the Riviera Maya with the best of them. Swimming lessons at the local pool are scheduled to start as soon as the chicken pox is fully gone and will be intensive!!

I have been reading the WSJ this morning and looking at all the back and forth between the US and Russia on choosing sides etc and I realize that we were so lucky to get out of Russia on Tuesday August 5th. I know that there is no physcial danger in Moscow and that things will cool down between the US and Russia in terms of words exchanged heatedly over Georgia but I would be a basket case if we were still in country with the little ones. Just because I would be worried that someone would decide not to grant the visas, or to delay our return, or make things more difficult than they already were. I feel like we were truly blessed to get on that plane and come home that day and that we are very very lucky to have our children home safe and sound. To think that all of the hostilties etc started just 48 hours after we left, makes me really think Queen Markell and the other angels had a hand in the kiddos staving off the chicken pox until we were in US airspace.

My heart goes out to everyone still in process; I cannot imagine what you are going through and I hope with every fiber of my being that the dumb politicians can stop their posturing and swaggering around and that none of this affects adoptions. Children should not be political pawns and families should not be held up because of political differences. Okay, off my soapbox for today- I just wanted to say how lucky we feel to be home each day.

That's it for today. :)

SKB

And we have.....some regression.

Hi Everyone-

Well last night was pretty rough- it took over 3 hours to convice Ana to go to sleep- she was having none of it. Just was amped up and all over the place. Sasha fell asleep an hour in but the poor baby woke up about 7 times in the night, crying and upset. He was having terrible nightmares I think. Anyway, it takes some time to get him settled back down and so it was an "in and out" night all night in their room. A bit tired this morning.

And it looks as if we have a wee bit of regression on Sasha's part - he has decided that he is no longer completely potty trained, though until yesterday he was... He will say he has to go, actually go into the bathroom and stand next to the potty and then go in his diaper. It is a bit odd and we are hoping with some gentle encouragement it will stop and he will go back to loving the 'big boy' ness of being fully trained. I am glad however that we have been keeping him in pull-ups at night - at least he isnt going in underwear.... Or maybe we should let him do that and it will remind him why he likes the potty. Any advice would be welcome on that one. :)

Today Papa brought the kiddos to Mama's office to check it out- and because Mama is silly and left her cell phone on the table! They love going in the car and since they are still not allowed to go to the park or anyplace fun (in case they are still contagious, which I think they are NOT but we are waiting until the last spot goes) the office seemed like a good adventure. Sasha thought it was fun to come in and look at his picture on the wall and see my toys (I have clients who own toy companies so there are actually some real toys in here) but Ana did not like it one little bit. I think it was a bit scary for her as she has only seen me in the "mama" setting. Oh well, we will all figure it out I am sure. It was a quick visit and now they are off to home because Babuska Marta is visiting today!

That's all for now- hope everyone is having a good week!

SKB

Aaron the Uber Dad

Hi!

So yesterday was Aaron's first official day as a stay at home dad. He was awesome- not only did the kids have an awesome day but he was able to do dishes, fold laundry, clean the bathroom - all at the same time. I never ever would have been able to pull that off!! YAY Aaron! The kids were a bit miffed at Mama when I got home from the office (early!) because, well, I think they were not expecting me to be gone so long but it is a transistion on all sides and we will figure it out I am sure.

I dont have long to blog but I did want to post some more pics of the kiddos- because they are so cute (even with chicken pox). Here they are playing super hero in the apartment in Moscow and then a couple from home this week.

SKB

Monday Morning Blues

Hi All!

Now we have been home for almost a whole week! The kids still have the chicken pox but I think we are on the back side of it- hopefully!! We are all slightly stir crazy due to the 'quarantine'. Aaron and I have been taking turns going out to do errands etc and that has been nice but the kiddos have really just been inside and in the back yard for days now! Yesterday we did take them for a drive - mostly for a change of scenery. Sasha loves everything about being in the car and was happy as a clam. Ana was not so sure- she was very very worried and anxious basically the entire time- I am not sure if she thought we were taking her someplace else or what (though we talked repeatedly about how this was just jaunt for fun and we would be going right back home)- she was very excited and happy when she saw the house again.

Things are going pretty well - we had a little visitor yesterday - our friends K. and C. came over with their daughter E. She has been vaccinated for the chicken pox and if she did somehow get it K & C are okay with that. This was great as I think the kids were really beginning to wonder where all the other kids were. Great times were had all around and it was super nice to see K & C and E. again!

Poor Aga- she has had the hardest time so far I think. The kids are VERY VERY SLOWLY warming up to her. We had her stay with a friend until Thursday and then when we brought her home we tried to introduce her to the kids but they were absolutely terrified. We had shown them video and pics and the like and they love to talk about Aga and the idea of having a dog but when she came trotting in they absolutely freaked out. We were sort of thinking this might happen so we installed a zillion baby gates. Right now we are living in a segregated house - they can see her sometimes through the gates and other times she is outside while they are in and vice versa. She also has to sleep in her crate till we get this sorted as she cannot be in our room if we are constantly in and out of the kids room. Poor doggie is so confused- this is not what she is used to at all and for it to be like this after we have been gone so long is really bumming her out I think. So far we have gotten Sasha within 2 feet of her and Ana hasnt come anywhere near that close but I think it will take days and days until there is no screaming. Aga has been great though- very soft and docile whenever she seems them staring at her through the gate. She basically just sits there and wags her tail- saying, "come on kids, I am cute and fluffy and awesome. Please love me". Hopefully soon.....

Today I have to go back to my office. My clients have all been very very patient with us as we traipsed around the world making our family and I need to also give them some attention- as it is our livelihood after all! So, this morning I am up early- dealing with dumb email server problems (of course, worst day possible so why not) and trying to both get ready to do to the office and get breakfast for the currently sleeping kiddos. I am very torn about going back to work. I really like what I do and think that I am pretty good at it but it is hard to leave the kids all day so soon. They are attaching super well to Aaron and less so to me so it is sort of hard as I know I will lose some precious time with them. Plus, it is HARD to keep up with the 2 of them and I feel bad for leaving Aaron here all alone for hours on end. He is great though and i know will do super well- it is just mommy guilt setting in. Sigh.

Oh well, gotta go get my act together. :)

Shhhh.... They are sleeping!

Hi!

I know I havent blogged in a day or two but it has been a bit of chaos here! So, after the baby home doctor decided they had not been exposed, and the Embassy doctor agreed that they were clear to fly due to the time elapsed guess who got the chicken pox as soon as we got home? Ana and Sasha (so nice to use their real names!). Yup, the night we got home. So, we have two scared and itchy babies on our hands. They are troopers though!

We have been settling in- everything is as it should be- major tantrums, refusal to eat more than 3 things- apples, bananas and cheerios, and refusal to sleep. :) But tonight, they are both asleep and it is only 7:30. I think that the last 2 nights- with a combined total of 4 hours of sleep, combined with the itchy sickness has finally caught up with them. Hopefully they will sleep for several hours!!!

They did great on the planes- not to many tears and all in all good times had travelling. Apple juice in the sippy cup really helped Sasha on landings- thanks for the advice! If only the security people in Chicago had not been such jerks I could say that our 26 hour odyssey home was okay. But man, they were. We had to basically strip the kids down at the security checkpoint- take off their shoes, their sweaters etc. Now, this did not make them happy at all. I sort of lost it at this point because the guys were so lame about it and would not let poor Sasha be carried through the metal detector - he had to walk, screaming, in socks through to me. It was tramautic to say the least. But we prevailed, made our flight and were met by Beth and Babuska Marta and Dyudeska Craig at the airport! Thanks guys- it was beyond awesome to see faces of love at the airport!!

Marta, Poppy Nick, Elizabeth, Jane, Max and Sarah all visited the next day and the kids were cute, if cranky, for all the guests. Sarah and Max brought Sasha is first chocolate chip cookie and he warmed up right away- Ana wasnt so sure about the cookies but I know she will come around. :)

We have been playing in the yard alot and they seem to really like that- thank goodness it is sunny. The kiddos cant leave the house for several days due to the CP and we cant wait for them to be better so they can meet all their new little friends! I am sure by the time our 'sick time' is up we will all be so ready for some fun and socialization but this forced cocooning is also good for us I am sure.

So, that is the latest- we are tired, our house is a mess, but the babies are cute and happy (most of the time) and sleeping they are just angelic.

Love to all,
SKB