Last Day and counting down the hours

No pictures and this will be a short post because we need to hit the hay.  All went well and we now have a Visa for travel.  The plane leaves at 7:20 and we need to be up at 3 AM to catch it so good night Y-all!!!!

Neither Rain nor Snow...

Today Kiev shut down due to the snow cleanup that is still underway.  Our coordinator thinks it will take days for the city to completely recover.  Yesterday vehicles were parked where people had left them.  Buses were in the road along with tractor trailers and various cars.  Wherever they became stuck or ran out of gas that is where they sat.

Outside the apartment

dig out in progress

I was worried that the embassy would also be closed but thankfully there was a skeleton crew there to handle immigration and passport requests.  Aside from having to hike in the last mile or two things went very smoothly.  By now we're used to the standard steps.

Hiking in

1.  Hurry up

2.  Wait

3.  Wait more

4. Fill out paper work

5.  Wait

6. Answer questions

Embassy

7.  Wait

8.  Smile and nod

9.  Pay money

10.  Leave

 (Sometimes #8 includes shutting
   up but not this time)

Hiking out

Mission Accomplished heading home

A special thanks to the family who adopted David, pictured next to Julia.  They have been by our side during the entire adoption process here in the Ukraine.  Today David's papa snapped pictures while I just tried to keep from killing myself on the ice.  We were both successful in our efforts ;-)
Tomorrow we have our medical appointment at 9 AM, and then we return at 2 PM to pick up our visas.  From there it's a 6:40 AM flight home.  America here we come!

Party Time

As tends to be the nature of the adoption process in Ukraine, I was unsure as to when Gotcha day would occur.  According to our coordinator the day could occur anytime between Thursday and Sunday.  So, to make sure Julia had a chance to celebrate with her friends, I decided to get the Cakes and Coke together for a Thursday party.  I thought I was doing good.  I picked two chocolate cakes.  One called a Prague and the second was a Chocolate and something torte.  There were people behind me getting impatient so I skipped finishing the translation and snagged the second cake.  I should have finished the translation.  The last word?  Well it was cappuccino.  Not exactly a kids first choice in cake flavors...  My wife was right.  I should have completed my Russian lessons like I told myself I would.  Thankfully the young woman that runs the shop across the street pulled my backside from the fire and ordered up a chocolate cake with a flower on top.

How's this for an emergency cake?

The cake had a meringue frosting and was chocolate mixed with creme throughout.  What can I say?  That young woman rocks.  I highly recommend the little yellow shop across the street to anyone who happens to stay in this apartment.  They are some of the nicest people I've met in Simferopol outside of the school and Yivginny's car.   The Prague cake had me worried but it turned out to be very similar to a German chocolate cake.  The major difference was that fig preserves were used in place of the coconut.  It also received 14 forks up from the kids :-)  

Speaking of the kids, they took the party very seriously.  Some boys were in suits and some girls wore dresses.  We served up the first cake and about a thousand cookies.  The teachers asked the kids to say something about Julia.  Every child around the table stood up and  wished Julia well.  The well wishing went on for a good thirty minutes.  Not one of them touched a crumb.  Color me impressed sitting there in my t-shirt and jeans...

Once the well wishing was done the cakes and cookies disappeared.  That took about ten minutes...
Then it was picture taking time.  Most of the pictures are on the camera which is with Julia.  I wanted her to be able to take pictures and record videos of her friends so I'll just have to wait until Kiev to post those pics.

The kids also wanted to practice their english on the chalk board.  The boys worked hard at it but ultimately L got up and blew them all out of the water with perfect penmanship.  I left on a great note.  Knowing full well that in five to ten minutes the sugar high would hit and someone else was going to have to peel these kids off the ceiling.  I'm sure I'll get paid back some way later on in life but for now I'll take it!






Oh did I mention something about Kiev and leaving?  Well I won't be able to post much in the near future because we'll be traveling.

TOMORROW IS GOTCHA DAY!!!  

L is one of Julia's good friends.  Shy with a huge heart

 

Our days are numbered

Today was the day we went to apply for Julia's passport.  Once again, with the exception of a computer locking up and rebooting, there were no problems.  Julia had her picture taken a few times, paperwork was reviewed and entered into the computer, I signed a few pieces of paper and we were done.  My only mistake was walking out of the room before the official.  It turns out you must be escorted through the entire building.  Waiting outside in the hall was not permitted.  Now I know and I'll be sure to park my bum unless told otherwise when we're in the US embassy in Kiev...

Post passport we went to the orphanage and handed over some sports equipment we had picked up a few days ago.  Things cost about a third of what they do in the states but you would think a few soccer balls, a basketball and a hoop were solid gold.  Hopefully the new gear will keep the boys busy.   Julia had chorus practice with her friend so I was on my own for about an hour.  The time gave me a chance to do some exploring.  The property is a good size but you can walk it in under ten minutes.  Having seen pictures in the past I thought it was a good bit larger than it actually is.  I blame the terrain.  You can walk a few hundred yards and it looks like you're in a completely different place.  Today was a clear day so I had a chance to get a shot of the country side from the hilltop above the orphanage.

I know this still looks barren but after spending weeks staring at concrete everything in the city even an early spring grassy hillside with a view is a welcome sight.  Anything green is a welcome sight (unless it's in the fridge and fuzzy).  Can you imagine this shot at the peak of fall color?

Believe or not I'm actually surrounded by flowers in this shot.  They're so low to the ground that you can't see them unless you're looking down at them.  I tried to get a wide shot but the sun washed out the shot just like it did above.  This is what the flowers look like.  You never realize you miss something as simple as greenery until you live without it for a while.  The second thing I want to do when I get home is haul the family out camping.  Why the second thing?  Because the first thing of course will be to hug my better half!

The idea of traveling to America is becoming real now.  Today Julia and her friend were asking questions related to going to America, staying in touch, and when she would be leaving.  Communication will be challenge.  Julia thought that her cell phone would continue to work in the states.  When she found out it wouldn't you could see the shock on her face.  Quick to offer a solution, I suggested that we setup a skype account in place of her phone.  The idea would have worked save for one problem.  Skype does not offer Ukrainian phone numbers.  Net result is that Julia will be able to call out but her friends won't be able to call in without getting hit with international calling charges.  That may work for a little while but we'll need something a bit more permanent for the long term.  Maintaining those positive friendships will be critical in my opinion.  Especially during these first few months when she'll miss all of the good people from her past.  If someone has a possible solution that would allow 2 way call initiation I'm all ears.

      A mission team will be here on Sunday.  I was hoping to get a chance to meet and greet but I'm glad that they'll be there to comfort Julia's friends in her absence, especially A and N.  While leaving with Julia will be a wonderful day, at the same time I know who I'm leaving behind and it breaks my heart to not take them too.  If it's hard for me I can only imagine how hard it will be for Julia.  That will be a mixed day for sure.  We're hoping that travel day will be Friday or Saturday!

On the Road Again...

The ten day waiting period is up and it was time to hit the road for Kerch.  I had heard horror stories about the roads outside of the cities but it wasn't too bad.  We were able to move along at a good clip.  It was just bumpy.  Nothing Dramamine couldn't handle.  Here, see for yourself.  I know it looks like the camera is moving more than the car but trust me.  I was trying to hold that thing as steady as possible.  The movement you're seeing is a direct result of the bumps we were hitting. 


It was nice to get out in the country.  Things are starting to come back to life in Ukraine and the fields are just starting to turn green.  The trip consisted primarily of fields with some typical homes interspersed between some small towns.  In many ways it looked like the Midwest in early spring.  The difference was that in place of corn and beans there appeared to be grass and grape vines.  It really was an enjoyable ride.  Bumpy, but enjoyable.


When we got close to Kerch we passed through what I would call a beach town complete with houses that people who had been to the outer banks of North Carolina might recognize as beach houses.  They stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the original homes but none the less they were there.  The only thing missing was a Dunes or Beaches with bright neon signs proclaiming sales on non-absorbent beach towels and 0.99 sunglasses.

on the right, a beach house, the left, traditional homes

Beach house under construction

I can now say I have seen the Black Sea

 

even if it was overcast and cloudy

One thing I noticed about Kerch, even the small part I saw, was that everything appeared clean, brighter, and more ornate.  This may be because Kerch is considered a hero city.  (A large number of people died defending Kerch in WWII) or it may be due to the tourist $$$ brought in because of the black sea.  Either way, it was fun to see the different decorations that were scattered around the streets.  It was almost like a scavenger hunt looking for the decorations and trying to get a picture of them.  Unfortunately I missed more than I caught but here are the few I caught.

While the character below might not be a decoration, he was most certainly in the middle of the road and quite determined to stay there.  This was at a railroad crossing and this fella was slowly trotting down the line of cars looking into each and every one of them.  I got this shot because Yivginny was talking to him.  He was smiling so while I didn't understand what he was saying, I'm sure it was light hearted.  Shortly after Yivginny finished his conversation, the pup trotted off the road and on his way.

There was nothing special about the government building we had to go into to complete the update of Julias' birth certificate.  Just a large concrete structure.  It was a bit anti-climatic but this was the last step in the process prior to starting to work with the American government officials and, it went off without a hitch.  We went in, dropped the paperwork, went to lunch, picked up the paperwork and went on our way.  I was advised that this was not typical and that the process can sometimes take days so I was very grateful that all it took was a lunch hour.

The Last Ukrainian Government Building I will walk into to complete Julia's Adoption

So now I will wait until Monday.  That's when we submit our paperwork for our passport and hope for the best.  If all goes well Julia and I should be home before April!

A new way to learn Math

Well today was an early day and a prime example of things getting lost in translation.  I walked into the school early today thinking that Julia would be teaching her math class and she wanted me to sit in.  I was a bit off in my understanding.  When I went upstairs whe directed me to the auditorium and I plunked down.  It turns out she was playing the teacher in a skit about math.  Each grade had a part to play and each went in turn starting with the youngest classes and moving up the grades.  During the entire skit audience participation was encouraged and expected.  But I'm prattling on.  See for yourself.

I was very proud to see Yulia up there, proud to see her confidence and proud to see her recovery in the second video.  It takes real guts to pull out a recovery like that and she pulled it off like a pro.  Way to go Julia!

Two days of exploring

Day in and day out so far the pattern has been find a room, have a seat, talk a little, and open the electronics.  Not all that interesting although you do meet many of the kids that way.  On Saturday I decided to strike out and go find Julia.  I followed M up a stairway I had seen Julia come down in the past and ended up in a common room in the girls wing.  If was a nice to change the view and I was able to meet a bunch of kids I had never seen before.

Hot potato with a water balloon....

 One thing I did notice was that the kids were very creative when it came to games.  One game that wouldn't have passed the parent test was catch indoors using a water balloon.  Put enough water in the balloon to make it a bit smaller than a tennis ball and then game on!  The balloon didn't pop until it got pitched against the wall.  That must have been enough to weaken it because shortly after this picture was taken the young lady in black was wearing the balloon...  When I saw her I thought she was related to L, one of the young ladies that was hosted this summer and was adopted by her host family.  The resemblance was amazing.  If her eyes had been the same color I would have sworn I was looking at a younger version of L.  The young lady in purple was too shy to give me her name.  She just watched quietly while others played.  She wanted to join in but didn't have the courage to so I pulled her in.  She has a sweet smile and was very gentle with whatever you handed to her.  I noticed that the other kids were quick to take things from her whether I was there or not.  I tried to prevent it when I could but I knew any action on my part would likely have caused her more trouble with the older kids later on so I did what I could to include her and was rewarded with some surprised stares, some thank yous (Spa-sea-ba) and ultimately a beautiful smile.  I have seen her since and she's greeting me now (with that same shy smile) but still won't tell me her name.  I'll get it before I leave one way or another.  Maybe I'll just cheat and ask Julia ;-)

I wanna Ipad!!!

 Electronics are always popular and they're a guaranteed way to get the kids attention.  The problem is that the electronics get the attention and you don't really get to meet the kids.  Julia was a real trooper.  Even when she was surrounded by kids she was still willing to share and show the others how to play the games.  Towards the end of the day the other kids pushed her out but she took it in stride.  She really is a sweet person.  (This picture was early.  At the peak we had over a dozen kids around us and no chance of getting a picture.



While I did get to meet some of the kids on Saturday, I am so happy I decided to cancel a meeting and come visit today.  The temperature was close to 70 today and the kids were finally open to the idea of going outisde!  I think I was more excited then Julia was but I have to say, that today was probably one of the best days I've had at the orphanage.  It looks like someone has been putting some effort into fixing up the play equipment or, at the very least painting it. I handed the camera to the girls hoping that Julia would take it and go take some pictures of her friends.  The idea kind of worked.  A got a hold of the camera and was off to the races taking as many pictures as she could.  She didn't want her picture taken but little did she know that the photographer was getting photographed!

 

 She tried to get away from the annoying Amerikanetz but he kept finding opportunities....

 

Folks, she may have a future behind the camera.  Now if only she would let Julia turn the tables...
Here are a few more of her pics.  It would be impossible to post them all.

One high point of the day was finally meeting Sasha the Acrobat.  While I could tell that he was very good at football, he decided to stay up on the play ground and play with the younger kids.  He was playing with the same young girls that were throwing the water balloon in the earlier pictures.  He was as patient as a father waiting for them to kick the ball or playfully keep the ball while they were trying to get it away.  he really does have a big heart.  When I walked up to talk to him he was stand offish until I showed him that he was famous and even had his own webpage :

                                                  Meet Sasha the Acrobat


I'm fairly certain that he thought I was nuts sitting there fiddling with the phone trying to get the page to load but once it did his face lit up, he said something about Amerikanetz and he decided to show me some of the moves he's known for.  One of his moves was to lift himself up on top of the monkey bars.  I thought I could do that and told Julia I thought I could.  I was wrong...  I'm older and fatter than I thought ;-)  Well at least they got a good laugh out of it.  Julia managed to catch some video of Sasha and the boys horsing around after the girls left.  Sasha was hanging from the monkey bars and playing goalie.  The only way the ball got past him was if it was kicked over him.  This young man is incredibly strong.

 

Tomorrow I'll be swapping in a new set of batteries and handing the camera off to Julia for the night.  I'm looking forward to the results and hoping I have a camera on Wednesday!

And Then There Was One

Sorry folks but no pictures today.  Betsy left on Monday to return home.  She stopped in Kiev to complete her part of the passport paperwork and then it was onward towards home.  As I type she is somewhere over the Atlantic destined for Charlotte NC.  Safe travels my dear!  I can't wait to see what you do to wrap up Julia's room!

I was worried that visits would be awkward without Betsy but that has not been the case.  The kids have been just as welcoming and happy to see us as before.  I have been unsuccessfully attempting to get Julia to speak some English.  I get it.  Speaking a foreign language that you don't use every day is very uncomfortable.  I have been reminded of that recently when the coordinators found out I could speak German.  One of them is fluent so she launched into high speed German and lost me in about a minute so yeah, I get that speaking another language is scary.  Hopefully we can work through that.  I've been working on my caveman Russian as well in the hopes that my bumblings will build her courage. 

One more day down and twelve more to go before the waiting period is over and we're in the home stretch!

Presenting Julia Ava Erickson!

We were prepped, coached and encouraged  through the entire process.  Thankfully the judge had marked some key points to read and decided not to read the entire file.  That thing was as thick as a Websters Dictionary sitting up there on his desk.   It wasn't as brutal as I had heard from others that went through the process but I still saw Julia shrink down and hide her face when something from her past was read.

We were probably only there for an hour or so but it seemed like hours.  Finally, after reading many official statutes, laws and requirements, The judge handed down his verdict.  APPROVED!!!

Yulia is now Julia Ava Erickson.  She is a part of our family and will stay that way forever.  We love her and we can't wait for her to be reunited with her sister.

Afterwards we went out to eat at a Brazilian Steak house.  We grilled the food right there on a rock in front of us.  It was an adventure to say the least.  After dinner we treated the kids to lemon pie and chocolate cake.  This girl LOVES chocolate.  She's come to the right family!

We're Baaaack

It has been a while but we're back.  Literally.  We arrived back in the Ukraine a few days ago.  While unplanned, we had to return home for a time to deal with some surprises on the home front.  But all is well and we're back in the country in time for our court date.  Oh, that would be TODAY :-)  (We're a bit excited)  With the weather in the Ukraine there isn't much to do or anything new to report as far as visiting goes.  You can only take but so many pictures of kids at a table before they all start to look the same... 

 

You have to get creative.  Sometimes that involves crafts and sometimes you have to cheap out and go for the electronic crutch.  Yesterday the crutch won out.  Yulia and Anya found a picture editing application and had a blast.  I especially love the laughs.

here are some of the results.

We have our court date!

Monday, March 4th at 11AM (4AM NC time:) - yeah!

It's knots for everyone...

Well today was much the same as yesterday except I had the bracelet rings figured out.  Or I thought I did...  N, a young lady we met this past summer during the hosting program, showed up and jumped right in.  The day started out with the girls doing nails and me getting out the preloaded bracelet rings to get ready for the expected rush.  The rush never came and the kids had a terrible time figuring out my wordless instructions so they all gave up except for one little boy who hung in there with me until the ipad came out.  You can see him in this shot doing some coloring.

N came off the sidelines and decided to join in.

Electronics will win every time.  We downloaded some English learning games that were supposedly free.  WRONG!  They were free for the first level then they wanted you to pay.  There was a carnival game that even wanted you to pay per round.  Lesson learned.  Stick with the apps that charge you up front.  Shortly before the ipad sucked everyone in, A and M showed up.  M was called away by an adult but we did get to spend a little bit of time with A.

3..2..1.. Jon's Done

Time went by too quickly today.  When time was up, we said our goodbyes with hugs all around.  I normally don't look for hugs so it was a nice surprise when Anya decided to give me a hug.  Monday Betsy and I both have to work so there won't be a blog update.  I can't wait to see these kids on Tuesday.  Maybe by then I'll have the bracelets figured out for them...

Nails and Knots

Nail painting today and we took along string and a kit for making bracelets but we didn't do enough homework beforehand so tonight we are sitting in our apartment working on some bracelets so we can go back and do them with the kids.   We sat in an open area today - not sure Y was thrilled about all the kids there especially a couple of the boys who were a bit on the mischievous side.    We started off with Y and I doing our nails, her sister sure did pick out some good colors of polish for us.     One of the boys had the camera and took some interesting pics and videos but it was all good fun.   You just wish you could take them all home or some how give them a bright future.    After visiting at the orphanage we had a bite to eat and some great conversation with a wonderful lady who has a huge heart for these kids and visits them every week.    She also translates letters and gives to the kids and takes them packages we send.

Wow - some bright colors!

Jon working on getting out some knots in the string and happy to have such good company.

Yes that pink protrusion is his ear the boys were fascinated by the cardboard disks in the bracelet kit.

Again with the ears.