Heading home

Our original tickets were for July 3rd.  Monday we were told we could leave as soon as this Friday, June 29, but the travel agent could only find two tickets for that date and over the weekend.  We didn't really want to just give the kids 20 bucks and send them ahead of us, so we agreed to travel on July 3rd.  Yesterday we went all over town taking care of business--the visa office, the doctor's office, the American embassy.  Elona, the representative from the Family Law Centre, who has taken very good care of us this entire time, said we should get all the paperwork back from the embassy today, so maybe we could ask about leaving on June 28th?  We didn't have much faith with such short notice, but Golden Rule Travel came through for us.  So around 7 pm last night we found out that today would be our last day in country, as we leave at 6 am Thursday.

We are really excited to be getting home, where we can say things like "Take the ball outside to play!"  I love being in Lithuania, and this apartment has a really nice location, near a grocery store and two playgrounds.  But we are so focused on the kids, and establishing a connection while establishing boundaries, that we aren't able to take in much of the country.  Also, it will make more sense for us to set up routines and patterns in our own home. 

I'm not sure if it was because we spent such a big chunk of the day out and about or what, but yesterday was probably the most peaceful day we've had with the kids.  They were generally pretty cooperative, and I generally handled it when they weren't, so it didn't escalate.  We played a lot of Go Fish, they took baths, they experiemented with freezing ice cream and with making tea...

Now Inesa is awake and wants to play, so let's let her choose some pictures.

Midnight Post

We just had our first ever non-tantruming bedtime.  Either last night's was so unpleasant that they didn't want to repeat it either, or it helped that this morning I drew pictures of each stage of getting ready for bed and then we talked about it a few times during the day.  Baths--snacks--tooth brushing--books--bed.  Possibly to keep our karma balanced, we also had our first bedwetting about an hour later, and I'm afraid in my sleepy efforts to get wet sheets removed and a dry sheet on, I may have lost the 2 litas that the tooth fairy left Sasha.  But if my choices are damp sheets or miserable bedtime, I'll sleep in the wet spot.

Taxi Dad

at the fountain

playground pics

Good News!

Sasha is experimenting with the TV, cable box, and dvd system to try to get it all to work.  This has provided mom and dad 20 minutes to update our blog.   Today we heard the judges decision on our adoption.  The judge approved our adoption of Inesa and Aleksandr and has waived the 40 day appeal period.  This means that we can come home to Portland earlier than expected.  We still have to tie up some loose ends with medical and immigration appointments.

The kids, especially Sasha, really enjoy playing in the local park.  There are playsets, a slide, merry-go-round, and swings.  Sasha spends a lot of time swinging high on the swingset, and Inesa enjoys the slide.  Inesa runs over to mommy for a hug about once every ten minutes.

 Both kids are also good at sharing.  Today we shared tic-tacs and carrots (morku) with the other kids in the playground.  In the morning, Inesa fed dad her last french fry from the previous nights dinner.  Both Inesa and Sasha help younger kids with the play equipment, but are more mischievous with older kids.

Dad, Inesa, and Sasha played tag on the playground.  Dad was "it" most of the time, and couldn't quite catch up to Inesa or Sasha.  I ran more than I have in months.  Unfortunately, this led to me injuring my calf muscle and so I'm now icing it in bed.

-Jon

Let's See How Long I Can Type

before my attention is urgently required. 

Today's game is "Let's pile all the furniture in the room in front of the doorway, challenge Mama and Papa to get in, then unpile it all and straighten up the room, and invite them in to admire how neat it is."  I can think of worse games to play.

It hasn't been all sunshine and roses*, but the occasional tantrums and world-class pouting sessions have been followed up by a return to cheerfulness and attempts to make amends in their own way.  I just took the two of them out on my own (scary!) to try to get their visa photos taken.  Either the photo shop has moved, or I am a foreign idiot who can't recognize a photo shop.  Both seem equally likely.  Anyway, they held my hand the whole time (which they kind of love and kind of hate), and the looked at all the souvenires for sale without whining for them, even when the crafty sales guy handed them a kaleidescope to try.  I bought them each a postcard, and they were perfectly happy with that. 

Jon is worried that the steady diet of sausage, sweetened yogurt, and cheese will give them heart attacks by the age of twelve, but at least they are eating.  Actually, they eat a LOT.  Not sure if they are truly hungry, or if the novelty of being able to demand and receive food at all hours is the motivation.  Neither have eaten themselves sick, so that's good too. 

Bedtime is a difficult transition.  They don't want to sleep alone, but if we put them down together, they want to play.  Then they get naughty and rude if we try to stop them, and then we escalate to the meltdown stage.  When I say "we"--I try not to visibly tantrum, but I sure don't enjoy myself.  So them we separate them, one kid per adult, until we've reached calm again, and then they usually are all clingy and huggy and we all wind up going to bed together at the same time in the same bed.  So, not much time on our own.

And now I am needed to play...