Full Day #2 in Kiev

4/17/2009
Well, Nina had a restless night’s sleep. She awakened at 6:30am on the dot! She asked to go to the bathroom, and then I directed her back to bed. She played for a bit, then I woke up! Apparently, she and I both fell back to sleep for the second time. She awakened shortly after me at almost 10am! Amazing! We both needed the extra sleep. We had breakfast and the girl was ready to go! So, we went outside by 11:00am and started the morning. We had breakfast at our favorite little French place around the corner (that’s the life, right??!!) We continue to receive funny looks and hear whispering as people walk past, but I am getting used to it. We walked all over the city today and shopped on the street for little memorabilia for Nina, Karly, Mia and Wiley. An elderly lady saw Nina sitting in the stroller and told her she was "beautiful." I love to hear that word spoken to her. It sounds like "kraseeva." She asked me if she could give Nina a piece of candy. I know we were taught not to take candy from strangers, but today I needed to!

Nina climbed to the TOP of the stairs at St. Andrew's Church… that was a feat. She was filthy and tired afterward and asked to ride in the stroller. I celebrated her achievement by directing her eyes to the top of the stairs, and she seemed to understand. We stopped for ice cream at McDonald’s. It does not seem that she has had an ice cream cone before… I had to teach her, who better than the master of sweets!

We stopped a local bread shop in the city center and squished in the door (with the stroller.) People are so pushy, but a distinguished lady offered to hold the door open for us so that we could enter... there are nice people in the world after all! The line was terrible, but we took our place and waited. We bought some kind of brown bread (think, ordering in a deli in New York--pressure!) and some little unsalted pretzel-like things. (They had them in the orphanage.) When I showed Nina, a huge smile crossed her face. It was grand. We exited the bread shop and proceeded into the city center. She then decided to disobey me and threw her body on the ground. (What’s a new mom to do?) I stepped about 3 steps away from her with my back turned (only briefly), and she quickly called "mama!" She was unable to get up, and also realized that she had made the wrong choice. (Parenting is so hard. Surviving public scrutiny with a physically challenged child in a foreign country has proven even harder.)

Ok, so we walked some more… she loves the underground shopping area and the city center. She got to play in the dirt… more scrutiny incurred since no one else allows their children to do that in the city center! We were walking home a different direction and found a little bakery/coffee shop. We had dinner there only because it smelled good and I was completely spent. There was an elderly lady cleaning up the bakery. She stopped and talked to us. I couldn't understand her, but I could tell she was saying something kind. (Nina understood her!!) She gave Nina some little chocolates and continued to pass us while she worked and talk to us. I still didn't understand her, but I could just sense she was a precious lady and she was saying kind things. And, that was all I needed in that moment of our day.

We walked some more and headed to buy fruit (we are trying strawberries tomorrow) and toilet paper. Yes, we bought a roll of toilet paper off a street vendor for 1 grivna (one Ukrainian dollar) which is equivalent (today, of course, as it changes daily) to 12.5 cents in USD! I should have bought two! Anyway, we arrived home very tired.

We washed our hands and started to settle in for the night when Natalia called. She asked to take us to the large grocery store. I reluctantly agreed. We got ready, but I could tell Nina was beat. In the car, she crawled into her emotional "shell." She snuggled into my arms and would not respond to Natalia's attempted conversation. In the store, Natalia asked Nina if she did not want to ride in the shopping cart. Nina told her no. I had to object. I could not shop and carry Nina around the store. She is too heavy. I don't think Natalia liked this, but Nina was ok with it, I think. She interacted with me during our store visit with smiles. We left and came back to the apartment. Nina bathed... she loves baths! Natalia and I set up the USB modem for tonight. I'm not sure it will last because of the constant need to buy these "minutes" out on street and add them threw my cell phone. It's pretty complicated.

Nina is asleep, but she had a hard time going to sleep. She told Natalia that I needed to sleep with her! Dependence is a good thing! I guess she is beginning to trust me and rely on me.

We have good food in the apartment for a change. And, Nina tried out the ham tonight and ate two large slices. She asked for more, but I told her no. I think she really loves meat! She does NOT like cheese nor milk. HMMMMMMM.....

That's all for today. I will try to remember the camera tomorrow along with the stroller, Nina, my purse and a bag for purchases... Good night!