The VP, A Big Bed and Chornobyl

Vice President Joe Biden visited us here in Kyiv, largely to reassure the Ukrainians that a "reset" button with Russia was not a threat to our position of support for an independent Ukraine. He also delivered some tough messages on the need for the Ukrainian politicians to work on unity politically and economically, but the key point was really the "reassure" button.

He held an Embassy meet-and-greet on July 21st, the day after A and I returned from Iceland. So we were very, very close, but we couldn't go up and shake hands due to the 100+ screaming, groupie-like Peace Corps volunteers. I was fearfull of being pummelled in the stomach. But I got a photo, and for most of the speech, the VP was holding S's good friend and fellow 2-year old Keenan. I'm sure if he'd picked up our daughter (who we didn't bring) she would have squirmed, but Keenan was awestruck by the crowd - apparently he's also been held by President Bush, so I guess he's destined to go far. S is going to have to pave her own path.....

Speaking of our charming daughter, here is a photo of her enjoying her transition to a BIG GIRL bed. She is telling us here that this is her pillow and her blanket. It's taken some doing, largely assisted by our trip back to the States where, well, there just wasn't a crib. Some nights and even in the morning, I will still find a roaming toddler, which I'm not used to, but for the most part she's great about it. Next stop, potty-training. And to wrap up July, Aaron went to Chornobyl (yes, that is the correct Ukrainian spelling - Chornyi means black) on the 30th of July with a visitor I had from Washington. I, for obvious reasons, did not attend.
Aaron tells me that the normal Geiger counter reading is low - around 10. Here's you'll see, on the outskirts of the area, that it's reading about 100. Oh, and he went back this week, so I hope we've had all of the children that we're planning on, since lord knows what all of these visits over 3 years will add up to!

Sleepy

S is suffering from jet lag after our return from a great trip to the States, and it isn't pretty. She woke up around 12:45 last night screaming and it took us almost an hour to calm her down. A had the brilliant idea of giving her crackers, since she hadn't wanted dinner. Why does food always work? So, she's had crackers, and wants to go to bed, right? Wrong. She proceeded to want to play for another few hours, run around and pretend it was mid-afternoon. Not helped by the fact that her brother was also up at 2 AM. I was not happy. So. I finally got her to wind down around 4:30 AM, using some fairly brutal tactics, including turning out the light, and pretending to sleep. (Note - it is very hard to only pretend to sleep when you are exhausted and lying down on a comfy pillow.) She dozed off. I, however, had to miss about 3 hours of work so that I could get enough sleep to be functional. The sleep is really for the baby, since I can't drink lots of coffee. As I slept I heard S laughing with the nanny as they headed out to the park at 10 AM. Grumble, grumble. Must be nice being a toddler...

Iceland!!!

(Photo of Gulfoss Falls)

An unexpected romantic destination - we took our honeymoon last weekend in Reykjavik. Due to a roundabout set of circumstances we ended up with a two night stay at the Radisson in Iceland. In order to take full advantage of the trip, we thought we would go while M is in the U.S. in Minnesota, and we left S with the nanny. It was like the honeymoon that we never took right after we were married.

It was a lot of travelling - we had to go through Copenhagen and spent a wonderful 5 hour layover in the airport (tips available on what to do there - I recommend the spa service with facials and massage.) And for some strange reasons, in both directions Iceland Air tried to seat A and I in different rows.

(Photo of the special breed of Icelandic horses - not ponies, full-grown horses.)

A brief summary - Iceland is amazing, incredibly accessible - not geographically but culturally, physically and linguistically, and really relaxing. I'm just going to post a couple of photos here, since my toddler helper keeps trying to push the keyboard keys. The first day we did a full-day tour of the Pinvelligir (the site of the oldest Parliament in the world) the Gulfoss Falls - photo here, and the Geysir (which apparently no longer erupts, so they have a substitute geyser.) That night A and I enjoyed a four-course tasting menu of things Iceland is famous for, including local lobster, which was abaolutely phenomenal and almost made me cry, and lamb. Dinner took almost two hours and we had a real conversation, and there was no reason to hurry. It was the highlight of the trip! On Sunday we did a whale-watching tour, and saw minke whales and dolphins. The sea was remarkably calm, so I didn't feel queasy. (There is a direct correlation between getting motion sickness and morning sickness, and I have been blessed with both in life.)

(Photo of me in front of the natural geothermal energy. The start of our tour was to the geothermal plant - they're so environmental!)

Why children should listen to their parents

While at the charming restaurant described in the last post, we enjoyed our meal in a small outdoor hut. S ran around and played with the flowers and the fountains and, unfortunately for me, a large thick stick.

It was about 4 inches in diameter and about 5 feet tall - so a real piece of hardware. Dad took it away from her once, but it was attractive, so she snuck off and got it again. I went over to tell her it was dangerous and, well, as you can see from the photo, she proved that it was. She refused to let go and in the tussle it bonked me right above the eyebrow. It hurt - but not as much as you would thinbk by the attached photo. It was quite embarassing at work as folks thought perhaps there was marital discord but no, it really was the toddler, I swear!In fact, it's now been about 12 days and the bruise is still on my eyelid, part of the "settling" process, according to our nurse here at Post. Lovely, eh?

Horses and Coffee

We took S on her first horse ride about two weeks ago. She had a look of serious concentration and concern on her face the whole time, but seemed pleased in general. It was at a restaurant that had a petting zoo, including pigs and chickens and full-size horses. Notice, though, the complete absence of safety equipment in this process.

Up top you'll see the restaurant - they like to do outdoor huts where you can eat. Aaron liked this place because a woman in traditional Ukrainian dress greets you at the door and gives you a shot of vodka, one of a lightly-alcoholic fruit juice, and then a piece of, well, basically fat, to wash it down. I begged off, but he took it on - what a champ!

And above, S enjoys a latte with Dad. Shortly after this she accidentally hit me in the eyebrow with a giant stick, leading to the biggest, blackest eye I have had since I was about 7. Thanks, dear!

ROAD TRIP!

Here's a pre-road-trip photo of M handing out the 1st place ribbons to his relay team - he was the anchor and did a fabulous job. He independently won a second and third in two other events. It's a combined middle school/ high school team, and they were competing against local schools and other international schools in Eastern Europe. M's school won overall. Go, team!
We finally got our acts together and planned a trip over a long weekend in the car. We've been trying for a while, but illnesses, S's busy birthday party schedule and inertia seemed to conspire to get us down. Finally, though, we took June 6-8 to head to Lviv (Lvov in Russian) in Western Ukraine. I highly encourage googling it and looking for pictures of the architecture. I was a bit afraid of taking on a big trip - the language barrier, the quality of the roads, the poor quality of the drivers - lots of things that if they went wrong would be incredibly stressful to address. But I faced my fear head on and we hit the road Saturday morning (we're not allowed on roads outside of Kyiv after dark - not a huge problem now since the sun comes up at 4:30 AM and sets at 9:30 PM.) We took my friend Jody with us, so it was a bit crowded in the car - unless you were a toddler in your throne. For a first trip it was great. You follow one road the whole way and don't turn - for 6 straight hours.
We did have to stop for gas - see the photo below where S and I are demonstrating the high-tech firefighting equipment at the gas station!
We rented an apartment in town - a bit of an adventure trying to find it, but so much better than a hotel room. We're just too big a group to fit comfortably in one hotel room, so I am a total apartment-renter convert. Our own kitchen... not having the kids sleep in our room... and all that for less than $60 a night! And the nice landlord didn't even charge us for the drapes that A ruined by pulling out of the wall. (Long story, but they didn't close and as you see above, when the sun comes up at 4:30 it's hard to stay asleep.)
The weather was great, and first thing we did on Sunday (Pentecost or Holy Trinity Day in Ukraine - hence the 3 day weekend) was to climb to the top of Castle Hill. Here are the kids at the top, tickling each other.I have lots and lots of photos of the beautiful architechture, the restaurants, the horses, the trolleys, but here is just an example. It is just like being in Eastern Europe, but like nothing I've ever seen in the former Soviet Union. St. Petersburg is similar, but the history in Lviv is so fascinating and so obvious in the city. Lviv was Polish for centuries and also part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It's Soviet/Russian period is fairly short, and that is very evident in how people would generally speak to me in Ukrainian only. I think it was largely a question of being accustomed to it, not a political statement against the Russian language, although politicians here would have you believe it's the cause of some great rift.
So, I stayed in Lviv for work for the week, and the family headed home on Monday, which is right around the time that I realized that M didn't actually have Monday off, only A and I from work. Oops. Another point in the bad paretn book - if he doesn't get into college, it's all my fault!

All Dressed Up

Kyiv is like a different city in the Spring. People are friendlier, moods are lifted, and the social circuit starts up again. S had a 3rd birthday party, which was an excellent excuse to get her out of her typical sandbox-and-dirt stained clothing and into a nice party dress.

I was looking for a reason to try on the future Matron of Honor outfit, so we signed up last minute for the International Womens' Club of Kyiv ball. We had a great time, and there were swag bags from Givenchy - so we felt very posh. We even won a basket in the raffle - donated by the French Embassy. It had some great champagne and wine and then, oddly, some really cheap local cheese. But the scandal was that one of the sponsors who was unhappy tried to walk off with our basket! We went to pick it up around midnight, and they said it had been taken. I saw it "walking off" and made them go talk to him. I mean, really, maybe it was an honest mistake, but since they called our name out you would think that someone would know if they didn't hear their name? Odd, and caused some discomfort for my friends who were organizing. But it's the principle of the thing!

So - we got home around midnight to find that our "babysitter" needs a refresher. Apparently S finally fell asleep around 11:40, on the recliner, with a half drunk bottle and some chocolate smeared across her face. Uh, yeah. She was happy, and no harm done, but I think we may consider hiring the nanny to stay evenings. Routine is important!

London Bridge is... not what I thought it was

We had a great long weekend in London, taking advantage of the 4 day weekend for May 1st in Ukraine (Workers' Day.) As I'd been in Eastern Ukraine for business all week, and flew in Thursday morning to Kyiv, just to fly back out that afternoon (and pack in between frantically) it wasn't quite as jam-packed a trip as Lisbon. Oh, and London is expensive! But we shelled out for the full day hop-on/hop tour. It included a river cruise, and the weather was spectacular. We did a lot of walking, saw the Tower of London, ate at KFC (be still my beating heart - humph!) and saw lots of my friend Allison B, who lives there.
The photo below is standing on London Bridge (which I, like many, actually thought was Tower Bridge, which you see in the background.) London Bridge is very boring and nondescript, and has not fallen down since the 11th century, so we felt fairly safe.
Below is a photo of S working the water table at the Science Museum. THey have a special area for 3-6 year olds, but apparently S isn't so good at math. She was taking on kids 4 times her age - she was determined to work the levers and the handles and get good. and. wet. Thank heavens for the orange smocks!

During the viewing of the super-changning of the guards, which was bigger than usual we think because the Queen was holding an audience for some soccer team or some such, S and I played on a little patch of grass. THe funniest past was all of the Asian and Indian tourists who took pictures of S instead of the parade. Apparently little blond-haired, blue-eyed independent toddlers are hard to come by in that part of the world?


So a nice break, perhaps I'll photo spam later. Or you can look forward to pics of A's indoor soccer game. THe only down side to the trip was that S apparently picked up some nasty virus on the way back, got really sick and gave it to everyone else. We are all now abot 5 pounds thinner, but not the good way. Hopefully it'll pass soon and we can eat normally...

Easter & Helsinki - What a combo!

Eggs? Who needs eggs?

S and Keenan grooving out to Guns'n'Roses. Our only glimpse of her Easter dress.It's tough to be a teen, but he was a good sport. Here is M, guarding the all-important basket of... empty plastic eggs.

Look, it's sunny... but somehow still freezing cold. Not as cold as A was in Finland, though.

A went to Finland for the long weekend, and I was the sole responsible adult in the house. As you can see from the photos, it is very difficult to manage and point and shoot, so please appreciate the attempt, at least. The egg hunt was held Saturday at the Marine House, which has a lovely front yard and a huge, terror-proof 8 ft tall fence. This meant that I could let S run around with impunity. This was good, since she was totally uninterested in actually picking up the eggs, as evidenced in the photo here, where she is dropping the egg M put in her hand. (That biscuit was SO tasty! Despite being stale...) M came early and helped set up, but as the only teen I released him after S did her egg hunt - he took the pizza and soda and ran. S did a full 3 hours of running around, walking up and down steps and curbs, falling on her knees, dancing inside (with her buddy Keenan) and basically tiring herself to the point of exhaustian (yeah!)

And yes, I know how big they both are - I'd attach a voice clip of M's deep voice, but I don't think that blogspot is that saavy for me yet.

Lisbon, City of VACATION!

We spent 3 wonderful days last week in Lisbon, Portugal. As with all things in this part of the world, this was not without some drama - on the Wednesday, as we were preparing to leave for the aiport in Kyiv, we heard that there was a plane crash in Amsterdam. We were supposed to transfer planes in Amsterdam a few short hours later. I was already in desperate need of a vacation, and this almost pushed me over the edge. But miraculously, we were 15 minutes late to leave, on-time for our transfer, and landed in Lisbon 20 minutes early! (Obviously KLM, not Ukrainian airlines...)
I decided to experiment with VRBO.com and rented an apartment instead of a hotel room. For a cheaper price, we got a full kitchen, a washing machine, and most importantly an extra room, so we weren't all jammed in together. The landlord picked us up at the apartment - he even had a car seat in his car for us. Great experience all around - he ordered us a taxi for 5 AM on Sunday, so we didn't have to, and called halfway through to make sure we were all OK. The ability to stay in our pajamas and make breakfast and coffee was also a huge bonus. As you can see below, I was actually able to relax on the trip!

The first day we saw the Castle of St. George (photo on the parapet above.) We rode Tram 28 - conveniently at naptime so Sarah rested while we photographed. And most importantly, we found the local supermarket and Portugese fast food :-) The second day was in the Belem region - cathedrals and towers and Manueline architecture. Instead of the planned shopping, we went great guns and saw the aquarium, the shopping mall and, I'm embarrassed to say - KFC and Pizza Hut. (You always crave what you don't have - even if you don't want it!)

Day 3, Aaron suprised us and we took a train out of town to Sintra. It was a bit cold and rainy, but nowhere near as yucky as Kyiv weather. We were outdoors all day, and saw this fantastic pink and purple castle there. We really packed a huge amount of living into a short amount of time. A key decision on vacations, though, was to look at direct flights from now on.

I should also note that one of my highlights of the trip was how great M was -engaged and fun and interested in what we did. And as you can see from above, he was a big help with a little, extremely rambunctious, sister!

Aunt x 15

Congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law, whose third appeared on the 20th and is- a girl! Cora Jane. She is quite a bruiser, 10 lbs, 10 oz. Makes me dread the idea of having another kid - that's a lot of baby! Sounds as though delivery was swift and, well, as painless as these things can be. This now brings A's and my grand total of neices and nephews to 15 - 8 boys and 7 girls. This may explain why sometimes we confuse birthdays, and gifts aren't always forthcoming. Doesn't mean we don't think of you, we just think of you at odd times.

So here is a photo of the happy family - I hope I'm not stealing any thunder, but they look so darn cute. And another photo of S opening her birthday gift last December, a tea set that she can't wait to play on with Cora!

Success after only 6 months!

This has really been a banner week for the family and the excruciatingly long acclimitization process:
- They will install our 6 foot+ diameter satellite dish on the roof next Tuesday. Don't ask what it is costing us - just know that I love my husband very, very much. And his ability to watch the NZ All Blacks play rugby is crucial to our marital bliss.
- We have the wireless network up and running. Now I no longer have to scream at the teenager who plays 56 straight hours of World of Warcraft on the weekend that I need to use the computer. Serenity prevails. In fact, I'm locked in the bathroom right now (to prevent the baby from pushing her favorite key "Delete.")
- Our new maid starts on Tuesday. This will cut down on hubby and I spending our weekend not winding down from a difficult week of combatting Ukrainian corruption but instead washing toilets. In a sad commentary on the economic situation here (even before the crisis) our lovely maid is actually a college graduate with a degree as a speech therapist for young children. But she'll make more cleaning our apartment and nannying another mother's small kids. Tragic! I like that we're both helping each other, but I wish she could do what she's trained to do!
- The sun came out yesterday. It's been well over a week. Everyone in the city was in a better mood, and you could taste the promise of Spring. Today? Back to thick pea soup fog. Sigh.

Things that are goofy in Ukraine

Anytime I move somewhere new and foreign, I am struck daily by things that are different, bizarre, unsettling and fantastic. Over time (increasingly shorter amounts of it) these things become commonplace. So I'd like to make a few notes about odd things we have all seen recently that deserve a mention:
1. When you have a birthday, you are obligated to provide the food and drink for the party in your office. Kind of takes the fund out of celebrating when you are out of pocket!
2. While driving to pick Michael up after a basketball game, A had to stop on a one-way road that was blocked by an ambulance. As he watched, the two ambulance personnel loaded a man in the back. And then the man fell out of the ambulance! The best part is that the two men, instead of leaping over to catch him, jumped out of the way - as A said, like they had just dropped a piano. The man on the ground and the ambulance personnel then waited around and, when the police came, they all put him back in the back. We think he was drunk, but still. If i get sick - I'm driving myself to the hospital.
3. (Caution: Personal female information. Squeamish people and men read no further.) Last weekend I went to the hair and beauty salon across the street. I got a haircut, and wanted to get my eyebrows shaped and a bikini wax. No problem on the first two. And I spoke in Russian with the wax-er. Apparently there is a cultural/language discrepancy I was unaware of. "Bikini Wax" translates loosely as "Brazilian wax." I realized this fairly far into the procedure, and was able to maintain some (?) dignity. However, let's put it this way. At one point the woman said, Oh - I see you've had kids. Ahem. As the Ghostbusters said - "important safety tip" - don't order a bikini wax without explaining what you really want!
4. I suppose being attacked by a pack of wild dogs on the way back from the supermarket is normal in many parts of the world, so I'll have to think up...

More stories later. And possibly photos!

Frozen Precipitation

We are on Day 21 in a row of frozen precipitation. It isn't so much that there is lots of snow on the ground, as much as continuous flurrying, and a little melting, and lots of "slyakhot", which is Russian for slush, and very fun to say out loud. I didn't really notice the long stretch of weather, until the sun came out for a few hours last week, and we all ran to the windows in amazement. "Look, light!" This is the Kyiv winter I was promised! And the temperatures always sound so much colder in Celsius, so I think I feel colder. With windchill today it's -17 degrees C. That's really 5 F, which is cold, but not as frightening as -17. I eschew fashion and wear my snowboots everywhere, since the ground is slushy and icy, since the slush freezes nightly. Thank the Lord for our indoor parking space!


On a separate note, the photo below is from a Lawyer's Day Event I attended in October. (Lawyer's Day is a Ukrainian holiday on October 8 - but you don't get work off.) Anyway, the woman third in from the left is Olena, who works for me. And the man in the center is Ambassador William Taylor, who is absolutely fantastic. I am really unimpressed with the suit that I am wearing here, but it's part of my overall problem that after the baby I lost around 25 pounds from my original weight, and none of my clothes that I have worn for years fit anymore. The pants here are literally about to fall off, and look like MC Hammer pants from the '90s. And I am so used to wearing a badge on a laniard that I don't wear necklaces, which I may reconsider here. But enough "What Not To Wear - Kyiv edition." The event was short and focused, and the Minister of Justice made a lot of points that directly corresponded with the directions that the US Government is trying to help the Gov't of Ukraine go in. So enjoy the old photo.

More than just a baby blog.

A & M in Jerusalem, following the path that Jesus took with the cross.
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It has been noted that my husband and son do not make any significant appearances in this blog. Now for those of you with small, helpless children, this should come as no surprise. Why? The camera is always pointed down at the cute smiling face, not usually at the rather-bored-looking teenage face, and not at the husband, who is most often behind the lens. And mommies don't like having photos of themselves taken for a variety of reasons involving the negative image of women perpetuated by the media, etc. Anyway, here are some photos of A and M from Israel. Here, M enjoys a giant Turkey leg.

I like this photo, as M is appropriately serious as he touches the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

And finally, the boys at the Dead Sea, covered in special healthy (?) mud!

Israel Turkeys!

We spent Thanksgiving in Israel, as one does, you know. It's no Beirut - garden spot of the Mediterranean - but it'll do in a pinch. I was amazed by the following: a) it was in the low 80s, delightfully warm; b) it seemed as though everyone spoke Russian, and the food in the grocery stores was all in Russian; c) Tel Aviv is an oasis, but the rest of the country really does look like the scenery in the Charleton Heston movie; d) people really shouldn't mistreat the camels the way that they do; e) the Palestinian settlements are really RIGHT there near Jerusalem. Yet i never felt scared....

And now, photos of how S spent the trip:Who doesn't love their first slide experience? What a great face! She wanted to do this again and again and again...

Baby Starfish

Here in Ukraine, where the high is often 28 degrees, and where wild babies roam the streets, it is important to prevent your child from running off in the cold with these packs of rogue babies. One easy system that nannies have devised is the "Starfish" method, whereby a child is dressed in about 6 layers of clothing. This slows them down considerably - as noted in the photo attached, where Miss S is wearing tights, pants, a onesie, a purple knit sweater, purple knit pants, snow boots, a "combintsion" or snowsuit, a hat, mittens and the scarf that Grandora knit years ago. I think this is the only photo where I've seen her smiling while wearing this, and not with her eyes rolled back in her head from heat exhaustion.

But in Lyuda's defense, it is cold outside, and this lets Miss S play outside for 2-4 hours a day, and may also be the reason that she takes 3 hour naps every day....

Halloween Costumes!

Unfortunately, Kodak Gallery is having some issues with our new version of (evil) Windows Vista, and I can't upload photos! So until we can overcome this technical glitch, I will be providing selected photos this way. Sarah had a lot of costumes over the holiday, including GranDora-provided tutus...

Trip to the Pechersk Lavra

We took the tour to the Pechersk Lavra two weekends ago. A Lavra is the name given to a Monastery of the highest order in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was a very holy place, with beautiful churches and fantastic frescoes. Many of them were renovated after independence - the church shown here has walls dating back to the 14th Century, but the facade was redone in the 1990s. You will notice my stylish scarf - women have to cover their heads when entering the church. Sarah was exempted, but she enjoyed playing with the dead leaves more than the art anyway!

A Word picture of life here

It's hard for me to describe what it's like to live here. So many people have perceptions about this part of the world - thanks to the Cold War - more than if we lived in, say El Salvador or Mongolia. The number of people who asked if I was going back to Russia (after I explained I was going to Kyiv) was somewhat astounding. I hold no blame here - when I joined the Foreign Service, I felt equally confused by geography. In fact, since they list the possible postings by capital cities, I was often sent running to the atlas. (Anyone know what Ouagadougou is actually the capital of? How about Belmopan? Bandar Seri Begawaan?) Yeah, me neither, and it behooves me to know since if I put it on my Bid list I could end up living there for 2-4 years!
Anyway, I was going to try to give you an idea of what life is like, one story at a time. This weekend we borrowed a car and headed around town. Driving is a bit crazy - the city was designed both for times before cars and then it was expanded at a time when very few people had cars. So folks have to park on the sidewalk. As the mother of a toddler this scares the living crap out of me. How do you warn a small child not only to look both ways when they cross the street and to look behind them when standing quietly on the sidewalk? Yikes! But I digress. A did a fantastic job of maneuvering around and through the impatient drivers, and we were able to drop M off a birthday party that was darn hard to find. The last part of the directions involved a dirt road, turning at a lake and asking a guard to unlock a gate in the middle of the woods. But he had a great time at the restaurant, and seemed to be a hit with the ladies ;-) A, S and I headed off to our friends' house for dinner, and got hopelessly lost. Not because I haven't been navigating based on maps since I was 8, but because they don't do street signs here. We got so lost we actually left Kyiv - the only sign at that point was "Odessa" - which is a bit like when you're on I-95 north of DC and the sign says "New York - 250" Oops! The reason it's hard to find addresses is because the actual signs are on the sides of buildings, about 12-15 feet above the ground, and the number is giant, but the street name is about 2 inches high. I dont' know about you, but I find that damn hard to read when driving at speed. And the big glamorous street signs at the intersection are paid for my companies, so they might have the name of an upcoming street, or just as likely, the name of an upcoming street that intersects an upcoming street but that you sure ain't never gonna find, but they definitely have an arrow pointing you to the big Fish Store or local Sport Hall. Needless to say, after driving the wrong way down one way streets and being lost for half an hour, poor Miss S heards some choice adult language as I "bemoaned" the inability of Ukraine to get their act together.
This is a common side effect of living overseas, for those who haven't. One day it's the most magical place with wonders and novelty, and the next it could be stricken from the planet for all you care. Ah, the 4 phases of foreign adjustment! But really, overall, we love it here....

Travel Outside of Middle Earth

I returned from a three day trip to Izmail, a city on the southern border with Romania. Overall it was useful from a work standpoint, but also showed a little more of the "real" Ukraine, versus the very different lifestyle lived in downtown Kyiv. For one thing, everything is much less expensive outside of the capital. No shock there. But what surprised me was how big Ukraine is, and really how relatively uninteresting the scenery is. We drove 12 hours each way, and it was lots of fields and sheep and carts and highway. Oh, and of course, "Turkish toilets." Shudder. Thank heavens for hand sanitizer. Anyway, the scenery became more interesting down near the limans (apparently the name for a unique water feature of a small lake-like spit that connects a river and an ocean - it's like brackish water in the US? We couldn't find an exact comparison.

The photo if from our stop at the Belgorod-Dnistrovski fortress. The sign says "Danger!" but as you can see that was really the only tribute to my protection. The fortress is very well-preserved, and was a welcome break from the drive.

Take that - Babushki!

Since we've arrived, A has been chastised in Russian and Ukrainian by "well-meaning" babushki (grandmothers) for the state of poor S's dress. Even when the temperature is 20 C/68 F outside, they holler that she is freezing. Conveniently, he can't understand what they're saying, so he just says "Spasibo!" (Thanks!)
So finally, he caved the other day and bought a hat that ties in a market kiosk located in a street underpass - well, that's where all the good shopping is anyway. We had to buy a hat that ties as the whole problem all along has been a confinement issue - she just pulls the darn hats off.
We bought gloves today as well, and she managed to lose one within two hours. Such a smart girl...

I'm back - A bit like neon legwarmers, though, it could be a fad

I finally remembered my password! Hooray! And today we received the exciting news that A has successfully hooked up our internet at home and it is quick and easy. So you all (anyone who is left) will now be receiving fairly regular updates on our life here in Kyiv. Well, in the limited way in which I share information, that is. I think my employer frowns on sharing too much about work, but since we're planning on traveling and expanding our cultural awareness (and since I have interesting kids) there should be plenty to keep this blog hopping!

So the big news first. One, we have decided to add a third year to our time here. That means we'll finish up conveniently close to the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Second, after ten straight days of torrential downpour and freezing weather, I am looking out my window at sun for the first time in forever. Praise be!

Third, my darling little sister has confirmed that her wedding will be on September 19, 2009. This means a confirmed trip to the States, for those interested in actually seeing my face ever again.

Fourth, my talented sister-in-law has begun her own blog, which is the impetus for me re-energizing here. Hers has music - I know, I'm behind the times. But next time I'll include photos, and perhaps even a video or two. We've got a great "bikembikem" photo of S with some of her first "words."

Fifth, Happy, Happy Birthday to my two fantastic kids, last Tuesday and next Monday. Every year I am more in awe of both of them....

Where have I BEEN??

December? I haven't posted since December? What have I been doing? oh, that's right. Slacking off. Shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Despite my facade of serious, studious behavior, I'm really a goof. Actually, I don't think that I'm fooling anyone. My facade is that of someone whose sense of humor got the best of her. I am improving at my ability to appear serious when called upon, but sometimes I just can't resist. In a training course I did once, they told me to only say one out of every three things that come to mind, if you are an interrupter by nature. I actually do that - and I still find that I interrupt all of the time.
Anyway, as they say in Russian, let's return to our sheep. (I don't know why they say that - perhaps they're secretly Kiwi?) I have been raising the baby, minding the teenager and caring for the husband. I've been in Russian since the end of February, perfecting my Russian. For the first time in the 16 years I've been studying, it's really coming together. I can pretty freely say anything I'd like to, and all of the sleeping vocabulary has been reawakened. Now if only i understood the damn grammar.....
The bub is sleeping through the night now, which is totally huge. 9 PM to 5 AM. Those without kids can scoff at the fact that that's "all night" but for 3 months she was waking up every hour and a half and refused to be comforted by anything other than nursing. I don't know how I survived. SHe's got teeth and character and can pull herself up, and is close to walking (I'm convinced she's a genius, but I could be a bit close to the issue.)
Headed overseas in August, but hopefully I'll post more on that less than 6 months from now.
That's enough of a wine-fueled stream of consciousness for now.

Long Hiatus - Of Burps, Burbles & Burfles

I had every intention of being a dedicated blogger while home on maternity leave. In fact, I was going to completely re organize the house, brush up on my Russian skills and learn how to knit. It's been 10 weeks and I have succeeded so far in, well, I've showered every day. And I am proud of that. It's not that I sit around all day, just taking care of the baby 24-7. I mean, A is here to help, so I'm much luckier than many other first-time moms. It's the combined pressures of not getting anywhere near enough sleep & being salary-free (which cuts down on options for daytime shopping trips) and the unpredictability of S's schedule. On the upside, I am intimiately familiar with the daytime TV schedule. So I've revised my goals to taking lots of pictures of S as she grows, and getting out the house once a day.

Last night I had another new parent moment. S had finished a bottle of formula, and then breast-fed some more. I suspected she was eating for reasons other than hunger, so I sat her up to burp her. She must have swallowed something the wrong way, because she had her first projectile "burfle." And my first thought wasn't "I should clean up my PJs & her PJs" but, "Wow, that went almost 6 inches, who can I tell how impressive my baby is?" It was really quite like Linda Blair in the Exorcist, & she seemed much happier afterwards.

So, I'll try to be better, and not to bore you all with the intricacies of daily mommy-life!

Big'n'Round

I'm entering the home stretch - definitely starting to feel it. I always thought of the basketball analogy as a bit trite, and that is definitely confirmed by the fact that this darling baby of mine feels like a medicine ball attached to my abdomen, not an air-filled basketball! I can sometimes forget that I am pregnant, but then I'll try to reach something far away, or, more likely, the baby will perform a barrel roll. Hard to ignore that. Photos of my belly are available for those that want them - just email me, and I'll send them on.

A and I went through childbirth class - it was very practical, thank heavens. There was some breathing practice (inhale... hee, hee, hee, full exhale or "think of a colored triangle") which was a bit hokey, but I'll tell you how it went after labor. Maybe I'll be happy I knew about the triangle? We saw lots of diagrams that should be mandatory training for teenagers as birth control - yuck! (No more details, sorry folks.) We toured Sibley Hospital - the "Country Club" of DC-area hospitals, and quite nice. Yeah, health insurance! Most importantly, they have a kitchenette for A's beers, and Wifi in the cafe for him to get rugby World Cup updates. We have a lot of the "stuff" associated with child-ownership, including clothes, diapers and transport system. What I am worried about is getting all 3 passports in time to get to NZ for Christmas. Relying on the DC public records system for a quick turnaround could doom us to failure. Pray for us....

More Baby Info For YOU!

The "bub" is growing rapidly at this stage, and I am looking obviously "in the family way." Still not pregnant enough to get anyone to give up their seat on the Metro to me, but I think that may be a bit of human nature. I think men are afraid they'll give up my seat, and I'll tell them that I'm just fat - not pregnant - and get offended. Ah, the PC life we live! So far, the heat hasn't gotten to me - I spend a lot of time inside at work in the A/C. DC can be brutal, although my inlaws are loving the heat - my father-in-law has a strange internal thermometer that is happiest over 100 degrees.

I'll be posting more - sorry about the delay- I have felt like Julie the cruise ship director from "Love Boat" lately as I get family to their necessary camps and locations. Busy, busy!

For those who are interested, we are registered at http://www.babiesrus.com and www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com (who knew they had good baby items!) and http://www.babycatalog.com - we can be found under Mayhew in Virginia. If you have any advice - things you found helpful if you have kids, or things your friends found helpful, let me know, and I'll look out for them!

I'm the Lead in Alien

It seems as though in the past two weeks this baby has taken on - literally - a life of its own. It went from "gentle flutters" in my abdomen to bizarre cases where my stomach appears to have hiccups. I'll be doing something quiet - like typing a blog - and suddenly my lower half will jerk spasmodically to the left. It's a bit disconcerting. I did learn, though that the baby likes it when I eat Kraft macaroni and cheese, and when I watch rugby. I think that this solidifies any debate about whether or not preferences are determined in the womb - obviously this will be an athletic, laid-back Kiwi kid with weird American food tastes and my big nose. (Poor thing - it's just genetics!) And now, back to trying to focus while watching "Mutiny of the Body."

Two Years of Wedded Bliss

We just celebrated our two year anniversary on Monday. Let's see how the numbers stack up: one trans-hemispheric move, three new jobs (one for me, two for A), one new school, two new sports (M's baseball and A's old-guy rugby team), one anticipated baby, one set of uncles in the basement, one blow-the-budget travel schedule that has taken us to San Fran, LA, Boston, NYC, Northern Neck VA, Reno, Philly, NH, Dublin, Krakow, London, Brussels, Tirana, ALbania, Budapest and a trip to NZ. I don't know how normal people function - spacing out major life events or staying in the same place for more than 3 years! But then they miss out of such exciting life adventures as the Jelly Belly Factory tour in Fairfield, CA. Best trip EVER!

Anyway - overall - life is good, the baby is starting to kick hard enough that I can feel it, the in-laws are coming in 2 weeks for their great American adventure, and the weather is beautiful! Wish you were here....

How Travel Has Changed!

We're off to the SanFran wedding of one of my oldest dearest friends. I have thought about this day a lot over the past almost 20 years. The ceremony as described in the invite is just like her - laid-back, "shotgun chic." (The wedding is at a Rod & Gun Club, and we can shoot skeet if we get there early - not quite her left-wing style, but definitely funky.) Anyway, the way I'd imagined celebrating with her isn't quite what this is looking like. Travel with kids has taken some getting used to - even though M is really young adult. You have to plan one "event" each AM and PM, instead of the 3 events with lots of walking and minimal snacks when it's just you. No bachelorette party - largely because a) I can't drink and b) minimizing school absence is important. But family is important, and I'm looking forward to just being with my boys and not working. I will find a balance here - hot mama party chick layin' it down with my buds, and stable mature mama chick, nurturing her kids and supporting her husband. I know I can do both, it's just a question of planning! After all, didn't we decide to have a kid since we don't often go out anyway?

Peer Pressure

In response to Alex's comment below, no, I am not poppin' 'roids. Nor can I drink caffeine or consume aspartame; I can't eat hot dogs or change cat litter; no brie for me, and definitely no aspirin, pepto-bismol or anything even approximating a drug without doctor approval. Why? Peer pressure. My co-workers were doing it, my friends were doing it, even my brother is doing it. Yep, we're having a kid. Due end of September. Yeah! Comments and questions welcome...

Brussels, San Fran and Points in Between

So after Christmas in Carson City, NV, we headed home to NoVa. Birthdays passed - mine in Kosovo, A's at home with M and the guys in the basement; snow and ice fell from the sky, after what had been a warm, warm winter. A had spent most of that winter praying for a snowfall, but after the first he'd had his fill, and wasn't too happy to shovel the driveway 2-3 more times. I had the chance to see Brussels for the first time on a whirlwind Feb trip of 2 days. Sadly, I was under the weather, and barely dragged myself to the Grand Plac once to get chocolates for office and home. In fact, most of February was spent miserably ill, but on the bright side, I am now more svelte than I have been, well, ever! (But watch this space for weight gain soon, if you know what I mean, hint, hint, wink, wink!) On the 10-11th we went to Phila for teh King Tut exhibit and the Philadelphia Flower Show (listed as one of the 1,000 Things To Do Before You Die.) Both were fantastic, but the crush of being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people made us happy to head back to the "quiet" of our full house. (Cousin O came to visit us that weekend as well, so we were 6 and a dog for one night.) And at the end of April, I've booked us tickets to the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends in San Fran. We've added a day to sightsee - suggestions welcome - and if we get to the wedding early, there's the opportunity to shoot. Not like a driveby in Oakland, the wedding will be at a Hunt club, so we shoot skeet. M is more excited than I can relay.
And that may have to be all the travel I can handle, as A's parents arrive in early June for EIGHT WEEKS! Busy summer.... More on the inlaw visit later.

Birthday Season Again!!

Hey, all - it's about that time again... A and I are celebrating our birthdays at the end of the month. This photo was from my 30th in NZ, which had a '70s theme. Amazing how good A looked in his feathered wig and purple leisure suit.

A and I are planning a bit of a do in early February when M is away on a ski trip. A grown-up gathering of friends in DC. If you're in the area, feel free to drop on by. This time, no costume required!

Chicken Kyiv??

Yes, we are going to Kyiv (aka Kiev for all you old-school out there.) Departure currently estimated at August 2008, following an intensive training program for me. Six months of economics and then six months of Russian language training. The boys are excited, since the school and bars seem to be top-notch. I'm excited, as I'll be combatting organized crime... well, really just managing the programs that actually do the combatting.
A note, though - in the State Department, nothing is final until you've already done it, so there's always a chance I won't get to go, and will be redirected somewhere else. Not a huge chance, but it still looms out there.

In other news, A has a nifty job. Email him and ask about it - it's in a field he enjoys, so we're happy. M is getting braces this month, apparently a new form of torture invented by parents to stunt a pre-teen's social life. And we all had a great Holiday break in Carson City at the "San Antonio Ranch." I explored my Nevada roots (didn't know I had any, did you!) and we got in some nice skiing and gambling. Aaaaahhhh, the American way!

The Stress of Gifts

In my extended family, we now do a Pollyanna gift exchange. I have 7 cousins, and 8 aunts and uncles. (Sadly, only one grandmother left, but she’s not the gift-receiving type.) In order to save cash, we decided last year to assign one giftee to each gifter. Then my immediate family (brothers & sisters & parents) decided to have another, smaller Pollyanna. So we’re on the hook for 6 different gifts, for people from Arizona to New Hampshire, and the planning and foresight to ship them in a timely fashion. Recipe for disaster. Some folks – easy to buy for. Others? Complete mystery. I have 2 cousins I have seen a total of 6 times EVER! Buying for a stranger is a real joy. I can barely think of suitable things for my son, for heavens sake. (I’m not a bad mother, I just keep straying towards new pants and socks, and away from BB guns, which is what he wants!) And Miss Manners says that gift cards are the penultimate evil, exposing your complete lack of sensitivity to the world. That would nevah do, now would it, Miss Vanderbilt? But I will note with pride that we are sending our last gift for the Pollyanna out tomorrow. Yeah! (Now I have to worry about non-Pollyanna people who deserve gifts, or might get me one and I’ll be forced to respond. Never ending.)
And the flip side here is that you know the system will break down, and I won’t get anything from my designated gifter. Not that it’s about gifts, but it is, a little. Christmas gets a bit thin when you’re older, despite the # of give-her-diamonds-each-year ads on TV. Don’t know about you, but I’ve been getting socks, undies, shampoo, USEFUL things. It is, however, part of a long tradition- after all, Jesus got gold and frankincense. Not a Playstation 3.

I am SOOOooooOOO In Demand... (I Hope)

The "Meat market" has begun, and all of those jobs I showed interest in are deciding whether or not I am worth their time and effort, and weighing my merit relative to other, generally equally qualified people. So far, I've been lucky. There are two positions - "Drugs and Thugs" coordination in Kyiv, Ukraine (see photo for worksite conditions) and a helath job in Moscow - working on Avian Flu, TB and HIV/AIDS. Both sound quite uplifiting (?) So - I hope to find out soon, but in the meantime, feel free to register your vote. Moscow or Kyiv (aka Kiev)? Both have equally icky cuisine, tough weather conditions, poverty, and corruption. But they also both speak Russian, have great Communist tchotchke for sale, and good high school for the little one. Oh, what to do!

RUGBY!

Looks like my dear hubby will be competing in the upcoming Ambassador's Shield, November 19 here in DC. He hasn't tried out yet, but either way we're going to sit by our All Blacks flag and drink Speight's (or Miller if we can't find any Kiwi beer) and harangue the backs about their lack of fluidity, and how much better Dan Carter looks in a tight top than any of them. I'm excited! It is sponsored by the NZ Ambassador (a colleague from my time there) and promises to be some of the best rugby you'll see in the US - for whatever that's worth.
Come one, come all!

Oh, The Humanity!

The latest victim of the escalating U.S. conflict - the internal war between our "native" citizens and our immigrant population. And yet another example of an ally in the War on Terror being rebuked for their service....


US bans Vegemite
Kelvin Healey
October 22, 2006
THE United States has slapped a ban on Vegemite, outraging Australian expatriates there.The bizarre crackdown was prompted because Vegemite contains folate, which in the US can be added only to breads and cereals.
Expatriates say that enforcement of the ban has been stepped up recently and is ruining lifelong traditions of having Vegemite on toast for breakfast.
Former Geelong man Daniel Fogarty, who now lives in Calgary, Canada, said he was stunned when searched while crossing the US border recently.
"The border guard asked us if we were carrying any Vegemite," Mr Fogarty said.
"I was flabbergasted." Paul Watkins, who owns a store called About Australia in San Antonio, Texas, said he had been forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago.
"We have completely stopped bringing it in," he said.
"(US authorities) have made a stance and there is nothing that can be done about it."

Bidding Is Like A Lottery With Your Life

Unlike past years, the focus now is on filling difficult jobs first, and then the relatively "cushier" positions. And unlike past years, where "difficult" meant Tbilisi or Beijing or Jerusalem, this year is means Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a number of other countries with unaccompanied postings - i.e. I can go, but my family can't. This just isn't a time in my life where I want to head off by myself, and with M heading to high school soon, school is supremely important. And this pressure is really unfortunate because we ARE willing to serve in a hard spot - I"m looking at Beijing, Moscow, Lima, Bogota, Lusaka (this is a test of your geography skills!) - all places with difficult living and/or working conditions. I don't know how it's all going to turn out, and I know we'll land on our feet, even though it may be somewhere we'd never, ever considered serving. If I play my cards right, I could know by the winter holidays, but it's also possible I could be into March and have no clue where we're headed. It really is like reaching into the lottery ball machine and pulling out a random number sometimes... except without the $1 mn jackpot.