Wednesday, July 11, 2007

All's Quiet on the Eastern Front

Hi All,

I know the suspense must be killing you so I’ll pull the band-aid off fast. We received the letters from both the mayor and the director from the problem district today, and it was accomplished with out additional paperwork! We are feeling much better today. After not getting the documents yesterday as promised I blew a small fuse. We went for Pizza in a downtown cafe (the pizza here is fantastic!), and a beer, then another, and another. Have I mentioned that I have yet to meet a Ukrainian beer I didn't like? Another good thing about Ukraine is that it's metric so the beer is either 1/2 litre , or a whole litre. Anyway I felt better after that. (It's amazing what pizza will do for your attitude!) Vitaly has since dropped all the documents off with the city inspector. She called back at 6:00 PM saying she was on her way to see the mayor of our city to get his signature so the completed documents could be taken to the SDA. The SDA only accepts new documents Mon. Wed. & Fridays so he'll be on a train for Kiev Thursday night to be there for the grand opening Friday. After they sit on it for 5 days Vitaly will pick it up, and we go to court as quickly as possible so we can start the 10 day wait. (This place is slower than Kentucky cousins) The good news is we are slowly moving forward again having gotten over the hurdle that threatened to stop us completely.

We have decided to take a break during the 10 day wait and go to Simferopol. It’s a city between the Black Sea and the Crimean Mountains in southern Ukraine. (Vitalys home town) he has arranged an apartment for us, and will be our tour guide through the day and go home at night. The city is near a castle that was Gorbachev’s summer home during the USSR days. We’re looking forward to the break, and a vacation in a part of the world I least expected to ever go.

The kids are good. They’re getting to know us better everyday. This morning when we arrived Lisa let out a squeal of joy at seeing us and ran straight into Corrine’s arms for a hug and a kiss. (So much for daddy’s girl) It melted Corrine’s heart again, and was the medicine she needed. We keep telling ourselves it’s 2 steps forward and 1 step back in the relationship, but as long as it’s moving forward were happy. Bart surprised me yesterday when he suddenly counted to 10 without prompting or having done it before. He’s starting to learn his ABC’s as well, and has become quite the conman when it comes to treats from Mama. He’ll snuggle in to her begging “Mama Pleeeeease Num Nums” as he’s doing this he’s trying to sneak into her purse. This afternoon Lisa was blowing bubbles when she managed to spill some soapy water in her eye. She came straight to me, and I took her over to the sink to wash it out. A week ago she would have gone to a caregiver. Bart fell this morning scraping his arm when Corrine got to him she walked him to a bench and wiped him down with a wet wipe, and a kiss on the boo boo. Then they sat together for some quiet time. We have had our challenging days with them but those days are becoming fewer, and fewer. Another help are the caregivers who know the adoption is moving ahead so they’re pushing the kids our way.

To answer a question; Kim is the same age as her tongue and older than her teeth (Happy Birthday!). I know a restaurant on King St. that will pay $20.00 each for the kittens. I want half, Corrine wants the other half!

Thanks for the comments and support. It's great to hear any news from home.

TTFN
R&C

3 comments:

Andrea said...

It's good to hear things are on the up-and-up and light is definitely shining at the end of the tunnel. Fingers are crossed here your troubles are a thing of the past and the last hurdles present no more issues with the adoption.

Will/can you be taking the children with you on your vacation?

Nothing earth-shattering happening here in Wpg. The mosquito problem continues unabated as we keep getting significant rain events. The slough out back is getting lots of attention from WSP & provincial-types. I accosted them in your driveway...not knowing what they were up to and knowing you were away. There's talk of drainage, however, there'll have to be surveying done, etc. Not to mention a provincial biologist to determine the validity of the 'habitat' that is being maintained for some sort of bird in the reeds. West Nile is the driving force for these investigations as our mosquitoes are showing high levels of infection with the virus. Happy, happy, joy, joy. The plus side of that is that we are being larvicided and fogged regularly. The new neighbours across from you have their shop up now and it's hardly noticeable. Nice building.

Wishing you well all the while,
Best regards
The Hilderman's

Georgina and Mark said...

I never thought I would meet someone who says the same thing as me about age. As old a the tongue but older than the teeth. Cool.

Glad see to the hurdle was overcome. I check in almost everyday to see if there is any more news.

Take care.

Nan said...

Hi guys,
There is a small conflict in the U.S. now and maybe Canada over where the Simpsons live. Several towns want their claim to fame, no kidding this is actually happening. Little do they know the family is in W.St. Paul....

Corrine,I have been out saskatoon picking & am going out again tomorrow morning, on the path by my house,(Harte Trail). There will be a pie on the dinner table tomorrow nite. I hope to put some in the freezer for you guys when you get back.

So glad to hear things are moving along , & will talk with you again soon.Looking forward to your coming home, can hardly wait.