Tuesday in Sumy

Hello Everyone, We have now been in the Ukraine for over a week. We both are longing for our beds, hot water and a big steak! 

Our visits with Kolya are going pretty good.  We visit twice a day for a couple of hours (unless he is in "school").  The visits usually consist of about 15 minutes of writing his name and going through the list of english words and names, 30 minutes of him eating or asking for more food and the rest of the time is spent playing, jumping, running, climbing, crawling all over me and Maury!!!  Maury calls him "little Hiroshima"!  The name fits!

He is picking up words quickly.  He can count to five (with a little encouragment), can write the letters "O" and "L" in his name - the "K" looks like something else  .. soooo, we have just decided to call him "OL" - why make it hard on him!  ha

Karmon fell last night while ice skating - she hurt her knee.  Got a call around 2:00 am our time.. I hate those kind of calls...  It sounds like she will be fine.  She has her mothers grace.  I fell down some stairs at a toy store in Kieve...  For the Strausman bunch... Maury called me "Sherry".   

Kyle sounds good and is back in school.  He told me last night that he thought he had a girlfriend.  It is Adrienne.. the girl that he has been dating for a while.  He just didn't realize it until this weekend (so he says).  BOYS!

We left the orphanage today and the kids were outside playing.   They didn't want us to leave.. they hung on Maury's leg and begged us to stay.. to take them home..  to hold them.  It is hearbreaking and rewarding all at the same time.  They are the sweetest things.

Kolya's medical test all came back negative - looks like he is a healthy child!!!  That is great news.  We will go on with the adoption process now.  Hoping to get a court date this week .. .if we can't it will be next Wednesday.  Once that is over with, we can head home!!!!  >I am dancing in he internet cafe as I write those words!!<

Maury and I have mastered ordering food in a restaurant where the menu's are in Ukraine and not one person speaks English.  I really don't know what we are eating, but so far so good!

Take care, we will write again later,
Maury and Kim