Snow Day

We woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning, less than an inch, but it sure is pretty. Snow just makes the dreary winter world look better :-)

I thought you might like to know what our daily routine is. We get up in the morning and have yogurt or cereal for breakfast around 9. We meet Victor and Sveta and the Wonderful VW bus at 10 to go to the orphanage and see Gideon. N usually meets us there and we stay with Gideon until 11:30 or 12. While we are there, Sveta is usually busy with paperwork and official appointments on our behalf. We have lunch from 12 to 1:30 or so (have I mentioned the food is terrific?) Then we come to the internet place to check emails and post up our news. This is more like an arcade than a cafe. There are always a gaggle of young men here playing video games for 5 grievna (that would be 1 dollar) an hour. When we leave the internet we head back to the hotel where N gets an English lesson while we play cards or read and rest. At 4 we usually drop N off close to her aunts house and then head back to the orphanage to spend another couple of hours with Gideon. These sessions are often the hardest because he tends to be fussy. At 6 we go back to the hotel. We play more games or read and then watch a movie on our computer. We also eat a light supper, like a snack of sausage, bread, cheese, and fruit. We generally head to bed between 11:30 and 12. Then we get up the next day and do it again. We are slightly concerned that the 52 DVDs we brought with us will not be enough to get us through but we will tough it out. ;-)

Things with Gideon are improving. Overall his nightly fits are getting shorter and Bruce was quite pleased with himself when he managed to get his son belly laughing at him. It was a beautiful sound! We also notice that G is much more verbal since we came. He still doesn't have very many words, but he verbalizes a lot more than he used to. He also understands our English pretty well. He understands simple commands and questions. As well as the English names for many of the items we bring with us. (cup,coat,hat, book, blocks, etc.)

We are a little concerned about N. She has not met us at the orphanage for the last 2 days. We're not sure what this means, if it means anything. She may be having second thoughts, she may be sick, she may be tied up doing things for her aunt with whom she is staying. We just don't know and don't really have a way to get in contact with her. We are praying for her safety and health and for God's will to be done.

I guess that is all for now. We will be thinking about the St Paul choir as you rehearse tonight.

Peace of Christ,
BLN&G