Ukraine Adoption

Soccer part II

Tara was so giddy to see her dad and brother standing on the sidelines at her soccer game Monday that she she seemed to have extra energy on the field (is that possible?)

She was hopping, running, squealing, spinning. And that was during her 5-minute break.

Tara took the ball down the field at lightning speed (did so) right in front of us a few times, and I don't know who was more excited, her or her cheering family. What is it about watching our kids in sports that gets us all so pumped up?

PS: Thanks to my Mom for a lovely Mother's Day at her house on Sunday!

Mother's Day

A happy Mother's Day to all the moms who have children and to all the moms waiting for their children from faraway lands.

Don't give up.

Which way is up

In our state, and our state of mind, we suffer through the winters by staying indoors in the cold, dark evenings. Exercise is limited to walking in the wind, scraping the ice off our windshields, and driving in slow, slippery traffic.

But when the shade comes up for spring, that glorious season, we run around like crazy people trying to jam in as much fun and sun and outdoor activities as humanly possible all the way until Thanksgiving, if we're lucky. We work a whole year's worth into about 7 or 8 months.

Which brings me to today. After a full day at work, I will rush home to take Tara to her second-ever soccer practice and game at 6:30 p.m. How will she do after her stellar debut last week? Only time will tell.

Afterward, I will rush her home to a sitter, the girl next door whom Tara adores, and I will scurry off to Austin's baseball game that starts at 8 p.m. and is about a 35 minute drive from my house. That's right, a ballgame under the lights for a 13-year-old's baseball team.

And the crazy thing about all of this is: I'm looking forward to it. Bring on spring!

Run Tara Run

The sun was setting and the chill returned to the air. Moms and dads on the sidelines were bundled in winter coats and vests. I grabbed and hugged Tara one more time before sending her off to her first ever soccer game. "Remember to kick the ball that way!" I whispered in her ear. She nodded and ran onto the field, her ponytail bobbing. Did she really understand?

Off they went, a clump of kids chasing the ball. What a sight! Some kids were kicking dandelions, others were looking up at the sky. Tara was timid at first, following along with the crowd. Her friend Mallory is on the team; Mallory's dad is a coach. After the first few minutes, they had a quick break. I pulled her aside: Get to the ball! Kick it down the field! Chase it!

Then she got the idea. Little Tara Vika kicked that ball again and again! She ran after it, turned it around and kicked it toward the goal. She stuck her leg in the mix, again and again. Before long, I could hear others yelling her name. Two different moms asked, "Who is the little girl in the blue socks??" That's Tara, I said. "Has she played a lot of soccer?" One asked me. Why no, this is her first game ever, I said. They couldn't believe it.
She was in constant motion, zipping this way and that, sometimes actually making a difference in the game.
In the middle of the game, her coach looked at me and said, "She's fast!" Another coach told me: "Tara really gets it. She knows the game. She knows to turn and go the right way. Not a lot of kids get it like she does."

Alas, she didn't score any goals. And she did cry once, when she got kicked hard in the shin--just above the shin guard. The cold air made it sting. But she recovered quickly.

Just wait until next week...

See the light

It's warm and sunny and Tara and I are actually starting to crawl out of the sickness that darkened our doorway ALL week. We are both still suffering from colds and coughs, but hopefully past the multiple days of fever. I've been told that lots of kids in her school were out sick last week from a fever. Let's hope this is the last wave of illness before summer.

Today we are both still in our pajamas, hanging out and watching movies. Sure, that sounds fun, but it would be a lot more fun if we weren't sniffling, coughing and weak!

So I finally found a few minutes to read other families' blogs. It's so sad to see some have gone home childless, others have been spending weeks and weeks in Ukraine. What is going on?!? It's just so frustratingly sad.

I have just learned that a few days ago, Ukraine's president signed a law that prohibits singles from adopting in Ukraine, and also allows only 45 years between the age of the oldest parent and the child they are adopting. Message boards say some singles and older parents who are in Ukraine and met their children aren't getting court dates now because of the new law. This is tragic! Not only for the families (suffering an indescribable pain and sense of loss I'm sure), but the children who were bonding with these families and preparing to leave the orphanage for good. What happens to them now?? They will feel abandoned. Again.

Meanwhile, we have just passed our "Gotcha Day" with Tara. Three years ago I carried her out of an orphanage in Kiev. We only celebrate it silently now. Her transition and assimilation into our family is rather seemless these days. In other words, she has always been a part of our family.

Still down and out

Today we are both home sick. I caught the fever.
Tara's doctor checked her out this morning, it's apparently a virus and not strep throat or anything.
A little time and TLC and she'll be fine. Now how long will it take ME to get well, when I don't have time to be sick??

Down and Out

Little Tara Vika rarely gets sick, so when I saw her crumpled up on the floor in the hallway outside my bedroom door early this morning, I knew she was not over the virus that struck her late Saturday night.

Poor little thing, her cheeks were flush and damp from tears, her hair tangled and in her face. She was angry at me, as children blame their parents when the world isn't quite right.

Her forehead was hot. "I need medicine and you were taking too long!" she screamed at me. I scooped her (ahh, this must be why my back started hurting yesterday). We headed downstairs where I set her up on the couch with a blanket. I gave her some medicine. You will start to feel better in just a little while, I told her and kissed her head. It's nice that John works from home; I don't have to scramble to try to figure out my work situation.

Seeing her on the couch with a blanket, it reminded me of the days when I got to stay home sick. There's something so comforting about skipping school and lying on the couch all day. I should have bought some ginger ale, that's what my mom always gave us. But Tara likes to have popsicles when she is sick or injured.

When I was ready to leave, Tara seemed to be feeling better. She sat up a little straighter and managed a weak smile. Then asked: "How many popsicles can I have today?"