The One That Is All Routine...

Dave sez,

I was just thinking about how I was settling into a comfortable routine, when my routine was abruptly changed.

This must be what fall is like in Kiev; cloudy, foggy and cold. I think it may have been one day last week when I last saw the sun. I got up a little after seven. In the states in is No-Shave-November for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Hopefully next year I may get to participate. Ethan has been very diligent in reminding me to shave. I can only get away with NOT shaving every other day. A day's growth of bear stubble and I hear, 'Poppee..." and he makes a gesture of swiping his chin with a razor with the sound effect! "Yeah?!"  Da, Ethan, da. Popi will shave in the morning. Promise. Over the weekend I shaved both Saturday and Sunday. I think i shaved Monday, skipped yesterday, then shaved today.

Out the door a little after eight this morning, on the Number Eighteen to Independence Square, in to McDonald's for a couple egg McMuffins and hash browns, then on to the subway. I didn't have to wait long for the 507, since I got off at Holosiivska closer to nine. It was an unusually busy rush hour this morning with commuters racing from the subway to the buses outside Holosiivska station. I mad sure while I waited that I got well enough out of the way. I got out to the orphanage at maybe ten fifteen after. Ethan was still in bed sound asleep. I woke him up, then waited for him in the classroom. I can tell he's getting bored with the English routine, so today is probably the last day for the routine he's been in. He is learning some words, but he's not retaining anything. Some days he shows improvement. Days like yesterday and today, he's more in a hurry to get through it as quickly as possible and move on to whatever is next. Yesterday it was the computer video games. The classroom computer was shut down, and the teacher wasn't around, so that was out. Good thing I brought my computer to watch a movie.

We watched Iron Mans 1 and 2. Which pretty much took up the entire visit. At 2:30 Masha was back from school and Justin Hammer was just unveiling Ivan Vanko's drones at the Stark Expo. I got my excited "Popi!" and hug. Ethan's response was a high falsetto, "Popi!", then "Pfphah!" Gave him the John Belushi look from National Lampoon's Animal House - the one raised eyebrow, and he giggled. I remind him as much as possible of how he introduced Cathy and me to Masha. before we even saw her, he said, "Masha...sister?!" I keep asking him, "Da, or nyet?" He looks at me more sincerely and says, "Da."

Since Saturday, I've been bringing them both a Snickers bar each, along with a roll of Starbursts and Skittles. Ethan and I share Lifesavers during English and whatever else. Today he was pretty antsy for his candy. I've been making him wait until Masha is back from school and I give them both their candy along with hugs from me and Cathy, a kiss on the forehead for both of them and then I'm on my way back.

I managed to catch another 507 around three back to Holosiivska. Back at Independence Square I made my way over to McDonald's for a couple of burgers and then the long walk uphill and back to the apartment. When I got there, though the doors were locked and the lights were out, with hand printed signs I couldn't read. Fortunately, there is a McDonald's down below in the food court in the mall. Apparently there, though, they do not have hamburgers. They just have the Big Mac's and Quarter Pounders. So, I switched my order for two hamburgers to a Big Mac. I thought the price was a little high until I was handed TWO Big Macs to go. I don't get the meal, just the sandwiches. I come back to the apartment and have my burgers with hot tea. I'm wondering what happened to close down the street level McDonald's, and if it will be open in the morning for breakfast.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a uniquely western observed holiday, celebrating the migration of the Pilgrims to the new world, and the first harvest...at least those are the highlights from Wikipedia.

The most recent Ukrainian holiday was Independence Day in August. Following New Year's Day, January 1st, Orthodox Christmas is coming on January 7th.

It is hard to imagine, but we are very close to wrapping up our journey here. Early next week we will have the court's final decree and I will be able to get Ethan's new birth certificate. if we are able to get that and his tax identification number in the same day, more the better. If not, there is still time. Probably Friday, I'll check with Igor to see what day all that will come up, along with getting his passport photo taken. The other question will be, what day next week or the following week will I be able to bring Ethan back to Kiev to the apartment? Once he's back here in Kiev, with me there's only his physical and his visa at the Consulate left. It's just a handful of things happening in a short amount of time. Compared to last year, this trip doesn't seem very long at all.

This is the first Thanksgiving in twenty-two years that Cathy and I have not spent together. We will remember it for years to come as the Thanksgiving we had the MOST to be thankful for. We have Justin and Ethan. There was a time when we wondered if we would every reach a moment like this. If we would ever have ONE child. Now we have TWO.

Who knows what harvest tomorrow will bring us?

Next year, I want a Thanksgiving photo like this one: