About 90 minutes after dinner Y decided to grace us with his presence again. He went into his TV room to watch the boob tube, but at least he was on the same floor as the two of us. Bill and I were cleaning out/rearranging the pantry in anticipation of a trip to Kroger. My list was long, so I asked Y if he wanted to go to Kroger with me.
Ahhh, the magic word: Kroger.
The ultimate store. You can get anything there, just ask Y. When he first came back to the USA, he thought you could buy Sony Playstation portables at Kroger. Alas, he was quite upset when he found out they only sell food and some other small sundries. But, he does love Kroger. They sell candy there, you know. He even gets to buy some of it every once in a while.
His response to my question, "Yesss!" while jumping up and down. His jumps got a little lower when I told him he could only buy one bag of candy.
"No, Mama! Five!"
"No, one - because I'm the mama."
"I eat quick!"
"Yes, and candy is expensive. That's why you only get one bag."
"Maybe, Mama."
We even had a good conversation (in English) while we drove to the store. He wanted to know why I didn't like his bio father. I told him that I did not like what his bio father says to him every time he calls. "What he say, Mama?" I told him I didn't like that his bio father tells him not to speak English. He said his bio father never says that. So, I asked him why he refuses to speak English after he speaks to his bio father. "I don't know." I also told him that I do not like that his bio father asks him to send money and shoes. He told me it is very bad in Ukraine right now. His father cannot buy shoes for himself. I told him I was sorry his bio father cannot buy his own shoes, but that does not mean that we have to buy shoes for him. Y then asked when he could call his bio father again. I told him maybe in two weeks. Y said that his bio father's birthday is in two weeks. I told him it would be okay to call his bio father to say "Happy Birthday." We even bought him a birthday card that says, "Guess what I got you for your birthday? Nothing!" I thought it was quite appropriate. It has a funny picture of an orangutan sticking out it's tongue. I told Y he could write a letter telling his bio father what the card says and that he could include a few pictures inside the card. He was very happy about that.
Later he asked me upstairs to help him install a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on his computer. Miko and Goofy, our labs, were outside enjoying keeping the deer out of the back yard. Squirt, our pit bull, made himself comfy up on Y's bed, while Tigger, our fat cat, just had to see the view out of all four of Y's windows. When I noticed that Squirt was on Y's bed, I pointed the fact out to him.
I said (in Russian), "Squirt loves me."
Y - "Nyet."
Me - "Yes, he loves me."
Y - "Not today."
M - "Just a little bit?"
Y - "Nyet."
M - "Maybe tomorrow he loves me a little bit?"
Y - "Nyet. No tomorrow."
M - "Maybe the day after tomorrow?"
Y - "No."
Short pause.
M - "I love you."
Y - "I no love you."
M - "Maybe tomorrow? Little bit?"
Y - "No tomorrow."
M - "Maybe the day after tomorrow?"
Pause.
Y - "Maybe. Little bit."
VICTORY!!!!
Natalie
TX
PS - While working on Y's computer I noticed that he had only one photograph displayed on his desktop (under his user name and our user name). I don't know how he found it, but he had copied the photo from this blog that is displayed in my user profile. The one with Mama, Y and the Judge taken right after our court date.
Double Victory!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Refusal to Speak English
Y has been in a tizzy since calling his bio father on Saturday. He had a conniption fit last night when Bill told him to go to bed because he had ESL school this morning. He only has another 23 two hour days (spaced over two months), but he is very annoyed to go to school in the summer. We tried explaining that we don't think he's stupid, we're just trying to help him. But, he doesn't want to hear it.
He asked me the other day if he could have his own email account. I said, okay, since I've already created one on kidmail.net. However, I'm having trouble getting the thing to work. It does not work with a MacBook, so I need some time on Y's computer to set up MS Outlook, or maybe I can do it from work, I don't know. This afternoon he asked about it again, so I decided to set up a gmail account for him using a password that I already knew. He was very annoyed that I would know his password. So annoyed that he told me that he wants to email his bio father in Ukraine. That is why he wants an email address so badly.
Well, that put the kibosh on it immediately. I deleted the account, and told him why I was doing so. I'm sure he thinks it's just something else I said I would do and am now backing down on. I told him that he would not be able to email his bio father. He can write him a letter, and we'll send it in the mail. We do not want unsupervised access to his bio father at this time. Read the post below for more information. As soon as I can get the kidmail.net account to work, he can email to his heart's content. We can block him from receiving emails from anyone we do not wish him to email.
Luckily when Bill set up his computer he put parental controls on it that allow him to access everything Y has done on the computer. Hopefully he won't try to set up his own email account somewhere that we don't know about. Bill said he will check it later on today or tomorrow when Y goes to acrobatics.
So, today Y has elected to not speak any English, to either of us. He does not want to participate in being a family member today. I told him I will no longer respond to anything he says in Russian. He was saying simple things that I know he knows in Russian, such as, "I want," and "I don't understand." If he wants to regress back to that, we'll regress back to not acknowledging any Russian.
He will now have to earn the privilege to call anyone in Ukraine, including his friends. Bill says he wants to start paying him an allowance ($5/wk) plus extra for certain chores (ie - $1/wk for vacuuming the 2nd floor and cleaning his room, $1/wk for taking the trash out when the bag is full, $1k/wk for taking the trash cans to the street and returning them to their spot each week, $1/wk for emptying the dishwasher, $5/wk for washing each car, and more for other chores to be decided on in advance). Two things that do not qualify for cashola: laundry and dog walking. They have their own inherent benefits: clean clothes and sloppy wet kisses.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Update - Y came down right away for dinner when Bill called him. He is still subdued, but at least he thanked Papa for dinner in English. I'll take the little victories where I can get them.
Natalie
TX
He asked me the other day if he could have his own email account. I said, okay, since I've already created one on kidmail.net. However, I'm having trouble getting the thing to work. It does not work with a MacBook, so I need some time on Y's computer to set up MS Outlook, or maybe I can do it from work, I don't know. This afternoon he asked about it again, so I decided to set up a gmail account for him using a password that I already knew. He was very annoyed that I would know his password. So annoyed that he told me that he wants to email his bio father in Ukraine. That is why he wants an email address so badly.
Well, that put the kibosh on it immediately. I deleted the account, and told him why I was doing so. I'm sure he thinks it's just something else I said I would do and am now backing down on. I told him that he would not be able to email his bio father. He can write him a letter, and we'll send it in the mail. We do not want unsupervised access to his bio father at this time. Read the post below for more information. As soon as I can get the kidmail.net account to work, he can email to his heart's content. We can block him from receiving emails from anyone we do not wish him to email.
Luckily when Bill set up his computer he put parental controls on it that allow him to access everything Y has done on the computer. Hopefully he won't try to set up his own email account somewhere that we don't know about. Bill said he will check it later on today or tomorrow when Y goes to acrobatics.
So, today Y has elected to not speak any English, to either of us. He does not want to participate in being a family member today. I told him I will no longer respond to anything he says in Russian. He was saying simple things that I know he knows in Russian, such as, "I want," and "I don't understand." If he wants to regress back to that, we'll regress back to not acknowledging any Russian.
He will now have to earn the privilege to call anyone in Ukraine, including his friends. Bill says he wants to start paying him an allowance ($5/wk) plus extra for certain chores (ie - $1/wk for vacuuming the 2nd floor and cleaning his room, $1/wk for taking the trash out when the bag is full, $1k/wk for taking the trash cans to the street and returning them to their spot each week, $1/wk for emptying the dishwasher, $5/wk for washing each car, and more for other chores to be decided on in advance). Two things that do not qualify for cashola: laundry and dog walking. They have their own inherent benefits: clean clothes and sloppy wet kisses.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Update - Y came down right away for dinner when Bill called him. He is still subdued, but at least he thanked Papa for dinner in English. I'll take the little victories where I can get them.
Natalie
TX
Monday, June 8, 2009
Calling Ukraine
Y woke me up about 9:30 on Saturday to ask if he could call his friends in Ukraine on my Skype account. I fired up the computer, and let him call. While I was getting ready, my mother came upstairs and asked if Y was talking to his father in Ukraine. I told her, no, he was supposed to be talking to friends at the internat. She said he was talking to a man, so I went downstairs to see if it was the director of the internat's husband.
Nope. It was his birth father.
We told Y we would allow him to have contact with his birth father. He called him one time before when he was really upset about something, and his birth father basically told him he didn't have to listen to us, he could do whatever he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. After that, we made sure to check that he was not calling him when he called overseas.
Well, apparently Y called his friends and they told him that his birth father was crying because Y did not contact him anymore. (I'm thinking of throwing the b.s. flag on that one). As we understand it, his father never contacted him at the internat. Y occasionally (like three or four times a year) called his birth father. Now the guy is all concerned? Not once did he attempt to visit or get his rights back.
I told Y that he had five minutes to complete his call (even I'm not callous enough to make him hang up immediately), because we were going to the zoo. Y told his father he had to go soon because Mama said so, and what does his father do? he asks Y to send him money. Y told him he didn't have any money to send him, so his father asked him to send him some sneakers. They're not expensive, he said. Y immediately asked if we could send his birth father sneakers. I, of course, said, "No." I could see where this was leading even if Y could not. He told his father, no, Mama says she doesn't have any money. It did not seem as if his father believed him. Then they said goodbye and hung up.
Y then pestered me for quite a few minutes. Why couldn't I send him sneakers, they're cheap! I tried to explain even the cheapest pair of sneakers would cost $100 to send to Ukraine, but Y couldn't comprehend that. I waited until we got back to TX to tell Y that we were never going to send any money to his birth father. Nor were we going to send any gifts. He got very angry with me. He said that I told him in Ukraine that I would 'help' his father. I told him I never said any such thing. In fact, I reminded him, that Ig, S, N, the social worker and I all explained to Y before court that we (Bill and I) would never send his birth father any money, nor any gifts. If he, Y, wanted to help his father after he became an adult and got a job, then he could do so, but he was never to expect us to 'help.' Y, of course, remembers this completely the opposite.
I know he has this romantic ideal of his birth father, but as far as I'm concerned he's acted more like a sperm donor than a father. I was told that he was incarcerated at one point while Y was in the internat, so I understand that he was physically prevented from visiting; but, he was not incarcerated for 6+ years.
Hopefully, with time, Y will see this ploy for money and gifts as what it is: his birth father is using him. Plain and simple. He tells him not to listen to us, not to speak English, and to do whatever he pleases - just send me money and gifts!
Needless to say, I told Y today that he would no longer be allowed to call his birth father. He may write him a letter and send him a picture, but that is all. We are not even willing to give him our home address, we will use our post office box.
Y was not pleased, so I am back to being "Natasha," and not Mama anymore. We'll see how long it lasts this time. Last time I was only "Natasha" for a day and a half.
Well, on another note, we did go to the zoo. Y was a pill the entire time (as he usually is after he speaks with his birth father), until we got to the reptile exhibit. It seems snakes and spiders bring out the fun in all boys.
After three hours walking around the zoo, we zipped back home and Y was cold again. I hope he's not coming down with what I have. He really didn't want to stay there any longer. He was ready to come home Saturday night, but our tickets weren't until Sunday at 5pm. He didn't even want to play video games with Pat at first, but that didn't last long. Y even sat through the entire Penguins game, even though he doesn't like hockey. Unfortunately the Pens blew it big time. Better luck tomorrow night, I hope.
Sunday was uneventful, except for the fact that Y refused to shower or change clothes. He also refused to visit my friend Lisa with me. I don't know if he wanted some one-on-one time with Babushka, or if he was just all tired out and couldn't meet even one new person. So, I went alone and stayed for about an hour before having to head back to my mom's and then to the airport. Y was a pill on the plane, too, because I wouldn't pony up any cash for him to connect to the internet. Poor child. How will he survive!
He didn't perk up at all until we got home and he saw Papa and Goofy, and Miko, and Squirt, and Tigger and Daisy. He also could barely wait five minutes until Bill put in the password so he could play Counter Strike for 90 minutes before going to bed. I told him when he started that he had to go to bed by midnight, and he said okay. When Bill went up and told him to turn the computer off, he told Bill, "I'm 14 and I can go to bed whenever I want." Bill, of course, informed him that he would be turning the computer off now, or else Bill would disconnect it and take it with him. Y chose to turn the computer off and was heard asleep within fifteen minutes. Funny, because he kept saying he wasn't tired.
He was up at 7:30 this morning, bugging me to turn the game back on. Not likely. He seemed to think he was going to play that video game all day. He didn't even want to take the dogs for a walk at 10:30 until Bill told him it was one of his chores and he had to do it. He's been contrary with me all day. We'll see if that gets any better tomorrow morning when he has to get up and be at school at 8am for 4 hours of reading lessons. Not really looking forward to that battle, but I'm sure we'll win it.
Gotta go home now.
Natalie
TX
Nope. It was his birth father.
We told Y we would allow him to have contact with his birth father. He called him one time before when he was really upset about something, and his birth father basically told him he didn't have to listen to us, he could do whatever he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. After that, we made sure to check that he was not calling him when he called overseas.
Well, apparently Y called his friends and they told him that his birth father was crying because Y did not contact him anymore. (I'm thinking of throwing the b.s. flag on that one). As we understand it, his father never contacted him at the internat. Y occasionally (like three or four times a year) called his birth father. Now the guy is all concerned? Not once did he attempt to visit or get his rights back.
I told Y that he had five minutes to complete his call (even I'm not callous enough to make him hang up immediately), because we were going to the zoo. Y told his father he had to go soon because Mama said so, and what does his father do? he asks Y to send him money. Y told him he didn't have any money to send him, so his father asked him to send him some sneakers. They're not expensive, he said. Y immediately asked if we could send his birth father sneakers. I, of course, said, "No." I could see where this was leading even if Y could not. He told his father, no, Mama says she doesn't have any money. It did not seem as if his father believed him. Then they said goodbye and hung up.
Y then pestered me for quite a few minutes. Why couldn't I send him sneakers, they're cheap! I tried to explain even the cheapest pair of sneakers would cost $100 to send to Ukraine, but Y couldn't comprehend that. I waited until we got back to TX to tell Y that we were never going to send any money to his birth father. Nor were we going to send any gifts. He got very angry with me. He said that I told him in Ukraine that I would 'help' his father. I told him I never said any such thing. In fact, I reminded him, that Ig, S, N, the social worker and I all explained to Y before court that we (Bill and I) would never send his birth father any money, nor any gifts. If he, Y, wanted to help his father after he became an adult and got a job, then he could do so, but he was never to expect us to 'help.' Y, of course, remembers this completely the opposite.
I know he has this romantic ideal of his birth father, but as far as I'm concerned he's acted more like a sperm donor than a father. I was told that he was incarcerated at one point while Y was in the internat, so I understand that he was physically prevented from visiting; but, he was not incarcerated for 6+ years.
Hopefully, with time, Y will see this ploy for money and gifts as what it is: his birth father is using him. Plain and simple. He tells him not to listen to us, not to speak English, and to do whatever he pleases - just send me money and gifts!
Needless to say, I told Y today that he would no longer be allowed to call his birth father. He may write him a letter and send him a picture, but that is all. We are not even willing to give him our home address, we will use our post office box.
Y was not pleased, so I am back to being "Natasha," and not Mama anymore. We'll see how long it lasts this time. Last time I was only "Natasha" for a day and a half.
Well, on another note, we did go to the zoo. Y was a pill the entire time (as he usually is after he speaks with his birth father), until we got to the reptile exhibit. It seems snakes and spiders bring out the fun in all boys.
After three hours walking around the zoo, we zipped back home and Y was cold again. I hope he's not coming down with what I have. He really didn't want to stay there any longer. He was ready to come home Saturday night, but our tickets weren't until Sunday at 5pm. He didn't even want to play video games with Pat at first, but that didn't last long. Y even sat through the entire Penguins game, even though he doesn't like hockey. Unfortunately the Pens blew it big time. Better luck tomorrow night, I hope.
Sunday was uneventful, except for the fact that Y refused to shower or change clothes. He also refused to visit my friend Lisa with me. I don't know if he wanted some one-on-one time with Babushka, or if he was just all tired out and couldn't meet even one new person. So, I went alone and stayed for about an hour before having to head back to my mom's and then to the airport. Y was a pill on the plane, too, because I wouldn't pony up any cash for him to connect to the internet. Poor child. How will he survive!
He didn't perk up at all until we got home and he saw Papa and Goofy, and Miko, and Squirt, and Tigger and Daisy. He also could barely wait five minutes until Bill put in the password so he could play Counter Strike for 90 minutes before going to bed. I told him when he started that he had to go to bed by midnight, and he said okay. When Bill went up and told him to turn the computer off, he told Bill, "I'm 14 and I can go to bed whenever I want." Bill, of course, informed him that he would be turning the computer off now, or else Bill would disconnect it and take it with him. Y chose to turn the computer off and was heard asleep within fifteen minutes. Funny, because he kept saying he wasn't tired.
He was up at 7:30 this morning, bugging me to turn the game back on. Not likely. He seemed to think he was going to play that video game all day. He didn't even want to take the dogs for a walk at 10:30 until Bill told him it was one of his chores and he had to do it. He's been contrary with me all day. We'll see if that gets any better tomorrow morning when he has to get up and be at school at 8am for 4 hours of reading lessons. Not really looking forward to that battle, but I'm sure we'll win it.
Gotta go home now.
Natalie
TX
Fun Fest
Late Thursday night my sister came with her husband, daughter and son. Y and I were already asleep, so we said our hellos the next morning. Thank goodness there were so many relatives to keep Y company in the morning, Mama got to sleep in till after 10!
You'd think I would've been quite rested after ten hours of sleep, but I spent half the night trying not to hack up a lung. I even made an appointment with the doctor for after I got home, I want to know what's been bugging me for the past month. It's not really getting any better, either. I'll let you know later what I found out.
Anyways, back to Friday with the cousins and Dyedushka (grandfather). Y and Patrick (my 11yr old nephew) spent the morning playing Pat's XBOX, and watching cartoons while Faith (my 8yr old niece) drew us all pictures. Then we went to see 'Night at the Museum - The Smithsonian.' Very cute movie, where the boys all sat on one side of the row and the girls on the other. After we were all popcorned out, we met my dad and stepmother at a place called Fun Fest. It is essentially a bowling alley with a game area and a laser tag room attached to one end.
Needless to say, once Pat and Y saw the game area, we didn't need to do anything to entertain them other than about ten bucks worth of tokens. Each of the three kids racked up over 150 tickets, but they were kind of bummed when they saw the "prizes." Cheap stuff from overseas. Probably could've spent $3 and bought them everything they won, but they had a good time, nonetheless.
My dad had coupons for buy one, get one for both laser tag and bowling. We did laser tag first. We split into two groups, me, my sister Laure and my dad on one team; Y, Pat, Faith and my brother-in-law Mike (they needed one adult on the team) on the other. We were green, they were red. They creamed us. Mike came in first by "killing" 40+ times, and only getting "killed" once. Y was second, but only because he got 'killed' three times. Pat was third and Faith fourth. My father, the professional police officer, came in FIFTH place! He said if there were little circles on the targets he could've hit them. Laure was sixth and I was 'dead' last. Carol did not play, but she said she had a blast watching us.
Then we put on some bowling shoes and went for another show down. Mike won that one, too. Show off. The kids played by themselves, and Faith won their game. She was the only one with the advantage of the bumpers. Since all they served there was pizza and no one wanted that, we went to Denny's for dinner. I hate to think what my dad paid for the pleasure of seeing two of his children and all three of his grandkids at once. Y and Pat even tried to have a burping contest at the table, but my sis quashed that one really quick. Some people just don't know how to have fun.
Then it was back home for more video games and Sponge Bob until it was time for Babushka to watch "So you think you can dance?"
Y was very quiet after we got home. He said he was cold, and kept his jacket on for quite a while. I felt his forehead and he seemed a little warm, so I gave him a painkiller. That seemed to help, but he even went to bed all on his own at 9:30pm. Unusual for him, he always gives me lip at bed time.
The next morning he seemed to be better, but still tired. I probably kept him up all night with my coughing. He slept on a mattress on the floor in my old room.
Next post about Saturday in the 'Burgh.
Natalie
TX
You'd think I would've been quite rested after ten hours of sleep, but I spent half the night trying not to hack up a lung. I even made an appointment with the doctor for after I got home, I want to know what's been bugging me for the past month. It's not really getting any better, either. I'll let you know later what I found out.
Anyways, back to Friday with the cousins and Dyedushka (grandfather). Y and Patrick (my 11yr old nephew) spent the morning playing Pat's XBOX, and watching cartoons while Faith (my 8yr old niece) drew us all pictures. Then we went to see 'Night at the Museum - The Smithsonian.' Very cute movie, where the boys all sat on one side of the row and the girls on the other. After we were all popcorned out, we met my dad and stepmother at a place called Fun Fest. It is essentially a bowling alley with a game area and a laser tag room attached to one end.
Needless to say, once Pat and Y saw the game area, we didn't need to do anything to entertain them other than about ten bucks worth of tokens. Each of the three kids racked up over 150 tickets, but they were kind of bummed when they saw the "prizes." Cheap stuff from overseas. Probably could've spent $3 and bought them everything they won, but they had a good time, nonetheless.
My dad had coupons for buy one, get one for both laser tag and bowling. We did laser tag first. We split into two groups, me, my sister Laure and my dad on one team; Y, Pat, Faith and my brother-in-law Mike (they needed one adult on the team) on the other. We were green, they were red. They creamed us. Mike came in first by "killing" 40+ times, and only getting "killed" once. Y was second, but only because he got 'killed' three times. Pat was third and Faith fourth. My father, the professional police officer, came in FIFTH place! He said if there were little circles on the targets he could've hit them. Laure was sixth and I was 'dead' last. Carol did not play, but she said she had a blast watching us.
Then we put on some bowling shoes and went for another show down. Mike won that one, too. Show off. The kids played by themselves, and Faith won their game. She was the only one with the advantage of the bumpers. Since all they served there was pizza and no one wanted that, we went to Denny's for dinner. I hate to think what my dad paid for the pleasure of seeing two of his children and all three of his grandkids at once. Y and Pat even tried to have a burping contest at the table, but my sis quashed that one really quick. Some people just don't know how to have fun.
Then it was back home for more video games and Sponge Bob until it was time for Babushka to watch "So you think you can dance?"
Y was very quiet after we got home. He said he was cold, and kept his jacket on for quite a while. I felt his forehead and he seemed a little warm, so I gave him a painkiller. That seemed to help, but he even went to bed all on his own at 9:30pm. Unusual for him, he always gives me lip at bed time.
The next morning he seemed to be better, but still tired. I probably kept him up all night with my coughing. He slept on a mattress on the floor in my old room.
Next post about Saturday in the 'Burgh.
Natalie
TX
Kennywood
Well, we made it to Pittsburgh just fine. All except my left eardrum, that was. It didn't stop popping for over 24 hours.
There was a little bit of a miscue getting picked up at the airport. My Auntie Joan and cousin Julie accompanied my mom for the momentous occasion. It seems they went in one door and we came out the other. Aunt Joan noticed us and started yelling for them to come back, but it was too late. They had a nice sign made up welcoming Y to Pittsburgh and the family. We didn't get to see it until we were in the car.
We did get a nice view of the city coming through the Ft Pitt Tunnel. Babushka told him the city was just the other side, and when he saw it Y said, "Big city!" We immediately went to my mom's house for dinner. Even Uncle Craig showed up, bearing a football (the American kind). He doesn't normally do family functions, so that was a surprise. We all settled down to watch the Penguins win a great game of hockey later that night, too.
Thursday seemed a very good day to go visit Kennywood. I tried to tell Y it was a park with roller coasters, and he kept trying to bring his roller blades with us. Cousin Julie told him it's not that kind of park, but you'll like it anyway! Early afternoon, the three of us piled into mom's car and it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to get the seat to lower so that my head wasn't hitting the roof liner. Twenty minutes after that we were parking the car outside the gates.
Y's eyes were pretty big at that point. I don't think he'd ever been to an amusement park before. He told me he'd been to a water park, though. We started out with the Jack Rabbit. A quick old wooden roller coaster, but not too quick. Maybe 50 miles per hour at it's height. When the ride started, I told Y to raise his hands in the air. He said, "Why?," and I got to use that good ole parent stand by - "Because I said so!" At the end of the ride he said, "I no like!" What - you don't like roller coasters!!! No, it turns out he just doesn't like to raise his arms in the air.
We got a quick bite to eat and then went on this pendulum thingy that made me quite queasy. Food in the tummy combined with sinus problems - not the ride to go on. Don't worry, everything stayed right where it was supposed to be, but during the middle of the ride (with my eyes closed, concentrating on not puking) I heard Y say, "Mama, why you no like?" All I could think was in just a few more seconds, you may find out.
After that it was off to the Thunderbolt. You need a partner for that ride, so Julie and Y went together while I waited. The Thunderbolt is an old wooden roller coaster that goes about 60-70 miles an hour or so. Forty years ago it was voted one of the best in the country. Y was quite animated when they got off the ride. I asked him if he liked it, and he said, "Yes." Then he showed me what his face looked like during the ride: hands clenched on the bar and a look of sheer terror on his face. Man, if he thought that was scary, wait until we did the Phantom's Revenge!
We had trouble finding the entrance to the Phantom's Revenge, so we ended up going on the Exterminator first. It was the only ride with a line that day. We had to wait about thirty minutes, but it was a pretty good ride. It is an indoor, dark, roller coaster. I have to say, even I couldn't see everywhere we were going seconds before we got there (benefits of working in the dark for almost 20 yrs). The ride twisted and jolted you around so much, it's a good thing I don't have any back problems.
Finally we found the entrance to Phantom's Revenge. Literally, it took longer to walk to the ride than it did to wait to get on it. They had just finished filling one car of riders when we got up there and we had to wait less than a minute for our ride to start. Let me just tell you, this roller coaster requires a seat belt AND one of those bars that comes down so far that you can't breathe properly during the ride. That's okay, because I really didn't have much air in my lungs - I was screaming it all out. The Phantom's Revenge is a 2 minute ten second ride. It takes one minute for the chain to pull you up to the top of the first drop. Literally it's about 10 stories high, maybe more. I don't know. My eyes were closed. From there it is almost a vertical drop and off you go, twisting and turning for over a minute. My ears popped twice on the way down. I think we were going about 90 miles an hour at one point.
After that, we filled our day with the Turnpike (Y drove), the Gran Prix (bumper cars), the Racer, some space alien spinning ride that I refused to go on, and another turn at the Phantom's Revenge. The second ride was as thrilling as the first. Apparently a little too thrilling for one young rider who literally got the crap scared out of them, poor thing.
As we were leaving, Y asked, "We back tomorrow, Mama?" When I told him no, he said, "Okay, next year?"
Natalie
TX
There was a little bit of a miscue getting picked up at the airport. My Auntie Joan and cousin Julie accompanied my mom for the momentous occasion. It seems they went in one door and we came out the other. Aunt Joan noticed us and started yelling for them to come back, but it was too late. They had a nice sign made up welcoming Y to Pittsburgh and the family. We didn't get to see it until we were in the car.
We did get a nice view of the city coming through the Ft Pitt Tunnel. Babushka told him the city was just the other side, and when he saw it Y said, "Big city!" We immediately went to my mom's house for dinner. Even Uncle Craig showed up, bearing a football (the American kind). He doesn't normally do family functions, so that was a surprise. We all settled down to watch the Penguins win a great game of hockey later that night, too.
Thursday seemed a very good day to go visit Kennywood. I tried to tell Y it was a park with roller coasters, and he kept trying to bring his roller blades with us. Cousin Julie told him it's not that kind of park, but you'll like it anyway! Early afternoon, the three of us piled into mom's car and it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to get the seat to lower so that my head wasn't hitting the roof liner. Twenty minutes after that we were parking the car outside the gates.
Y's eyes were pretty big at that point. I don't think he'd ever been to an amusement park before. He told me he'd been to a water park, though. We started out with the Jack Rabbit. A quick old wooden roller coaster, but not too quick. Maybe 50 miles per hour at it's height. When the ride started, I told Y to raise his hands in the air. He said, "Why?," and I got to use that good ole parent stand by - "Because I said so!" At the end of the ride he said, "I no like!" What - you don't like roller coasters!!! No, it turns out he just doesn't like to raise his arms in the air.
We got a quick bite to eat and then went on this pendulum thingy that made me quite queasy. Food in the tummy combined with sinus problems - not the ride to go on. Don't worry, everything stayed right where it was supposed to be, but during the middle of the ride (with my eyes closed, concentrating on not puking) I heard Y say, "Mama, why you no like?" All I could think was in just a few more seconds, you may find out.
After that it was off to the Thunderbolt. You need a partner for that ride, so Julie and Y went together while I waited. The Thunderbolt is an old wooden roller coaster that goes about 60-70 miles an hour or so. Forty years ago it was voted one of the best in the country. Y was quite animated when they got off the ride. I asked him if he liked it, and he said, "Yes." Then he showed me what his face looked like during the ride: hands clenched on the bar and a look of sheer terror on his face. Man, if he thought that was scary, wait until we did the Phantom's Revenge!
We had trouble finding the entrance to the Phantom's Revenge, so we ended up going on the Exterminator first. It was the only ride with a line that day. We had to wait about thirty minutes, but it was a pretty good ride. It is an indoor, dark, roller coaster. I have to say, even I couldn't see everywhere we were going seconds before we got there (benefits of working in the dark for almost 20 yrs). The ride twisted and jolted you around so much, it's a good thing I don't have any back problems.
Finally we found the entrance to Phantom's Revenge. Literally, it took longer to walk to the ride than it did to wait to get on it. They had just finished filling one car of riders when we got up there and we had to wait less than a minute for our ride to start. Let me just tell you, this roller coaster requires a seat belt AND one of those bars that comes down so far that you can't breathe properly during the ride. That's okay, because I really didn't have much air in my lungs - I was screaming it all out. The Phantom's Revenge is a 2 minute ten second ride. It takes one minute for the chain to pull you up to the top of the first drop. Literally it's about 10 stories high, maybe more. I don't know. My eyes were closed. From there it is almost a vertical drop and off you go, twisting and turning for over a minute. My ears popped twice on the way down. I think we were going about 90 miles an hour at one point.
After that, we filled our day with the Turnpike (Y drove), the Gran Prix (bumper cars), the Racer, some space alien spinning ride that I refused to go on, and another turn at the Phantom's Revenge. The second ride was as thrilling as the first. Apparently a little too thrilling for one young rider who literally got the crap scared out of them, poor thing.
As we were leaving, Y asked, "We back tomorrow, Mama?" When I told him no, he said, "Okay, next year?"
Natalie
TX
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Off to Grandmother's House We Go!
Just a quick post. Flying off to Babushka's house in the 'Burgh (hint, check out my blog background) tomorrow morning. Y has been looking forward to it for days. He was a little apprehensive over Easter weekend when we went to visit Bill's side of the family. I think he is more comfortable now for two reasons:
1. He knows more English now than six or so ago.
2. He met Babushka over two years ago on his first hosting visit.
I have no doubt that he still remembers what my mother looks like. He most likely spent hours upon hours studying the photographs he took back with him to Ukraine. All of the kids spend hours looking at those photos and hoping to find a family. Most of the boys in Y's room could name all of my pets, tell me whether the name was a for a cat or a dog and give a general description of what they looked like.
My only hope for tomorrow, other than two uneventful legs of flight, is that my sinuses can survive the trip. Allergy season down here has been horrible this year. Even with two allergy medicines and nightly NyQuil, I still am hacking up half a lung every day and I haven't been able to smell anything for three weeks. Thank goodness Y does not seem to suffer from hayfever like I do.
Natalie
TX
1. He knows more English now than six or so ago.
2. He met Babushka over two years ago on his first hosting visit.
I have no doubt that he still remembers what my mother looks like. He most likely spent hours upon hours studying the photographs he took back with him to Ukraine. All of the kids spend hours looking at those photos and hoping to find a family. Most of the boys in Y's room could name all of my pets, tell me whether the name was a for a cat or a dog and give a general description of what they looked like.
My only hope for tomorrow, other than two uneventful legs of flight, is that my sinuses can survive the trip. Allergy season down here has been horrible this year. Even with two allergy medicines and nightly NyQuil, I still am hacking up half a lung every day and I haven't been able to smell anything for three weeks. Thank goodness Y does not seem to suffer from hayfever like I do.
Natalie
TX
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Mr Sarcasm
I read something while in Ukraine which told me that Ukrainians do not use sarcasm much. Apparently that does not apply to my son. That also means that he fits in quite well in our household. Bill is a professional sarcastic, and I chime in with a good one every once in a while myself.
Let me start with a little explanation, then the details of today. For the past couple of weeks Y has been telling me, "Mama bad - every day!" when I don't do what he wants. Then he tells me, "Y good every day," or "I boss, you loser!" Most of the time he is just expressing frustration or being sarcastic. Sometimes he really means it, though. I always tell him, "Mama is good every day," and, "Y is good sometimes (or today - whichever is appropriate)."
Yesterday I saw an ad in the paper for a cheap computer for my son. I told Bill about it, and he agreed it was time to buy him his own computer. And could I also look for Monsters vs Aliens while I was there, please? (Couldn't find it - it must not be out on DVD yet.)
I worked my first midnight shift since returning from Ukraine last night. It took quite some explaining, but finally Y got the idea that I had to work from 5:30am to 1:30pm and then again from 9:30pm until 5:30am Saturday morning. He even let me get about 1.5 hrs of sleep between shifts. How generous of him! I really wasn't expecting to get much sleep at all. I figured I'd have to fight for every minute I could get after I returned home in the morning. I actually got about 5 hrs sleep this morning as well.
I was so rudely awakened, however at about 11:30am because Bill and Y were arguing downstairs. Bill wanted Y to put on long pants so that he could go outside and help him cut the grass. Bill would ride the tractor and Y would do the weed whacking. The idea behind long pants was so that he would not cut his legs with the string or any flying object. Y did not want to put on long pants. It's nearly June and it's Houston. It's hot, go figure. So, Bill yelled at him and told him to go put the darn pants on, now! Y yelled back in Russian and stormed up to his room and slammed the door. About five minutes later I heard Bill cutting the grass. It seems Bill did both jobs. He also told Y that he could not play on my computer, watch TV or listen to music until he did some of his chores. Y chose to go in his room and close the door for a couple of hours. I personally think he fell back asleep for a little bit.
About an hour later, when I still couldn't fall back to sleep, I went downstairs and gave Bill a little piece of my mind. I told him Y stopped listening to him the second he started yelling, but of course I don't know "what really happened," and therefore my advice fell on deaf ears. Y eventually came out of his room and was quite pleasant at that time. He was still a little cool towards Bill, but at least he sat in the same room with us and watched some TV.
Bill mentioned he had to go to Lowe's for something, and I asked if he still wanted to get Y's computer today. Bill said yes. Wow - breakthrough!!!! Bill did not immediately put the kibosh on the whole thing just because Y didn't do what he wanted him to do. I guess both my boys are growing up. Y and I did a little cleaning upstairs of my room and Y's room, and he ran the sweeper upstairs and down the stairs while I took a shower. Then we headed off to Lowe's and Fry's. Bill said he needed some cigarettes and vodka, so we stopped at the Kroger center. They were having an outdoor vendors market this weekend. Something that is quite common in Ukraine, but not so much here. Y immediately asked if we could go over and look for gifts for the internat director and her husband. Needless to say, I left that little market over $100 lighter. He picked out a really cool wooden dump truck for V, and a nice necklace and earring set for S. We also found a picture of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig along with their playing cards for Bill for father's day.
Then we went to Fry's to get Y's computer. When he asked where we were going, I told him it was a computer store. He was way too excited, and he didn't even know he was getting a new computer. He just likes looking at all the stuff and then pouting when I won't buy it all for him (hence, "Mama bad every day!"). On the trip down there, he told me if Papa did not say thank you for his picture that I should "smack him bum!" He learned this phrase is used almost daily with our dogs. Either, "You are a bum!" or, "Move it before I smack your bum!" Thankfully he has not picked up either of our more colorful language yet.
As we left Fry's Y was on cloud ten, he had a new computer all his own and a new PC game to play on it. He told me he could set it all up himself. I told him that Papa would watch him do it and make sure he did everything okay. He kept telling me, "No! I no baby!" Of course, he did not understand that Bill would have to make sure all of the updates and the new game were installed properly because Y can't read enough English to do that by himself. The only bubble burster for Y was when I told him that we would have an administrator account on his computer. He kept saying that we would not tell him the passwords for our computers, so he would not tell us the password for his computer. Poor thing still struggles with the fact that he is the kid and we are the parents. Parental controls, here we come!
When we got in the car, Y told me, "Thank you, Mama! Mama good today." I told him that I thought this deserved more than one day. He didn't understand, so I said, "Сколько дней? (aka, How many days?)" Y's reply, "Three months." Wow, I was going to get a whole three months of "Mama good every day." That was almost too much to hope for. After a little more conversation, I determined that these were not necessarily going to be three months of consecutive days. I then told Y that I would remind him of my three months of "Mama good" days when he tried to tell me, "Mama bad!" It almost lasted until we got home.
There are two ways to get to our home. One way is slightly shorter, but there are a couple of turns to make. The other way is .2 miles longer, but only one turn. I like the only one turn way. You have to pass up the shorter way first. When I passed that road, Y said, "I boss, Mama go right." I told him I was the boss and I would go whichever way I pleased. Y said, "Mama stinky!"
"Mama stinky? You just said 'Mama good every day for three months!' Now I'm stinky?"
He thought about this for all of two seconds and then said, "I no say you bad, I say you stinky!"
Case closed.
Natalie
TX
Let me start with a little explanation, then the details of today. For the past couple of weeks Y has been telling me, "Mama bad - every day!" when I don't do what he wants. Then he tells me, "Y good every day," or "I boss, you loser!" Most of the time he is just expressing frustration or being sarcastic. Sometimes he really means it, though. I always tell him, "Mama is good every day," and, "Y is good sometimes (or today - whichever is appropriate)."
Yesterday I saw an ad in the paper for a cheap computer for my son. I told Bill about it, and he agreed it was time to buy him his own computer. And could I also look for Monsters vs Aliens while I was there, please? (Couldn't find it - it must not be out on DVD yet.)
I worked my first midnight shift since returning from Ukraine last night. It took quite some explaining, but finally Y got the idea that I had to work from 5:30am to 1:30pm and then again from 9:30pm until 5:30am Saturday morning. He even let me get about 1.5 hrs of sleep between shifts. How generous of him! I really wasn't expecting to get much sleep at all. I figured I'd have to fight for every minute I could get after I returned home in the morning. I actually got about 5 hrs sleep this morning as well.
I was so rudely awakened, however at about 11:30am because Bill and Y were arguing downstairs. Bill wanted Y to put on long pants so that he could go outside and help him cut the grass. Bill would ride the tractor and Y would do the weed whacking. The idea behind long pants was so that he would not cut his legs with the string or any flying object. Y did not want to put on long pants. It's nearly June and it's Houston. It's hot, go figure. So, Bill yelled at him and told him to go put the darn pants on, now! Y yelled back in Russian and stormed up to his room and slammed the door. About five minutes later I heard Bill cutting the grass. It seems Bill did both jobs. He also told Y that he could not play on my computer, watch TV or listen to music until he did some of his chores. Y chose to go in his room and close the door for a couple of hours. I personally think he fell back asleep for a little bit.
About an hour later, when I still couldn't fall back to sleep, I went downstairs and gave Bill a little piece of my mind. I told him Y stopped listening to him the second he started yelling, but of course I don't know "what really happened," and therefore my advice fell on deaf ears. Y eventually came out of his room and was quite pleasant at that time. He was still a little cool towards Bill, but at least he sat in the same room with us and watched some TV.
Bill mentioned he had to go to Lowe's for something, and I asked if he still wanted to get Y's computer today. Bill said yes. Wow - breakthrough!!!! Bill did not immediately put the kibosh on the whole thing just because Y didn't do what he wanted him to do. I guess both my boys are growing up. Y and I did a little cleaning upstairs of my room and Y's room, and he ran the sweeper upstairs and down the stairs while I took a shower. Then we headed off to Lowe's and Fry's. Bill said he needed some cigarettes and vodka, so we stopped at the Kroger center. They were having an outdoor vendors market this weekend. Something that is quite common in Ukraine, but not so much here. Y immediately asked if we could go over and look for gifts for the internat director and her husband. Needless to say, I left that little market over $100 lighter. He picked out a really cool wooden dump truck for V, and a nice necklace and earring set for S. We also found a picture of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig along with their playing cards for Bill for father's day.
Then we went to Fry's to get Y's computer. When he asked where we were going, I told him it was a computer store. He was way too excited, and he didn't even know he was getting a new computer. He just likes looking at all the stuff and then pouting when I won't buy it all for him (hence, "Mama bad every day!"). On the trip down there, he told me if Papa did not say thank you for his picture that I should "smack him bum!" He learned this phrase is used almost daily with our dogs. Either, "You are a bum!" or, "Move it before I smack your bum!" Thankfully he has not picked up either of our more colorful language yet.
As we left Fry's Y was on cloud ten, he had a new computer all his own and a new PC game to play on it. He told me he could set it all up himself. I told him that Papa would watch him do it and make sure he did everything okay. He kept telling me, "No! I no baby!" Of course, he did not understand that Bill would have to make sure all of the updates and the new game were installed properly because Y can't read enough English to do that by himself. The only bubble burster for Y was when I told him that we would have an administrator account on his computer. He kept saying that we would not tell him the passwords for our computers, so he would not tell us the password for his computer. Poor thing still struggles with the fact that he is the kid and we are the parents. Parental controls, here we come!
When we got in the car, Y told me, "Thank you, Mama! Mama good today." I told him that I thought this deserved more than one day. He didn't understand, so I said, "Сколько дней? (aka, How many days?)" Y's reply, "Three months." Wow, I was going to get a whole three months of "Mama good every day." That was almost too much to hope for. After a little more conversation, I determined that these were not necessarily going to be three months of consecutive days. I then told Y that I would remind him of my three months of "Mama good" days when he tried to tell me, "Mama bad!" It almost lasted until we got home.
There are two ways to get to our home. One way is slightly shorter, but there are a couple of turns to make. The other way is .2 miles longer, but only one turn. I like the only one turn way. You have to pass up the shorter way first. When I passed that road, Y said, "I boss, Mama go right." I told him I was the boss and I would go whichever way I pleased. Y said, "Mama stinky!"
"Mama stinky? You just said 'Mama good every day for three months!' Now I'm stinky?"
He thought about this for all of two seconds and then said, "I no say you bad, I say you stinky!"
Case closed.
Natalie
TX
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