Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 8

I caught a cold right after we got back from Kremenchuk, so my hazy mind only recalls seven things from November 8-14.

1) We managed to make it to the Kremenchuk train station in time for our trip back to Kyiv. As expected, Lev hated the ride, but it was much easier to control the hate when there was room to stand up, bounce and take a little stroll. We didn't expect Dietrich's reaction -- he preferred the van! Too bad, kiddo, I'm never taking that marshrutka again.


Get me off of this thing!


Trains are boring.

2) On the way to a friend's apartment, we saw a lady walking her cat. On a leash.

3) On the same day, there was a goat hanging out in our courtyard all afternoon. We fed him a leaf, but he was really interested in eating Dietrich's goldfish crackers (they're German and fancier than the U.S. version, so I can understand why the goat wanted them).

4) I finished the Ukraine Update, a project I do four times a year to help recruiters in North America know what kinds of ministry opportunities exist over here.

5) We found out that, while we maybe won't find out the gender of my niece-or-nephew-to-be (until March, that is), he or she appears to be growing just perfectly.

6) Eric took a little break from prepping for his philosophy class to host a movie night. He dubbed it "Catching Up with the Culture Wars" and showed "Expelled" and "Religulous." Heated discussion occurred. I stayed home with the kids and started "The Young Victoria." It was a sweet movie, and I don't see it prompting any arguments.

7) Our friends Oksana and Zhenya are house-sitting in Kyiv, and they invited us over for dinner Sunday night. She made lasagna and forgot the tomato sauce, and it was so good. Like fancy mac and cheese. We had a great time that night -- until we got home and realized that Dietrich was running a fever.

Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 7

Here I go, playing catch-up.

October was very, very busy for Eric. We might not have made it through with our sanity intact, were it not for the minibreak we had planned to visit our friends in Kremenchuk the first weekend in November. Whenever we felt glum about not seeing enough of daddy, we could squeal, "We're taking the train to Kremenchuk!"

For the few days before we left, we did a lot of wrapping up of projects so that we could leave as unburdened as possible. Eric worked a half day on the Thursday that we left, and we ordered a taxi 90 minutes before our train was to leave.

We made it so quickly over the bridge that separates our side of Kyiv from the center of the city that I mentioned that we might have time to stop at McDonald's. Famous last words. Pretty soon after we got over the bridge, we hit a traffic jam. And there we sat, creeping along so slowly that I asked the driver whether we'd make it. "Sure, you'll make it," he said. Again, famous last words. Forty minutes later, he asked whether our train left exactly at 4 p.m.

3:59, actually.

"Can you make it through the train station in two minutes?"

We tried. We roused Dietrich from the slumber he slid into during the ride, and we ran. Eric pulling a stroller and a suitcase, Lev bumping along in the poorly fastened Bjorn, Dietrich hanging tightly to my hand, we ran up the escalator, through the train station, down the stairs and onto the platform.

The train was not moving.

I yelled: "We made it!"

The conductor, standing in the train's narrow doorway, watching us pant, replied: "No you didn't."

And the train started moving.

And I started crying. Partly because I could think of about 10 one-minute tasks that I could have skipped before we left home, but mostly because I was so upset to disappoint Dietrich. The train was, of course, a crucial element of this trip for him.

"It's OK," I panted. "We'll find another way. We'll take a marshrutka."

And, thank you Jesus, Dietrich calmly accepted that alternative.

So, back up the steps, through the train station, down the escalator, and out to the nearby marshrutka stop, dodging dishonest taxi drivers along the way. (One guy tried to convince us that the marshrutka stop had moved and that we'd need him to drive us to the new stop across town.)

The van was set to leave in about 40 minutes, so we got McDonald's after all. I couldn't enjoy it, however, as the whole time I was thinking, "What if these sorry French fries are our last meal?"

The van, you see, has no seatbelts. And the two-lane road, it has no passing lanes. It does, however, have many, many slow trucks that every non-big-truck driver insists on passing. At night. And, as it turned out, in the rain.

This trip confirmed that public transportation is Lev's Kryptonite. He fussed for a large percentage of the five-hour ride, which kept my focus off our impending death. Dietrich? Normally the fussy one? Dream child. Despite the disappointment. What a trooper.

Thankfully, our van driver was kind. I could have hugged him when we finally arrived and asked what we should do with our trash. "Just leave it," he said kindly. "It's just good that you made it." Indeed.

While the minibreak got off to a rather disastrous start (although we did make it alive, so really, I shouldn't complain), the rest of the weekend was a shiny, happy respite from our day-to-day lives.

The Hoglunds thoughtfully planned a visit that included roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and carving pumpkins (special ordered from a seller at their outdoor market).



We also spent time on three different playgrounds, all of which differed from the norm of slide, swing, sandbox and teeter-totter. Kremenchuk is a factory town, and two of the play areas we visited were built by local factories -- one that makes candy and one that makes construction equipment.



The construction-equipment company donated a real forklift and truck that the kids could play on.


Rings are new!


One playground is in a larger complex called Peace Park. Also in Peace Park? Old war equipment.


My friend Oksana and her little boy, Nikita, were visiting family in Kremenchuk, so they joined us at Peace Park.


After thoroughly exploring the playground and tanks, we descended on the exercise area.

The third playground, sponsored by a political party, is built on sand (play equipment over a soft surface is an extra-special treat for a mommy) and right next to the river that flows just five minutes from the Hoglunds' apartment.



If I squinted just right, the water, sand and laughing children could almost replicate Southern California.

Andrea inspires me with her thoughtful approach to mothering and with her talent for creating an inviting home. The Hoglunds also eat well. I also came away from our weekend richer by several delicious recipes. My favorite: Bird seed balls

3 c. quick-cooking oatmeal
1 c. sunflower kernels
1 c. sesame seeds
1 c. raisins (or dried cranberries, etc.)
1 c. peanut butter
3/4 - 1 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a large mixing bowl in microwave (or stove top), until bubbly. Pour mixture over the dry ingredients of. Mix thoroughly and shape into walnut-sized balls. They keep well; I particularly like them out of the fridge.

Tip: To shape balls, run hands under water, shake off as much excess water as possible, then shape away until hands become too sticky again.


The kids played great ...





... we got to enjoy God's creation, without being surrounded by imposing concrete apartments ...


... we got to throw rocks in the river ...


... and we got to spend lots of quality time with Daddy. In short, a dream weekend.

Lev wakes up

Full disclosure: These were taken a couple of weeks ago, before the little guy started waking up at 5:45. Which he's done for the past four mornings. Also, he's discovered his own scream and how to grab noses. Basically, we wake up to baby pterodactyl in our bed, clawing at our faces. And that's why, starting tonight, Lev is moving into big brother's room.

Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 6

Monday, Eric picked Dietrich up from school a bit early and took him to the indoor playground that they discovered over the summer, when Eric would take Dietrich one afternoon a week so that I could relax with my newborn. This time, however, Lev and I met up with them, and we all helped Dietrich try on snow pants. I've yet to find the perfect pair. Growing up in California did not prepare me to clothe children for the snow.

We rushed home in time for dance class. Primary and secondary schools are on fall break this week, so we called to make sure that there still would be class. "Yes, of course," we were told.

I dropped Dietrich off, went home to feed Lev, and returned 40 minutes later to find Dietrich in his classroom. Turns out, no dance class. "But it's OK," the teacher said. "He ate some vareniki."

I am amazed at how quickly Dietrich has adjusted to eating at school. At home, vareniki are greeted with looks of disgust.

"Dietrich sure loves cabbage," his teacher told me one day. Really? News to me!

Monday night, Lev sat unassisted for long enough that I was able to grab the camera and snap this not-very-clear shot. Who told this kid he could get so old?



Tuesday, Eric picked up his passport. He's legal again. Whew.

Wednesday morning, I went to the women's Bible study with Lev for the second time. It was pouring rain on our walk there, and (again) Lev didn't sleep until minutes after we left, though he still managed to charm the whole room in his overalls and yellow-knit cap from Aunt Jit Fong.

Wednesday is momma's helper day, and I thought I could fit in a couple of cooking projects. So on the way home, we stopped at the market to get pears to puree for Lev's future consumption, plus milk and bacteria for making yogurt.

Exhausted from pushing the stroller through the rain, I asked Eric to grab Dietrich from school, and settled in for a cozy afternoon. Right after Eric left, Dietrich's teacher called. Dance class had been rescheduled. For that afternoon.

I don't love these last-minute schedule changes, but they do make me extremely thankful that we're sending Dietrich to a school that we can see from our kitchen window. A few extra five-minute walks, even in the rain, are nothing compared with a few extra bus rides with two kids.

I did still find time to make the yogurt. This was my second attempt; the first was a total failure, because I overcooked it by many hours. This time, I ended up with yogurt, not sour ick. I have six little jars to eat, and so far I’ve experimented with adding honey, pears and strawberry jam.

Wednesday night, I was fortunate to attend Mommy’s Night Out – a group of ex-pat mothers who meet once a month for dinner. Everything about the evening was delightful — and I was thrilled to find a restaurant with tasty food that I felt safe eating. (Because of my buckwheat allergy, we are extremely selective about where we dine.) I had steak medallions wrapped in bacon and topped with herb butter, with potatoes, grilled onions and a grilled tomato on the side. Plus the best cup of rooibus tea I’ve had in Kyiv. I predict this place will show up again and again in these weekly updates.

Thursday, I had leftover bacon-wrapped steak for breakfast. So, clearly, it was a good day.



Thursday also was Lev’s 5-month birthday. Doesn’t he look sweet and content? In reality, he’s been growing crankier and crankier, I think over his inability to move forward. Dear Lev, at 5 months, you already are able to get from one room to another on your own. You rock on your hands and knees. You are SuperBaby. Give yourself a break!

Friday, I finished one project (an invitation to a women’s conference) and started another (a Ukraine-wide newsletter for recruiters in North America). Then, music class got cancelled, so the kids and I had loads of time to play outside in the lovely fall weather.

Saturday, we got crafty. (This is totally out of character for me.) Dietrich and I had been collecting red and yellow leaves on the walk home from preschool for several weeks, and we made a wreath (or picture frame?) out of them. He glued; I art directed (being bossy is totally in character for me).



We spend a lot of time on the kitchen floor. Lev is small enough that I feel wrong about just plopping him down, but if I put him on a blanket, it only gets in his way.

Later, we had friends over for pizza. They brought Dietrich a glow-in-the-dark rubber snake. He named it Satan. If you read a kid the Bible …

Sunday, Dietrich woke up with, "Momma, I had a dream that I had Satan in my mouth!" Later, he asked, "Momma, can you help me find Satan?" And then, "Momma, can I bring Satan to church?"

We went to church Satan-less, and the boys and I made it through more than an hour of the service, even though Lev didn't fall asleep. (I blame the time change; this part of the world fell back Sunday morning, and we’ve all felt a little out of sorts.) Daddy was preaching, which makes me feel less aware of every little peep we emit.

Last Sunday, I had a long list of chores I wanted to complete, and midway through the day, I felt convicted about not taking advantage of one of the two days that I don't share Dietrich with the Ukrainian school system. So, I'm making an effort to scale back on my Sunday responsibilities. Today, we read books and played games, and I handled (most of) the chores while Daddy took Dietrich to the playground to play catch.

The biggest excitement of the day was a 90-minute power outage at dinnertime. We played Uno by candlelight, and ate cold pizza.

And here's a quick shot of the now-totally-insulated apartment across the way. Hope they're comfy-cozy!

Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 5

In Eric's role as our team's theological education coordinator, he hosts occasional meetings for all SEND Ukraine missionaries who teach. Since Mark Saucy was still in town for Week Two of the Talbot session, Eric invited him to speak at Monday night's meeting. I cooked (apple crisp, apple cider and popcorn), and kept Dietrich from running into the meeting naked after bath time (it's happened before). We just can't get enough of those Saucys; we are so happy to see them every time they can return to Kyiv.

This week's Talbot session was taught by Vova, a Belorussian national who is on the Kyiv Extension staff. It was his first-ever class, and he prepared extensively for it. Just look at all those books!


Wednesday morning, Lev and I hit the market, buying up gobs of spinach and pears to freeze. This kid is a charmer, smiling and making eyes at all the ladies standing along the street, selling whatever their farms produced that day. Lev was in such a good mood that I also stopped by a couple of kiosks where people sell a chaotic collection of old stuff -- think teeny-tiny flea market. I found some great deals: A heavy aqua-colored glass dish (50 cents) and a tall 1500 mililiter milk pitcher with mililiter markings inside ($2.50).

Wednesday evening, Talbot hosted an open lecture. Speaker: Mark Saucy. Subject: Teaching to the heart. Attendance: 85! Eric was very pleased; these lectures are running smoothly and growing in popularity (although we acknowledge that Mark himself was certainly a huge draw this time around).


It's very trendy here at the moment to have insulation tacked on to the outside of your apartment; practically every building had a guy hanging off the side, drilling styrofoam sheets into the tile and concrete. We had a great view of the process all week, as two guys worked (even in the rain) to insulate the apartment directly across from ours.


Thursday, I thought I was on top of things, until I went to pick Dietrich up from school and found out that there was a show the next day, and I'd need to provide some decorations. So, we took a special trip to pick out a wee pumpkin and some lovely red berries. The costume list also was posted Thursday (for Friday's show!) -- thankfully, we only had to wear a Ukrainian shirt. Other kids had to come up with vegetable-themed costumes by the next day.

Friday was the big show! The theme: Generous autumn.



Seven months ago, Dietrich sat with me through his first preschool show. Five months ago, he sat with the other kids, but remained on the verge of tears. Friday, he sang. He danced. He was happy and personable. And, unlike his parents, he didn't get the giggles every time he looked at this poor cucumber kid and his very-restrictive costume.



Friday night, we had our mama's helper and her family over for dinner. Dietrich tried to impress the sweet girls with his funny faces.



Saturday I took Dietrich on a date with just momma, to look for snow pants and to eat at the Golden Arches. (Daddy dates include dinosaurs. Mommy dates include trying on clothes. Guess which Dietrich prefers?) Though it's fun to do something special, I treasure the ordinary moments of our days, like brother baths.


Sunday, we did church with both kids again. Daddy was preaching, which took a lot of the pressure off. I figured, even if we weren't totally silent, at least we wouldn't offend the preacher. But Dietrich did a great job, earning his first church Milky Way -- the highest reward for excellent behavior.

And this is the little face that peeked up at me from the Baby Bjorn on our cold and windy walk home.

Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 4

On Monday morning, Eric got home at about 7:30 after spending all night on the train, showered, and headed right back out the door to set up the room for the week's Talbot session. Though he had slept a bit on the train, he was tired. You know that deeply tired feeling, when even a minor task just feels like too much? Well Eric walked into the room, looked at all the desks and chairs, which the preceding class had moved into a horseshoe shape, and thought, "I just can't move all those." So he didn't. And the set-up worked out great, since the week's class was heavy on discussion.

Meanwhile, I ordered a language-arts curriculum for Dietrich. Back when we moved to Ukraine, childless, I knew that someday I would need to do some supplemental home-schooling, but it's hard to believe that day has come. Or rather, will come in December, when our Christmas box arrives.

Tuesday morning, I strapped Lev into the Bjorn, hopped onto a minibus and headed toward our region's Home Depot-type store to buy a gift card for an upcoming wedding. Gift cards are something new here; I only know of two stores that offer them. Lev started crying 10 minutes into the 30-minute ride, so I hopped off the minibus, walked down to the next stop and got on the next minibus after he fell asleep. You can do that when bus fare costs just 25 cents. Grabbed the card and a ball for Lev (the Home Depot-type store has a toy section), and headed home. Ah, the life stage when one morning means only one errand.

One of the students in the Talbot program has a little boy who is just just a bit younger than Dietrich, so he came over to play on Tuesday while his momma was in class.

There is a group of ladies who meet for Bible study here every other Wednesday morning, and I've been wanting to go since September. But, for one reason or another, it hasn't worked out. On Wednesday, I did it! I had a good plan: Feed Lev and put him in the stroller, so that he will fall asleep during the 30-minute walk to the meeting. Enjoy the grown-up time at the meeting while he snoozes. Walk home just in time to feed him, then go get Dietrich.

Well, the best-laid plans, right? Lev was wide awake during the walk, even after I took an extra 10 minutes to stroll up and down the parking lot, hoping to lull him to sleep. He stayed bright-eyed for the whole meeting, happy to be passed around the room. He fell asleep within seconds of our leaving, and I had to wake him up to feed him before we went to get Dietrich. Still, he was so cheerful throughout the meeting that I'm pretty sure we will go back.

Wednesday afternoon, we started something new: A weekly mother's helper. For about two hours, a second-grade missionary kid will drop in solely to focus on Dietrich. She won't have to go change a diaper, or check on dinner, or make a phone call. Plus, she has gone to national school since preschool, so I'm hopeful that she can work with him on how to color and draw in the Ukrainian way. I'm thrilled for him! And, since I managed to send eight e-mails and make dinner in the time she was here, I'm also thrilled for me!

Thursday morning, Bonnie Saucy came over for coffee in the morning! Mark is teaching this week's Talbot class, and Bonnie was given frequent-flier miles to join him. As always, chatting with her was a delight.

Friday, we did the normal rush-around, but Dietrich was really, really tired, which led to us leaving music lesson early. I also observed music class for the first time, and realized that, contrary to my assumption, Dietrich is not learning acceptable (by my standards) classroom etiquette at preschool. So, when Daddy got home that night, we had to ask him lots of questions about how he likes students to behave in his classes. For instance, "Daddy, when one student is standing up to make a presentation, do you like it when the other students tackle him?"

I often feel overwhelmed by the shear amount of learning that Dietrich still has before him.

Eric's passport saga continued all week. Monday, he took his passport with its now-expired registration back to the center of town to resubmit it. Wednesday, he got a note from the Ukrainian who actually carries all our information to the government, saying that the government now needs a copy of our landlord's passport. (Ukrainians carry a passport rather than a driver's license for identification.) Our landlord was willing, so on Saturday morning, Eric headed back downtown to drop off yet another piece of paper. Will he get his registration? We still don't know! If he doesn't, a trip to Poland is in his future. I'm already making a mental shopping list; they sell cheddar cheese in Krakow!

Saturday also was the big wedding! Our first in Ukraine! The registrar at the seminary married a professor who often flew in from the States to teach classes. Well, he won't be flying in anymore; they're renting an apartment just a short walk from ours. The wedding was charming, with lots of memorable moments:

The ceremony was in Ukrainian, but the groom speaks English, so he carried a cellphone with an earpiece, and a translator called him. However, they used a cell-phone provider that only lets you talk for 30 minutes, so the translator had to call him back mid-service, after they got cut off.

A little girl pulled the three-tiered cake down.

The ceremony was supposed to start at 3, but started closer to 4. The wedding party went to take pictures, and the banquet began at about 5:30. The bride and groom had a plane to catch at 9 p.m., and were supposed to leave by 6:30. They left at 7, and were stuck in traffic right next to us. Somehow, they made the flight -- but I'm wondering if they skipped going home to change and just wore their wedding clothes on the plane.

Sunday, we tried church with both kids again, and it worked out great. Dietrich behaved beautifully. Then, I made tortillas and soup for the upcoming week. Plus, we got to see a lot of familiar faces in the evening, when one of our supporting churches set up a Skype call with us. Hooray for Skype!

Seven Days in Kyiv: Week 3

I can't believe I've kept this up for three consecutive weeks! I also can't believe how hard it is for me to remember what I did seven days ago.

Oh, Monday. Day of the Dentist. A couple of weeks ago, one of my teeth started to hurt, so I went to the dentist. He fixed it, but told me I needed another four hours worth of work. Monday night I went in for a two-hour session. I was so focused on getting everything in order so that my absence at bedtime would be manageable for Eric, that I spaced on taking Dietrich to dance class.

The appointment was rather like a vacation, in that I got to lay down, watch "Slumdog Millionaire" and not talk for two hours. Then again, rather unlike a vacation, in that it started with the dentist saying, "This shot is very difficult. You'll need to be patient."

Sadly, I came home to a very hungry and angry Lev, who had refused his bottle (despite happily drinking from one two weeks ago).

Let's skip a very non-eventful Tuesday and head straight to Wednesday, which was Dietrich's happiest day of the week. As a special surprise, Daddy picked him up early from sadik, and took him to see life-size dinosaurs in a park!






This is my favorite non-Dietrich photo of the day. It's going on our living room wall.


Dietrich spent a lot of the afternoon talking about ways he'd discipline this small dinosaur for hurting the big dino.

The cherry on the top of Wednesday was mommy and daddy leaving for small group, taking Lev with them and leaving Benjamin McDonnel (an MK whose dad works at the seminary) to dote on Dietrich.

Thursday, our closest Ukrainian friends arrived for a weekend visit, so I spent the morning cooking in preparation (and then Oksana spent much of her time here cooking for us -- sweet lazy dumplings made from cottage cheese, sugar and flour, borsht, and a custard-ish dessert normally made from eggs, sugar and cow colostrum).


Lev likes to scooch ... but sometimes he gets stuck.

Meanwhile, Eric packed his things for a weekend trip to Ternopil, to speak at a conference organized by two Talbot — Kyiv Extension students. He also hit a paperwork snag: His problematic passport was still sitting in some government office, waiting for registration. We're not really supposed to travel without a passport, so he had to quickly apply for an official document that confirmed that his passport was in government hands.

Friday was the ordinary routine of taking Dietrich to all his various activities, with quick breaks at home for food consumption and diaper changes. Plus, we rushed home from dance class to bid Daddy adieu. Sad! But it was nice to have guests, so that the nights weren't quite so quiet.

Eric's day was chaotic, and included taking a trip downtown to get that aforementioned official document, only to be handed back his passport, without registration! So, he's living outside the law, at the moment, and will have to take the passport back to the center of the city today -- but that's a story for next week.

Saturday, the Ukrainian government showed kindness to us by turning on the heat a whole week early! This is unheard of, but the weather had been bitterly cold, and I remain enormously thankful. Also, Dietrich and I made chocolate chip cookies, which would not be notable, except that the chips were from Ukraine. It's said that chocolate chips are nonexistent here, but Oksana found some in her home town.

Meanwhile, Eric assured us that, despite sleep deprivation (his train left at 6 p.m. and arrived at 2 a.m.), the conference was going well. Also, in the apartment where he stayed, an aquarium made up part of the wall between the living room and the bedroom. Groovy! Though not too private.

By Sunday, poor Lev was entirely off schedule and Dietrich was ready to crash after all that playing with Nikita, who left soon after lunch. So, a movie was watched, a very simple dinner was prepared, and to bed, to bed with our sleepy, sleepy heads. While we slept, poor Daddy was snatching a few z's on the train back to Kyiv. The train pulled it at 6:30 a.m., he got home at about 7:30, showered and immediately headed to the seminary to prepare the class for the Talbot session that starts today. But wait, I've moved into Monday again!

I can't remember which days these statements were made, but some gems from the week included: "Daddy says I can climb on the top bar when I'm amazing big," and, "Momma? Is Mr. McDonnel (Benjamin's dad) fiction?"