Post Irene

Well we made it through the hurricane with minimal damage mostly just landscaping. Gerard's precious trees are a wee bit up rooted. Today he is busy fixing them. None of our houses substained any damage and our boats faired well.

Hurricane Irene preparations **pictures added

Hurricane Irene preparations started yesterday for us. My nieces and I did the shopping for the needed supplies which was actually quite fun. Me-Me has taken up couponing and we saved over 100 dollars between sales and coupons.

Our parents and Gerard's Aunt have been evacuated because of the potential risk of flooding because they live on the water. Gerard has been very busy picking up the yards. La-La picked up at my Mother's yard so that was a big help.

Gerard will stay at the house on the water to watch the boats and to be there if a windows get broken. In my house will be our parents, Aunt Nel, La-La Anna and I will be at our house because we are located about 3 houses outside the evacuation area.

Jim Dear (La-La's boyfriend) will be manning the Searcher II with La-La and Me-Me's Dad. Both the girls are scared for them. Me-Me and La-La's uncles will be manning the Doris Mae IV. These are big charter fishing boats and their livelihood. Keeping these boats safe is of major importance to our family. La-La and Me-Me are a little nervous about this because they never remember their father doing this but I do. Prayers for their safety are appreciated.

The heavy rain has not started here but the beautiful blue sky and puffy white clouds from yesterday are gone and replaced with a light sprinkle of rain. Anna told me "I can't like a storm" and she is right. I am so fortunate that I am not working because I would be stuck there for days.

The plans are for perhaps making some cookies this afternoon and some sauce with Aunt Nel. I purchased the economy size box of Play-doh so I am sure we will have enough to do to keep Anna busy. We moved Anna's sand table to the garage so Anna will be able to play there too.

We are ready and hopeful that the damage will be minor.

**Just added a few pictures from before the storm.

I may be...

The only one in Manhattan that did not feel the earthquake. I have had a very busy week between working and running to doctor appointments. I still have 2 more nights of work before I get a day off so hopefully I can keep up this pace. Everything seems okay. I have so much that I feel like I need to write down. I hope to get caught up soon.

PS Mrs. Elaine no I did not make the dress Anna. Actually this was Anna baptism dress. Yes I think it is beautiful too.

Sunflowers and random stuff.

A while back I wrote about the link between Russian history and sunflowers. Well one of our sunflowers has bloomed and I could not resist cutting it down to take pictures of Anna. These are not some of my favorite pictures of Anna but cute all the same. She has taken up whining, so we are working on not giving in when she whines. I am not sure where this is coming from but my hope is that this is just a very short phase she is going through right now.






My hope is to get a few pictures of her at the one room school house like I have the past 2 years. I love now and then pictures because you can really see just how much she has grown. Speaking of growth, she is getting so tall. We realized it the other day when she was riding her bike. We may even have to push the seat back some to accommodate her legs. She is still tiny and fits mostly into size 18 month or 2T shorts but no way will she fit into the 2t pants. I guess that is what happens when you start growing up.




Gerard surprised us this past weekend with a trip to our local Russian food store. I believe this is the first time Gerard has been to one with us. The store is about an hour away but I have had difficulty finding it. I know it is because the shopping plaza is small and that stretch of the road is usually very busy. I have driven past it a couple of times. We went on a Sunday which was really nice because initially we were the only ones in the store. When I told them my daughter was Russian they smiled. I told them how I was missing Russia and they laughed at me. We got to talking and they understood why I felt that way because Russia gave me such a gift.

We had been shopping and looking at all the different things in the store. A Russian couple came into the store. I heard the gentle man remark that we were Americans and he looked a little annoyed. I guess I should be offended but I just could not help but giggle to myself. I am pretty sure that I have never been referred to as an American while in the United States like he referred to me.

Gerard LOVES cookies. There are very few cookies that he does not like. As I was taking he was shopping. I love when he embraces the Russian culture like this. I think because he did not travel with me that connection is missing for him. If I can enhance that connection through cookies I will do what is necessary.

I bought some pickles as I always do when I am in a Russian food store. I also bought some pickles tomatoes, hopefully that will taste close to the ones I remember. We also bought some candy which Anna loves. I love knowing that in about an hours drive I can hear Russian accents and taste a little bit of Russia. We are so lucky.




I have a Russian friend at work who laughs when I say I want her to come to my house and teach me to cook. I am sure she thinks I am joking even though I am not. I will convince her one day. I also asked if I could video tape her reading some of the Russian stories I have for Anna. Perhaps she will let me share them on the blog as well.

Shhhh...

Baby sister is sleeping. This is what Anna told us the other day referring to her baby doll. Anna has this really neat old fashion baby doll stroller that up until now has been a place to hold the too numerous to count stuff animals. I am not a fan of stuffed animals but she has seemed to acquire a number of them.

Usually she is trying a string around one of their necks and walking them like a puppy. For now we are going to be a puppy free household. As much as I loved Dottie and still miss her I want to wait a little bit longer before we get a puppy.

Anna also has a baby doll that she got a couple of years ago for Christmas. Did I just say a couple of years ago in relation to my daughter...that sounded very nice. Back to the story, Anna diapered and wrapped the baby and put her in the stroller. I watched her walk her around the room and then stand in place and push the stroller back and forth. The whole time she was telling the baby "It okay baby, go to sleep, Anna here."

Gerard and I were talking loud I guess, after all we are loud talkers...well at least I am and that is when she turned around to us and said "Shhhh Baby sister sleeping" and walked away. It was all I could do to restrain my self for laughing so instead I walked over to her and we changed the baby's diaper together, rocked her and put her back to sleep. What was even sweeter was then she crawled into my arms and told me that she was my baby. I held and rocked her for awhile. What a wonderful, sensitive little girl she is becoming.

I'm not sure...

Who is more excited about our Disney trip. Now that Anna is a little older and her speech has developed more her communication skills are growing too. It am sure it is no secret but I start to sweat every time I take Anna out. When she acts up I feel every eye in the room on me. Honestly, I could never imagine having two children. Come to think about it I am not sure I have ever taken Anna and Hans out together alone. Anna is a wonderful child but she can be a handful. I have learned that she has more behavior issues for me then anyone else.

I think our trip to Disney is going to be a good one for a couple of reasons. Anna and I have been talking about it a lot and I have been using this time to talk to her about her behavior. We talk about listening ears, holding hands, little voices (speaking quietly) and restaurant behavior. Anna has come a long way in so many areas but one of the hardest things for Anna is sitting at a restaurant. She will wear me like a cheap suit. Mostly she sits on my lap and wiggles 70% of the time. Puzzles are sent from heaven in a restaurant so I will be sure to pack at least 2 of them. On my last long vacation with her we rented a house so this was not a problem this time we will be in a hotel the entire stay and eating out for an entire week.

I know our talks are getting through to her because yesterday at the beach she told Papa that he had to have good behavior to go the Disney. She also told him that he needed to make sure he listened to Grammy and to put his listening ears on. So she is absorbing what we are talking about which is great.

I am sure that I am just pre-sweating because Gerard is confident that she will be just fine. I think life is a teaching opportunity. I can not expect Anna to behave well if we have not taught her to do so. The next couple of weeks will be filled with excitement and some lessons on too.

So why am I up so early in the morning? Well the excitement got the best of me. Earlier in the week I had picked up some stickers and a 12x12 piece of card stock. I wanted to make a count down calendar for our trip to Disney. This morning I woke up tossed and turned a bit and decided to put the calendar together instead.

I have always wanted to be that type of Mom that does stuff like this for my children. I feel so lucky to called Anna's Momma. I feel even luckier that she likes this kind of stuff too.

Here is what I made



I got cute little stickers to mark off the days too.

I'm FINISHED!

Well this morning marked the completion of my first two classes towards my MSN-Nurse Practitioner degree. Did you hear that? It was a big sigh of relief. Thirteen more classes to go. I am one of those nerds that NEEDS to get an A. I know it is a little crazy and the point is did you learn something from the class but I do still need that A.

I believe that in both classes I will receive an A so I feel like I can breath again, at least until I start my next class on August 29th. This time I decided to take only one class. I like the idea of not being stressed out and still having time for the things that are really important in life, mainly Anna and Gerard. I am not so patiently waiting for my books to arrive because I would love to get a jump on the reading. The next couple of days I hope to spend at the beach with Anna, maybe even take a drive somewhere but we are playing it by ear.

Talking about our up coming trip to Disney has been a big part of our daily talks. Anna is so super excited. I feel like we were there just yesterday. I will not lie I am tempted to plan another trip for March or April but I want to wait to see what happens with my Tax return first.

So that is my quick boring update.

But I NEED it!

We have been hearing a lot of this lately in our house. I have been trying to talk to her about the differences between the things that she NEEDS and the things that she wants. It is safe to say that she does not have the concept down yet but we will continue to work on it.

I however am having a difficult time keeping a straight face when she starts with "I NEED it" so when she starts I giggle and then I repeat it back to her. If she is crying for whining for what she NEEDS it usually stops and we just end up fooling around. I would say that 90% of the time she forgets what it is that she NEEDS so desperately so I think it is working.

First off let me set the situation up. I really do not like ice cream. Shocking I know but there is something with the smell of it that usually turns me off about it. I do like coffee ice cream even though I do not really drink coffee. Usually we do not have ice cream in the house, pretty much never. I have a small refridator by choice (I wanted more cabinets) so the freezer is small and ice cream does not make the cut for the small space I have in there so no ice cream in the house.

Gerard is a bit of an ice cream junky. Funny but he can not pass a Dairy Queen without stopping. Rita's water ice are even higher on the list. I realized he had a Rita's water ice problem when we started showing up on opening day and of course on the last day for the season. I realized he had a big problem with Rita's water ice when we started to alternate between two in our area.

Gerard's addiction to Rita's water ice is one I will happily accept. For those outside the country who do not know what a Rita's water ice is here is a link, honest just frozen yogurt. One Rita's water ice is just on the side of the road. The other one is next to a lake with geese to chase and a park. Hmmm which do you think Anna likes best?

So I left for work last night, Anna was ready for bed and looking a little tired after a day at the beach. I thought great perhaps this will be an early night for her. Anna needs her sleep, preferably 10-12 hours every night. Yes she sleeps that much at night and soundly.

So last night Gerard put her to bed and went to bed himself. I got a message with a picture at about 8:45 pm of Anna eating Rita's water ice. Apparently, she fell asleep but woke up, wandered out of the bedroom to find Gerard. She woke him up to tell him " Wake up Dada, go Dada truck now, I NEED cream (that is what she calls ice cream), red one, park, swings, that cream. I NEED it!"

Not wanting to say no mostly because I am sure now he NEEDED cream too off they went to Rita's. I guess Gerard and I will have to have a talk about the things Anna NEEDS.

This story made me smile because she knew that she could wake him for anything, even ice cream. Even though I do not think either of them really NEEDED it I am so happy that they went and got it. I am reminded every day how lucky I am to have both of them in my life. They really know how to make me smile.

Has it really been 2 years?

Two years ago yesterday I stood in a court room in Russia in a 100 degree weather in a dress with stockings on. I explained how a little girl who I had only met 3 times for a little over an hour each time was so special to me. I stated my case, worried and waited for the decision. I have no idea what I would have done if the judge decided against my petition to adopt Anna. Just writing those words makes me a little teary eyed.

I only thought I loved her then. My love for this little girl has only grown and grown. This past weekend I had to work. My sister who lives a couple hours away was having a party with a bunch of kids so I agreed to let my other sister take her. She had a blast on the water slide and just being with her cousins.

After she left Gerard and I just looked at each other a little lost. The house was too quiet. We missed her so much. I was lucky because I was able to get a bunch of homework done so that is a blessing.

Today she spent the day with Gerard and her Grandparents. I have some more homework I want to finish as soon as possible. One test and one major paper and I will have two classes done. I have 13 more classes to go unless I decide to obtain my Nurse Educator certificate. If I decide on that then it will be another 4 classes.

I am a little torn about the Nurse Educator certificate or perhaps I will go for a PhD in Nursing instead with a focus in Nursing education. I still have time to decide.

We may decide to celebrate a little tonight or we may decide to wait until the 2 year mark of her being home. I just can not imagine life without her. I am so lucky to have her in my life.

Me after court

Me leaving for the Moscow airport for my final trip home without Anna

I am not sure why I never posted these pictures before but here they are. I can not believe it has been two years. Time really does fly.