Pirogovo Museum

That's where we spent the good part of our day, at the Porogovo open air museum, just outside of Kiev.  It's the Kiev version of Frontier Culture Museum (in VA) or Genesee Country Village (in NY), except that this one has larger than life eggs!

See, really larger than life.  Beautiful but not edible, yes we tried :)

Did you know that Ukraine is nicknamed the "bread basket" of Europe?  I read today that a quarter of the world's richest black soil is in Ukraine and that more than 70% of the land in Ukraine is agriculture.  At the Porogovo museum we got to experience and taste the beauty of that name.  The kids enjoyed running through wheat fields dotted with old fashioned windmills, while Justin enjoyed studying how those giant windmills worked.

 

We got to see traditional buildings, crafts being made, music played, and eat traditional Ukrainian food.  Katya even came home with a handmade doll that I'm sure she'll be happy to show you.

We couldn't figure out what these little huts were for, I guessed kids play houses, Justin guessed bee hives, any other guesses?  In this case there wasn't even a sign that we wouldn't have been able to read. 

We loved the weaved pattern on the fences.  

The kids are so sick of me taking their picture by now, but I'm not giving up so this time I agreed to their best grumpy face picture, wow are they good.

Sunflowers are one of Ukraine's major crops, hopefully we'll get to see fields of them on our drive to Kherson, especially since we're probably missing the ones we planted at home blooming.  But I liked this picture with the sunflowers in the background. 

Traditional Ukrainian food is probably as opposite as you can get from the delicate French pastries we were enjoying last week but just as yummy... 

Borsch, sausages, varyniki, and grilled bread.  I wish I could have spoken enough Russian to ask for the borsch recipe, though as Jax told me "a magician never reveals his secrets", I guess it was magically good (particularly if your frame of reference is my feeble attempt at borsch).

So I said that was the good part of our day for a reason.  I have tried not to sugar coat things for the blog, what I write is how it was, so today I will spare you most of the rest of the details. Nothing horrible, just lots of grumpy kids, broken dishes and spills at the restaurant at dinner, Justin and I frustrated at our lack of ability to communicate (with a. everyone here and b. at times today with each other, mostly because of part a).  But hey, the kids are all in bed now and we are communicating about what we will do tomorrow, all is well. 

Jax did have a highlight of his trip this afternoon when he made friends with this boy at the playground, Sasha. 

It is like they were made for each other, both super outgoing, 9 year old boys who are almost too big for playgrounds so they need a friend to help them turn each piece of equipment into some kind of extreme challenge (can't you see their brains turning as they stared at the little merry-go-round).  Sasha came right up and started talking to Jax and quickly realized that he did not speak Ukrainian. They were able to get each other's names and that was all it took.  I also learned that I speak much better kid Russian than practical adult Russian.  I was able to ask Sasha all kinds of things like how old he was, where he lived, about his siblings, it was so fun (I think Jax was a bit embarrassed but equally happy that I could help him talk a little to his new friend). 

Katya caught on and decided she wanted to try to talk to the other little girl playing in the sand so she asked me, "how do you say hi in Spanish?".  At least she was trying.  Later tonight she asked me how to say yes in English, boy have we managed to confuse her. 

The playground we went to tonight is the one that Carrie and I took Katya to when we were waiting to bring her home.  She didn't remember it but it sure did bring back memories for me, as so much of this week has, especially the smells.  I have this identical picture of her at age 3, I can't wait to get home and compare them.

I think the final *sigh* moment for me tonight was when Ethan announced that even though he was getting in trouble for not listening at bedtime this was still the best vacation ever because he gets to drink soda and eat ice cream every day!  I think this may be why he was not listening, can anyone say sugar high!  But it's true, fanta and coke are the safest and easiest things to order so we let them drink them quite a bit, can you see me cringing as I write this!  So sorry Papa and Gigi, the beach will not be Ethan's best vacation this year because we are on soda and ice cream withdraw when we get home (but good to know he is easy to please). 

Perhaps my favorite moment of the day was one that could have happened in any city in the world or even our own backyard.  Justin was carrying Cullen on his shoulders through Independence Square (or more accurately under Independence Square) and I heard him singing "Praise ye the Lord" then pause for Cullen's cute little voice to say "hallelujah". And they continued this fun little song, and Justin tells me that Cullen was the one who started it.  What a great reminder from my littlest to my biggest boy and then to the rest of us.  Praise God, for our precious family, our safety, and this amazing adventure that we are on together.  Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!