Kherson Memories

I will describe our last real day of vacation in reverse...

But first let me share this very rare treasure, a picture of all the kids smiling (no prompting or bribery involved, Jax posed it).  I guess this was the souvenir they gave to me on our last day, I couldn't imagine a better gift.

We fittingly finished our vacation with a visit to the central playground in Kherson and some ice cream.  This seems like the perfect summary of our trip, a tour of European playgrounds and sweets. 

I guess hamsters are on to something, Jax loved this unique contraption.  And though none are pictured here there is no question that see saws are the favorite and most common piece of playground equipment in Ukraine.  And our kids are like magnets to them.  But I can totally understand why they are all but outlawed in the U.S.  Eventually all the kids learned not to get on one with Jax.  Despite the fact that every one of our kids has some type of scratch or bruise to remember the see saws by, they kept going back for more.  And where would we find Katya?  

That's right, in the sandbox.  Why do we not have one of these in our yard yet?

Now going back to the afternoon... We spent much of the day at this little interactive museum type farm where we visited different stations and learned about Ukrainian history, folklore, games, arts and crafts, and more.  Then we were treated to another traditional Ukrainian lunch, yum.  Gene was even able to coax Cullen into eating a whole bowl of borsch.  I hate to admit it but one of my favorite things was the bread spread with herbed animal fat, aka seasoned lard.  I didn't want to like it but it was impossible not to. 

After lunch each kid could pick two stations to go back and try.  

Cullen picked music:

He loved the "shakers", but the fact that he picked this station was a bit funny since he held his ears through the entire introductory demonstration earlier in the day.  None the less all the kids danced and made music, and the boys got their first (and Mommy hopes last) drum lesson.

Ethan and Jax both picked weapons.  They had all kinds of ancient and modern weapons for them to throw and shoot.  We have no pictures because Mommy couldn't stand to watch.  But they loved it and Jax even picked it again for his second activity.

Katya picked horseback riding.

Cullen tried to ride with her but that didn't last long.  Plus she spent the first half of the ride yelling "Mommy, this isn't safe, I need my helmet".  We've taught her well :) But the second half of the ride was great, she settled in and neither she or the horse master were afraid to walk fast --  mommy was afraid enough for both of them.

All three little kids picked weaving for their second activity.  They demonstrated weaving baskets, but we just tried with ribbons and ended up with very pretty bracelets. 

During the demos Ethan got picked to help with pottery and Katya with art, we'll see if either of these creations survive the trip home, I hope. 

Along the way we saw and learned about so many cool things, like how they used to make sunflower oil:

And how they cook their children, ha!

Jax is the smart one jumping out as quick as he can :). Actially, they said they used these long ago to heat water in the winter and for "swimming" in the summer.  

And we tried some things just for fun:

We were not winning any races on this but it was good for a laugh, go team Lassiter!

One of the coolest parts was the traditional greeting we received when we arrived.  You tear off a price of bread, dip it in the salt in the middle of the loaf, and make a wish.  I wonder what the kids wished for?  Any guesses?  Mommy wished for happy kids and it came true!

Now back to the morning... This morning was the reason we are in Kherson.  The readon we are in Ukraine at all really.  We spent the morning visiting the Kherson Baby Home, the orphanage where Jax lived when he was a baby.  It was a very sweet time but I will write about it in another post.  It is a lot to process and it is Jax's story to tell.  

I will just say that the donation was greatly appreciated, they let us visit with the kids, staff, and tour the facility and overall I think it left a positive impression on Jax.  I know he left a positive impression on them.  It was beyond difficult to walk away from all the sweet children there, but comforting to see them well cared for and to know how to pray for them.  I choked back lots of tears of joy and pride in Jax and sadness too.  And Katya, Ethan, and Cullen all handled it very well too.  We are blessed.

Now we begin the final adventure, our trip home...

We leave Kherson at 3am tonight and drive 8 hours to the airport in Kiev.  From there we fly to Paris with a layover in Germany. We spend the night in Paris then the next day fly to Dulles with a layover in Iceland. We get to Dulles late Thursday night, will spend the night in Herndon then drive home Friday morning.  Did you get all that?  The summary is: 10 hours driving, 4 flights, 14 total hours in the air, 3 layovers, 3 days to get home -- there is no way the iPad battery will hold out that long so wish us luck!  And stay tuned for more pictures and stories when we get home. 

Kings Of The Wind

Jax recently read the book King of the Wind, which is about horses not boats, but it came to mind this morning when I took this picture:

He said, "mom, I feel like the king of the wind!"

We all felt like royalty today.  Khrrson is a city located at the mouth of the Dniper River where it enters into the Black Sea.  It was an important Naval training center and ship building port for the Russian empire.  So this morning we headed down to the port.

It was much nicer than when we were last here.  The kids enjoyed inspecting the fishermens' catch while Justin and I reminisced and admired the improvements.

A few minutes after arriving this beautiful sailboat pulled up, it was for us!  And it turns out that our fantastic captain, Igor, built it himself.  That makes it even more beautiful in my eyes.  I couldn't get a good picture of it while we were sailing of course so you'll have to take my word for it.

After we set sail down the picturesque Dniper River Igor told us that we were free to walk around the boat.  My heart immediately went into palpitations envisioning a child overboard.  Ignoring my fears but not my rules (for threat of staying in the cabin the entire trip) they all headed straight to the front.

Actually I admit that I probably ended up  spending more time up front than anyone except Jax who loved riding the wind.  

Don't you wish you had been here:

And what a rare fun moment for me and Katya!  So while we were busy soaking up the sun and the view, Jax and Ethan were taking turns "drivivg" the boat.

Ethan took this job very seriously.  I don't think he realized that Igor had his foot on the bottom of the steering wheel; he was so good with the kids!

After more than 2 hours of sailing the boat dropped us off at Belogrudov Island, population 60 (we met a tenth of them). This remote 8 mile long island in the Dniper is only accessible by boat and not at all in the winter.  The people are fishermen and live a very old fashioned way of life.  They have no running water, they catch, raise, or grow all their food, and yes we did have to visit their out house!  The kids really do have to walk a mile each way to school in every type of weather, including snow (but not uphill).  

We were met immediately by a host family who had prepared a feast for our lunch!  The fresh off the tree apricots were probably the favorite thing but there was nothing served that wasn't delicious.  It was a mostly fish and veggie based meal and all the kids ate it up!  And to think that they caught, grew, and prepared everything from scratch, we were honored.

After lunch our kids played with their son.  Hide and seek was the favorite game and thankfully requires no common language.  And on this tiny island I was able to actually let them hide, most places we have been I have needed to be able to count heads at any moment so this game was out of the question.  They also got to play with the puppy and other baby animals.  It was a great experience!

Justin tried not to insult them by refusing their homemade vodka but eventually he couldn't keep up, man they sure know how to put it back.  They even tried to convince him that it was ok because this kind of vodka won't give you a hangover.  We weren't going to find out whether or not that was true!

Here are Cullen and Katya waving goodbye to our wonderful hosts and repeatedly shouting "dasvedamya, spaceeba" in their most obnoxious American accents, but hey, at least they were trying.

On the sail back Katya and Cullen took naps on the beds in the cabin.  I generously agreed to supervise them, with my eyes closed :). Jax took a brief cold swim in the Dniper and then he and Justin got a nap in too. 

One of my favorite parts of the day was in the last hour of our trip home, we were all tired and the evening was getting cool so we sat around the table playing name that tune and eating leftover dessert. Everyone was getting along, laughing and singing, it was a perfect ending to the day.  Here is a picture of Cullen sitting with his new buddy Gene, our fabulous guide who arranged this river adventure for us.

Today we got to experience the gem of Kherson, it wax truly a delight.  A beautiful family (if I do say so) on a beautiful boat enjoying a beautiful river and it's banks.  I wish I had the words of a poet to describe this place -- the natural beauty and material poverty, the kindness and strength of the people.  It is a gift to experience firsthand but impossible for this novice writer to truly describe.  

The Bumpy Road To Kherson

How to describe today's 8 hour drive to Kherson?  I think some of the words you would hear around our table would be long, boring, terrifying, bumpy.  I have actually been impressed this trip by how much the driving has improved in Kiev, we didn't even see anyone driving on the sidewalk (a few cars parked there but none driving on).  I was even shocked yesterday when a car stopped to let us cross, in the past you were taking your life into your own hands trying to cross the road even at a crosswalk. So today was a reminder that it is so good that we are NOT driving while we are here.  Our driver was very nice and very good but clearly on a mission (on our behalf) and not to be slowed down by other cars that may be in front of us, though not for long.  It was for the best that I was in the back seat, with my eyes closed most of the time.  And I will no longer complain about road work now that I see what the lack of it is like -- very bumpy highways!  But we are here, safe and sound.  

While I did have my eyes open I got to experience the beauty of a quiet Kiev.  I have always thought that Kiev was a beautiful city, I love the bright colors on all the ornate old buildings.  But at 6am on a Sunday morning it is deserted and more spectacular than ever.  I could just imagine taking a morning jog through the parks and cobble stone streets, the thought of it is so picturesque and relaxing.  This was a fabulous final image of Kiev for this trip.  It is hard to believe that such a crowded, loud city (until wee hours of the morning) can be completely transformed in the early morning sun, amazing.  And considering how long the partying seemed to go on last night I suspect that it stayed quiet long into this morning. 

Kherson is s completely different experience and of course we are here for a different reason.  It is a poor region and the city is not exactly a tourist destination.  Thankfully we were met here by the most wonderful interpreter, guide, and new friend, Gene. He will be with us for the rest of our trip, thank goodness.  He has an exciting day planned for us tomorrow and then we will visit Jax's orphanage on our last day here.  

There is a lot of emotion filling our family right now, both joyous and challenging.  Please pray for Jax's heart, for peace and comfort and strength while he tries to make sense of everything he is experiencing here.  And for us as we walk through it with him and experience our own emotions, while still parenting the three little ones who have no clue what is really going on.   

So after a long day of travel the highlight of our stay in Kherson so far is this... Our apartment has a bidet.  I had no idea until Ethan came out of the bathroom and announced that he washed his hands in the little sink by the toilet :)  Then of course the kids all wanted a demonstration of what it was really for, can you guess which one volunteered to demonstrate :)  I guess we can now call this an educational trip, ha.  Oh the things the kids will remember from their trip to Europe. 

Last Day In Kiev

We started today with the classic city bus tour.  I've never done one of these in any city before, I guess they seemed too touristy, but that is what we are after all so why not.  We actually got to learn about so many of the statues and buildings and monuments that we have been seeing on all our trips to Ukraine, in English!  Justin and I thought it was great, you can see how much our tired little guys enjoyed it:

You may assume they were bored but actually Ethan seemed to like it while he was awake, he is the little intellectual in the family so this kind of thing interests him, and also tends to lead to lots of questions.  Today it was about WWII, after being in France and now here he's starting to catch on to how it got the name World War.  So not bored, just exhausted from so much vacation.  Thus the bus tour was perfect for today.

We saw all kinds of cool places like these:

The Taras Shevchenko University, which is apparently highly criticized for being painted red and black instead of the classic Kiev bright pastels.  While it might fit in best at home it certainly stands out here. 

The national opera house.

Not the most beautiful but perhsps the most interesting is this, the world's deepest subway stop.  It takes 10 minutes by escalator to get down into it, no thank you!  And they say it is quite beautiful inside, really. 

The Motherland statue.  This picture can't even begin to describe how huge she is, one of the largest statues in the world.  It's unvelievable and a bit scary to see her looming over the city.  Ukraine is definitely not short on huge statues. 

And finally this famous spot... Ok, not really but the bus did go by it and it is our favorite spot in Kiev.  This is the apartment building we stayed in with Jax when we were waiting to bring him home, 8 years ago.  Ukraine was in the middle of a revolution which impacted us in many ways -- delayed the processing of our paperwork, knocked out the power in our apartment building for days (that made for some interesting moments!), and kept us out of Independence Square due to protestors.  We were too blinded by the joy of being with our baby boy to care too much anyway, but it was memorable and how many Americans can say they've experienced a revolution first hand?  But the most memorable were those first days with Jax, watching him sleep, teaching him how to eat, trying not to drop our slippery baby in a dark shower (they do not cover the same things in adoption class as they do in childbirth class, wet slippery babies would have been helpful!).  He was so sweet and so hungry, some things haven't changed :). But enough of that trip down memory lane... 

Here's Independence Square today.

It was really fun to experience it on a Saturday evening, full of street performers, music, kind of like a big party.  And though it seems quite rare to see kids out on the streets of Kiev (we would be a novelty even if we weren't speaking English), there is no shortage of knock off Disney characters roaming around ready for a photo, quite bazaar.

After the bus tour we hoofed it to the Friendship of the People's Monument:

Here are Ethan and Jax standing under the arch striking the statue pose, though Ethan felt it was not authentic enough because Jax did not take off his shirt to expose his 6 pack like the guy in the statue, ha.

Finally we were off to our final sight, another huge statue (though a dwarf compared to the Motherland statue), this one is of Prince Vladimir.  He was the one who brought Christianity to Ukraine.  Jax loved that he had his name.  The statue was so big and they were doing work around it so I couldnt get a great picture, but here's one from below and one from above. He's holding a cross, not a weapon like so many statues, though you can't see it in the picture. 

See him back there through the trees? Prince Vladimir really has a spectacular view of the Dniper River and city beyond. As we were looking out at it Katya yelled,  "I see the Eiffel Tower".  It was actually just a smoke stack, the real Eiffel Tower must have had a big impact on her, huh. 

We learned on our tour that the people of Kiev are very proud and like to brag about how only the most fit people can live here because you have to climb mountains (their word, really hills) as you walk the city.  I'd like to add our names to the list of braggers.  Remember the funicular that took us up the mountain yesterday, well today we walked up -- halfway (Prince Vladimir is half way down it).  Look at little Cullen go.  The lack of perspective in this picture makes me look like a liar but honestly, it was really steep.

So we finished our last day in Kiev at none other than TGI Fridays, crazy!  Somehow it felt wrong eating there, until we sat down and could read everything on the menu and we saw the kids gobble down every bite of some good ol' American food. 

Now to packing, we have made ourselves quite at home in Kiev and spread our toys over every inch of this apartment, enjoying having the space to spread.  But tomorrow we leave at 6am for Kherson, the final leg of our adventure. 

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!