March 30, 2002

Hi Everyone,

Well I am sitting in a cybercafe in Kyiv with two boys next to me.  They are fascinated by everything, as you can imagine.  The two-hour car ride and then 2-hour flight to Kyiv did not faze them a bit.  They were glued to the airplane window.

Right now, they have spent 20 minutes playing with a computer mouse stuck on the start screen.  They like to follow the cursor.  As soon as I finish this, I will try to find them a simple kids game on the Internet (not Cyber Strike, the military game everyone else is playing in here).

We are doing well.  I am having so much fun.  This afternoon we walked along the promenade along the Dnipro River, the famous trading route.  They played in the playground outside of the huge soviet-style housing project apartments we are staying in.

There are many things I like about these little guys.  They are very loveable, they both smile a lot.  They chatter away in Russian and are not fazed by my lack of the language.  I tend to say "da" (yes) a lot, but usually have no idea what I am agreeing to.  Sometimes it is that they asked to go out, or eat chocolate or something!

Today I cooked my first Ukrainian style meal: soup, cabbage salad, noodles and eggs.  Then sweet tea afterwards.

Yesterday was a big day for all of us.  We left the orphanage, which was emotional for me, but they just waltzed out and never looked back.  Well, they did wave to the kids at the door.  We had a little party for each of their groupas (living group), but there was not much ceremony to the whole thing which was a letdown for me.

I think of all the "firsts" for them.  First time to roll windows up and down in a car, first time to see a flashlight (argh, guess who didn't sleep), first bath in a big tub and almost everything else.

Well, we have an appointment at the US Embassy on Monday at 9:00 a.m.  There is some question whether we will receive permission to leave Ukraine, or whether we have to wait the 30 days (April 23).  The judge was very inexperienced, so we have papers that make me officially their Mom, passport and everything else, but not the words that say she waived the 30 days (she wouldn't do it).  But apparently other families have proceeded in similar situations.  Keep your fingers crossed!

So for all the Oppedahls out there, you willl appreciate that the translator inserted a "n" in our last name, just like what happens in the US.  But here, the typo cost my translator a whole day wasted in the rural town trying to get Nickolas' birth certificate.  They wouldn't give it to him (the new one listing me as mom) until my name was spelled right and notarized etc.  ARGH!!!!!!!!!

So anyhow, at the best, we will be home by late next week.

Happy Easter everyone!

Love,

Ruth