We Woke up early, like before 7am, but dozed back to sleep. D was trying to play peek a boo, but I wasn't catching on, so he completely hid under the covers! Then I understood what he was doing and tickled him! He gave me a big hug and then we got up, about 9:30am.
D having brownie/ice cream after lunch @ TFIG
Yep, that hit the spot!
D finished watching the movie he started last night and I showered and did some laundry. After the movie I gave D a bath - he LOVES bubbles! He points to everything around the bathroom and I name it and he repeats it. We do this over and over again for about 40 minutes or so. While he was dressing I got a call from the Sanner family http://astoryoflena.blogspot.com/ who I gave my phone number to last night on facebook! :) I told them about our plans to meet up with the Rowell family later for the movies and tried to explain how to get to the mall for the movies.A sign outside a cafe
By the time we got ready, it was almost 11, so I decided to skip breakfast and just go to TGIF's for lunch again! I had another burger and D had chicken fingers and the brownie/ice cream show above for dessert! :) Then we walked down the main street in front of the apartment just taking in the sights and stopping for photos every now and then. We also bought some souvenirs for the family back home.
These next few photos were taken from a street guy who ripped us off
About the time I was ready to head back, I got a call from the Sanner family again. They were "lost" and weren't sure how to get to the theater. We figured out they were close to the big tree at Independence Square and so was I, so we met there.
A man dressed in the traditional Russian Grandfather Frost costume walked up to Dennis and placed a small critter in his hands. I think it's a chinchilla. I got out my camera to take some photos and the man grabbed D's hand and took off with him!
I chased them down of course and by then he had taken D over to a carriage next to another costumed person and was posing for photos. I was about to take the shot, when a man, not in a costume approached me and basically grabbed the camera from my hands. He motioned for me to get in the picture and snapped a few. Then he motioned for me to get out of the photo and the Santa guy also and took a few of D.
Then he grabbed the critter and shoved it into my arms. I had my eyes on that thing when it was in D's hands and it was all calm and nice. I think it knew I didn't like it so it got a squirmy and didn't want to sit still when he gave it to me! I was just glad the thing didn't pee on me!
So, now the photographer is trying to tell me how much to pay the Santa guy. I tell them I don't speak Russian so he gets out a piece of paper and writes down 120 x 3 = 360. I said "why 3" and he points to Santa and says 1 and D and says 2 and me and says 3. I said "NYET" and he wrote down 300 even.Then he pointed to himself and said "my carriage two photos" and write down 120 + 120 = 240. Again I said NYET and he wrote down 200. I was like are you kidding me? Then he acts like he's not going to give me back my camera. Of course I want the camera back, but I mostly just want to get outta there ASAP! Who knows if they're going to try to steal my wallet here in a minute.
I paid him the 500 grivna in 100's and grabbed D and we got outta there as fast as we could and have no intentions of returning to the square again before we leave. I am also warning anyone who is coming to Ukraine ... DON'T GET NEAR ANYONE WEARING A COSTUME and don't let anyone take your photo! If they approach you, tell them "NYET" and get outta there!D at the 3D movie "Tangled"
Once back to safety I show the Sanners how to get to TGIF and make plans to meet them back in front of the apartment buidling at 2:15 to get a taxi over to the Rowell's place. D and I go up to the room and chill for a bit and I work on some more laundry.
We get a taxi and I show the driver the address. He says 100 grivna, but it only cost me 50 last night, which I thought was a bit high, but maybe they charge more for 5 instead of 2 people. Anyway, we hop in and get a ride to the mall and find the movie started at 2:30 and it's already 2:45. We use Lena to help figure out if they have enough seats for all of us and our options are row 1 or section 8 (the back rows). We opt for row 1 and then there is some confusion about how to pay.
Left to right:
Kristina, Vladik, Lira, Dennis, Lena
Kristina, Vladik, Lira, Dennis, Lena
We get that figured out and then don't know how to read the ticket to know which theater it's playing in. We go the wrong way ... someone tells us to go the other way ... we go another wrong way ... we finally locate it and they don't have enough glasses for all 12 of us! All the Rowell's go in and the rest wait for employees to locate glasses. Other people are also waiting in the hall for glasses. We get those and of course the movie has already started, so we enter late and sit in the front row. The movie was excellent, even in Russian it was funny and heartwarming. I will be taking all my kids to the English version once I get home (but will skip the 3D part).D and I playing race car arcade game
We all hung around for about an hour and half afterward playing arcade games and air hokey and the adults just chit chatting about our stories and lives in the US. It's great how friendly American are, isn't it! :) D and I and the Sanner have to get a cab back to our side of town, so we head back to the Square since we can both walk from there. I tell them we're going to Sojo Pizza, which they haven't been even though they are closer to it then we are, and they join us.
We had a very nice dinner together and then D and I went downstairs into the mall to get ice cream. I was thinking McD's, but there was a huge line. I looked around and saw a gelato place - it was really good! I'm betting we'll go back again tomorrow. We agreed to meet the Rowell's and Sanners in the square tomorrow for ice skating. Well ... we won't ice skate, but I bet D will have fun watching them. And, we'll avoid the costumed creatures like the plague!
D and I at Sojo Pizza for dinner
We got back to the apartment and skyped with Brian and the kids. Then we called Snezhana. We played phone tag for a bit and then I realized that my phone was out of money! We called her back on skype and I explained it to her. She said she was low on money too, so I will buy another phone card for her tomorrow and go online and apply it and buy more for my phone, too.
The laundry is all hanging out to dry now and tomorrow afternoon I will pack. Then we'll see if we can get a taxi ride to the train station to meet some friends, old and new, before they return to their regions after the current hosting program. I have gifts to send with one of the girls who is a friend of Snezhana and hope she will be able to write us.
Well, signing off and going to bed now.
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Those are all such typical Dennis expressions... love them!!
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention that Dennis ended up talking to a bunch of people when you called S. For everyone else, I watched/listened to it on Skype until Melissa ran out of minutes. Sounded like most everything was folks asking if he was good and if things were going well... to which he answered DA.
ReplyDeleteI was happy that so many folks were interested.
Have a safe trip HOME!!!
ReplyDeleteDennis is such a cutie! He is enjoying every minute. I'm glad you are getting to enjoy your last few days there:) It's so nice when you get to visit with other adoptive families. We were able to spend the last 2 and a half weeks there with friends and their newly adopted children. We see them often. It's a special bond.
ReplyDeleteWe were down by the river during our summer trip where a group of people kept announcing a cheap boat ride. We were suspicious because it was so cheap. We didn't go, but who knows how much they charged you once on and maybe it cost a lot to get off. We saw people with birds who asked if we wanted pictures, but knew they probably were cons. Of course, there were four of us. Now you've justified our suspicions. Sorry you got taken. We did have a man dressed as a monkey swoop Karina up and told Dennis (my husband) to take a picture. Then told me to get in the picture plus our friend and her daughter. He asked Dennis for 20 greevna or so. He then realized the guy was just trying to get drinking money.
June
Looks like the weather should be ok tomorrow in Kyiv and Munich. You might get greeted by snow just starting in Dulles on Monday... doesn't look like much.
ReplyDelete