Drama at the Christoffersons

When I said, "I AM THE DRAMA QUEEN!" I was really referring to my ability to intentionally over dramatize otherwise undramatic situations. I didn't mean I wanted drama to happen in my life! I prefer to create it myself, thank you very much.

So the reason why I haven't been keeping you updated, Gentle Readers, is because one of our dear children became sick just less than 24 hours after arriving. We all know and perhaps have first hand experience of having stomach flu after you arrive to a foreign country? Not so pleasant , eh? Okay, say you are a 10 year old girl without prior travel experience and the person who is taking care of you is NOT a medical professional, and they don't speak your language except to say, "Are you hurt?" or "Are you nauseas?" or "Do you have diarrhea?" and you cant keep anything down. There you have it, Gentle Readers. That is Sasha for the first 6 days of American Experience.
I thought I was in hell and I'm positive Sasha thought the same 'cause said she wanted to go home.
We took her to the ER on Sunday morn because she was so badly dehydrated. Yes, they did the IV thing. It hurt the whole 2 hours. We took her home with meds. No improvement. I was so frustrated and helpless. After we got home, I wanted her to see a doc who could check her lab results, but our system is . . . we pre-empt this post to protect the writer from sinning in word.
You get the idea.
A benevolent friend who is a nurse-practitioner returned home from vacation just in time to intercept another visit to the ER. He was able to help us use the $22 a pill meds to Sasha's best advantage and prescribe more to get her happy and well again in less than 48 hours.

Saturday, we were in heaven again. The six of us were camping in the beautiful Colorado mountains.

Now Sasha says she is having "too much fun and never wants to leave." YEAH!
This is what we signed up for! They laugh and giggle and are delighted with the littlest of things. Things we grew bored with long ago. I've never seen children consume so many fresh fruits and vegetables. Our sour cherries don't make it into the house! They wait well and they play well without much supervision. While we have had to do some "time outs" with Nastia, we are so glad she has enough self-esteem to make her wises known.

One bit of advice, I recommend for anyone who is considering hosting or adopting.
GET YOURSELF AN INTERPRETER. Our friend Tanya has been a life-saver! Beg, hire, enslave, but get an interpreter!

Valuable Gems Arrive!

After it was discovered that the original gems could not be secured, two other valuable (and just as appreciated) gems arrived by international jet under the watchful eye of trained escorts on Thursday. Giggles can be heard once again on Tanglewood Trail.

But its a good noise

How loud can it get?! I live in one of those infernal neighborhoods that is never quiet. That is kind of a good thing because it means people are improving their houses right? Well, I think it is just that when they do have work done on their house, it is SO LOUD, you can hear it up to 1/2 mile away. Therefore, if the conscientious folks in the next neighborhood are re-roofing, which in Colorado happens frequently, well, you get the idea. We have all heard the distant pounding of the roofers, yes? Okay, now add a saws-all to that. A saws-all. It is one of those contraptions that really does what it says. Mostly used in demolition. There is sort of a twisted humor in hearing the house vibrating under the destruction of the saws-all, the pounding of hammers and/or nail-guns at the same time. They build even as they demolish. Do you see, Gentle Readers, how quickly they are finishing the house? The outside will be ready to paint by the weekend! We are the designated painters thereof, however I think we will be busy with girls. Hum? What's that? No, I'm not going to tell you now. I'm going to build suspense.

I couldn't resist the urge to show you the garden.

Here are the construction photos. The first were done last week. Then up to yesterday.
See my REALLY BIG window?

To quote one of the construction guys, "Yeah, baby!"

Progress!

Well, the girls were supposed to come yesterday but no visas yet. I'm trying to keep my mind off of it by tidying the house, putting things away and cleaning that which could use some attention (understatement).
Digging out some adoption books that have helpful info on what to expect from kids who have spent time in an orphanage. I've read the books before but since that is not the American Way, I didn't read that part. So far, what I'm noticing is over-structure. For example, the kids don't have the luxury of choosing when to eat but must follow the schedule set by the orphanage. This teaches them to deny their own physical cues. They may sit down to a meal and consume as much as they can as quickly as they can because that is all they are going to get till the next time they sit for a meal (breakfast and dinner). Will watch the girls carefully. Constant hunger is a real concern and to have food so available will be overwhelming to them. Contrary to impulse, what an American parent must do (who has almost unlimited access to stupidly large quantities of chow even in their own humble abodes) is provide the kids with baggies of healthy munchies the kids can carry around with them 24/7.

Also keeping my mind occupied is the resuming of construction! The last couple of weeks the builders have put their bums in high gear and are making up for lost time. I think they are a week ahead of schedule (the new one not the old one, if it were the old one they would be done by now!) Ahem. The new hopeful finish date is July 3.
The lower half of the family room walls, the floor of same room, the frame and floor of the kitchen nook are almost done. Destruction today. Yesterday it was 95*F and today as in the classic Colorado style, it is topping 55*F. On this day, they will be removing the east wall of the upstairs bedrooms and the sliding glass door, allowing even more of said Colorado weather and accompanying fauna in the form of bugs almost free access to our living space. Okay, there will be a sheet of plastic between but you get the idea.