The Cheese Ball

Today's blog is for Kyle & Bridget who are trying to stay sane in the Ukraine. (Sounds like Country Western song!) They have been gone almost a week now and are running into all sorts of blockades to the adoption of Roman, the 10 year old boy who came to stay with them for a month over Christmas. K&B are working with an agency who tries to place children from orphanages in the countries that once were the USSR. Things have been moving along and now that they are in the last stages of the adoption proceedings they are running into one road block after another. Just before they left for the Kiev they made their weekly call to Roman, during which he told them he did not want to be adopted. K&B were devastated. Nothing they could do and no one they could talk to, they just went on with the hopes that this was a passing thing. They spoke with other parents who were also adopting and they too had had the same experience, only to have it all work out.
Last Sunday K&B left to fly to Kiev for a court date on Tuesday, sign papers and then move on to the other side of the country to the town where Roman's orphanage is. Kiev turned out to be a pleasant surprise for them. A big, modern city with good food and accommodations. They ran into a few minor set backs but after a day's delay they flew to Donetsk, drove 2 hours to the town with the orphanage only to be told Roman was not there. (They are traveling with a translator because the language is so impossible to understand because it uses a totally different alphabet.) It was down hill from there. Roman was at camp, another 2 hour ride into the country. The towns are awful, the steel mill in town makes the entire area stink with rancid pollution, the roads are so potholed you can't drive on them and it is hot and humid.
Bottom line . . . We are praying for a better day for them today. Thus the following blog about "THE CHEESE BALL" in order to cheer up Mom & Dad, if they have Internet connection out in the country.
Some time in the early years of Abby's life Aunt Keri referred to Abby as "A Cheese Ball". There is no literal meaning to this but it is the perfect term for this child. She is a character and a half and is keeping Grandma and Grandpa laughing. Abby is one smart cookie and getting smarter every day. Her vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, (no no mom & dad, it is not cause of grandma's cursing!) but because she always asks the meaning of a word that she doesn't know. Abby is 5 going on 40, going on 5. She is the perfect mix of smart and silly. We have been doing a lot of laughing this past week trying to keep the "Miss yous" a bay. Now that it is the end of the week Abby is tired so it is harder to not miss mom and dad. She LOVES school so that is a great diversion. I don't think Abby the Cheese Ball goes to school, that Abby is reserved for the family. Her teachers all think she is a quiet child. We know better. Last week Ger and I wanted to buy a plastic whistle for Abby, (she "coaches" mom and dad playing soccer on the lawn outside. She doesn't PLAY, she is the coach). Bridget told me a whistle would be too noisy for the house they are living in. Let me tell you that there isn't a plastic whistle around that could be louder that the SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH Abby lets out when getting dressed in the morning and Grandma accidentally "tickles" her. If the neighbors aren't awake before that they surely are after. There is now doubt as to who is in charge with mom and dad gone. From dinner menu to wardrobe, (thank goodness for school uniforms), to planned activities, Ger and I just follow Abby's lead and the Cheese Ball shall lead us.
So MoM and DaD . . . don't you worry one bit about Abby. She is doing fantastic taking care of us and herself. Her biggest concern is that Grandpa is not eating his vegetables and fruit and he is watching too much TV. Abby is ONE SMART COOKIE !