We had our first major snowstorm this year.

 

I have loaded some pictures of the kids in the snow (labeled 1/21/07).  It is the first time that Oksana has seen the snow, in any substantial amount.  The neighbors let the boys borrow their snowboard, and they proceeded to use their driveway as a sledding hill.  I also tried the snowboard and learned my lesson- do not fall on a hard surface on your hip, because it HURTS!  So I am sporting a pretty cool bruise.

 

Later they went to the BIG hill across the street with their dad, to have some major sledding fun! 

 

I also loaded some pictures of Oksana's new haircut.  I have been trying to grow her bangs out but they were getting pretty sad, so I trimmed them and cut her "mullet".  I think growing it out as a bob will be easier.  She has really fine and thin hair, so it is not the easiest to style.

 

Enjoy~

After I gave the kids baths on Monday night, V decided his hair was too long in the front, and before I noticed what was going on- He had made a nice big bald spot right on his forehead!  I mean bald!  So I took the scissors away, and began to cut as short as I could.  It looked better but still very obvious.  When my DH came home I said- dont say anything about it- because he is embarassed.  In fact, V had mentioned that he didnt want to go to school because of it, but I told him it was a lesson learned.  I guess seeing Nikolai's self-done hairchop was not a good deterent afterall. 

 

This one definitely needs some time to grow back out, but his hair grows faster then anyone's I know so in a month or two all should be better.

 

Speaking of V, I decided to sign him up for boys gymnastics.  Gymnastics is so good for the kids because it really teaches them body control, flexibility and strength.  He will get to use all of the appratus' as well.  I really want to see what they teach them on the highbar and rings as beginners!   

 

For those (Amy) wondering the name of M's baby - it is Vladislav, or Vlad for short.

 

 

What do you do on a rainy and cold Sunday afternoon in Ohio...((see photos for 1/14/07))

 

Well you bake lots of cookies, make homemade vegetable soup and build a sheet fort!!!  

 

We eventually made the fort into a cool tent for overnight sleeping, but the boys were scared, and decided to sleep in their beds instead.

 

Well good thing they did because around 5 AM, this morning, the fire alarm went off and jarred us out of sleep!  Talk about a scary awakening from sleep!

 

The kids were crying, while DH and I looked for the problem.  Turns out with all of the rain (and let me add our backyard is literally a pool as V said with a large stream running to the street) we have a small hole in the roof!  The water had dripped into our electrical fire alarm by the attic and set it off.  Crises averted- but repairs to be done.

 

Luckily it is MLK day so I am off work, but it still would have been nice to sleep in a few extra winks.

 

Now what to do with three stir crazy kids on another rainy day...

Well the results are in total weight loss for week one- 2 pounds.  Not to bad considering I did not work out much. 

 

Today, I was feeling a bit depressed and down at work, so I decided I wanted a Diet Pepsi.   I went to the vending machine for my overpriced can of caffeine (havent had any since Sunday) and NOTHING!  So I hit another one- still NOTHING.  So I pushed the money back thing and NOTHING!!!   By this time,  I was getting a bit frustrated and not feeling so happy, and told the machine what I thought of it (and it was not a nice word or two)!!!!  Then I heard someone behind may say quietly, "excuse me".  Right behind me there was a little old couple lost and in the wrong building.  I apologized and he said- those machines can be touchy!  Boy did I feel bad after that!  So the end result the machine won, I got no caffeine fix and I felt like a little kid needing my mouth washed out with soap!

 

Last for my Masha update - He is  4 kilos (1 kilo is 2.2), height 54 sm. M stayed with her baby boy for five days in the hospital (better then the 10 days they used to stay 10 days alone to bond with the child in Ukraine maternity wards).  M and her family are very happy and very excited.  I am thrilled for them!

 

It was nice to have a short week at work.  Helped to transition back into the working mode. 

 

Over the weekend I did very well on my diet goals and during the week I had no bread, pasta etc...  I had two tortillas on Friday with homemade soft tacos.   But the biggie- I didnt eat any of the pizza we ordered in on Saturday night!  Yeah me!  I did have some oven baked chicken wings but pulled off the skin.  So overall I think I am doing very well.  I have not yet weighed myself though.  I have also limited my caffeine intact.  I had one diet pepsi and two cups of coffee over the week.

 

I also began working out again-something that really has been harder then I thought it would with three kids!   I walked about two miles on Friday night and then did around four miles (run/jog) with my dog (and V on his bike) on Saturday morning.  The weather has been very mild

here for January in the midwest.  Unlike the non-stop blizzards my brother and family are experiencing in Denver!  See you need to come back to Ohio  !

 

Sunday we had a birthday dinner for Larry's father.  The children and I baked him a yummy lemon cake (yes I had a small piece of this but no ice cream). I also made him his favorite dinner -ribs. 

 

I plan on weighing in later so I will post the results.  Keeping my fingers crossed for a good start!! 

 

Go BUCKEYES!

 

Nada

Nil

Nothing

 

That is the verdict from the Shriners Cleft Team.  They are not going to do anymore work right now on Oksana's cleft palate.  They want her to grow and heal more.  What can a mother do.  Although she still has a small hole, they want to let her grow at least another year and then re-evaluate her.  So although her speech will still be nasal and airy and liquids still come out of her nose- we will just wait it out.

 

On the plus side, she is really talking up a storm.  Even if we cannot understand half of the things she says, she really wants to vocalize and hold a conversation.  She is definitely caught up in any developmental delays (other then speech) that she had the first few months.  She can use the big potty all by herself and is completely potty trained (we still put her in a diaper at bedtime- but it is probably not needed).  She can dress herself and definitely UNDRESS herself.  She loves to draw and color.

 

The New Year came and went the same as any Sunday night for us.   And, our family had a traditional dinner on New Years Day of ribs and sauerkraut.

 

On a side note somewhere in Kramatorsk Ukraine, my dear friend Masha should have delivered her baby boy, but we have not heard any news as of yet...

 

I am making one life improving goal for myself this year.  I have set a goal to lose fourty pounds for my fourtieth birthday.  That gives me until May 12, 2007.  (Gulp)

 

Happy 2007!