My Apologies

for being remiss on keeping the blog updated.

The boys are still enjoying school. In late September we had our first post-placement visit with a social worker. It was gratifying to see how far we have progressed.

Halloween was a new experience for the boys.

They enjoyed Trick or Treating so much that Maxx asked if they could put on their costumes and go this past weekend.



We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Wausau with Randy's family. It was bittersweet as we were excited to have our first Thanksgiving with Ty and Maxx but it was also our first without Randy's father.

Randy's father died after an accident in early November. We are grateful that he was able to see the boys several times since their homecoming.

The boys had their first Holiday show last week and were able to see Santa for the first time.


We are doing well and are excited to finally celebrate holidays in the United States as a family.

Happy Holidays,

Marcia

School Photos

We got the digital copies of the boys' school photos today. The photographer did a great job bringing out the boys' personalities.

Photo Update

I have given up on the Winkflash account. All our photos since our arrival back in the US have been posted on Shutterfly.

http://www.shutterfly.com/

The username is: newtonmarcia@yahoo.com
The password is: tymaxx

Last weekend I got the boys winter coats and found a Packer shirt for Maxx. These are photos I sent to Randy showing him the boys in their new things.

M

Photos - FINALLY

I am working on updating Ty and Maxx's winkflash account. I didn't realize how far behind I am on photos.

Yesterday, I got out the camera and took some photos of the boys playing. It is amazing how much physical progress the boys have made since they have been home. Maxx would struggle to climb the ladder on the playset. Now, he scales the rock wall and climbs up the slide like the other children.

Neither boy was able to reach the rings earlier this summer. In the past few days, Ty has demonstrated that he can hang upside down. He also likes to pretend he's "Spiderman" by swinging from the sandbox wall into the other swings. Somehow that is more fun than using the swings the proper way.

Marcia

Vacay

Last week we took our late summer vacation.

Now that we have some family photos blogspot won't let me post them so I will try that later. Thanks to my Mom we have some photos of all four of us. Since we were at the zoo, Ace wasn't with us.

We drove down to spend a few days near Milwaukee to visit my Mom's side of the family and some friends. Ace got to come along and the boys loved to point out that Ace sits in the back of the car.

Our first destination was "Grandma and Papa's House" where there were plenty of toys to be brought out again. The boys' favorite toy was a battery operated helicopter which was nice and LOUD.

We then took the boys to Fort Atkinson to meet my Grandmother. The boys have a hard time understanding they have 3 grandmothers. My Grandmother is a notorious "food pusher" and the boys readily ate a lot of sweets to make everyone happy.

The next destination was the Milwaukee County Zoo. Since the Zoo is huge, we knew we wouldn't be able to cover all of it as a group. The boys do not use a stroller or wagon as they are good walkers. We had to see the monkeys and fish first and then the African animals. The boys rode the zoo train and fed the goats.

After the boys napped in the car, we took them to a German Biergarten. We taught them to say "probst" instead of "cheers". On our way to my parent's house, Maxx gleefully announced "I am happy".

The next day we decided to take the boys to "Mecca" or as regular folks say "Lambeau Field". The boys got to eat huge cheeseburgers at "The Stadium View" and we took them to the Packer Pro Shoppe to get prepared for the new season. They were a bit overwhelmed point to us all the "Green Bay Packer" stuff.

Then it was on to Wausau where we got to visit Randy's parents, brother/nephew, niece/grand-nephew.

After we got home, we decided to tackle a few household projects and then we took the boys to the Minnesota State Fair. Maxx was able to take his first trip on a bus to the Fairgrounds. He and Ty both loved pointing down at vehicles on the freeway. I think they would have been content with just the bus.

At the Fair we focused on visiting the farm animals and checking out some rides. Both boys enjoy rides. Ty's face lights up whenever a ride speeds up. They also enjoyed that many of the 4H kids would give them candy for visiting the animals.

Since we don't have any plans this weekend we are tempted to go back to the Fair and take the boys to the John Deere and Harley Davidson exhibits. Let's hope for good weather.

We don't have any major plans for this Fall yet. The boys will continue at school 3 mornings each week. They are happy they will have the same teachers.

It's hard to believe summer is almost over

Marcia

School Days

Ty and Maxx have now finished a month of preschool. It has been going very fast. They are talking more than ever and telling us things they learn at school.

At lunch Ty told me "it's 2011" Everyday the class works on the calendar.

Apparently, Maxx likes blondes. He told me about a girl in his class and how she's his girlfriend. Yesterday was pajama day and she showed Maxx the whales on her pajama top.

Ty took his first field trip where he was able to ride a school bus (a biggie), picnic in a park and scoop ice cream at Dairy Queen. Later we went to the park as a family and Ty was able to tell me about the class trip there.

In addition to what they learn at school, they are asking a lot questions at home. Lately it is about anatomy and what body parts boys have vs. girls. I wussed out on the question about Ace, our dog, missing some of his anatomy.

Flashbacks

This weekend was the Newton/Carson family reunion where Ty and Maxx were able to meet more family members. It was also the 3rd month of their being in the US. Lately, I have been working on putting away some of the paperwork related to the adoption. All these activities have made me think a bit of our time in Kazakhstan.

The boys periodically bring up Kazakhstan in conversation so I thought I'd share a few of their stories.

On an extended car trip, Maxx woke up and asked where "S" was. "S" was one of our Honeywell friends who helped us in Almaty. We explained she was at her office with our friends "I", "E", "A" and "M". Maxx decided he wants to work at Honeywell in Almaty. Unfortunately, he could not tell us what job skill he possesses for employment.

We took the boys to the Hennepin County Fair. It is a relatively small fair which was perfect for us. While Ty and I were walking to the rides to meet Randy and Maxx, Ty said "Kazakhstan". I asked him if the fair reminded him of KZ and he said "yes". Later we asked him if he heard someone speaking Russian and he said "yes". We couldn't think of any visual at the fair that reminded us of KZ.

The boys still like to watch YouTube videos of "Qara Jorga" aka "The Horse Song". For the first time last night, Ty started to do some of the dance moves he learned at Umit. Maxx decided to follow along. Then the boys got to be a bit creative as I have not seen any performances of QJ where boys ride each other like horses, shake backsides or lift up shirts. This must be some kind of US/KZ hybrid version of the dance. LOL

Water Boys

I am sorry I haven't posted for so long. If there has been a common theme to our lives these past few weeks it's been WATER.

The boys had their first trip to Wisconsin in late June. We took them to a waterpark hotel in the Dells. They had a great time in the splash areas. Both sets of Grandparents were able to come by and join in the fun. The boys liked having a bunk bed in their hotel room. That made us happy as we would like to graduate them to bunk beds here.

We enrolled the boys in our local preschool and they are enjoying it. Ty's first day was "Water Day" where he got to bring a swimsuit and run through the sprinklers at school. Yesterday, there were pony rides at school. Ty informed me he rode the "big horse" not the "little pony" like Maxx did. Maxx was hesitant about school but yesterday did very well.

At home the boys play a game called "find the water". Randy has a remote control for our sprinkler system and will randomly turn on sprinklers as the boys chase the water. Ace also enjoys this game a lot.

Over the July 4th weekend, we went to my Aunt's cabin and the boys got to experience a lake for the first time. They wanted to ride in the canoe but we had them hold off as we didn't bring life jackets. Randy and Liz (my aunt) took them for spins in the pedal boat.

Last weekend we went to a cabin with friends and the boys were able to ride a motor boat. They loved it. Randy and I went tubing and Ty kept motioning for us to go faster.

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Marcia

Toys, Toys Everywhere There's Toys

Actually, I think we have done pretty well with keeping the volume of toys at a reasonable level.

Luckily, the boys like books. They have some of the "Tag" books that read to them and the other day, Ty didn't understand that I could read him a book without the "Tag" device. His current favorite is "Spiderman" where Maxx likes "Tractor Tipping" from Cars.

Last weekend they received books with stuffed animals from the story. They enjoyed having their animals jump onto the book as I read. Somehow the plot gets interrupted with a lot of pointing to various objects on the page.

We try to read a book before "Quiet Time" as a way to settle down a bit. One day, the boys were in the basement an it was a bit too quiet so I went to check. Ty pulled out one of the books I got him in Almaty and was matching up parent and baby animals.

This weekend Ty started to take an interest in his "baby doll". I made the mistake of commenting to Randy that I noticed he is being gentler with the doll. An hour later, I found him taking his toy ninja sword (they "won" it at the Fair) to try to decapitate the doll. Later, he buckled the doll with him for our car ride.

The boys have succumbed to Disney's influence and now recognize everything related to "Cars" and "Toy Story". Yesterday at Target, they spotted Mater on boxes of mac and cheese and soup. I have a feeling we will be seeing the new movie later this summer.

Marcia

Brotherly Love

They aren't like this everyday so I thought I'd share this photo.

Kids and Dogs

We had a beautiful weekend here. No wind, lots of sun and temperatures in the high 80's/90's.

Best part was friends came to visit. They gave the boys a slip and slide which they loved. Once they saw the men take off their shirts they decided to ditch their swimming shirts. Luckily, we were able to convince them to wear them later.

Gunnar and Maddy are our friends' dogs and the boys loved having the extra dogs around as well as the dogs who liked the extra attention. Maxx loved chasing the dogs to "water" them. Randy taught Ty how to hit a baseball (ok, a whiffle ball) and he now uses his baseball swing for the ball thrower. Ty loved making the dogs sit at attention and wait for him to throw the ball.

The dogs did not understand that they couldn't play on the slip and slide or in the boys' pool so I went out to buy them a plastic wading pool. It felt very white trash when I commented to our friend, "we'll put the pool in the back of the truck and then put the beer inside to keep it from blowing out".

After the dogs got their pool the children (our neighbors came over) decided the dogs' pool was the one to play in.

We hope everyone had as good a weekend as we did.

Marcia

Hillary Clinton

I guess Ace still carries a grudge. LOL

Actually, he's bi-partisan and will chew up any political doll with a squeaker inside.

Evil Marketing Genius

I knew to expect that the boys would quickly learn the names of Disney Characters and will eventually ask to go to McDonalds. I didn't expect an evil marketing genius at my local Toyota dealership though.

Today, the boys and I took the Venza in for an oil change. We went into the children's play area while they had a honey bun and bottled water. After that we went to look at the cars. The boys were designating different vehicles for each person in our family. Somehow I kept getting the minivan while Randy got the pick up truck. The boys laid claim to all the other vehicles.

As I was at the cashier's desk, I was asked if the boys would like a balloon and I naively said "yes". A service rep came out with two large balloons. They were probably 14 inches in diameter. I got the boys and the balloons in the car and started the drive home.

You guessed it. Within 1o minutes we had "disagreements" and tears about whose balloon was "hitting" who, etc. As I am listening to this I had a scary thought:

If I had a mini-van they would at least be further from each other and there would be less fighting.

This must be why there are so many minivans out there and no, we aren't getting one.

Marcia

BTW: Once we got home, each boy let their balloon fly away and yelled "Bye Bye Balloona" as it drifted away.

Our Little Mermaid

I guess I was wrong thinking the boys couldn't get into trouble in their room by themselves.

For the record, Ty got on 17 pullups compared to Maxx's 3.

Poop

Like most kids, "poop" is one of the boys' favorite words. Last week we had plenty of poop to talk about.

One day, the boys were at the play set and I went to let Ace out of the house. I saw Maxx run with Ace's pooper scooper and decided I needed to check it out. It appears that a cat pooped in the sandbox and the boys wanted to take care of the problem themselves.

I got the package of information for the boys' medical visits. There is a very good clinic at the University of MN that treats internationally adopted children. When I got the package, I noticed instructions on getting a stool sample and let out a "yuck". Ty wanted to know what was happening and I told him they were going to the MD and she wants to see his poop. His initial comment was "Ace". I don't know if he wants to give an Ace sample or was referring to how I pick up after Ace.

He then freaked about having to go to the MD. I explained the MD would want to see how big and strong he has become, look at his eyes, ears, nose, heart, etc. I then told him MDs in America are very nice and often give children suckers after a visit. In one of my magazines was a photo of a girl at the MD that Ty pointed out so I commented how the girl looked happy. We also went to the clinic website and I showed Ty a photo of his MD.

Now he looks at the world map on his placemat and points to America and says "Doctor". The boys also refer to the MD as "Dr. Poop". I hope the novelty wears off before we see the MD.

Thursday was my first book club meeting since coming home and one of the comments from the book was fecal covered eggs. I guess there is no escaping poop for us for a while.

Marcia

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

it's off to work we go....

Randy went back to work this week. The boys are still trying to figure this out. On Monday we drove together to Randy's office so the boys could see where Randy went and we picked him up at the end of the day. Now whenever I put the boys in the car they ask if we are getting Daddy. They don't understand if Randy takes the truck to work that he will drive it home.

Yesterday the car wouldn't start and I told the boys it was broken. They immediately mentioned Daddy so I guess they understand my lack of mechanical skills. Turned out to be the battery but I took the car to the dealership to have it tested. The boys were fascinated by the service area of the dealership. Hopefully, this fascination holds when we need to go in for oil changes.

We then decided to stop by Randy's office to say "hi". This time we went inside and the boys got to meet many of the Honeywell staff. They were shy for a few minutes and then started to put on their little shows. I hadn't realized the boys had their toy squirt guns with them when they entered the building so we joked about their getting "guns" through security. They liked checking out the offices and their contents.

Their visit was topped off by suckers from the receptionist when they left.

Photo Update

I am loading the last of my photos to Ty & Maxx's winkflash account

http://www.winkflash.com/

Username: tymaxx
Password: newton

These are some photos from the boy's last day at Umit and their outing to the bouncy toy in the Taraz square.

A lot of the photos in the winkflash account are repetitive and many of me are ones that Ty took but thought I'd share with anyone who was interested.

Marcia

Wisconsin Boys

I am trying to get our photos organized. Here are some of the first photos we took of the boys. They wanted to go outside and they were still cold after wearing a few layers so I grabbed my favorite sweatshirts for them.

One Week Home

Overall, we are adjusting well to our life in Corcoran.

The boys love being outside to play on the play set or play fetch with Ace. On Friday we were outside and we watched a neighbor's horse get a shoe replaced. Ty wanted to pet the horse but Maxx has hesitant.

Speaking of hesitant, Ty likes to climb on the 4 wheeler and lawn tractor but not with the engine running. Maxx loves it. Randy showed Maxx how the throttle worked and Maxx had to push it all the way in to "Maxximize" the noise. The 4 wheeler was in neutral so he wasn't going anyplace.

Our first outing was to Cabela's. The boys liked the aquariums and the stuffed animals. Ty immediately pointed out the lion to us. They have been pretty good as far as staying put in the car.

They have started to meet the neighborhood children and are getting along particularly well with the children next door. All 4 are playing well on the play set together.

We are starting to get a routine down where the boys are taking naps and sleeping most of the night. Maxx likes to make "bed checks" which entail slapping my back as hard as he can to make sure I am awake. He will walk over to Randy's side of the bed but doesn't smack him in the back.

We have lots of photos which need to be uploaded to the computer. Hopefully I can get to this soon.

Take care,

Marcia

We Are Home

The trip home went as planned. Life has been very hectic since we returned. This has been my first time at a computer for a few days.

The boys were very excited to see Randy and meet Ace. Ace is still not sure what to think of the boys. Ty is obsessed with him. Last night he awoke and cried out "Ace". Maxx likes Ace outside but not near him inside.

We have some challenges with sleeping but have had some luck with naps and the jet lag seems to be wearing off all of us.

The boys enjoy the swing set and have met a few neighbor children. They were running from Randy and ignoring his request that they come back. The 5 year old next door commented to her Dad "They don't listen to Randy do they?" Her Dad pointed out her listening skills weren't much better.

Hopefully, there will be some uninterupted time in our near future to post some photos

Marcia

Coming Home Finally

The Embassy visit was uneventful except that the boys were a bit loud in the waiting area and liked picking up the phones in the meeting booths. There was a lot of paperwork to sign and then a few questions regarding our delayed process.

Then it was to KLM to buy tickets. That took longer as planned as Citibank decided to reject my ticket purchase ("suspicious tranaction" was the rationale). It got resolved and we now have tickets in hand to get home late Sunday afternoon.

We also had dinner with many of the friends who have helped us this past month. It was at a traditional Kazakh restaurant where Ty was mesmerized by the dancers and got to see 3 very pretty girls perform "Quar Jorga" aka "The Horse Song" live.

Only one toast and it was "To having the happiest beer in 2 years"

Now it's time to pack up and get out of here. As with moving between apartments, I suspect packing around the boys will be challenging.

Marcia

Happy Birthday Maxx

Today is Maxx's 3rd birthday. So far we are hoping we'll take him and Ty to the Embassy for our exit interview. We'll know later today if that will happen or if we will have to wait until next week.

Then we have plans for dinner with friends.

It's bittersweet as Randy and I had hoped we'd be celebrating his birthday and Easter at home this year but apparently not.

Hopefully today I will have better information on our return date to the US. The boys' Kazakh paperwork seems to be complete so now it's on to the US side of the process.

Take care,

Marcia

Sibling Rivalry

Our paperwork is continuing to progress through the Kazakh system. Right now I do not have a set return date. Only a visa that expires on Sunday so I need to leave or get my 5th Kazakh Visa. I will post a departure date once I know one.

The boys are starting to get a little competitive (especially Ty) for my attention. We've started a sleeping ritual where the 3 of us sleep sideways in our almost queen sized bed. Maxx is closest to the headboard, I'm in the middle and Ty is on the end.

Last night Ty announced he wanted to go to bed (just me and him) so he grabbed a book while I arranged the pillows. I pointed out who the pillows belonged to and he threw Maxx's on the floor. That didn't need much translation.

They play well together and it seems only bedtime is when there are these moments of rivalry. Hopefully when we are home and there are two parents this will pass.

Marcia

Music Therapy

I'm sorry for my delay in posting. The apartment internet has been really slow and I haven't had the energy to get the USB modem out of the closet most nights.

Our paperwork is moving SLOWLY through the system here. It is very frustrating to say the least. No word on when I will be leaving. I will post something once I know. Please help us keep our frustration levels down by NOT asking us when we will be coming home.

Randy P arrived last Sunday as scheduled. It has been helpful having an extra set of hands/eyes/feet to keep track of two very active boys.

The boys are doing well. We've been working on some songs and it's cute to hear them sing. Thank goodness for Youtube to give us some music. Here are some of our faves:

"Bad Boys" from COPS. One day I sang it to the boys when they were naughty and they thought it was really funny. We sometimes change it to "Fat Boy" when we are eating.

"Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". I had a hard time explaining to the boys why they shouldn't jump on the bed. I tried drawing a photo with a bloody forehead and tears and still couldn't get the point across. Somehow watching monkeys fall off a cartoon bed is highly entertaining.

"Ma Na Ma Na" by the Muppets. Maxx makes some hilarious faces as we sing this song. Ty just dances around.

We also have some bathroom songs that I won't share the lyrics.

Marcia

Almaty Apartment #2

Today we moved into a two bedroom apartment as our friend Randy will be staying with us.

We have the same landlady but are in a different building. I was able to access the blog with the room internet. There is a play area in the courtyard for the boys.

Maxx was a bit out of sorts when we tried to settle in. I moved a coffee table and he had a huge, screaming fit. I have no idea why that was so traumatic for him. Later he got a mild nosebleed. Ty who fell asleep very quickly got a stronger nosebleed later. The apartment doesn't appear to be dry so I have no idea why this happened.

Earlier in the evening we spent time with friends. They have two children in their household. The older is Maxx's age. Overall, they get along well. There is competition for toys and parental attention. Maxx fell asleep in the car so he missed a lot of the action.

Marcia

Almaty Life

I am sorry I have been remiss in posting. As I've mentioned to a lot of people, by the time I get the boys settled for the night I spend an hour on e-mail/Facebook and am ready to crash. Randy has been reminding me that I need to blog so I got the Beeline stick (my better internet option here) and am ready to post.

The apartment has dial-up internet but it times out for the blog.

From a logistical standpoint, we still do not have the boys' Kazakh passports so we can't progress much further until they are completed. We do not know the cause of the delay. Believe me, we've been asking.

The boys went for the "check ups" at the international clinic this week. They have both been cleared to travel. We now know that Ty is approximately 3" 3' and weighs 36 pounds. Maxx is 3" and weighs 31 pounds. For fun, I ran their numbers through the growth tables and calculated BMIs and they are in good shape. I guess we have to stop calling Maxx "chunky monkey" as his BMI is less than mine and Randy's. The MD was impressed with the English they understood and felt they will thrive in a good home.

Our days here are very unstructured. Sometime in the very early morning, Maxx will leave the sleeper sofa and join me in bed. The boys do not like to be separated for sleeping. Lately, Ty will join us closer to 7:00AM to cuddle or have us get up.

Hardboiled eggs are one of the boy's breakfast favorites. I've been told that Kazakh children like porridge but the times I have made it, they haven't liked it.

Usually, the morning is pretty peaceful so I get caught up on laundry, dishes, etc before we think of what we will do for the day. We have a washing machine which is a life-saver. We don't have a dryer but a drying rack that I must watch as the boys like to take it down to make a little cage for themselves.

I am still working on hygiene with the boys. Hair washing is a nightmare. Even with "Johnson's No More Tears" Ty's eyes will swell a bit. When the boys casually play in the tub they are becoming more aggressive with pouring water over themselves. If I grab the shampoo bottle, there are screams. Ty is good about brushing his teeth. Maxx is resistant (to say the least).

If we don't have plans to leave the apartment, the boys will not put on clothes. Cuts down on the laundry for me at least.

Most of our outings are either to the grocery store or playground. If I don't need to buy a lot, I take the boys on my own. Otherwise, I have friends who will help. Both boys love to ride in the car and will quickly dress for that opportunity.

Often we combine the playground and the grocery store as they are near each other. Ty is quite the daredevil and will climb on anything possible (safe or not). Maxx wants to do the same but isn't as coordinated. He is getting much better at climbing though. Not a good thing when they do it in the apartment.

The boys are starting to get a bit pickier about food and not wolfing down everything put in front of them. I taught the boys "Mommy Juice". It started as wine but has been expanded to beer and coffee. Maxx has now designated anything in my cup as "Mommy Juice". It is a bit embarrassing though that they announce "Mommy Juice" when we go through the liquor department at the grocery store.

The boys enjoy getting outside and are getting better at listening to me while we are out.

They also have some of their favorite people who they talk about a lot.

When I am in a real bind with language, I call one of Randy's co-workers and she will talk to the boys. Her name is Sholpan. One day Maxx was having a fit and Ty said "Call Sholpan". I think sometimes Ty acts up because he wants to talk to her. She phoned him the other day and he was so excited to get her call. Now he picks up the phone (landline) and screams her name into the phone to see if she's there.

Aida picked us up at the airport and that was probably the first time the boys had a woman drive them in a car. That made a huge impression. She told them they needed to be quiet in the stairwell going to and from our apartment. Whenever we leave for the hallway, they say "Aida, Quiet".

They also like Madi who has driven us to the store a few times. He is a very young man who speaks English and Kazakh very well. This week, Madi helped me get the boys ready for a shopping trip and there wasn't any of the drama that I endure. Ty allowed Madi to zip his coat and put on his shoes without complaints. Ty insists that he zips his coat and when he has problems, I am supposed to demonstrate with my coat how to align the zipper. I am NOT allowed to zip his coat for him. His blue jeans, YES, but not the coat.

Like in Taraz, the boys seem to know who is not necessarily looking out for them or our family. This week it was our country coordinator. He came by without any notice for paperwork. The boys had a field day taking his coat, cap and shoes to wear around the apartment. He thought he could turn on the TV and that would keep the boys entertained. He learned that the boys aren't interested in the TV. They rather watch DVDs on the computer.

Sometime between 8:00 and 9:30 the boys fall asleep. We don't have a strong routine yet. It is surprising what times they will fall asleep and wake up. Neither boy wants to take a nap but there have been times where Maxx will crash. Today, it was in a swing at our play area. He was wide awake after I carried him upstairs.

On Sunday we will be moving to a different apartment as our friend Randy will be staying with us until we leave for the US. Today, our landlady was here and commented how she felt we've become a more comfortable family since our arrival in Almaty. That was nice to hear.

Marcia

Lessons for the boys

The weather has been unseasonably bad here so with the exception of dinner with friends last night we've been cooped up in the apartment for 2 days. Here are some things the boys need to learn:

Computer Skills:
1) Hitting the keyboard harder does not fix the problem
2) When Mommy says 'don't touch', leave the computer alone as she knows you want to watch Curious George, from the beginning in full screen mode. Your ejecting the DVD and shrinking the screens doesn' get you your movie any faster. (Be patient like Daddy, ok!)
3) You do not need to hit 'pause' when you leave to go to the bathroom. You have probably seen your DVD a few dozen times by now and I don't think you will miss anything while you are in the bathroom.
4) Do not expect your DVD to work properly after you flung it like a frisbee across the apartment, dragging it acrosss the floor, or tried to bend it.
5) The computer only holds one DVD at a time.

Relationship Skills:
1) If you want your brother to be quiet, don't hit him. It only makes him louder.
2) Mommy often knows what you would like to do (Always right of course). Sometimes she comes up with something you will enjoy. Give it a chance.
3) You know which neighbors don't like loud little boys. Please don't try to knock on their door every time you walk past their apartment or yell "quiet" by the door.
4) When you tell Mommy to "go away" so you can do something, she knows you're up to something naughty. She also senses that when you close doors, something is up.

Hygiene:
1) If you don't like the washcloth, then don't color yourself with markers or try to put on Mommy's mascara.
2) Toothbrushing is a good thing. Throwing your toothbrush behind the sofa is only a temporary reprieve.
3) Trying to scrub yourself with a toilet brush is not a good idea. Lesson learned i hope....
4) We are not camping. The toilet is here for a specific purpose and it's not to see how much toilet paper you can stuff into it.
5) Mommy knows what temperature you like your water for playing. When she says "wait" the water is usually too hot.

Food:
1) Mommy is not lying when she tells you the food is 'hot' or needs to be cooked.
2) It may be fun to take the food out of the fridge but Mommy doesn't understand the novelty of throwing hard boiled eggs onto the floor.

I am sure the list will get longer but for now it's a little insight into Newton Household - Almaty.

Marcia

One week down - two to go

Not that I've been counting or anything.

We are awaiting the boys' Kazakh passports so that our other documentation can be processed for our departure to the US.

The boys have been out of Umit for a week now. It has been interesting to see how they have progressed and regressed so far.

Luckily, our friends here have been helpful. We were all having a particularly bad moment yesterday when I called a friend to speak to Ty, who of course, blamed Maxx for all the drama. It is funny to see how they will twist the truth. They seem to conveniently forget their naughtiness.

We took the boys to the playground and this was the first time they have seen a lot of children since leaving Umit. I think that was strange for them. We also saw a yellow riding truck that was identical to the one at Umit. With the help of two friends, the boys got in a lot of play. So much so that Maxx fell asleep on a swing and had to be carried home. I curtailed his nap at 4:00PM as I was worried about getting him to sleep at bedtime (not that we have an established one yet. LOL)

I have a lead on a person I can hire to assist me with the boys while here. I am hoping that works out so I can get the boys out a bit more. Or as Randy suggested, separating them for a short period of time where they each can have some quality time with alone with me. They are very good at feeding off of each other. I have been guilty of working that to my advantage. Usually Ty wants to go out and Maxx will procrastinate with dressing/bathroom, etc. I make Ty tell Maxx to "get dressed" or "go potty".

I did learn yesterday that the bathtub is my best friend right now. The boys will stand in the tub and fill/dump rubbermaid bowls for almost an hour at a stretch with minimal drama. We've had to have some rules such as water stays in the tub and you can only pour water on yourself - not Mommy or your brother.

Now I need to remember which kid threw the toothbrush at me as I discovered toothpaste in my hair. Don't you think Colgate would come up with a formula for kid's toothpaste that could easily be combed out of hair?

That and I need to learn what surfaces the "washable" markers come off of. So far it doesn't seem to be our countertops or stool covers.

Marcia

BIWAM

"Before I was a Mom". There is a blog called "mompetition" and one of their features is BIWAM where Moms post photos of things they claimed they never would do when they had children.

Being a Mom for less than a week now has made me realize how many of my "rules" I have already broken.

Here are my examples:

"My kids will remain seated at the table during dinner without the TV on"

"I will not bribe my kids with candy to pacify them"

"They will not watch DVDs so I can do other things"'

"They will not control the TV remote"

Some funny observations:

Yesterday, we happened upon a smaller shopping mall that the boys wanted to go in. They are getting good at riding escalators and that was what they wanted to do. This mall had the Kaz version of "Fredrick's of Hollywood" with displays in front of the store. Maxx tried to "feel up" one of the displays.

The boys recognize the ATM and call it "monee machina" or "money machine". When my transactions get rejected (I need to wait 24 hours between withdrawals), Ty gets a little upset because he doesn't see the money come out of the machine.

All dogs are "Aceyboy".

One day they were eating their snack and we heard a cry. I said "someone is unhappy" and they said "baby".

Marcia

The Pull Up Revolution

Today we got the apartment unpacked. To keep the boys out of trouble, I gave each of them a pan and a large spoon and they pretended to make soup out of all their small game pieces.

I also got Ty to help with the laundry which meant he helped put it in and take it out of the washer. It is a front load machine so both boys liked watching the laundry spin around.

We went to the grocery store with some friends and stocked up on a lot of things to get us through the next few weeks. They boys liked riding in the shopping carts as we picked up necessities.

Then we got a carry out lunch from a local place. I was surprised how much food the boys ate. I knew the chicken and mashed potatoes would be devoured. They polished off a lot more salad than I expected. Ty fell off his stool and got salad in his hair.

No naps again this afternoon. I did try to have some quiet time with a cartoon channel on the couch to at least see if they'd snooze. No such luck.

We took a walk to a local play area to let the boys jump in puddles and wear off some excess energy.

Tonight I cooked my first dinner for them. Nothing much - just soup with bread and fruit. I have an old gas stove that I have to light before using (the boys have been warned turning the knobs on the stove equals "time out"). I made the soup, let it cool down and they didn't like it. It is pretty sad that these boys ate everything at the babyhouse but didn't like what I made them.

I have been using pull ups at night for the boys as the babyhouse claimed there were limited bathroom issues but their fluid consumption was strictly limited. We have had relatively few accidents. Tonight, I had Maxx on the toilet and he pulled off his Pull Up and threw it in the toilet. Ty then decided he wasn't going to wear his. Both had their 3 obligatory "I need to get out of bed to go to the bathroom" visits, so I suspect I won't wake up to wet beds.

We've been getting along well. It is challenging but it has a lot of great moments that make up for the rough patches.

Marcia

Last night both boys went to bed early. Maxx by 8:15 and Ty by 9:00 without drama. I suppose we all needed the rest for today's adventures.

We made 3 attempts to get cash out of the ATM. On our first attempt I was electronically chastised for not waiting 24 hours between withdrawals. There was a market at the square so I bought the boys some banana and they got to see different foods on display.

Our second trip was pre-empted by 2 bathroom breaks.

The third trip was the most eventful. The boys got tired right before we got to the ATM and Ty was a bit out of sorts. At one point he wanted to grab a piece of trash off the ground and when I said "no" he threw himself down on the road in front of a police car. The officer first asked the boys who their mama was and they pointed at me. Then I showed them my passport and the boys papers. At this point all 4 cops came out of the car. They had a few problems translating the names but were pleasant we were on our way within 10 minutes. Got to the ATM and it was out of order.

The boys put on quite the show for the hotel staff when we were waiting to leave. I'm sure they will appreciated the silence after we left.

Ty had a hard time understanding "staying by Mom" at first at the airport. Luckily our coordinator, driver and translator with us so the kids were outnumbered. I did have the wonderful experience of helping both boys use a squat toilet at the airport. Maxx slept through most of the flight. When he was awake he would pass airline magazines back and for with the woman across the aisle from him. Ty would look out the window whenever there was turbulence or felt a change in altitude. He had a few problems with his ears and didn't want to stay strapped in the last few minutes of the flight. Maxx wanted to get off the plane ASAP. He may have potential as a business passenger.

The bus from the plane to the airport terminal was a strange ride for Ty. He had to stand amongst a bunch of adults as the bus swayed. Maxx sat on another passenger's lap.

Our friends met us at the airport and it was nice to have a few people to help with the boys. Ty wasn't feeling well and said it was his stomach. We pulled over for him to relieve himself and he wouldn't do it. He didn't want to get back into the car. We wondered if it was motion sickness or diarrhea as there have been other issues. We picked up some medicine just in case.

Once we got to the apartment the boys were in their glory. There is a nice mounted TV that they have not given up the remote. In turn, I am thrilled to have a washing machine.

Later Ty threw up while eating an apple. So I got the sponge and bucket out to clean that off the floor and Maxx announced he needed to use the bathroom. He was the one with the diarrhea so we got to try out the washing machine and Maxx was the first person to use the shower/bathtub. I wish they could have at least spread apart their messes by a few minutes.

Not only are the boy's schedules off but they conflict with each other. Maxx took an early nap today and slept on the plane. Ty did not take any naps so I got Ty down at 10:30 and it's now almost 11:30 and Maxx is still scurrying about.

Marcia

You must have patience

Today I met with our adoption coordinator to settle some final issues and she asked a lot of questions about the boys so far. Her comment was I need to have patience.

Last night around midnight I thought I had the boys wound down enough that they would sleep. I got into bed with them and fell asleep rather quickly. When I woke up I noticed, Ty was sleeping in his jacket, blue jeans and shoes. That was the beginning of the surprise. I found all sorts of wet clothes on the floor. They can turn on the sink and they have tried to have water fights with each other. Then I found out the boys emptied out all the food and drink in the fridge (good thing I finished the vodka earlier that evening). What they didn't eat was spilled all over the place. They also managed to unlock and open the front door to our room (scary).

It could have been worse. They didn't touch the computer or try to climb chairs to get the food I have in a tall cabinet. They also stayed out of the tv cabinet.

I was ready to cry but instead started to clean up while they slept. They looked oh so sweet lying in bed while I was picking up the mess. Ty woke up first and knew he did something wrong and cried even though I didn't express any anger. Maxx was the same way.

After the mess was resolved, I took them to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. For their age and experience, they are pretty well behaved in restaurant settings. Randy taught them to toast over Skype so whenever they have glass glasses they want to toast.

We have gone to the convenience store twice now. There they have also done pretty well. I lecture them beforehand that they aren't supposed to touch things but they still do. One our first trip I pointed to the items in the basket, told them what they were and Ty reminded me that we needed yogurt.

It has been challenging so far for all of us but the boys have stopped asking to go to Umit. We seem to be making more progress on communication also.

Marcia

Free at Last

At 4:15 I got the call to be out in front of the hotel to pick up the boys.

When we got to Umit, Maxx's group was outside so I gave them their soccer ball. Maxx was confused as the gifts weren't for him. His confusion got even worse when we went up to his room to change him into his new clothes. 3 of his caregivers watched and he was disappointed that I only brought clothes - no yogurt or juice.

Ty came in from outside to change his clothes. Then the boys gave kisses to their caregivers and we went to see the Social Worker to say "goodbye". The Babyhouse Director was not on site. The boys thought we had a visit and ran up to the therapy room so we had to call them back.

Once we got outside, they immediately got into the car. After a few minutes, Maxx announced he was ready to go back inside. They enjoyed the car ride. Ty just looked out the window and talked about everything he saw. Maxx sat on my lap and made car sounds. We also played "stop and go" as we got to intersections.

The boys definitely enjoyed meeting new people today. They introduced themselves to a few guests at the hotel. Ty had a hard time figuring out how the automatic door worked. I took them on the elevator and they handled it well.

After we Skype'd with Randy and the boys got their snacks we went to the square. There was a bouncy house they could play in. I was hoping that would tire them out for bedtime (yeah right).

We then had dinner at the hotel bar. At one point, Ty took an empty beer glass from a table and tried to drink from it. Both boys wanted to sit on the bar stools. Imagine our kids doing that.

We learned the hard way that "Johnson's No More Tears" is a myth. Other than that, the boys liked taking a shower.

After that the boys decided they wanted to go back to Umit. They packed up all their things into their backpacks and kept trying to leave our room. They were almost hysterical at some points. It was hard to see them that upset.

Let's just say they didn't get to bed by 8:30/9:00 like they do at Umit. Sharing a bed is problematic as they keep wanting to talk. They have also mastered going to the bathroom constantly to get out of bed. At one point both of them took off their pajamas and decided "naked boys" was a fun game.

Around midnight they finally went to sleep. It will be interesting to see how they do tomorrow.

Marcia

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

The boys have been asked a few times what is my name and today Ty told his caregiver "Jessica". I do not know where he got that name from.

It was nice enough to finally go outside and we met Ty's group at the door. Ty had to show off that he had gum. Of course, all the children wanted gum. Then the subject of my name came up and it was cute to hear the little kids say "Marcia". They do a pretty good job at it.

I brought gum again yesterday. It was wintergreen and Ty didn't like it but that didn't stop him from chewing new pieces and throwing them into the garbage. Today, I brought berry flavored and they liked it. Maxx asked me if I was going to bring gum tomorrow and I said "no". I reminded them we won't have a visit as I will be picking them up to take them to the hotel.

Ty asked me if there are guests at the hotel.

Yesterday was the official spring holiday celebration in Taraz. It was a very well attended event with music and a lot of people in costumes. The bouncy house and some children's activities are still set up on the square. Perhaps I will be able to take the boys to participate.

I received written responses to my questions about the boys. Supposedly Maxx is afraid of dogs and going into cars. Randy and I noticed he didn't want to go into the car when Ty did one day. It turns out the children take cars to the hospital so the kids have a negative connotation about them. I haven't seen Maxx act scared around any dogs. There are some loud ones that bark outside the baby house grounds. One is a large German Shepard.

Ty loves new clothes and "loves himself too much". Yesterday he told us he wanted to go back to his group and when we asked why he changed his mind. He told us "the children are all naughty and smell bad".

Tomorrow morning our coordinator will go to the babyhouse and await the finalization of the decision. After that some more paperwork needs to be pushed. Once all the paperwork as been sufficiently pushed, I will get a call and told when I can pick up the boys.

I am to provide all the clothing for the boys' departure. Quite a few people asked about that. I mentioned I picked up a few small gifts for the groups. This morning I was told I also need to bring a cake or sweets for the baby house administration. They are pretty lucky I don't have access to a kitchen and X-lax to bake a cake. I won't go as far as a chocolate pie like Minny from "The Help".

Marcia

Teamwork

One of the games today was Ty, Maxx and I squeezing into the playhouse so the boys could pretend it was a car. For fun, the translator decided to hide so the boys would have to find her. They loved the game but Maxx didn't understand the concept of waiting to be found. He'd come out of hiding after a few seconds.

We played in teams and it was fun to watch the boys work together to try to find us.

Later as we were packing up, the boys started to talk about how they were going to run to their rooms once we opened the doors when it was time to leave. I know part of the problem is they have a lot of energy from being inside this week (too cold to be outside) and being two groups of kids housed together for the construction.

I guess sometimes teamwork works for you and sometimes it doesn't.

Marcia

I guess they were right

One of the negative comments the caregivers made about Ty was he was an "egotist". I thought that was a bit harsh and decided not to read much into it. Sometimes the translations can be a little off.

At the end of today's visit, Ty decided he wasn't going to help pick up. So the translator told Maxx he was a good boy for helping. Ty then announced he was a good boy also. The translator asked him if he was going to help and he said "no". The translator told him he was a bad boy. His response "No, I'm handsome". I knew when I heard the translator laugh so hard that he said something funny.

He then decided to help pick up.

Yesterday at the bazaar I picked up more pens for the boys. They really like playing with them vs. the markers or crayons. They were impressed that they each got 3 pens (red, black and blue). I was just tired of always looking for them or them arguing over them. I also got them each a pair of sunglasses. They were surprised to have glasses that fit them. They still want to wear them upside down.

Ty asked me if I got him a ball and I explained "no" as Daddy got some for home. I then explained that I bought gifts that they will give their groups when they leave. We are giving a soccer ball and blocks (Ty's group) or stacking rings (Maxx's). When looking at a picture book, Ty pointed at what foods he likes and wants to eat when he gets to the hotel.

While Ty and I were on a bathroom journey, the translator taught Maxx some English poems to say while raising his arms up and down. It was really cute. He didn't want to do it at first but finally gave in.

Due to the ongoing window construction, Ty and Maxx will be sharing their remaining nights at the babyhouse in the same pod. Their groups are doubled up into a single pod right now.

Today was the day I was supposed to move to a bigger room in preparation for bringing the boys here. I am currently in a single room which is 14 X 16 feet with a single bed. Somehow, my request for a larger room changed into a request for a crib. I laughed and tried to explain there is not room for a crib in here. I am now awaiting a call to find out if I will be able to get a larger room. I am concerned as there are still a lot of football (soccer) players here and I wonder if the larger rooms are booked.

I am thinking one of my problems with living in Taraz is I got spoiled living in Switzerland where everything was very orderly with a lot of rules. I know I poked fun at a lot of those rules such as "Dogs are not allowed in Parks". Perhaps this is Karma biting me on the backside.

Marcia

Exhausting

A lot of the time I am a little tired after the visit. Not today, thus the title "Exhausted"

Ty and Maxx's groups are sharing space during the window replacement project. Roughly 45 minutes into our visit, Ty's group shows up to share the music room with us. It's too cold for the children to play outside and apparently there has been a lot of quarrelling in the cramped quarters.

This did not go over well with Ty and Maxx originally as the children all wanted to check out our toys and play with them. After a few minutes, I was able to put away the things I didn't want them playing with (Kleenex, lotion, wipes, markers, trash bag). The children really liked the picture and photo books.

Speaking of books, the caregiver spent most of the visit looking at my English/Russian phrasebook. She liked it so much she asked for it. Unfortunately for her, I need it until I leave Almaty. I would be lost without it. I teased the translator that the caregiver lucked out as the translator and I were watching all the children.

The camera was a big hit and a few of the children wanted their pictures taken or wanted to take photos of us. Ty liked showing a few of his friends how the camera worked. Luckily, near the end of the visit, we were able to take some photos of Ty and Maxx with all the children and the caregiver. I also have some group photos of Maxx's group. I am sure these will be important to them as they grow older.

Today, I got some notes written in both Kazakh and Russian explaining how to contact me if the boys and I get separated. I want to leave a copy in their pockets in case the unthinkable would occur. The translator was able to ask the caregivers our many questions about the children. I will get written answers in a few days. It's funny how the caregivers talked about Maxx being the better behaved of the two in group whereas Ty is better behaved when we are together as a group.

Yesterday's visit was pretty uneventful. I cleaned out a tin from shortbread cookies and used it for the markers and crayons. Ty wanted to know what happened to the cookies and announced I needed to get more and showed me which ones he was going to eat.

Maxx found two sticks of gum in my backpack and they both threw away their gum this time. I think they liked the idea when I told them they could "spit" the gum into the wrapper or trash bag.

I want to head down to the bazaar and pick up a few things. It will probably be my last visit there.

Marcia

Gender Benders

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Today, Ty arrived wearing a pair of girl's blue jeans. The babyhouse is getting new windows and Ty and Almat's groups were sharing space today while windows were installed in Ty's rooms. There was some confusion where the children's clothes were place. Ty thought this was very funny.

As I posted a few minutes earlier, Maxx wanted to be Christine today. The children are putting on performances for the spring holiday so there were a lot of costumes around so at one point Christine donned rabbit ears.

The boys get excited about the performances. They point out that the chairs are set up for guests. Today's guests brought gifts. When I asked what kind of gifts, Ty's response was "beautiful gifts".

Ty got the swords out of the cabinet and both boys had a great time sword fighting. At one point, Maxx was trying to saw off our translator's arm. I finally told them to do my feet as they were getting dangerously close to poking eyes.

We thought we were going to have some quiet time when Maxx asked for a pen to draw. We gave each of them a pen and some paper. I ran out of paper so the translator gave them some. Ty told Maxx not to rip the paper or I would take the pens away. Shortly after that, Ty ripped Maxx's paper and took his pen. I had been warning Ty that sometime Maxx is going to fight back and today was the day. Maxx tried to climb over the table to hit Ty (in hindsight that was pretty funny as Maxx is such a clutz). We had to separate them and Maxx literally had a screaming fit. Luckily, the window crews made a lot of noise or we would have been paid a visit by BH staff. I few times I would lightly put my fingers over Maxx's mouth to tell him he needed to be quiet.

Ty thought the whole incident was amusing and started to mimic my covering Maxx's mouth. Finally, Maxx calmed down and I asked Ty to apologize. We had to ask 3 times before he did. Then they were back to normal.

Marcia

Hair Photos

I got a photo of Ty's new and improved haircut. I also found an older one where you can see how the back was growing out.

There's also a photo of Maxx when he had a "v" shaved on the side of his head. He was being his alter-ego Christine today and the little headband had a gemstone dolphin on it. (He's probably not going to be happy about that photo when he's older).

Marcia

A Minor Miracle

Today we had a morning visit in the therapy room as Maxx's class was practicing for their recital on Friday. It took a while before the translator came back with Ty and I was getting impatient. Suddenly, Ty ran in but he looked a bit different.

Could it be?

A new haircut and the mullet was shaved off. Yahoo!!! The translator told the barber that I would like it cut off (she knew I was going to do it myself once I got custody). She said the barber was surprised but cut off the excess hair. The translator also told me that Ty was the only child not crying about getting a haircut. He told us he likes to get his hair cut. Hopefully, he will be a good example for Maxx when the time comes.

The boys are very energetic for morning visits. Ty constantly ran back in forth through the room dividing up all the toys between me and the translator.

Ty saved most of his crackers to eat when Maxx arrived. Maxx shared his crackers with both of us. Maxx told us he had to sing and dance.

In the therapy room was a very simple object that kept the boys amazed for at least a half hour. It was a hulu hoop covered with foam with a fabric curtain sewn around it. It reminded me of the curtain used for magic tricks. We (translator and I) lowered the hoop over the boys and then closed the top. They screamed with laughter. Then we waved the fabric around while they were inside. They loved crawling over each other as we moved the fabric. Finally, at one point Ty pretended to sleep and Maxx told him he sleeps like a baby. They were laughing so hard that one of the nurses laughed when she can in and saw them.

Then a small miracle when I got back to my room. It was cleaned while I was gone. Normally, the room is cleaned between 2 and 3PM so I need to leave during that time. Today, I don't have to. I can turn up the space heater, make a cup of tea and finish our taxes without interruption.

Marcia

A Developmental Milestone

Today, Ty demonstrated that he can burp on command. He doesn't need to drink any fizzy drinks to do this. The first time he burped I said "say excuse me" which lead to another burp, another request of "excuse me" and so on. Finally, I gave up and he burped a few more times because apparently it's funny. Later, we found out all the boys in his group are now burping. Hopefully, Maxx doesn't teach this to his group.

Maxx found my wallet and wanted my passport to look at. He refers to it as a book. Ty wanted money so I gave him the coins in my wallet. He was upset as it wasn't a lot of money. True it was probably worth $3 USD. I showed him some coins and told him what I could buy with them. He then wanted the bills as did Maxx. I had to finally collect all the money and give each of them half of the bills. They also needed to see my credit cards. They were concerned that I didn't have my driver's license with me.

They shortly lost interest in the money and decided to get out USB cords and pretend they are snakes. It has become an elaborate game where the victim needs to collapse after the snake bite. Yelling and running is also part of the game.

Marcia

Breaking Out

I told Randy the other day that I love when Ty starts to talk about the future. Yesterday, it was about how he was going to go sledding at his new home after looking at some photos. Randy's comment was "Ty is eager to break out of Umit".

At the end of yesterday's visit, I told Ty he needed to stay close to the translator on his way back to his room and he did. Today, I told Ty I was happy that he listened as when he moves in with me, he will have to stay close to me because of cars. He thought he was going to get to move to the hotel with me NOW and ran to the door.

Today I learned that due to the holidays, I won't be able to get the boys out until Thursday March 24th. Now that I have a specific date, I will work on giving them more information about their new lives. I've had mixed experiences with telling the boys about moving so I have been telling them information in small tidbits.

The weather was really warm today so the boys were able to go outside with the windbreakers I brought them. They were confused that they didn't need to wear heavy coats outside. When we were outside, Ty saw his group and yelled that he was wearing a new coat from his Mommy. I'm glad he likes his clothes but sad that there aren't new clothes for all the children. We decided to walk around and Ty has become very good at climbing and jumping. He's a bit of a daredevil. Maxx enjoys walking around with a stick and hitting other trees or objects as we walk.

When we were inside, the boys wanted to look out the windows. While doing this Ty pointed to the swimming pool and told us how he swam there last summer and then the kids walked in circles around the pool to dry off. Immediately the translator commented that was the first time Ty offered us a detailed memory from Umit. Usually, I ask the boys questions and get "yes" or "no" answers.

Towards the end of the visit, I decided to let the boys try chewing gum again. Ty swallowed his first followed by Maxx. I guess the threat of tummy aches doesn't deter them.

Marcia

4 Wheelers & Facebook

Last night one of our Almaty friends posted to Facebook photos from the Rotary Ball and some family photos.

Today we had some problems reaching Randy on Skype so I showed the boys the photos. I showed them that their Mommy has clothes other than blue jeans and football jerseys. When we looked at the family photos in Almaty, I explained that these were people they would meet in a few weeks.

We then decided to see if we could find other photos on Facebook. They saw one of our neighbors on his 4 wheeler with his daughter. I explained to the boys how we have a 4 wheeler and we can take them on rides. We saw another neighbor's little boy. Ty liked that he was playing outside. Then we found a photo of Daddy on the Pedal Pub. I laughed and said "Silly Daddy" which was repeated.

The boys recently have become interested in power cords. Maxx had one and was pretending it was a snake that would bite everyone in the room. Not to be outdone, I had to find a cord for Ty. I gave Ty the powercord for the video camera. He tied it to the front of the riding toy truck and pretended it was a winch. Later when he was twirling it around he hit his head with it. I gave him my hand mirror so he could see his boo-boo.

Maxx was playing with a pen and decided it was a syringe for injections. He gave the translator a shot that turned her into a spider (his idea). When he gave me my shot he was disappointed that I wouldn't cry. I showed him how Ace gets shots on the back of his neck. All the stuffed animals needed to get shots and Maxx hollered at them to cry afterwards.

Marcia

Johnny Cash

I forgot to mention that today I brought the boys their black jeans. Ty stood up on the cube and the translator pointed out he was dressed in all black. So I called him "Johnny Cash" and sang "Ring of Fire".

For the record, Ty didn't like the song. Perhaps I should teach him "Umit Prison Blues"

"I hear the airplane coming, soaring overhead, I haven't seen the outside since I don't know when.

I'm stuck here in Umit where time keeps dragging on. But that airplane keeps on flying on to my new home.

Now I have an earworm and will stop destroying Mr. Cash's lyrics.

Marcia

Christina and Alyssa

We had drizzling weather today so the boys were disappointed that we couldn't go outside. Ty tried to tell me there wasn't any rain.

The boys are still obsessed with playing with the cellphones. Ty wanted to know which phone we could call Daddy on. I told him the red one but we couldn't because he's sleeping. I don't know if it's possible to teach time zones to a 4 year old.

They enjoy making the phone talk and looking at the videos on the cellphone. I really need to clean up some of the messages on my phone as they definitely aren't child appropriate. Ty liked looking for photos of me and Daddy. I think most of the pictures he has seen from us in the US we are wearing football jerseys at Vikings games.

Maxx pretended he was going to school and got out the Princess backpack. I'm afraid to ask why he uses that one vs. his own. He then got the dress out and decided to put it on so we named him "Christina" as he pretended to be a girl. Then Ty needed to play the game so his girl name was "Alyssa".

Tomorrow will be a morning visit so we should be able to SKYPE with Randy.

Marcia

IT, IT, IT

"Ete" is the Kazakh word for dog but it is pronounced "it". Today, we went back outside to the merry-go-round. The boys remembered a large German Shepard who barked at us yesterday so they decided to call the dog. After a lot of screaming and foot stomping they decided the dog was probably inside playing with Daddy.

There was a music lesson when I arrived at the baby house so we were able to use the therapy room for our visit. It was nice as there are large leather pillows that are used for therapy that the boys could play on. Two pillows were like logs so Ty pretended his was a horse. They also enjoyed pretending they were snakes and pushing them over. The really used a lot of energy with them.

Today, I thought I was being smart by bringing my US cellphone in addition to my Kazakh one. Unfortunately, I don't have cool music on either phone so the boys still wanted to borrow the translator's phone. The boys were able to see some videos of our football outings and photos on my phone. I should have watched the videos in advance as there was one of me and Randy at a Vikings game where I stuck out my tongue. Right away, Ty laughed and stuck his tongue out at me.

Marcia

Bucket Heads

I got the flashcard back today from the passport photos and thought these were cute. I might as well take advantage of working internet.

Passport Photos

It took 4 attempts to get a passport photo of Ty. Maxx was a bit more difficult. I think he was close to 15 attempts. I think the translator jinxed herself when she said their photos would be easier than the toddlers.

This isn't Maxx's passport photo but I thought it was cute.