Better Than We Ever Expected

We've been meaning to update the blog ever since Saturday when the kids got here, but (as you might imagine) it's been hard to find a free moment. Now that they have been here a few days, we are happy to report (once again) that these kids are great!!

We imagine that most people in our situation would be standing at the arrival area when the kids got in with colorful sign, balloons, etc. Once again, however, we have underwhelmed ourselves. The kids flew into Hartford Saturday night with their escort at 7:30. Asher was asleep, so Blythe had to stay home while Seth rushed off to get them. He arrived a few minutes early, surprised to find the kids had gotten in 20 minutes before and had been standing around with their escort who clearly looked worried that he had landed at the wrong airport. Aren't we great parents? As bedraggled as the kids looked, they were overjoyed. We figured most people are overjoyed when they realize their 36 hours of flying have come to an end, but we were hoping the excitement was genuine. Here they are just loaded into car at the airport.

Their escort, Oleg, told us it was an interesting trip. Honestly, his services were expensive but he clearly earns every penny: a 7 hour layover in Frankfurt with nothing to do followed by a mad 2 hour dash in Philadelphia during which time they had to get through customs and find their way to the domestic terminal before making their final flight. In Philly the customs officer looked at his escort documents, visas, etc, then had to ask the officer next to him if this was for real. That must have taken some fancy maneuvering to get past the rookie customs officer in time for the last flight.

When Seth pulled into the driveway, Blythe was waiting on the front step with balloons. The kids were shrieking with joy (which really made her day). We got them in and fed, gave them a bath, and then of course hoped that they would actually sleep. Miraculously, they did! Blythe's strategy of just putting them in the bedroom, shutting the door, and ignoring all thuds, crashes, and giggles that followed worked pretty well - they were asleep in half an hour.

Sunday was exhausting. However, we think we did pretty well. We managed to take all the kids to Stride Rite and get them outfitted with foot wear (a dire essential really, as the shoes we had bought Kostin in Kazakhstan were too small and had actually started to cut into his heels!) The kids loved the new swing set Blythe had ordered, and ran around like crazy people most of the day. Alina was more helpful than we could have hoped for. She took Asher in and out of his car seat, cleaned the kitchen after each meal, and helped Seth make a lasagna for dinner! Mind you, they still don't speak a work of English, and we know about 6 words in Russian. We have all become quite proficient in the international language of gesticulation.

Asher is the one having the hardest time adjusting. He is fairly jealous of having to share his toys and our attention. By the end of Sunday, however, both boys were fast asleep on Seth's lap watching "Cars". We don't think it will be long before Asher won't remember what it was like without his brother and sister. We should mention, however, it was poignant to get up the next morning and find Asher in his crib smiling as if the last 24 hours had just been a bad dream, only to be horror stricken when smiling Kostin came bounding in behind us to play with his little brother.

Today Seth came home to find half the kids from the neighborhood playing in our back yard. These kids are quite the social attraction for the time being. They're having a great time, and we can't get over how well they are fitting in. We get lots of hugs and kisses every day, so we think we're off to a great start.