Well, after nine days, I was really glad to see Pa and Na.  It was nice to stay at home and enjoy the quiet time, but I’ll admit, it got a little too quiet.  I just felt like something was…missing!

Na had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa last week.  He’s sporting a little heat rash right now, though, underneath his chin, which makes his look like he’s got muttonchops.  For as long as I’ve known him, the poor kid does not do well in humidity and high heat.  I am a little worried about how he’ll be in Ukraine without air conditioning or fans.  Then again, I’m a little worried for myself, too!

I think the anticipation of our trip next week has gotten us a little nervous.  I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep and I felt Pa flopping around a little bit now and then.  I kept thinking about the fact that the toddler bed Na’s sleeping in still needs to be converted back into a crib…maybe.  And I think it’s the uncertainty, more than anything, that’s keeping me awake.  That and Pa’s got (another) plane to catch this morning, but this time he’ll only be in San Francisco for two days.  It could be worse, I guess.

I just feel like we haven’t gotten anywhere with our house.  The trim I painted for the den is still down in the basement, waiting to be brought back up to the den nailed to the wall.  I still need to tackle the painting in Na’s new bedroom, but Pa needs to be here for more than a day so he can start taking stuff down off of those walls.  We still need to go out and get Na a mattress set for his new room, which also means going out and buying new bedding, new drapes, a new carpet.  All sounds fun, I know, but I can’t really do these things until Pa and I have a few days to get organized.  We’ve got to do it now, too, before we leave because Pa is staying in Ukraine through the end of August, with the hopes he’ll be bringing the little one home himself.  The building of Na’s new bunk bed will just have to wait until…September?

I asked last night if he could install the window AC in Na’s room and in the den since our summer in Seattle is officially “here”.  After dinner, I took Scout on a 5 mile run and came home, noticing that Na’s window was still AC-less.  I went inside and saw Pa sitting at Na’s little table in the kitchen with a cracked-open AC.

“Remember how I always said that if you’re not careful when installing the AC, it could easily fall out the window?” he asked, holding up a detached power cord.

“Oh no!” I said.

Apparently, Pa had the AC installed in the window and all seemed well until he tried to move it over a fraction of an inch, when all of a sudden…BAM!  The AC fell 30 feet into a garden bed!

“At least it had a soft landing,” he said.

“At least we only spent $75 on the thing!”

And that was when we came to the realization that it would probably be safer if we just replace it; but since Pa’s on the road again, we’ll have to wait a few more days.

On the plus side, things we needed to do before our trip are coming together nicely.   I’m putting together a binder for our housesitter/dog watcher; I’ve “ordered” the money we need to take with us next week (Ukraine is a cash society and so paying for things like a hotel room or an apartment, in addition to food, transportation, the orphanage donation, Klas’s translation fees, etc must all be paid for in crisp, brand new U.S. dollars); and Klas’s gift arrived yeseterday, which is something he needs but cannot order to take delivery in Ukraine.

So, little by little, things will get done.  And those that don’t…won’t, for awhile.  I’m re-learning to go with the flow.  It’s definitely not my nature but it’s something I need to get used to now since that’s the way to survive in Ukraine!

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