Who let the dogs out? Who? Who?

February 12- Thursday- DAY 9
Today we actually counted the days until we have the girls and then took stock of all the things we still needed to buy for souvenirs ect and panicked a little. So, we decided to go to the reenick again today. (Did you hear that ominous music? ). By ourselves (more ominous music). To give Keith time to work and Elijah time for a nap we decided to go in the morning instead of visiting the girls. I took the camera, desperately wanting to take a picture of at least one of the aisles. But then chickened out (after taking a couple that didn’t work) for not wanting to offend people or have them call the police on me. I REALLY wanted to get a picture of the beautiful, ornate, white, wedding dresses hanging over the mud, but again I didn’t dare. I’m such a big chicken. 
We walked and walked and walked. We did find some embroidered linens to buy. I think we’ll save them for when the girls get married. We also found a couple places that sold the traditional shirts and skirts. They even had some prepackaged WITH PRICES ON THEM (and a good deal too), which is almost never the case in the reenick. We should have bought them then but didn’t. When we went back they were put away and you had to ask sizes and prices again. We’ll go back there, maybe with a native speaker to help. We also looked at a coat for Keith, he needs a new one. But it was more money than we had on us. Elijah’s is getting small, too, we’ll have to see what we can do about that.
We walked down some familiar aisles but most of the ones were new ones. Does that place EVER end?!?!?!
Elijah walked most of the way with us. He is getting so he doesn’t like riding on Keith’s shoulders as well. I guess we were spoiled, because that is an easy way to carry him. Maybe he is having diaper issues still?!?
Anyway, he fell asleep during lunch. That was a funny picture: him with his new backpack on (he loves it and wears it all the time), kneeling on the bench, trying to keep his eyes open and trying not to fall over. Poor guy.
He (and I, I must confess) slept while Keith worked (poor guy) until it was time to go visit the girls.
We took the dictionaries that we bought for A1 and K, and a coloring book, for something to do.
Keith, A1 and K sat for quite a while looking through them. They were very excited. One of the boys in their group looked at it too and said “good book.” He is such a nice boy. Does anyone out there want to adopt a 10 year old, sweet boy? If we weren’t in the process of adopting and expecting a long recovery period (financially and otherwise) I would adopt him. He played with Elijah for quite a while and Elijah even played with him (and that is saying something). He had Elijah laughing and everything. He even knows quite a bit of English. But then I don’t even know if he is available. I will see if I can find out.
I took my camera with us because I was feeling brave. I was still pondering how to get pictures of the girls’ bedrooms when a solution presented itself. K was looking at all the pictures I had taken when I was inspired to let her take it and ask her to get pictures. She ran off and a couple minutes later (long minutes LOL) she came back with all kinds of pictures of her room. Then A1 wanted to take some pictures (she is going to be quite a photographer—she has a good eye for composition and pays attention to details). So, we let her take pictures. She got some more of K and her bed and a few of their friends. She also got a picture of their whole group (except the boy and R- they were with us). Those pictures are priceless!! So, while I’m paranoid about giving up possession of an expensive camera to them I’m really glad almost every time I do. I’ve got pictures of most of their friends- individually and as a group, their bedroom (and we need to get R’s and A2’s), the prosecutor, and the social worker-- that I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. I would have NEVER dared take a picture of the prosecutor or social worker. We also get lots of pictures of Keith and I which I usually delete unless we are with someone else.
After the orphanage we went to the English classes at the church. We were VERY late because for some reason there weren’t as many busses running. We joined the advanced class, they were watching a video and eating cake to celebrate Sister Thatcher’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Sister Thatcher. All the students enjoyed trying to understand Elijah as he made comments on the movie. It was funny.
We asked the Elders to help us find a place to stay after we get the girls. Of course, they readily agreed to do that. There is also the slight possibility that we could stay in the Sister missionaries’ apartment (they were pulled out 2 transfers ago).
On the way home we were waiting for the bus again (45 minutes in the rain… and it happened to be the same bus we rode coming) and there were two stray dogs hanging around us. One of them was pretty big, he came up to my thigh. I worried Keith because I wasn’t paying attention and let the one dog come up behind me but he was just pacing. It was kind of funny to watch. Every time a man came walking by the little dog would bark and that would get the big dog to barking, too. But a lady or any children walked by and they were both silent. The big dog sure hung close by to us until we got on the bus. I was grateful to be able to get on the bus!!

Tidbits:
1. When the wind blows outside our curtains move inside.
2. In the small busses (marshuka) they play English music from a Ukrainian radio station but in the cabs they play Ukrainian music.
3. Apparently we stand out, not because we have a child riding on dad’s shoulders or because that child is constantly talking in English (although those help) but because we smile when we travel- whatever the means.
4. On a shopping run it takes two of us to carry enough food home for 2 days.
5. Public transport works great as long as you DON’T use it after you go grocery shopping
6. Ukrainians will wash their car with bottled water whenever it gets dirty but won’t pick up the garbage that is just outside their front door
7. Wet clothes can dry on the lines outside even if it is raining—but there is nothing like warm towels right off the radiator
8. There is more fur (real or fake) on people than there is on animals here although the stray dogs are giving them a run for their money
9. There are not many cats here
10. You have to be careful of the stray dogs when they are in groups
11. If you get bitten by a stray dog, the only kind of rabbies shots they have in Ukraine are the ones you have to get in the stomach 1 a day for 40 days. You have to travel to Hungary (I think that is where it was) to have the ones you get once a week for 4 weeks
12. You can’t step on or kick a pigeon—even if you try
13. Don’t buy perishables-like meat- from the market it sits out all day and you don’t know who touches it and where their hands have been
14. Dried fish is easy to get here
15. You are supposed to wash the fruit that you can’t peel in bleach water or you could get really sick- oops didn’t know that
16. People (mostly grandmother types) don’t have any problem with telling you when your baby has his neck uncovered or if they think he is going to hit his head on something
17. A good chunk of the things you can buy at the market are made in the USA
18. Tom Cruise’s name looks cool in Cyrillic—not Tom but Cruise (I’ll have to get a picture)
19. Most people here understand and speak Ukrainian AND Russian—that is ok, I don’t speak either one—Japanese anyone?!?!
20. It is VERY comforting to know there are missionaries nearby