keeping busy

You guys are fab! How do people adopt who don't blog?

And, I've realized that I know a lot more Russian than I thought I did. As I was reading through your lovely lists, I didn't even have to think about how to say most of it in Russian. That makes me feel better. I also have half of a class ready to chatter away to me on Monday to remind me that I am an excellent ELL-communicator and teacher-of-English. That year at The Oxford School of Drama really paid off. ;>

I'm so glad to have my Russian teacher helping me. I was driving her home last week and was speaking to her like a child. She was doing something dangerous and I told her to "Be careful!" My Russian teacher told me that was not a strong enough warning for a child. That what I needed to tell her was "That is forbidden." Some of that, I think, is cultural. Children in the US are encouraged to explore and to find things out for themselves. I remember when I was visiting my friend Dawn in Ukraine. One of her friends there was shocked by how American treated their babies--putting them down to crawl and explore. The friend told me that Ukrainian babies were bundled up tightly and expected to sit still. I've recommended it countless times, but Two Worlds of Childhood by Urie Bronfenbrenner is an extremely interesting read that makes this point very clearly, even though it's dated and out of print. Children are raised to fit into the society of which they will be a part. So, at the beginning I can reassure d2b (and the orphanage workers, social workers, etc.) with familiar boundaries and vocabulary before we're home. Then the swaddling comes off and she can explore! (Figuratively speaking, nach.)

Today I'm finishing a photo book with captions to leave with d2b. (me, our house--which I think I'll replace with a page about St. Petersburg 'cause I think I'm moving, the cats--who need to pose together nicely for a new picture but aren't feeling amenable, family in the US, friends in St. P (current kindergarten class), friends in the US) I'll laminate and bind it at school. And, I'll leave a blank page and bring some contact paper so I can add a picture of us together.

I'm thinking that a bead kit would be good to bring for the first visit--a fun activity, lots to talk about and good fine-motor assessment all in one! I've got notebooks, coloring books, markers (shudder-will def. leave at the children's home), balloons, bubbles, nail polish, lots of chapsticks, and a beach ball. I might go look for more stickers. (Bex--what did you take to Julia?) I've got sticker books and eye-spy books...but those are for the plane. I've got wooden sewing cards, but those won't travel well. We can always go outside or just play with what's there.

I need to buy or borrow a video camera and a laptop. Electronics here are EXPENSIVE so I'm hoping for the "borrow" option.

Oh. No. You didn't miss anything. I still don't have news. I'm just packing my equivalent of the hospital bag and leaving it by the door.