We Have One Smart Cookie

     Another day started with Doctor appointments.   This morning we headed to the eye doctor.  On our way there Liz and I were discussing how Masha was going to take a true eye test if she could not read our letters, for Masha it was not problem.   We have not worked on our alphabet at all with Masha to this point, so 15 minutes before we go into the exam room Liz breaks out the Ipad to see how many letters we could memorize.  Astonishingly she some how got through the entire list in that time and had them down pat.   I still had little hope she could remember all the letter for the exam once sitting for 20 more minutes waiting.   The Exam begins and the only thing she got wrong was confusing C and S.  This may not appear to be an accomplishment to some, but memorizing 26 new characters in 15 minutes then regurgitating them out of order after 20-30 minutes of not looking at them is impressive.  Especially with the anxiety she has to have now for going to the Doctor after the Dentist appointment.  She ended up having average vision with a small amount of far sighted issues.  The optometrist felt that there was no need for glasses at that point.  We felt relieved there was finally some good news for Masha.  I know she needed it after Monday.
     I will say at this point I am pretty tired as we are not getting to bed till 12-1230, and I get up at 530.  I do not get near as much time with her as my girls so every night we ride bikes till about 10pm.  Liz gets a lot more verbal communication out of her than I, but I do get lots of smiles and giggles on our 3 hours of biking every evening. We have to be averaging 15 to 20 miles a night.  The girl loves riding bikes, and never wants to come in.  We are thinking about making the family bike ride we do every evening a staple in our house even when she goes back.  Of coarse we will come in much earlier for bed time. As soon as I get a short day at work I am going to take her on a real bike ride to see how she likes it so she'll be stuck we me for about 1.5 hours. It is my master plan to get some quality quiet time with her.  It is difficult with all the girls in the house to get any real quaility time. 
     Masha and Liz got some more girl time on Wednesday while I took the girls to gymnastics.  Masha has really started to open up to Liz, which is very sweet.   Masha talked with Liz about herself and her family without Liz asking anything.   Liz learned today that she never knew her mother, lost her father to alcohol when she was 5, and still sees her brother, grandmother, and grandfather pretty regularly.   All this without asking a single question.   We both love that she wants to talk about her family, and both feel that it is great if she can have a life with them.   On the other side of things it makes this process very difficult.  We have yet to find out if Masha is available to bring into our family or not.  We know this is not a efficient process, but it would really ease our minds (Not Our Heart) if we knew one way or another.   I know there will be some broken hearts in the family if we can not bring her home someday.   Liz also found out on yesterday that Masha never dreamed that she could be part of a family like ours, and would miss us more than anything when she had to leave. Masha also said she always wanted a sister, but now she has two amazing sisters. She mentions her love for Keira and Carley almost nonstop.   I got this message while I was in the operating room.  It was everything I could do to fight back a lone tear.  I am not sure if was due to the saddness and hardships Masha has to endure or selfish happiness on my part due to the fact she really feels that strongly about our family.  Maybe it is a little bit of both.  Just know this little girl has our heart.  If some of the guys out there think I am a big softy this will easily get to you much more than watching The Champ, Cowboys, My Life, and Old Yeller back to back.  It touches all emotions at once, and there is really no way to discribe it until you experience the gift these children are.  It has made me appreciate everyone and everything in my life much more deeply.  It has even changed how I pray at night for my family as I go to sleep.

I apologize now for all the mistakes in this Blog as half of it was written really late, and the other half was written in between cases in the O.R.