A Week of Being Mr. Mom

      Last week Liz traveled to Ukraine to file for the extension to adopt Masha past the age of 16.  The paper work is filed and we believe is considered to be accepted at this point.  Initially Liz was going to go to the embassy and back, but we decided that she should at least make a trip to see Masha if she was going to fly all that way.   Liz and her mom left early Saturday morning our time, filed the paperwork early Monday morning in Ukraine, and were then on a train to see Masha Monday afternoon.   They arrived in the town nearest Masha's orphanage late Monday night for some much needed rest.  Tuesday morning they were up and out the door early for a trip to see Masha.  Liz and her mother, Doreen, got to spend most of the next three days with Masha visiting friends and family. The first night, dinner was with Masha's half brother and grandparents that wish very much for her to come here.  Liz made sure to set up a skype account at their house before she left.   The next night Liz got caught up in Ukrainian tradition of toasting drinks at dinner with a family that has known Masha since she was a little girl.  I am pretty sure it was Liz's first ever experience with cognac, and I do not think she kept up very well with the game of Choot Choot.  Masha went back to the orphanage Thursday afternoon, and Liz spent the afternoon with a Canadian Minister (Pastor John) that is doing mission work with the orphanage. There is much more to fill in here, but just not enough time. Liz met with several adoptive families while she was there. There were good stories and stories with not so happy endings.  She got to spend some quality time with the Hanquets, which have adopted one daughter already and were there for another.  Liz really appreciated their hospitality and it made it easier for me to know that there was another family there that was such a big help to Liz.   It was an exhausting, fast, and furious week that I am not sure she has recovered from yet.

     As for me as a single dad.  The weekend started out great.  I filled the days with movies, ice cream, bounce places, dinner with friends, shopping for mom and the girls, and lots of chocolate consumption. Then the week started and my shining reputation as a dad quickly went out the window.  The very first day of real dad responsibility the girls get to school 3 hours late.  I do have a couple of excuses due to snow and a baby sitter being stuck in Amarillo because of weather, but in the end I failed so they get a big fat tardy on the first day of me being Mr. Mom.   The rest of the week went quite a bit more smoothly with Papa doing the lions share of  carting our girls around from activity to activity and even helping out with homework and dinner a couple of days.  Not sure what I would have done with out him that week.  My cousin Jordyn and Liz's sister Leah pitched in a couple of days to help out as well.  Without the help of these three people the week just would not have happened.  I'd would love to say I owned the week and had everything completely organized and put together like I do in my O.R., but that would be a lie.  I pretty much spent from the time I got off work till way after I usually go to bed running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  Everything got done every night, but it was never quite as silky smooth as Liz seems to accomplish it.  I think my  two biggest accomplishment were Liz getting home and not being able to make the regular wife statement, "What have you been doing while I've been gone? The house is a wreck!", and I even got a compliment on how nice the girls looked every day, even their hair.   We picked Liz up late Friday night and you could instantly feel the tension ease in the house with MOM being home.  The girls were instantly happier and I actually slept all night without waking up every hour from thinking I forgot to get something ready.

Liz,

I love you forever

I like you for always

As long as I'm living

My wife you will be

Love,

  Chris.