Look and listen archive

I'm archiving here what we looked at and listened to during Term 2. The current selections will be up on the Look and listen with us page. -->

Term 2
Artist: Caravaggio
Composer: Vivaldi
Folk songs: Tall Men Riding, Калинка (Russian), and Ой, на горі жито (Ukrainian)


The folk songs are the same throughout the term:



English video and info, Russian words, Ukrainian words (and sheet music!)
Ukrainian music (I can't get it onto the playlist above for some reason.)


Hymns change monthly. Here are December's:


Russian video with words

January's:
O God, Our Help In Ages Past
О имя Иисуса

February's:
I'll Fly Away
Красота Иисуса Светись во Мне (words)


And we'll spend two weeks on each piece of art and classical music.

Weeks 13-14

Weeks 15-16

Weeks 17-18

Weeks 19-20
	Vivaldi CDs

Weeks 21-22
	Vivaldi CDs

Weeks 23-24
	Vivaldi CDs

*I've obviously chosen the Russian and Ukrainian songs on my own. A note on how I choose the hymns: if the Russian version of the English hymn is something that we actually sing, I use it. Otherwise, I try to pick something classically Russian or just something that we like. Folk songs are just from two disks of folk songs for children--specifically for children!--that we have.

Lots of photos

Bogdan is two weeks old! I posted a bunch of photos of our first two weeks with him. Right now he's sleeping in my arms, so I don't want to type much. I'll just say again that we're really enjoying him. He's a sweet, relatively easy baby, who loves to stare deep into our eyes. I think he smiled at Will on purpose for the first time yesterday. I've gotten a few milky smiles today.

P.S. We found the first flowers of the year yesterday: celandine and "under-snow"! Spring is here!

3 bits from yesterday

1) Dr. Murphy, someone Will knew from his early Moscow days, came to visit yesterday. We really, really enjoyed our day with him! It was so nice just to sit around and talk, and I was glad to get to know him some.

2) Bogdan got to try out his new stroller. Thank you to Circle Community Church for your generous gift!

3) Will turned in documents in Vasilevka to begin the process needed for us to receive Bogdan's birth certificate. Now we just have to wait, and it looks like we might be waiting for a while.

Baby Bogdan's birth

(Nice alliteration, eh?)

This is probably really tacky, but here's a print-it-yourself birth announcement. I won't be sending them out by mail, so if you want one, click on it to get the larger version, and then have it printed at your favorite photo place.

Here are some photos from Bogdan's birth day and the days following:

Saying goodbye

"He has a nose!"

Bouncing to Vasilevka

When they first brought him back to me

For those of you who praying that I'd be able to keep him with me: he was only away from me for the first two (long!) hours. When we got there, the ambulance lady handed him off to the baby nurse, and I didn't see him again for two hours. The nurse was really nice, and kept coming to tell me exactly what she was doing with him and to ask my permission for each step, but I still wasn't too happy. After that, though, they wouldn't have taken him, even if I had begged for a rest!

In his hospital bed

One on each wrist

(made from gauze and a piece of mattress cover)

Skipping a few days here....

Ready to go home!

Surrounded, as soon as we stepped out

Together again!

Walking away

First family photo

In the taxi on the way home

Home!

Still, anytime Bogdan cries, Asya tells him, "Don't cry; you're not in the hospital anymore!"

Does that satisfy the desire for pictures?

I love them!

Birth certificate

As much as I'd like to tell you all about our sweet, wide-eyed Bogdan and post tons of photos, I think I should keep this post down to business. Today is my first day flying solo with FOUR.

At the birth hospital we learned that there's a new law in Ukraine, requiring that all babies born outside of hospitals have to get their birth certificates through some court process. No one knows exactly what that means, but the hospital decided that they couldn't officially give me the papers that we would need to get a birth certificate. The doctor who examined me did write an unofficial letter, which could help.

Yesterday Will went to our local ZAGS (registration office), and they told him that this will need to be decided on a regional level. He was going to go to Vasilevka for that today, but they don't have a translation department. So, today he's going to Zaporozhya to get official translations of our marriage license and passports. Then, the next day that they're open (Tuesday?) he'll take everything to Vasilevka and find out what the next step is.

Thank you for praying!

I'm HOME!

I know that Will told you that yesterday, but I just had to repeat it: I'm home!

I don't know where to start with writing, so I'll just write a little and see what comes out. Right now, Will is out with the older two children and the younger TWO are napping.

As you know, Bogdan was born Saturday morning. I'm so thankful for that sweet home birth! After we got the other children sent off to friends.... (Oh, wait, I have to mention that all along I've thought that we wouldn't have any help with babysitting, unless the baby came on a weekend. Everyone works or is in school. How could we have any better timing than a Saturday morning?) So, after we got the others sent off, Will ran out for his appointment at the police about my registration, and I enjoyed Bogdan for a while. Then Will came back and started making phone calls. Right away, even before all that, he had called the nice birth hospital in Energodar that I had been planning on. They just said something along the lines of "too late, don't bother us." The very long story made short is that, hoping to be able to get a birth certificate easily, we ended up calling an ambulance that bounced us all the way to the regular birth hospital in Vasilevka. Bounced is hardly the word for it! Will was allowed to come along, and he actually held me onto the stretcher, while I held on to Bogdan.

I won't go into details of our time at the birth hospital. My overall impression was that the people were very nice and very knowledgable. Their knowledge and practices were quite up-to-date; nothing at all like what I've seen and heard about in some places! However, the conditions were almost unbelievable. The best way that I can describe it is that I felt like I was on a camping trip. Now, I am not squeamish, and I love camping, but not right after having had a baby. Just a few examples: running water, yes, but no shower or bath tub anywhere, and only one toilet for the whole building. Bright, overhead lights required to be on all night long; it was actually darker in our room during the day than at night. Visiting hours lasted all day long, but visitors aren't allowed to cross the threshold. When Will came (which was wonderful!), I had to leave Bogdan, and go out to the entryway, where I could talk to Will through a little window. That photo he posted? I took his phone, brought it in, snapped the photo, then carried the phone back to the visiting window.

Bye! They're waking up.

FREEDOM!!

Phyllis and baby Bogdan are finally home!!







...and oh, is the taste of freedom ever so sweet!








Since getting home this afternoon, Phyllis has been working on top priority business: recovering from the birth hospital! First thing, a nice long hot bath, followed by resting and visiting with baby and his three proud (and EX-cited!) siblings. Second in order of priorities: a REAL meal. The triumphant welcome home supper was lasagna and a greek salad!







The curiosity, excitement and questions are at an all time high, but Phyllis just keeps smiling and saying how good it is to be home. Even Raia twirling, dancing, tripping, bouncing and falling around Phyllis so much that she (Phyllis!) actually got dizzy was not enough to sour the sweetness of just being home. =)




Thank you all for for your concern, your notes and your prayers. Maybe tomorrow Phyllis will be back online. For now, she's just enjoying her baby boy...




oh, and being home again, finally. Have I mentioned that? ;o)

'Baby X' now has a name!

After visiting Phyllis and the baby today, as well as conducting the most serious of diplomatic talks with the remaining three members of the Russo-Ukrainian Hunsucker Clan, we have settled on a name.





Bogdan - Богдан. (Pronounced 'Bahgdahn,' that is 'A' as in 'father.')
Literally translating as "Given of God" or "God-given", we feel this is appropriate, and we've always liked this name. However, we are aware that our poor children may very well have identity crises when they hit 12-13 or so, depending upon where we'll be living at that time. =)

Also, for those who are interested, Bogdan Xmelnitsky was a historical figure/folk hero in this part of the world.




Mother and baby are doing as well as is possible for not being at home. Pray with us that they will be released with all due haste from the birth hospital, and again, that we would be able to get a birth certificate relatively painlessly. =)

Thank you so much for your notes and prayers!

Surprise, Surprise...!

After a morning of calling around trying to find out for sure what we should do, (other than try to let Phyllis and baby get some rest), we were given a solution. Dictated one, rather. =)

We were advised that the only way we could now legally register the baby's birth would be to call the 'ambulance,' have them witness that we had a home birth, and take us to the nearest 'birth hospital.'


Which we proceeded to do, albeit, not particularly rushing. We had a very nice nurse help us out, a very bumpy ride to the birth hospital 30 minutes away, and were met by some more rather bemused nurses. (This sort of thing isn't done here. People usually panic at the idea of a home birth.)


Phyllis and baby are doing fine, and very happy to be together. They are recovering nicely from unwanted examinations which proved that they are healthy and happy, although we already knew that much. ;)


Baby is roughly 7lbs and 20 inches, allowing for conversion from metric.


Please be praying for understanding and mercy on the part of whatever doctor makes the decision regarding the birth certificate. We were told we might have to jump through some extra bureaucratic hoops, since we took so long to bring the baby in.

Thank you so much for your prayers and notes! We're all doing as well as could be expected, a little tired, but thrilled that 'Baby X' is finally with us. ;)

Surprise!

Phyllis had written last night and set the blog to post automatically early this morning because our internet was going to be turned off temporarily...


between last night and this morning, plans have changed.


Our baby boy evidently didn't want to be born in an hospital. Maybe he'd heard how fun it was to be born in a bathtub?



Around 8:20 this morning Baby Boy (as yet unnamed) joined us! Phyllis and the baby are both healthy, the labor went as well as possible, and we are all resting now.


Jaan, Raia and Asya are with their favorite baby-sitters a few buildings away, and generally things couldn't be better. The irony of it all is that we'd spent all day yesterday shopping, doing laundry and generally getting everything ready to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.


Thank you for your prayers, and now be praying with us that we can get this baby properly documented.

Plans

I have gone around and around with birth plans for this baby. After three wonderful home births, I didn't exactly want a hospital birth. Plus, there's no birth hospital here in Dneprorudnoe anymore. However, we don't have anyone here to help us with childcare and such. That part was a real challenge after Asya was born, even with a few people who could help. With no one available...?

So, tomorrow I will be going to nearby Energodar, to check into the birth hospital there and wait for the birth of this baby. No signs of labor yet; this is just the day they chose for me to come in. This is not for any medical reasons whatsoever. In fact, if I'd had any health problems this pregnancy I probably wouldn't/couldn't have jumped through all the prenatal "care" hoops that I have. (The "care" that I've had has mostly consisted of being tested for STDs and hearing that I'm really fat. Oh, that and having the baby's heartbeat listened to with a little wooden trumpet. I like that last part. ) I still think home is the safest and best place for a healthy birth. However, I've had my good births, and I'm willing to try something else, if it will be easier for the whole family. Also, we'll be able to get a birth certificate without any questions. (Although, it looks like that would be pretty easy after a home birth here, too.)

Please be praying that all will go well! Hopefully Will can post an update here when I call to tell him that the baby is born, and then I should be back three days after that. Pray specifically that I would have the baby and come home soon, that I'll be surrounded by nice doctors and nurses--maybe even the kind who would respect my opinions?--and that I'll be able to keep the baby with me all the time.

Once again

...nothing written. Sorry, again! I think I've just gotten out of the habit. Also, our camera has been loaned out for over a week, so we don't have any photos to share.

Good night!

Quick note

We're still alive and well. Will's just been gone a lot, so I haven't made it to the computer to write. He's back now, though. We're catching up on rest and school and regular life. I can back to writing here after that....

Oh, we are changing over to a new email address. If you write to us at our old one, we'll still get it, but please do start using the new one after that. Thanks!

Sunday Evening Post, issue 21

(Wow. This is my 1001 blog post?!?)

A photo from this week:

She froze on the way home from church

Jaan: His reading skills are still surprising me. It really is different to have a child who can just take an assignment and work on it by himself. Or who is constantly telling me tidbits that he read in the children's encyclopedia that he's so in love with.

Raia... bounces everywhere, all the time, without ever stopping. She never just walks from one place to another. She would make a good rabbit or kangaroo. Even when she's just conversing with someone she hops in place. Unfortunately, our downstairs neighbor complained, so we're trying to teach her to walk like a lady inside and hop outside. No success, so far.

Asya: The sweetest part of this week was when Asya decided to list off her thankfulnesses for me. Other people have mentioned how cute her voice is, and I just melted, sitting there listening to her saying, "I'm thankful for..." with great expression and creativity and large gestures.

Baby... doesn't listen to books that say it should be getting too crowded to move around much in there!

Will... spent a lot of time this past week working on details and tickets for getting group from here to a youth conference next weekend.

School this week: We finished Week 22. When we read about St. Augustine, Jaan must have picked up my love for his writings. I had him pull down both our copies of The Confessions (in both languages), and now he says that's what he wants to read next.

My books: I'm continuing to savor The Thousand Gifts. Watching the videos, and seeing Ann's photos again really adds to it.

...and my вязание (since I can't come up with a good English word that means kitting-crocheting): I finished the little pants, at least as far as getting them off my needles. Instead of sewing up the waistband and taking pictures and such, I got sidetracked by a great new pattern, though. So, I guess you can expect photos next week, of both pants and this new hat. My newborn set is almost finished; I just want to add socks or booties. Having it all laid out on the table here just makes me smile.

Weather and nature observations: Cold and clear and sunny again outside. And we have spring inside! We forced some forsythia twigs and another butterfly came out of its chrysalis early.

Other news, ministry, notes and miscellaneous from the week: There wasn't really anything out of the ordinary.

On this date in. . . 2009: We were studying skunks.

Just a few things I'm thankful for...

• Asya's own thanks
• fun, clever knitting patterns
• homeschooling!
• Will's breakfasts every morning

A Gaia story

As you might know, Gaia is Asya's beloved blanket that she sleeps with and carries around. Gaia is almost like a member of our family. In Asya's eyes, she definitely is.

As you probably also know, Russian grandmothers run society. It's their job to be sure that all is done Right in the world. And apparently, carrying around a blanket when you're three (or ever) is not Right.

One babushka in particular is really bothered by Gaia. This babushka also happens to be the champion meddler. She was never able to have any children of her own (because her own mother let her get too cold when she was little, you know), but her education and career were centered around preschools, so she knows everything there is to know about raising children. She's always telling me about the evils of blanket-carrying (and dressing children too lightly), and I always thank her for her concern and go on with life. A few months ago, she bought Asya a nice new blanket and told me to replace "that old rag" with it. I thanked her, kind of tried to explain that Gaia is irreplaceable, and set the blanket aside for the new baby.

Today she came up with a new strategy. She bought another nice, new blanket... but this time she was going to do the replacing herself! She was going to actually do the trade out at church and get rid of "that old rag"! Fortunately, Will stood up for Gaia, and brought her home. Maybe this new blanket will have to be our church Gaia, while the real Gaia can stay home and rest once a week? Or if I just set it aside, I wonder how many blankets for the baby we'll end up with?

(I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate the older generation. I do. I love that they're so concerned about us. And I'm not making fun. Sometimes I just have to laugh, though.)

Sunday Evening Post, 20th Anniversary Edition

(20th Anniversary Edition, because I've now written 20 of these, and our 10th wedding anniversary was this week.)

A photo from this week:

Experimenting and recording the results

Jaan... has been measuring how far his different cars go when he pushes them across the floor and recording the results in a notebook. It's amazing how much and how intently he can work on this! He's also been really into writing notes and emails on his own over the past week.

Raia... wants to have a pet manatee when she grows up. I realized that they didn't know about these creatures from my childhood, so we watched a few videos, and she fell in love.

Asya... has been happily playing with Raia and their "babies" all week long. All day, every day this week, I think.

Baby... has hiccoughs. Well, maybe not right at this exact moment, but that just means that we're just having a short break from them. I don't think I, myself, have had hiccoughs this whole pregnancy, but this child almost never stops hiccoughing for me!

Will... has been trying to get our documents sorted out. It's almost time to extend our registration here. Everything is much simpler than in Russia, but it still takes some work.

School this week: We finished Week 21. Year 1 is just racing by, but I'm savoring every moment.

My books: I finished a touching trilogy this week, the life story of Dave Pelzer. It's probably not something I would ever have chosen to read, but Will picked it up somewhere. Even though it's about a very sad subject (child abuse), the author managed to make it very compassionate and victorious.

...and my вязание (since I can't come up with a good English word that means kitting-crocheting): I've continued on the baby blanket. This pattern is really fun and addicting! I also got the yarn I ordered, so I just started back up on the little pants. It really feels good to be back into the rhythm of making things, even after a short break where nothing seemed to be going right.

Weather and nature observations: Warmer and then cold again, that sums it up. I'm happy to have more winter!

Other news, ministry, notes and miscellaneous from the week: We had our 10th wedding anniversary! Youth meetings have been at our apartment this week.

On this date in. . . 2008: We had just arrived in Florida.

Just a few things I'm thankful for...

• more winter
• when the crochet hook matches the yarn color
• how incredibly active this baby is!
• sleep
• hot water

I remembered!

Actually, Asya said something very similar again today, and it reminded me of what I was wanting to write about her on Sunday.

Jaan's memorizing the first part of Psalm 19, and we were discussing how the heavens can declare or preach God's glory without even using words. Asya said, "Shashlik and hot dogs declare God's glory to me!"

Sunday Evening Post, issue 19

A photo from this week:

A winter butterfly!

Jaan... had a much better week at music school than he's been having, and just a good week overall. By today he was exhausted, though! He even said that he didn't want to get up and go to church.

Raia... has taken up with my doll from childhood. Of course, she and Asya both love dolls, but just this week Raia has actually started treating this one like a baby, taking wonderful care of her and playing with her constantly.

Asya... says really cute, funny things that I want to record, but they just slipped my mind. I'll have to come back and add them, if they return. Stay tuned.

Baby... isn't really doing anything new. Just growing and kicking!

Will... had something of a quieter week. I think. I should ask him.

School this week: Week 20 already? Yes.

My books: I realized that even though I know the story and have the "Down on your knees and thank heaven, fasting, for a good man's love" speech memorized, I must have never read As You Like It straight through. When we watched the cartoon version, Asya kept calling the play "I Really Like It," and I do!

...and knitting: I posted photos of my baby mittens from last week, and--thanks to Will for yarn and a new "knitting hook"--got restarted on my baby blanket. (Now that I'm crocheting again, I need to find some versatile word that can be used for both knitting and crocheting, like in Russian.)

Weather and nature observations: We had an early butterfly come out of its chrysalis! Unfortunately, even with our best efforts it didn't last too long, but we thoroughly enjoyed our little pet for a few days.

Sorry, I can't finish now. I need to go to bed. Good night, all!

Sunday Evening Post, issue 18

A photo from this week:

Our two days of hoarfrost were lovely!*

Jaan... finally figured out one of the mysteries of music school: how to get choir music. The poor guy is baffled by so much that would be everyday life for children who go to regular school. Now he knows what a copy machine is, and that he actually has to say that, yes, he needs copies of the songs.

Raia... has especially been enjoying the snow. She and Jaan both just roll in it and flop around and yell like crazy things. Raia buries her head in the snow, just for the fun of it.

Asya... likes the snow, too, but she doesn't last as long outside as the older two do. They play outside together, and then Raia sweetly brings her home, when Asya can't take any more. Asya comes through the door yelling, "I'm here! Make me cocoa!" I'm working on getting a please into that.

Baby... has an officially tuberculosis-free Papa. Not that we ourselves had any questions about that, but Will was required to get chest x-rays this week so that we can officially be allowed to have a baby.

Will... is working on his wonderful housewife skills. I've been feeling slow and tired and "foggy," so he's stepped up how much he does with housework and cooking and childcare. He's also been working on domestic relations with the neighbor below us. We've had a few plumbing disasters, and with the last one, the neighbor was very mad (and drunk). They've worked up to where their last exchange was peaceful, though.

School this week: We finished Week 19. Again, I think the highlight was Shakespeare: A Winter's Tale this time. Also, we're really enjoying Just So Stories. Jaan gets to listen to an audio version in Russian, and then I read the English to him, and that works really well for him.

My books: I have a lot going, but I don't think I finished anything this week. No, I take that back. I zipped through Starlighter. It's not my kind of book, but it was fun to read, and I know the author.

...and knitting: I finished my December afghan square today, but I haven't posted photos yet. I also made a really cute, quick little pair of baby mitts. Other than that, I've been really frustrated with my various projects. I started a great baby blanket pattern, which got me back into crocheting, but then ran out of that yarn. Everything seems to be stuck, waiting for yarn or inspiration. Hopefully both are coming soon!

Weather and nature observations: My favorite kind of weather! It's been cold, clear, sunny, and hoarfrost on the trees.

Other news, ministry, notes and miscellaneous from the week: Someone we've tried to help before showed up again in Dneprorudnoe, and he's in bad shape. Please pray for Will to know what to do with him. At this point, until he actually wants help and not just money for his next drink, we're having to ignore his calls and knocks on our door.

On this (actually, yesterday's) date in. . . 2004: I'm going with yesterday's date again, because the pictures and memories there are just so much fun!

Just a few things I'm thankful for...

• another quiet Sunday morning
• such excitement about Sunday school!
• the hoarfrost and our walks to enjoy it
• winter
• just the habit of thankfulness

*Do go look at the rest of the photos!