Almost (1st) Christmas

Well, I haven't been asleep all the time for the past few weeks, but I certainly haven't gotten around to writing. I said I would write about the fun our kids had when we were in Kyiv, so I'll try to jump back to then. When we walked out the door, Jaan and a friend were in the kitchen making brownies, not without adventures. They had a party for their church theatre group the next evening, so they were preparing for that. Apparently the brownies turned out wonderfully, despite the adventures: yummy and even decorated with an inside joke for the theatre. I got photo updates and gave advice long-distance off and on throughout the process.

Asya had plans to spend the night with a friend, then go to a music contest first thing the next morning. She was very happy about all that.

Friday evening Bogdan also had an extra ensemble rehearsal at music school. Before I heard about the party, I had planned that Jaan would take him to that, sit and wait for him, then bring him home. Asya was going to be gone, Raia had an art class, so the boys would have a quiet evening together. Hah. But they had fun. Jaan dropped Bogdan off at music school early and arranged that a friend who lives at church would bring him over afterwards. Bogdan was so excited to get to be with Jaan! At the theatre party!

(I took this from someone's FB page.)

After art Raia went home with friends who live right by the church, to wait until Jaan's party was over. As we were getting on the train in Kyiv to come home, we got a frantic call from our wonderful neighbours. They had tried to check on our children before bed, but nobody was home. When I called the kids right after that, I told them to be sure to make noise when they got home, so that Aunt N would see them and know they were okay. It was reassuring to me to get that call, even though I was sorry to have scared them.