Summer is over!
Summer is over and life is beginning to settle into it's familiar routines. School began last Tuesday and Ben had his first trip to the hospital on Thursday! More on that later...
Last Sunday we attended the military parade held in honor of Ukrainian Independence day. It was an eye opening experience! Here are a few pictures.
Laura has begun middle school and seems to like it. Her initial comments were, "It's awesome" and "It's sooooo easy!" Let's see what she is saying in November! All middle and high school students will go away on a bonding trip next week. Laura's class is going to the Crimea! And, yes, she will be close to the Russian naval bases. We are already lining up the Embassy security office's help in tracking the situation there. The 6th graders will go on Monday and return on Friday. The trip is well organized and full of activities for the kids. I am looking forward to the reports.
Ben is in grade five! He is across the hall from me this year. That is the closest we have ever been in school. He is usually on another floor or wing. That's a good thing for him! He has a great teacher. I know Ben will do well. He is supposed to try out for the middle school soccer team on Tuesday, but due to an unforeseen injury, he won't make it. I hope once he heals, he will be able to join the team. While playing soccer at recess on Thursday, he "couldn't stop himself" while running and tripped over a kids shoe and may have broken his toe! You'll remember he did that last year around his birthday. That one was on the other foot! This time it is the big toe! It doesn't look as bad as the last one, so I am hopeful that there is no break.
We went to the Borys clinic and had x-rays. The orthopedic doctor wasn't available, so we went across town to meet him. Come to find out the sports hospital where he was is an old run down building that has no working elevators. Hmmm...makes you wonder. The doctor didn't want Ben walking up four flights of stairs on crutches, so he said he'd come to the car. With Ben in the backseat, the doctor crawled in and examined his foot. He had a look at the x-rays in his office and said there was too much swelling to see if there is a break. We agreed to meet again in a week for another x-ray and examination. After the doctor gave Ben and me instructions, Lucy, our Embassy nurse who helped us translate, said you can pay the doctor now! I gave him UAH 200 and off he went! You have to love this country!
Landon is waiting patiently for the time to bid on our next assignment. We haven't had to do this in 6 years, so I had forgotten how nerve wracking it is. If all goes well, we will go back to DC for a couple of years and buy our first house! Yeah!
Tomorrow we will head to Dan and Natasha's dacha one last time this season. We will go to Olga's in September. I will post pictures on my Picasa site--
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChristinaTaylor2007
Hope all is well with you! Keep in touch! Christina
Last Sunday we attended the military parade held in honor of Ukrainian Independence day. It was an eye opening experience! Here are a few pictures.
Laura has begun middle school and seems to like it. Her initial comments were, "It's awesome" and "It's sooooo easy!" Let's see what she is saying in November! All middle and high school students will go away on a bonding trip next week. Laura's class is going to the Crimea! And, yes, she will be close to the Russian naval bases. We are already lining up the Embassy security office's help in tracking the situation there. The 6th graders will go on Monday and return on Friday. The trip is well organized and full of activities for the kids. I am looking forward to the reports.
Ben is in grade five! He is across the hall from me this year. That is the closest we have ever been in school. He is usually on another floor or wing. That's a good thing for him! He has a great teacher. I know Ben will do well. He is supposed to try out for the middle school soccer team on Tuesday, but due to an unforeseen injury, he won't make it. I hope once he heals, he will be able to join the team. While playing soccer at recess on Thursday, he "couldn't stop himself" while running and tripped over a kids shoe and may have broken his toe! You'll remember he did that last year around his birthday. That one was on the other foot! This time it is the big toe! It doesn't look as bad as the last one, so I am hopeful that there is no break.
We went to the Borys clinic and had x-rays. The orthopedic doctor wasn't available, so we went across town to meet him. Come to find out the sports hospital where he was is an old run down building that has no working elevators. Hmmm...makes you wonder. The doctor didn't want Ben walking up four flights of stairs on crutches, so he said he'd come to the car. With Ben in the backseat, the doctor crawled in and examined his foot. He had a look at the x-rays in his office and said there was too much swelling to see if there is a break. We agreed to meet again in a week for another x-ray and examination. After the doctor gave Ben and me instructions, Lucy, our Embassy nurse who helped us translate, said you can pay the doctor now! I gave him UAH 200 and off he went! You have to love this country!
Landon is waiting patiently for the time to bid on our next assignment. We haven't had to do this in 6 years, so I had forgotten how nerve wracking it is. If all goes well, we will go back to DC for a couple of years and buy our first house! Yeah!
Tomorrow we will head to Dan and Natasha's dacha one last time this season. We will go to Olga's in September. I will post pictures on my Picasa site--
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChristinaTaylor2007
Hope all is well with you! Keep in touch! Christina
