A few times each month, Mom or Dad has a special day with one of us kids. We get to pick an activity and it's just one of us with one parent. I love these special days! Well, Mei and I decided to have our own special day, and it was so much fun! I think Mei is feeling a little better now. First, we had breakfast in Mei's room, just the two of us. Then, Dad took us to Panera and dropped us off at the movies. We watched Cars 2. It was really good! After the movie, Dad took us to the mall. He wouldn't let us walk around alone, but he did stay back so that we could have some space to look around and talk. Dad only complained about using his day off to play chauffeur once. Mom and Dad are both taking some time off to help Katia adjust. Mei still wishes Katia stayed in Russia, but she's not so mad at me now.
While we were having our special day, Mom took Katia for her own special day. They went to see a waterfall! I've been there before. It's really pretty. Here are some pictures.
Resting and looking at the Falls
Playing on a log
Playing on some rocks
On the beach (Katia had never seen sand!)
Pretty!
Next to the river
Mom let her wade
Isn't she pretty? Sometimes I look at Katia and wish I was as pretty as she is!
I'm really glad you got to have a special day with Mei. I bet it meant a lot to her. Now she knows you still love her just as much as you did before Katia arrived.
ReplyDeleteSounds like exactly what all of you needed. I'm glad you and Mei got a chance to reconnect just the two of you, and it looks like Katia had fun with your mom. Great pictures; what a beautiful spot!
ReplyDeleteHow is Ana doing? It seems like she's maybe getting a little lost in all of this.
Also, we were wondering what region of Russia Katia is from? (We know she hasn't said much about her past, but probably your parents said where they were going to pick her up.)
Love,
The Green Girls
It sounds like you and Mei had a fun day. I know that things like that can be hard, and I'm glad you let Mei know that you are still there for her. My friend Aurélie is an only child, and when we were in 6th grade, she had a foster sister named Chanson. For awhile, things were hard because her family also hosted an American exchange student. Chanson was angry because she though Aurélie only wanted to be with Erin (the American exchange student).
ReplyDeleteKatia looks like she had fun as well. And don't worry, Keesha! You are beautiful, too!
Bises,
Sabine
Ana is fine! She's really happy to be helping teach English instead of learning it!
ReplyDeleteKatia is from Moscow, but she says she's been to St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk and a few other cities in Russia for skating competitions.
Thanks, Sabine. I know I can look pretty, but I'm just not as pretty as Katia. I told her that, and she said she's always thought she was sort of plain! At least she's not snobby!
Cool. Blakeney has been to Moscow and she says it's a really interesting city.
ReplyDeleteWe think you and Katia are both equally pretty.
Love,
The Green Girls
By the way, we mentioned to Inna where Katia is from, and the places she'd visited. Inna seemed surprised... she said life in Russian orphanages is pretty difficult, and they don't have a lot of opportunities. So she wondered if Katia had lived with her original family until pretty recently.
ReplyDeleteObviously she didn't know for sure since everyone's life is different - but since you are so curious about Katia's past, we thought you might be interested in the speculation.
Love,
The Green Girls
Thanks for the compliment!
ReplyDeleteKatia was never in an orphanage. She's from a wealthy family (her parents died when she was really small), and her grandmother raised her. Well, sort of. She went to an elite athletic training school for most of the year. When her grandma got sick, she saw to it that Katia would be adopted by us. At least, that's what I've been able to figure out so far.
Oh cool. We didn't know you could do that internationally. (We actually don't know much about international adoption - none of the sisters in our family are from anywhere except the US or Canada.) I'm sure it was a lot better for Katia that way.
ReplyDeleteLove,
The Green Girls
I don't think it's a common thing. My parents work in foreign relations as lawyers, and they knew the lawyer who handled everything for Katia's grandmother. Katia says she's really, really lucky that her grandmother loved her enough to do it because it cost a lot of money.
ReplyDelete