Monday/Tuesday

The past couple of days have been good. Nothing too exciting, but that's what we need. I'm going to try to find the tile park today. I can't wait. In everyone else's pictures from Kyiv, those were my favorite. I don't like taking the boys places where there are lots of options to choose from or lots of things to want to buy. Just like with all children, those places are overstimulating to them and as a parent, I don't like to deal with the 'I wants'. Drives me nuts. Pictures are from the past two days. Captions underneath. I leave for home in less than 24 hours. Pretty excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday we had our first appointment at the embassy and the boys had their medical exams. This is the waiting area for kids at the doctor's office where we get our medical exams. Kids being adopted must have medical exams and be declared healthy (enough) to enter the U.S.

This is the outside of the medical exam building.

This is a very cool tower, wrapped in ivy, that is just outside the medical exam building. I thought it was so beautiful. Natasha said that in a few weeks it would be even moreso, with the leaves changing colors.

We've done a little bit of coloring to kill time. I brought the coloring stuff for BoyTwo, but BoyOne has had just as much interest and entertainment with them as well, as you can see.

Another time killer. Pillow fights. The apartment we are in here in Kyiv is pretty big so it easily accomodates the boys' high activity level fulfilling their need for physical exertion.

Tuesday we went to the zoo after our second embassy appointment. I offered a movie or the zoo and both boys wanted to go to the zoo. I was kind of surprised. I thought BoyOne would probably agree to go to the zoo, if that was what his brother had wanted, but he actually wanted to go himself. We were there a looooong time and still didn't make it through all the exhibits. I thought it was a nice zoo. I would recommend it. BoyTwo kept saying, 'Move it, move it. Move it, move it.' haha.

One of the pelicans was hurt, the one on the far left, closest to the water. The one right next to it was trying to protect it. It was pretty cool to watch. The protective bird literally had its wing extended around the injured bird and was yelling at the other birds who were trying to peck at the hurt one. They were sword fighting with their beaks.

Flamingos. I love watching them walk on their long, spindly legs. We don't have flamingos at our zoo back home, so it was fun to see them.

We went for a ride on the ferris wheel. This is the view from it of Kyiv. I thought it looked really pretty. Everything is still pretty green here. In Zap, leaves had already started changing colors and falling off of trees. I bet this view will be really pretty in a few weeks with the fall colors.

The ferris wheel. The zoo was actually kept up very well. The paint was fresh and it was as clean as zoos get.

The boys are sitting on these statues of wooly mammoths? I actually have no idea, but that's what I'm thinking. They love to climb. So do my girls. BoyTwo is kind of wussy in this area. He can climb alright, but then cannot/is too scared to get down. My four year old can teach him...

This lion is so pretty. They were not caged in but instead had a large mote surrounding their exhibit so that they couldn't (hopefully) get out. There was one lion and three lionnesses. The lionnesses were fighting. We weren't sure why until later that afternoon, on our way out of the zoo, we passed the lion exhibit again and there were people crowded all around. We went over to see what was going on and the two of the lions were putting on a special show. The favored lionness then proceeded to flaunt herself in front of the other two lionness and show off. It was pretty funny. No, we didn't stop and stare, but it was pretty easy to see this just as we passed by.

I have a friend that lived in Dubai for a few months. While she was there her four year old son went for a ride in a large beach ball that floats out on the water. The ball was tethered to land so they didn't go very far. Anyhow, lo and behold, here in Kyiv, Ukraine, at the zoo, a similar 'ride.' The boys wanted to try it and I wanted them to, so they did. The boys climb in and then they fill the ball with air with a leaf blower. Then, the guy zips the ball shut and they have about three or four minutes to run around like hamsters. Think zu zu pets. The funny thing is that earlier at the zoo, BoyTwo was SO FULL OF ENERGY that I had told Natasha that I wished I had a human size ball for him to run in, like a hamster. When we actually found one, it was funny. The other funny part was that the zipper got stuck when BoyOne was inside and the guy in charge of the ride couldn't get it open. We could tell he was getting embarassed but it was so funny. We had to just turn away like we weren't looking, but we were laughing.

BoyTwo didn't quite understand how to make the ball move all over the little pond. Instead he rolled around and flopped all over staying mostly in the same place. At least it wore him out. Totally worth the $3 it cost me.

BoyOne quickly figured out how to make the ball move around where he wanted it to. He was running, diving, and somersaulting to make it move. He was entertaining to watch. He also received a good workout! Mission accomplished.

The outside of the zoo.