Part 1 ended with:

Question: Did my 3.5 year old daughter really try to get me arrested?

Answer: Yes

Natasha had been home (adopted from Ukraine) for 2 months when this happened. I took Natasha to a store to buy a bed and pillow. She had attachment issues. We were still learning about each other.

I didn't know at the time and still don't know what triggered the meltdown. But it could have been anything. She was... more

I think humor is an essential component of life.

I wrote a blog this morning about some Ukrainians who had their chickens and turkeys destroyed. Some local birds had tested positive for H5N1 and every domestic bird in a 5 kilometer radius was killed by the men from the government.... You know the ones. They were covered head to toe in green fabric and probably didn't have a sense of humor.

And then I got this very funny story on turkeys. Turkeys just keep... more

Picture: Green Forest Orphanage's rehabilitation donkey (c) Life2Orphans.org

Yesterday's blog (SDA Rumor and Ukrainian Orphanage Stories) I mentioned the Green Forest Orphanage's rehabilitation donkey. My daughter Natasha lived in this orphanage for several years before I adopted her from Ukraine in 2000. She was 3.5 years in 2000 and they... more

The Ukrainian Heritage Weekend at Soyuzivka Resort happened this weekend; June 16 to June 18. Families had a chance to talk with the Ukrainian Embassy staff. I sent a list of questions with a friend who went to this weekend. I am patiently waiting on some of the responses. :)

But here is what I can share....

First is the Faces of Ukrainian Adoption. If you don't have high speed internet access,... more

Continuing from part 1 and part 2.... Here is an old journal entry. I was looking back at the first 4 months home with Natasha.

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We practiced emotions in front of the mirror. OK, the reality is that we made faces at each other in the mirror and giggled. It was very educational and a fun way to develop Natasha's emotional palette.

I modeled behavior. I talked... more

Continuing from part 1.... Here is an old journal entry. I was looking back at the first 4 months home with Natasha.

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She had very poor language skills even in Russian. My translator had a very hard time understanding her. Part of the problem is that Natasha actually used a strange mish mosh of Ukrainian and Russian together.

And based on what I found out in her language screening (done after being home 6 months), Natasha... more

I found an old journal entry about my darling Natasha. She had been home for 1.5 years when I wrote the following. I was looking back at the first 4 months home.

The picture is Natasha standing front of some Azaleas. She had been home 4 months when this was taken.

Notice the position of her hands. When she is nervous she holds her hands. When she is stressed she chews on her fingertips/nails.

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The first 4 months were the worst emotionally for my darling daughter and me. She was 3.5 years old but developmentally... more

I last blogged about this heritage weekend in February. It is June 16 to June 18 and while it is sponsored by the Ukrainian National Association, people from the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC will be there. If you want a chance to ask questions face-to-face, this is a good opportunity.

If you are going, you need to reserve a room now. There is a wedding at the Soyuzivka Resort during that weekend too.

Here is an email from the... more

Many families struggle with finding photos for their child's LifeBook. They may have problems like:

they took a picture of their thumb rather than the orphanage their camera was stolen there aren't any photos of the child before 8 years of age they were enjoying watching their child and forgot to take a photo

I really wish that I had taken a picture of Natasha eating her first meal at McDonald's in Kharkiv. It was very entertaining. First she looked at it. Then she smelled it. Then she pulled... more

I didn't realize just how important a lifebook was until my daughter had one. And it amazes me just how frequently Natasha pulls it out. We call it The Book of Natasha.

It has pages on my adoption trip and her adoption. Pages on her eye surgery and preschool. I have a couple of more school pages and a BFF (best friend forever) page that I need to add it. Well... I need to complete them first.

I decided to just keep growing The Book of Natasha because it has been so loved. It has gone to school for show and tell.... more