First Day in Kiev

This pig was enormous.

Each of them having Euro coins made by hand.

Fun fountain

Can you tell that Coke is a sponsor.

Today we got to spend time in Kiev. We headed out to the Euro Cup 2012 staging area. It was lots of fun, but a hot day. Funny enough I found out that my boys have absolutely no clue about how to read a map or a street sign. I was the one to point out where the street sign was and had to find an English speaking person to get us in the right direction! A woman actually explained to the boys in Russian how to get there and they still did not get it! Matt will have to teach them some map skills once home, b/c I can say that I am not the best person with directions, but when someone tells me to go straight for 4 blocks and then turn left for one block - I can handle that!

The boys have already asked to go back to the EuroCup area tomorrow, so it seems we will head there. There are people performing on a stage all day, fun exhibits, crafters, etc. We actually ate at the McDonalds right in the square and it was cheaper than in the US. Ivan and Anatoliy now have Ukrainian soccer jerseys and have laid them out to wear tomorrow - very cute.

Today was definitely an adjustment day for everyone. Ryan doesn't have my full attention anymore. Ivan and Anatoliy are trying to follow my directions and do what I say, but they have lived a very different life from ours in the US, and being sneaky is how they have survived. So here is what we tried to overcome today. Ivan was watching a movie tonight and we had already cleaned up from dinner, about 20 minutes goes by and I am now Skyping with the boys back home. I notice that he left the movie, went into the bathroom, but did nothing and then came right back. Well once he sits down I notice that he is now angled away from me, so I think he is watching something he shouldn't but actually he had a handful of almonds that he was eating, that he did not want me to know about. Hiding food was an issue for Ivan over the summer and Matt and I knew that it would come up, so we (actually I) have read some books on the topic and how to handle the situation. After skyping, I walk over to Ivan to pretend to be interested in the movie, I point to his hands and say, Can I have an almond? He looks at me like deer in the headlights and opens his hands, to which I say, "thanks, almonds are one of my favorite snacks too." He was relieved and I made the point that he wasn't hiding something from me and we moved on...... The iTouch situation has been another story: Ivan and Anatoliy love their iTouch's and I am happy that they have them, but enough is enough! Tonight I said the same thing as last night, no iTouch's after lights out. Sure enough, I am laying in bed and hear Anatoliy get up and walk to the bathroom for the third time in an hour, except this time he walks past the bedroom into the family room. Of course anyone knows that he was in there to get his Touch - but when I walk in to say go back to bed, he says,"Oh I was just going to the bathroom and hear Ivan listening to music." Yeah right little man, what about the Touch that is now on the couch that I left in the charger? So I said Toliy, you are lying to me and need to go to bed - no iTouch's after bed! Then I also have to pull the sheets backs and take Ivan's Touch out of his hand! Tomorrow, I am going to have the translator do some translating for us, so that they can stop playing the, "I don't understand" card.
It is also hard to truly"parent" here because it is a vacation for all three kids. Ivan and Anatoliy feel like they are in Disneyland and Ryan truly is on a vacation:) So once home, I know things will slowly fall into place, but I have got to work on this sneaking stuff - it is making me crazy! Anyone who knows me, knows that honesty is one of the things that I just can't ever seem to budge on - and I HATE being lied too or alluded away from the truth. I will keep you all posted on the translation of my requests tomorrow!!