Our hearts are split between two continents
Gliwice, Poland - May 7, 2004
Elaine here. Despite the language differences, we definitely feel like we are these children’s parents. However, we miss Ross terribly, more than words can say. We are finding that we are sometimes calling one of the boys by Ross’ name. Until we can have all of them in the same place, our hearts will not be whole.
Lawrence cannot believe that in less than a week he will be back running a pack meeting with his very own Webelo I - Ross.
This morning, the two older children woke up early, so Lawrence took them downstairs for breakfast so the little guy could get some extra rest. He said jokingly that to me that I could have breakfast later with my new boyfriend. When I went downstairs with “M”, I sadly found out that the high chair had been exported to the other hotel that belongs to the man owns this one. Whilst I was running around trying to make a plate for me and “M”, “M” got into the sugar. Lawrence jokes that the next Survivor series should be about folks trying to take care of small active children in a fancy hotel in another land.
As you know from our last posts, that both Lawrence and I got to go to the Internet café on May 6 but at different times. We are both comfortable enough leaving the other alone with the kids for about 90 minutes. Lawrence eloquently dealt with the troll (“troll” is an Internet term for someone who negatively comments on stuff solely for the sake of being a jerk.)
I got to read your posts backs to our missives. Thank you all for your kind words. We need the support. (So, write if you can.) Jozef, the lawyer, has been having major back problems. The kind where you can see the pain etched on the person’s face. Lawrence wasn’t sure if Jozef would be back from the doctor, so he took a taxi ride to the nice Internet place. The whole trip cost 18.00 dollars but well worth it to hear from you all and let you know how we are doing. Lawrence returned from his foray and found us out back in the woods behind the hotel. I was leading a parade with the kids using the party favor horns. It was cold out but the kids wanted to be outside making noise. There was an unusually high number of people having lunch at the hotel and they were all probably wondering why there were so many ducks around. The kids gave Lawrence and I our daily heart attack by scaling hills so steep that Mountain climbers would be using pinions and ropes to ascend. Then of course, the three year-old turns around and says “Shibko, Mamu and Tata. Shibko! (quickly).
Jozef did call later in the afternoon and asked if Lawrence wanted to go to the Internet café whilst Jozef was in court. I said no but I would love to go. He said that he had to leave in 3 minutes. I was there in 2. He dropped me off across the street and I ran like one of the kids to get there hoping that one of the two machines was free. Hurrah! They were. I even got to IM a bit with Marci and catch up on work gossip.
Jozef was trying to arrange for us to go with the court translator and a driver who has a van to Krakow. We were not sure if “M” was up to the trip, but we felt it important that the kids have a longer car ride to give them sort of scale to measure the journey home to America by. Also, we were eager to meet the court translator before the court day.
We braved a supper with the kids downstairs, did the tubby thing, put them to bed exactly on time, and then fell asleep ourselves earlier than usual. We cannot quite figure out why the “Going to Bed Movie” is sometimes on at 7:00, sometimes at 710, and sometimes at 7:15.
Elaine here. Despite the language differences, we definitely feel like we are these children’s parents. However, we miss Ross terribly, more than words can say. We are finding that we are sometimes calling one of the boys by Ross’ name. Until we can have all of them in the same place, our hearts will not be whole.
Lawrence cannot believe that in less than a week he will be back running a pack meeting with his very own Webelo I - Ross.
This morning, the two older children woke up early, so Lawrence took them downstairs for breakfast so the little guy could get some extra rest. He said jokingly that to me that I could have breakfast later with my new boyfriend. When I went downstairs with “M”, I sadly found out that the high chair had been exported to the other hotel that belongs to the man owns this one. Whilst I was running around trying to make a plate for me and “M”, “M” got into the sugar. Lawrence jokes that the next Survivor series should be about folks trying to take care of small active children in a fancy hotel in another land.
As you know from our last posts, that both Lawrence and I got to go to the Internet café on May 6 but at different times. We are both comfortable enough leaving the other alone with the kids for about 90 minutes. Lawrence eloquently dealt with the troll (“troll” is an Internet term for someone who negatively comments on stuff solely for the sake of being a jerk.)
I got to read your posts backs to our missives. Thank you all for your kind words. We need the support. (So, write if you can.) Jozef, the lawyer, has been having major back problems. The kind where you can see the pain etched on the person’s face. Lawrence wasn’t sure if Jozef would be back from the doctor, so he took a taxi ride to the nice Internet place. The whole trip cost 18.00 dollars but well worth it to hear from you all and let you know how we are doing. Lawrence returned from his foray and found us out back in the woods behind the hotel. I was leading a parade with the kids using the party favor horns. It was cold out but the kids wanted to be outside making noise. There was an unusually high number of people having lunch at the hotel and they were all probably wondering why there were so many ducks around. The kids gave Lawrence and I our daily heart attack by scaling hills so steep that Mountain climbers would be using pinions and ropes to ascend. Then of course, the three year-old turns around and says “Shibko, Mamu and Tata. Shibko! (quickly).
Jozef did call later in the afternoon and asked if Lawrence wanted to go to the Internet café whilst Jozef was in court. I said no but I would love to go. He said that he had to leave in 3 minutes. I was there in 2. He dropped me off across the street and I ran like one of the kids to get there hoping that one of the two machines was free. Hurrah! They were. I even got to IM a bit with Marci and catch up on work gossip.
Jozef was trying to arrange for us to go with the court translator and a driver who has a van to Krakow. We were not sure if “M” was up to the trip, but we felt it important that the kids have a longer car ride to give them sort of scale to measure the journey home to America by. Also, we were eager to meet the court translator before the court day.
We braved a supper with the kids downstairs, did the tubby thing, put them to bed exactly on time, and then fell asleep ourselves earlier than usual. We cannot quite figure out why the “Going to Bed Movie” is sometimes on at 7:00, sometimes at 710, and sometimes at 7:15.