Day 13

Things I am loving about our adventure:

• The most time I've spent with Bryan in for.ever.  
• One on one play time with Danila.
• The selfish freedom to do whatever we want with our evenings.
• The thrill of it all.
• The smiles on the kids' faces at the orphanage when we visit.
• Discovering new places.
• Meeting new friends.

Things I am missing from home:

• My boys.  
• Ice in my drinks.
• Cold, cold, air conditioning.
• The ability to read signs.
• The ability to read menus!!
• My boys.

This is such a balancing game.  We really are having a good time here, but I am just wishing we could pull a Michael Keaton in Multiplicity and have copies made of ourselves so that we could be in both places at once.

Thankfully we have such good help at home, and many people to hold down our fort while we are gone.  Gramma Dipiero has been there full time and has Gavin almost potty trained and Chase interested enough to sit on the potty.  I love that she updates our home blog and lets us know everything that is going on there, even when they had to "baby-proof" Chasey's room so that he would go to sleep instead of play in his room during nap time.  Erin and Shannon have left the building, making room for Aunt Konni to jump in...and Gaga and Papa have taken Ian away for an overnight so he gets some big-boy time in with them.  ALSO thank you to Mindi, who braved Monkey Joe's with not only her 4, but Ian and Chase as well.  And of course, my Tiffany, who has perhaps gained a Larsen with as much time as Ian spends over there.  Brave souls, all of them. We couldn't do this without their help.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Today's visit to Danila was good.  It was just us and him.  We colored, threw a ball over the edge of the play pavilion over and over again around a bit, played with some plastic jungle animals (Danila is a pro at making the sign for 'elephant' now), and took him back to his groupa to play on the playground with his friends for a bit before lunch.

I don't know if we were allowed to play on that playground with him, or if they wanted us to take him away from his friends, but that area has some really good climbing structures, and we wanted to see what he could do, gross-motor-wise.  Turns out, he is a little monkey, probably almost as good as Chasey is.  Cannot wait to see them together.

I'm keeping my eye out for 2 special little girls at the orphanage for a RR friend.  Haven't seen them yet, but I am totally enamored with a little boy named Vanya in Danila's groupa.  He's always happy, always trying to get our attention, helps his nannies, helps with Danila (like when Danila doesn't want to go back for lunch!) and is missing 2 teeth and has the most adorable grin.  Wish I could pack him up in my suitcase and bring him home.  I don't know if he is listed on RR, but I'm going to investigate.

Pictures later- this wi-fi is really crappy!!