Friday, December 21, 2012

Day 3 - Shopping and Christmas Presents

Wow. I am completely exhausted. The day has been good, but maybe too busy. I'm ready for a break!

Breakfast was MiniWheats this morning. And again, not a complaint but an empty bowl. I'm thinking I could serve this kid something from Granny Clampett's kitchen and he would eat it 'til it's gone.

After breakfast we all got dressed and 7 of us headed to Dr. Monte Murphy's office for Denys's eye care visit. I have to say this was the BEST eye doctor experience of my life. I was envious that I wasn't the patient. Dr. Murphy's staff was a bit unsure about the prospect of treating a Ukrainian, but he never missed a beat and said that Denys's eyes were nearly perfect and he wouldn't have to worry about a thing until he was 40 - Denys was thrilled at that prognosis!

We came home and had a quick lunch (that he wasn't interested in) and he and I headed out with Papa (my dad) to do some clothes shopping. I am thankful for Old Navy! We found super clothes at fabulous prices and he was happy with what came home. Next was Target. I was looking for a sweatsuit as he has worn his from home since his arrival. Success again.

We were told not to expect too much response or gratitude for the things we give him, but the smile on his face, while looking for clothing just for him, was priceless. After shopping we grabbed some popcorn and water and made a few other stops before heading back to the house. And on the way home . . .

Let me preface by saying I am SO grateful my dad went shopping with us. It was a wonderful experience that I will treasure my life through. He is an amazing and generous man, but, well, sometimes he drives a bit like he's the only one on the road. 200 yards from the house the dreaded carsickness hit. The neighbors now have a bit of extra fertilization in their yard.

Other than the fact that he hasn't eaten much else tonight, I think he's recovered nicely.

Once we had dinner and got all the kids off the iPhone games we unwrapped presents. Denys got his suitcase for his return home trip and his first UGA shirt - GO DAWGS! (Yep, we ain't scared!) But, I have to say that the sunglasses from Aunt Abby and Uncle Wesley were the hit of the night. I don't think his face could hold a larger smile!

Before shower time I did catch him trying to use the phone. I asked him did he need to speak to the translator or his chaperone. He smiled and shook his head, "no." I had to take the phone and away and tell him "No phone." We'll probably never know who he was trying to call or what on earth he was going to say!

One of the cutest moments of the day was when he spotted a sports car in the parking lot. "Ferrari?" He asked. I giggled and responded, "Corvette." We also looked through a Creation magazine and he would name an animal and I would repeat what he said and they we'd try it in English. And I shed a few tears when I got text/picture message from my sweet Uncle Danny and Cousin Jack with handwritten Ukrainian messages for Denys.

We are learning that Denys probably knows more English than he's letting on; he's a smart cookie. Once all the Christmas chaos is over we'll get started on some serious learning of English for him and Ukrainian for us. Google translate is working well, but we're making an effort to learn more phrases and trying to make a really strong connection away from the computer.

Showers are done and we're headed to bed soon. I'm hoping everyone sleeps long and hard and maybe we won't all be up by 7am! Thanks for the prayers as my throat has hurt less and less throughout the day. Christmas at home with the fam has been AWESOME and I will hate to leave. I hope Denys has loved being her with my "brat" and sister as much as we have loved having him.

~Meg

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