Day 6: Paradise Lost
Today the boys switched roles. Quiet, obedient Lonya became three years old with a vengeance. And fiery Sergey was angelic. I guess that dream of the peace and compliance is gone for good; instead, we begin to see a healthy child experiencing his developmental age, testing limits, and stretching beyond institutional behavior. We remind each other that this is joyous! Wait, did we say that?
This morning we awoke tired. They heat their apartments to 80 degrees at least and it's hard to relax. In fact, the Kazakhs seem to completely overdress for the weather from our points of view. It is rare to see a Kazakh person NOT wearing a heavy fur hat even with temperatures in the 40s. And the babies, well, they become marshmallow people in their multiple layering, including huge snowsuits and boots when there's no snow. And while we're speaking of fashion, we want to tell you of an observation or two. The Kazakh people love black! In fact, we stand out just wearing blues or browns. And with no hat, we're marked instantly. Also, the fashionable folks, both men and women, are mimicking the Munchkins of Wizard of Oz. No kidding...they wear black shoes that extend at least two inches beyond their toes, pointing upward. It is the oddest thing to see but it's everywhere. Generally, the Kazakhs are chic and slim and well-groomed overall.
Now, back to the boys...we were allowed to take them outside together. Baby marshmallows, of course. They played in the dirt, teeter-tottered and walked around the grounds. That helped, considering that we're confined to a room approximately 6x10' for four hours per day. There are only so many toys that will hold their attention. Amazingly, our toy supply has increased.
Inside this morning, they were both well-behaved, sharing crayons, Goldfish crackers, etc. It astonished our friends when they came over with their new son. Sergey was vocalizing more, having in depth conversations with Sue about cars, books, etc. Sue was not sure exactly what was said, but it was guaranteed to be deep! Lonya absolutely loves the rocking horse. Candace is seeing a Christmas present in the making.
Lunchtime was spent with friends. We went to the local Karaganda museum to learn about Kaz history and then on to a beautiful park for an hour. Sue learned that President Nazurbeyev used to be a leader in the Kazakh Communist Party (not to be confused with the Russian Communist Party) and is now the leader of a free democratic, secular Kazakhstan. Interesting!
The afternoon brought Lonya in fine form. He didn't want to obey and needed to test all the rules. Naturally, Sergey the Terror, just watched with fascination the entire time. But Lonya was showing new learning. In addition to practicing naming the three primary colors (needs more practice), he learned the word "again." When Sue lifted him to the stars, he began using "again" to keep it going. It came out as againa, againa, againa, and on and on. Sue became exhausted but it was so rewarding and fun to see his progress in his confidence, language acquisition and conceptualization. Candace took over but was soon winded also. We'll see if he remembers tomorrow. In the meantime, we just marvel at how quickly the boys are learning.
No pictures today, unfortunately. Our memory card was taken by our coordinators to make copies of photos for the judge, Ministry of Ed, and someone else. Perhaps we'll give you more beautiful faces tomorrow. Ciao!
This morning we awoke tired. They heat their apartments to 80 degrees at least and it's hard to relax. In fact, the Kazakhs seem to completely overdress for the weather from our points of view. It is rare to see a Kazakh person NOT wearing a heavy fur hat even with temperatures in the 40s. And the babies, well, they become marshmallow people in their multiple layering, including huge snowsuits and boots when there's no snow. And while we're speaking of fashion, we want to tell you of an observation or two. The Kazakh people love black! In fact, we stand out just wearing blues or browns. And with no hat, we're marked instantly. Also, the fashionable folks, both men and women, are mimicking the Munchkins of Wizard of Oz. No kidding...they wear black shoes that extend at least two inches beyond their toes, pointing upward. It is the oddest thing to see but it's everywhere. Generally, the Kazakhs are chic and slim and well-groomed overall.
Now, back to the boys...we were allowed to take them outside together. Baby marshmallows, of course. They played in the dirt, teeter-tottered and walked around the grounds. That helped, considering that we're confined to a room approximately 6x10' for four hours per day. There are only so many toys that will hold their attention. Amazingly, our toy supply has increased.
Inside this morning, they were both well-behaved, sharing crayons, Goldfish crackers, etc. It astonished our friends when they came over with their new son. Sergey was vocalizing more, having in depth conversations with Sue about cars, books, etc. Sue was not sure exactly what was said, but it was guaranteed to be deep! Lonya absolutely loves the rocking horse. Candace is seeing a Christmas present in the making.
Lunchtime was spent with friends. We went to the local Karaganda museum to learn about Kaz history and then on to a beautiful park for an hour. Sue learned that President Nazurbeyev used to be a leader in the Kazakh Communist Party (not to be confused with the Russian Communist Party) and is now the leader of a free democratic, secular Kazakhstan. Interesting!
The afternoon brought Lonya in fine form. He didn't want to obey and needed to test all the rules. Naturally, Sergey the Terror, just watched with fascination the entire time. But Lonya was showing new learning. In addition to practicing naming the three primary colors (needs more practice), he learned the word "again." When Sue lifted him to the stars, he began using "again" to keep it going. It came out as againa, againa, againa, and on and on. Sue became exhausted but it was so rewarding and fun to see his progress in his confidence, language acquisition and conceptualization. Candace took over but was soon winded also. We'll see if he remembers tomorrow. In the meantime, we just marvel at how quickly the boys are learning.
No pictures today, unfortunately. Our memory card was taken by our coordinators to make copies of photos for the judge, Ministry of Ed, and someone else. Perhaps we'll give you more beautiful faces tomorrow. Ciao!
2 Comments:
I'm glad they are becoming more and more comfortable and testing limits. That is the true test, you know, to see if you will still be there and still come back to them. I think I need to see you in a fur hat, though! :-)
Sharon
Fur Hat, Yes!!!! But more fun would be to see you in pointy shoes two inches to big :-) Come on now, get with the program :-)
Speaking of color crayons, it seems the boys are showing their true colors :-) Boys will be boys you know :-) -- remember that they too are probably under emotional duress which can be tiring. Their normal routine (let alone new faces and language) has been altered and will take some getting used to. What I don't understand is, just about the time they start getting used to the changes, you are asked to leave Kaz and come back several weeks later. It seems that would be traumatic for the boys -- I already can see it will be traumatic for you :-) Never mind me though -- you know I'm the "worrier" . One day at a time is better :-)
Hang in there -- The joys of Motherhood are caaaalling you (in a 1000 different ways). Nancy
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