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Did you get to see where your children slept? Were they all in one room with beds everywhere or were they separated, boys, girls?
I have not seen it in person. I have seen it in photos. I think it is mixed. Bethany? Kelly? Who knows?
Do they seem to be afraid when it is nighttime bedtime (not day naps)? Do you have any idea what their bedtime routine was like before you adopted them?
They’re actually MUCH, MUCH better at night than during the day. They both need someone in there with them, but if they have each other, that is fine. I am not familiar with their routine. I do know that they took a long afternoon nap at the orphanage, but that’s about it.
Have you found your children to have food issues, such as gorging and hiding food for later? We have experienced this to varying degrees with our adopted children.
We have not yet. They’re both pretty good with food and can even be a bit picky, especially Lena. She often does not finish all that is on her plate. They both accept when meals are over. They also will wait for everyone to eat if we remind them that they need to (and there is nothing too tempting in front of them). Neither of them has tried to hide any food from us, although I am not sure how they could. And they definitely do not gorge. At meals, they, especially Ilya, get a bit goofy and silly and we frequently have to remind them to eat. He does eat a lot, though, if he likes what he’s eating!
Do you have any advice for parents preparing to travel to your children’s region?
Nope. Honestly, from what I have heard about other regions, it is a VERY EASY region. My advice would be the same for parents adopting from this region as it would be adopting anywhere else in Ukraine or in the world. But, I am not sure I am qualified to give adoption advice!
Will the children enter kindergarten/preschool or do you plan to homeschool them?I am not sure yet. I would love to homeschool them, but I am not sure that I have what it takes! I am not very impressed with public school (and I went to public school, so believe me, I know). We’ll see.
How is Lena´s language acquisition going?English? It’s not really. Sometimes she talks, but we can not understand what she is saying at all, unless we just told her to repeat something. She has learned a lot of sign language, thanks to Signing times (and my sister who gave it to us), but she still does not use it as a way to communicate. Right now, we basically have to guess her needs. She does say some words “mama” “doggies”. Sometime “papa” but that is rare. “Baby”. “Babushka”. I think she is on a 12-24 month level with language. There may be a medical reason for her developmental delay, beyond just being in an orphanage, and I am eager to talk to a doctor about that.
Mine comes from the perspective of Ilya being 4, and do you think he’ll be adequately adjusted when it comes time for school to start. Of course, if you don’t send him to preschool, then he has a good year and a half before Kindergarten starts.I think he’ll be okay to start preschool. He is already pretty attached to both of us, and I imagine he will bond a lot more in the next 8 months. But like I said above, who knows if we’re going to send him.
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What are your thoughts on adopting two unrelated kids at the same time, rather than one at a time, now that you’re home? Would you recommend that to a friend that is adopting?
Yes, I would absolutely recommend it. Especially in a situation like ours, where we do not already have children. Ilya and Lena need each other’s company and support. The fact that they knew each other but were not in the same group really worked to our advantage too. The same with the male/female combo. Everything worked out so they were not competitors and quickly became friends. I will tell you, it is certainly harder on us at times. We do not really get much of a break, sometimes they wake each other up, etc. But, I do think it’s worth it, especially for the relationship that Ilya and Lena have.
a moose in moscow 