Fun at the Internot

These Ukrainian kids love to laugh, tease and joke with each other. After yesterday, Bob asked, "When will we be able to come back for a couple more?" It was my kind of fun day too; I think I laughed more in one day than in all this past year.

When we got there, the boys led us upstairs to their playroom which was vacated by the others who were in class. We played with their parakeet, Rob and Sasha sprawled on the floor playing chess, while Zhenya showed me his box full of treasures: stickers, some notebooks, cards and letters and a small book of Russian Bible verses I'd sent, and even the empty package from the modeling clay I'd mailed for his 'Happy Birthday', as he calls it.

When Rob got up from the chess game on the floor, Sasha laughing, grabbed him by the legs. So ensued the battle of the boys, with Rob using headholds, and the two younger boys wrestling and tackling each other and him. Watching, Dima commented on their relative sizes, "You can tell the home-fed boy from the orphanage boys...You will give them good food, right?"

Eventually I told the boys, "Vsyo, havatit!" "That's all, Enough!" as Victoria their new English teacher-to-be back home had taught me, and they all staggered to the couch puffing. When I asked Sasha if he wanted "stonyaboot zwepeet", he thought it was I who was thirsty, and went and filled a china teacup from the white kettle on the counter. Carrying it carefully across the room, he brought it to me. When we left, he quickly picked up scraps and smoothed the cover on the couch. They train these kids well.

For lunch, Bob and Rob took the boys, each holding hands with one of them, to a pizza place, Bob looking the perfect papa in his long black coat and Russian hat. Dima stayed with me at the school, and so the guys had to fend for themselves with short sentences, like, "The car is red." and "The dog is white." Their only mix-up was at the restaurant when Bob each ordered a huge pizza each for himself and Rob, a mistake they didn't really much mind!

Meanwhile I hung out with the kids who were on hall duty, waiting for our friend Ira to join me. Some of the older ones leaned against the radiators by the window staring blankly at me, but others joked with each other, the girls knitting, and the boys poucing on any kid who did not close the door properly or show them due respect.

We chatted, I took pictures and names of those who wanted American pen pals, and watched as they drew with a marker on an erasable pad I'd produced from my bag of tricks. Em and Chad, your pen pal Tolik has a cute way of talking and laughing at the same time, and even though I didn't know most of what he was saying to me, we had a good time. Some other kids showed up at lunchtime and surrounded me, all talking at once. Robin, your little Dima's eager face stands out among them. For a little guy who spent some time fending for himself on the streets, he certainly is a sweet one. He keeps coming back to see me, his big eyes searching mine. I will take time to chat with him.

What really got all the kids attention was when our four guys returned dragging the Big Suitcase filled with letters and gifts. Surrounded by a throng of helpers, Tolik carried it upstairs to the office to be sorted, then had to be shooed out until we got to his gift. He left with it, but soon returned smiling ear to ear to hand out gum and candy and show off his new yoyo. Of course I took pictures. Artour was already hanging around so we didn't need to send for him. He ran for Alyona. He just atred and stared at the gloves and cool watch. Then posed for a piucture grinning ear to ear. Alyona went from one to next showing off the lovely necklace. I got a cute picture of her too.

We spent the next couple hours sorting gifts and assigning little handwritten notes from kids back home. Thank so much everybody. Mc Mahons, Nightingales, Tappans and others. The children would stand staring at the pictures you drew and amazed at the new ball or hairclip. There are specific adorable third graders, whom I have picked out for you to come and claim, OK? ...Let me know when you are ready, because the kids are waiting. : )

Our guys had returned to the apartment, so all this time Sasha and Zhenya stayed with me and helped give out gifts, returning each time to squeeze next to me on the couch and occasionally look at me, smiling for a kiss. Sasha ran off to find Atyom, the little artist, and I gave him your gift, Mr. Mark and Ms. Jacki. His eyes went wide, and the kids all watched as he tried on the gloves and hat for a thumbs-up photograph. He is such a smart sunny kid.

When we finally called it a day, Zhenya and Sasha took turns wheeling each other around inside the big suitcase and then followed Dima and me out into the dark for one last hug. As we went on down the street, we met Tolik and Artour returning from the store with bottled water. We stopped to joke and chat. They told me that Andrei had discovered a 21 year old brother in town, and that he had gone to spend the night there, but that they were going to church tomorrow. Praise God. We will meet Ira and our boys at 10:00 to go as well. The Presbyterian church is an international church, with head sets and interpreters.

Back at our place Dima said in his smiling but very definite way, "I will go to church, but NOT THAT ONE: I was baptized Orthodox and that is where I will go." I teased him that the Presbyterian church was just too lively for him, and we said goodnight.