Excitement and Confessions

Ok, so we are in Kiev now. It is so wonderful! I am thoroughly enjoying myself. We rode the express train in last night. We left at 4:30pm and arrived in Kiev around 9:30pm. Canaan was so excited about getting to ride on the train. And he did great. He played, we read books, and he looked out the window in the little cafe part of the train car. It was fun. Dougle and I took turns watching Canaan and holding Max so the other could rest. So, I got to read a novel! It is so much fun to read novels. Here in Kiev, it is wonderful too. Not only is it SUNNY, but it has been up to 60 degrees, which is so warm! We are loving it. Dougle went to get some stuff translated and the boys and I went to a park with a cool playground. Canaan loved playing with all the other little kids. It was great. Max did good too: he slept and ate a tad too. :) Then we went to a Mexican food restaurant for lunch. We took a taxi there, but took the metro home b/c it took so long in the taxi with traffic to get there and it ended up just being about 3 metro stops away from where we are staying. The Mexican food was delicious; it was a splurg b/c it is expensive, but we just don't get it very often over here. Not the real tasting stuff anyway! Then we rested this afternoon. I am catchin up in my Daily Bible- about a week behind now. And I read a bit in my novel again. It is so wonderful not having to do dishes or having housework or homework looming. Yes, I left my Russian homework at home! What a bad girl I am; but we all must be bad at times. We played on the playground more this afternoon and enjoyed Chilantano's Pizza for dinner. Scrumshious. They have these tall stools at the tables, but have extra tall ones with a back and buckle for kids. Very convienienet in a land that doesn't usually have convieniences like that! Then we relaxed tonight. Canaan had a long bath and was silly. I put some pictures on facebook. Good all around. Just wanted everyone to know.

So, for the confessions. I've been thinking about how I usually post all the good things that happen, but not always the bad parts. Kind of leaves out part of the picture of our lives. Sort of like Canaan's potty training. Well, life is not always that easy for us. After his first week with a very successful start, Canaan started to forget to tell us he needed to go potty. We had about a week of popping in his pants and many clothes changes because of wet underwear and pants. A bit frustrating. I think I just stopped praising him too soon, and left it all in his hands too soon. So, after a bit of a relapse, he is doing well again. But, we ask him a lot if he is still dry (to remind him he is in his big boy underwear), we praise him for going every time, and we make him TRY to use the potty a lot. This part is funny because I totally deserve it. My mom had to make me "try" to use the potty lots as a kid. I would cry, "I don't have to go!!" as she sat me on the potty and while I was going! Yes, Canaan does the same thing. "I don't want to try! I don't have to go!" Oh my! But, he is doing better now and we have few accidents again. Someday soon he will start telling me he has to go on his own. He is already getting better, but we keep on top of him too. And it is super nice having a boy so that he can easily relieve himself while we are out and about, like at the playground...!

Ok, so that is all for now. Our two little boys are sleeping and I am going to curl up next to my fabulous and most wonderful hubby and read a bit before drifting off to sleep. Hope you all are doing well too! And, I'll add more pics next time around!