Papa Steps In

As I write today's blog it is from a third party's perspective, as David told me about his adventures with the girls without my presence. I woke up this morning a bit under the weather and we decided that it would be best to let me rest and have David meet the girls on his own. I was going to miss the girls but knew David would do fine without me!

The first step though, according to David was to have me help him by writing up a lesson plan for his two hours with the girls and gather materials needed to keep them busy. So we made sure, as all good teachers do, that there was more planned than he could possibly use and off he went:)

He greeted the girls and explained my absence and they were disappointed to learn I was sick. They suggested to Papa that they should all go back to our apartment to visit with Mama to help her feel better!! But he told them that Mama was sleeping and then got out the maps:) A new twist on the maps, was bringing a 2nd map that came as a set with the world map, a close-up of the Eastern Europe region. Together they were able to trace the trip we took yesterday from Sevastopol to Yalta, and study other local cities.

After playing some Go Fish and practicing some English, they got an unexpected visit from Kostia and Galya, who were there to help them go get their passport photos. David said he was thrilled by the interruption, and was glad to break up his solo stint with the girls for a field trip. After arriving at the shop that takes the photos the youngest took off her woolly hat only to have hair flying this way and that. David found his motherly instincts intact as his helped to rearrange her hair into order, but was admonished by her when he tried to slick down an especially errant strand with his own spit!!

After the photos were taken David and the girls returned to the orphanage for the second half of father-daughter bonding. They had just enough time to make some beautiful "get well" cards for me, which I must say were wonderful and are already helping to gain my health back quickly, and for David to give each one a disposable camera. The idea behind the cameras is for them to take pictures of their friends both at the orphanage and school to provide memories when in Cincinnati. David reports that the results of the pictures may not be quite what we had expected as they both quickly shot multiple images of each other, David and their room. The youngest, always with an eye for the artistic, reportedly took many photos (including several close-ups) of the designs on the rug!!!

Finally David's time came to a close, but not before being loaded up with about 10 hardcover children's books (looks like a mystery series) in Russian, a gift for the girls from their school. Also, they received a lovely children's book in English from one of the loving housemothers who has a special attachment to our girls. What a great time Papa had with his girls today!!!