One year today you landed in USA

Today one year ago we landed at the JFK airport. Finally you were HOME!!!

GOTCHA day Anniversary!

Today a year ago was our GOTCHA day! Finally you were out of the institution and with us only!

November 15, 2010

A year today we were boarding for our flight New York-Kief-Moscow-Valdivostok for our trip #2 to pick up our little guy. we did not land in Vladivostok until November 17, 2009.

November 19, 2001 one year since our court date in Vladivostok

For some families, their angel arrives in an hopsital.
For others, we have to take a plane and show in court before we can bring your home.
Eitherway is fine.
During this entire process before we even knew about you, there was so many ups and downs!
But now, we know why! You were waiting for us on the other side of the globe and we were waiting for YOU!
People says you are so lucky!
Well they really don't know we are the lucky ones!
As we are not going to change the perspective of people viewing adoption as a charity gesture, we just smile.
In our hearts we know it was not a gesture of charity. We needed you as much as you needed us. Our story may be a little bit different than other parents/ children but really the end process is the same. We love you more than anything in this world! You were so wanted and we waited so long for your arrival! We would not change anything about what life has giving us!

Thank you for being part of our lifes! Today is our one year family anniversary!


We love you,

Mom and Dad!

Halloween 2010

Posing for the Camera...crying on his way to his first house.. now ready to do it by himself...

Finally that day came that we were able to enjoy Halloween with our little one! It was a great night. At first he screamed wondering why we had to knock at a unknown house. .. then he would just go by himself and smile as he can't say trick or treat :-) but he always said "Thank you" and "Bye Bye" even if the adults were not listen to him :(

Enjoy the pics.

Kat Von D in Philadelphia

Yesterday we went to Barnes and Nobles to the signing of Kat Von D new book.
It was a fun evening. While we had to wait to be able to see Kat Von D, our little guy was busy chasing the squirrels in the park across the store.

Post placement

In couple days our social worker will be coming to our house to do our one year post placement. One year? Already? Where all the days went?? We still can realize that in a month it will be a year we were in front of the Russian Judge who granted us the custody of our son. (Very intimidating as we had 2 prosecutors in uniform and of course we don't speak or understand Russian.)
As much as it has been and still is a lot of work, hard at time, we could not imagine not being with our little guy. He is bringing us so much to our lives!
In that one year, he has done so much progress! It is hard to believe he still has spend more time in the institution than with us.

Helicopter Museum

When you are a boy, you got to do boy stuff!!

So we went to the Helicopter Museum with his friend Ian.

Ian is from Kazan so they both have a lot in comment and they really enjoyed their companies. Mommies too :-)

The museum was a lot of fun they both loved seeing these big machines. (While Moms could really care less except enjoying our sons having fun. )

After that we thought we will go the QVC store which was next door.

Well big error! "Mom! That is not for boys!" he was probably thinking so in the store he had a screaming attack! fun! Well so much fun I guess the studios were right behind the store and we had to leave as it was disturbing one of the scene they were filming... Great! I guess you got your way Little Boy :-) !!!!

So after that episode, we thought it was time to feed them so we went to a small restaurant.

It went all good until again my little guy had decided it was time to go home and go to "Dodo" which is bedtime in French. So ravioli were flying, tomatoes sauce was splashing all over, it was clear I had to hurry to eat my little Ruben :( and get out of here NOW!!!

As I was busy trying to get my little man to come down, I did not even realized my friend was in the same situation! Looking back at it oh boy we must looked like the parents of hell Ha!

So we hurry to cash out and of course as soon as we left the restaurant, it was like an angel was born. He was holding my hand and being so good while we walk to our car...

I guess again your got your way my little man!!!

Overall, it was still a fun morning but got to say I had to join my little man for a nap myself. :-) the lunch time wore me out :-)

Time to decorate for fall before it is already over.

Not far from our house we have this great farm where you can see the animals, and of course get all the pumpkins you wish. So with Daddy we all went and had a great time!

Of course the tractor was is favorite part. The flower he was not too sure about it :-)

Lancaster

When it is fall, you got to spend time in the Amish country! So that is what we did with Nana!

Fun in the corn maze, first pupmkin patch! And of course we find his costume for Halloween which he just love!

First day of fall!

Today is the first day of the autumn.

My favorite season!

Nothing better than crispy days and all the leafs starting to change colors.
This year will be even more special as this time I am sharing this special season with our little guy!
After a great summer, which I had no moments to keep this blog with updates (we were too busy having fun), now we are ready to enjoy all the pleasures of fall.

So stay tune for more posting :-)

1st day at school

Today was our little man first day at school.
We signed him up to the Montessori school of our area and are hoping that will fit him well.
So far so good. We drove to the school and walked in the school. He was such in a hurry to climb the stair case and ran to go to his class room that he visited last week. I did not have a chance to tell him good bye that he was gone! So as I was still outside the room to get situated, he finally realized I was not with him in the room.. So his enthusiasm had changed... now he was crying!!!
But his teacher was able to get him to calm down.
So went the morning, and it was time to pick him up. As I was a little bit early, none of the children were in the class room. They were still outside. Once they came in of course who was crying again? our little guy! This time, he was mad because he wanted to stay outside LOL.
Well once he saw me and gave me a big hug, he was fine again.
He gave me a big kiss and nicely said Bye Bye to his teacher. and here we were on our way to the car.
We shall see if tomorrow will goes as well ...

We did it!!!!!

Well finally we caved and went to the hair dresser for our little guy's first haircut in the USA!!!

Here are few pics!!!

A year ago.. today in Vladivostok

At this time a year ago, we were in Vladivostok meeting for the first time our little guy. I recall every second from the time they opened the door and presented us with our future son!!! What a very emotion trip it was!!!
You cried when you saw us but right away started to play with us and wanted to be cuttle.
We love you so much and will never forgot this precious time that only your Dad and I can share with you.
You have changed our life in the best way we could ever dream!!! We can only hope it is the same for you!!!

Love you Son!

Mom and Dad

One Year Today since we got our referral picture!

Today it is already one year since we received the first picture of our beautiful son and found out we had to be in Vladivostok in 9 days to meet him! What a great day it was! We happened to be in vacation in Boston when we received the phone call from our agency to check our email to meet our little boy. Well that day we were ready to drive to Maine after spending a great weekend with my girl friend in Boston. Well instead we turned around and drove right back home to work on our visas applications. Sorry Maine.. will come another time..

France

Well here we are almost at the end of our trip unfortunatley.

Our arrival in France was anything but full of challenges. From the control tour strikes in France, flight being cancelled to Air France taking our stroller and losing it and the army busting in the restroom while Dad was changing our little guy :-) : Basically Welcome to France!!!! Welcome Home!!! Ha!

After all that over, we only had good times. From our little guy's birthday to the wedding of our friends, my family coming from up North just to meet my boys (Steve and Dmitriy), cousins from the French Riviera, it is so far a very nice trip and not looking forward to go back to work.

Our son is also enjoying so much his "Mami" grandmother. He loves to play on her piano and also loves to touch everything.....

Fun with other families we met in Russia

Last Monday we met 2 families and their children at Sesame place. We met them back in Vladivostok Russia when they were on their trip #2 and we were on our trip #1. It was a lot of fun and so nice to see the children and how much they have grown. For privacy reason, I did not post the pictures of all us, the 3 families.

Happy Boy!

I think these photos explain it all!
At the same time want to wish all the best to one set of parents I am following their blog as they are getting ready to flight to Vladivostok for trip number one to meet their angel!

They too had a very hard time to get their first travel dates but like us I know at the end they will forget all the aggravations we had to go thru. Good Luck Guys!!

Count down has started

Our little boy will soon turn 2 years old already!

We are so lucky to share for the first time his birthday with HIS family and friends in HIS house and with HIS Mom and Dad!

We love you so much little guy!!!!

A Day at the Zoo!!

Today it is past 90 degrees up North so we decided it was time to hit the zoo! We did not go the Philadelphia Zoo as I believe it is still too big for our little guy. But instead we went to one around the corner of our house. We were with a friend and her son who is also adopted from Russia.

The Day was just perfect! He behaved so nicely and had such a great time! He even did a pony ride, but really preferred to be in the arms of the pretty girl most of the time. Can we blame him?! She was pretty so I am sure his Dad would have understand. I thought the pony was super cute.. but I guess it is a matter of taste :-)

The Zoo had also a Barn where he could pet the animals... he really liked that.. but after he was more interested by the tools the guard had. What can I say, he is a boy after all!!!

After the Zoo as it was getting warm and late, we all left for lunch.

Dmi had macaroni cheese with a Mango smoothies and that was a hit also or maybe he just wanted to show off as we were with company. He ate by himself his entire meal for the first time. Maman did not have to help.. well just after to clean him. He was covered of cheese from head to toe :-) however all the pasta did end in his belly so job was well accomplish!

After all our bellies were full, it was time to go home.

Another surprising act, he read his book or should I say looked at his book the entire ride!

For our little guy, that is a big deal as he has not shown much interest in books until recently and very briefly. I guess patience and time pays off. So yes, I was very proud of him!!

Now... after all the good behavior, I guess I had to pay the price: It was Nappy time.... Oh boy! I guess he tough the day was not going to end at all so he did say night night to all his toys, but as soon as I laid him down to bed... Well no good! First it was too hot upstairs in his room which I can understand that, so I moved him downstairs where it is cooler in his play pen... 30 minutes before he will calm down and finally fall asleep.. we shall see now how long he will sleep :-)