Her View -
Yep, I know Bobby is a slacker and hasn't posted his part. He promised to catch it all up tonight and make one big mega post -- but don't hold your breath! :)
Last night I skipped dinner and went to bed about 1030 and slept until 7 am. It was awesome. I woke up refreshed and feeling like I had energy again.
We went downstairs ate breakfast and hit the road. We arrived at the home about 9am and Gia was waiting for us. She was on the bench right inside the doorway sitting and waiting with a Nanny. When we opened the door her face lit up and she jumped in my arms. Oh how I love this girl!
Then we went across the lane to the park and she pointed and (through Eva) said she wanted to sit on the benches at the market again. So we walked over there and sat down. We pulled our the Uno cards but she wasn't interested. Then we pulled out the coloring books and she said "da!" and started to coloring. She is really good at coloring in the lines, and favored the color yellow. I'm impressed! She even holds the crayon correctly!
Then she wanted to play, so we blew up the globe and she started bouncing it around. We went back over to the park and started playing with a basketball too. This girl is a pretty good dribbler! Then we started slamming the ball and seeing how high it would go. She would smile and she even says "whoa" with us now. We realized that we say "whoa" way to much, and she is copying us.
Gia also said her first English word today too (besides Mama). She told me "No" when I asked her if she wanted me to kick the ball to Papa, and then when I asked her if I wanted to kick it to Gia she said "Da." She used "no" every time today instead of "ne." When Eva heard her say it she looked at me and asked me if she really just said "no" and Gia looked at her with a priceless expression and screamed "NO!" I just laughed and said, "yep she did say no." :) Eva said that is very impressive, especially after such a short period. Eva started testing her to see what she understood in English, and she was in awe with how many words she understood and was responding too. She also told me "No Mama" when impressed Bobby. :) She is so smart!
We fed her a bag of sour cream and mediteranean seasoning potato chips. She was really good at sharing until she got to the very bottom of the bag. When there was nothing but crumbs left she stuck her head in and started licking her finger and sticking it in the crumbs to get every last morsel. She does have some food issues, and is worried when its gone. We'll have to work on that when we get her home, but it seems very manageable. Plus she is sharing food with us, and has realized that when we hold the bag, she still gets more (which is good).
Before we knew it our visit was almost over so Bobby gave her a piggy back ride 1/2 back to the home. Then we put her on his shoulders. He was singing this tune over and over again as he was walking with her and she was humming it with him. When we got to the home and he put her down, she sang the song to him, and then hugged him. She took her shoes off gave us both a hug and ran upstairs for lunch.
We went to another restaurant today for lunch (since the previous one told us they were going to be closed). This restaurant was about 10 minutes further away, but man was it delicious and worth it. The restaurant had a huge menu, clean seating, and was much busier. We sat at a table and ate like kings! We even had ice cream cake for desert. After that we played Uno again to pass the hours before we could go back.
We went back to the home and arrived about 345pm. Gia was again waiting by the door with her Nanny. She saw us pull up and was staring at us through the door with a huge smile on her face. We opened the door and she jumped in my arms. I love how happy she is to see us!
Then we walked to the park to play. We kicked the ball around, Bobby chased her around and around, and we ate some crackers. She seemed tired this afternoon and was starving. She ate about three times what she normally eats in the afternoons, so maybe she missed a snack or something?
She wanted to go to the benches in front of the market again and started walking that way. We told her to "stop and wait for us" which we know she understands. She looked back at us and smiled that grin that means trouble, and kicked the ball further ahead of her and then took off running. I yelled for her to stop and she looked back and smiled again and I swear picked up speed. I dropped my purse and went off sprinting after her. She ran straight across a road that cars fly through and my heart stopped. I finally caught her and she started laughing. I told her that she can't run away like that and that it isn't safe and grabbed her hand and made her walk all the way back to the park and sit on the bench with me. She was not happy, and didn't want to sit. She kept pointing to the benches and making her sign for food and water. I told her No that she was going to sit here for a few minutes to relax. She was not happy. Eva eventually translated to her and told her that she is not allowed to run away from us, and that she needs to listen to us. Her response to this was to do a motion with her hands that we seriously interpreted as flipping her middle finger at us, but Eva told us it just meant "whatever." We put her hands down and told her "no" and she started laughing. Then she tried to climb over the bench, so I grabbed her sat her back down and in my mean mommy voice explained to her again that it wasn't safe to run off like that and that she was going to sit her and relax for a few minutes. Eva translated to her again and she finally seemed to get that we weren't playing. She sulked for a minutes, then I asked her if she wanted to go to the benches and she said "ja." I told her she would have to hold me hand, and she grabbed on and we walked all the way there. I know she understood what I needed from her.
When we got to the benches we colored some more, but she seemed a little high strung. She kept asking to go in the market (that was closed) to get some ice cream and didn't like being told "no." Eva even explained to her that the market was closed because it was Sunday, but she didn't understand that (or refused to believe it). We gave her some more crackers and water, and she told us what to color with what colors as she ate.
Then before we knew it, it was time to go again :( We walked back to her home (and of course she was on Bobby's shoulders singing the same tune he made up). We realized that the kids and the Nannies were at the park so we walked her to the park. When we got close to the kids she started screaming the tune really loudly as they walked. Bobby finally put her down and she came over to me and I picked her up and sang the tune with her and bounced her too it. Then when I put her down she pointed at Bobby and tapped both of her shoulders and looked at me. I asked her if she wanted one more ride on Papa's shoulders and she told me yes. Since she asked so nicely I told Bobby he had to give her one more ride, and he did. She was so excited! I wanted to encourage her positive behavior. Then we put her down and said our goodbyes. She was not happy that we were leaving and made a pouty face at us and sulked a bit. Then I picked up the basketball and bounced it to her and hummed our song. She smiled and I told her we would see her in the morning. She let us leave and was okay until she saw us driving off in the van. The Nanny had to give her a hug, and that was the last thing I saw as we left the village.
Then we drove back to the hotel, came upstairs and washed up. The front desk lady came up and knocked on our door and asked us if we wanted dinner because the cook came in just to cook for us. We had talked about not eating since we ate such a huge lunch, but how can you not eat with the lady came to work just to make you dinner. We went down ate, and now I am writing this blog :)
I hope you are enjoying our journey. I'll add pictures to this tomorrow night from Sofia (where the internet is more cooperative).
I can't believe tomorrow morning is our last visit. We are packing up tonight (Bobby has already started as I'm typing this) and putting our stuff in the car before we visit her in the morning. Then we leave from there to drive back to Sofia and we will be back at the Budapest tomorrow night. I am sad that our trip is already over :(
I really, really hope this summer flies by!
Love,
Lura
Yep, I know Bobby is a slacker and hasn't posted his part. He promised to catch it all up tonight and make one big mega post -- but don't hold your breath! :)
Last night I skipped dinner and went to bed about 1030 and slept until 7 am. It was awesome. I woke up refreshed and feeling like I had energy again.
We went downstairs ate breakfast and hit the road. We arrived at the home about 9am and Gia was waiting for us. She was on the bench right inside the doorway sitting and waiting with a Nanny. When we opened the door her face lit up and she jumped in my arms. Oh how I love this girl!
Then we went across the lane to the park and she pointed and (through Eva) said she wanted to sit on the benches at the market again. So we walked over there and sat down. We pulled our the Uno cards but she wasn't interested. Then we pulled out the coloring books and she said "da!" and started to coloring. She is really good at coloring in the lines, and favored the color yellow. I'm impressed! She even holds the crayon correctly!
Then she wanted to play, so we blew up the globe and she started bouncing it around. We went back over to the park and started playing with a basketball too. This girl is a pretty good dribbler! Then we started slamming the ball and seeing how high it would go. She would smile and she even says "whoa" with us now. We realized that we say "whoa" way to much, and she is copying us.
Gia also said her first English word today too (besides Mama). She told me "No" when I asked her if she wanted me to kick the ball to Papa, and then when I asked her if I wanted to kick it to Gia she said "Da." She used "no" every time today instead of "ne." When Eva heard her say it she looked at me and asked me if she really just said "no" and Gia looked at her with a priceless expression and screamed "NO!" I just laughed and said, "yep she did say no." :) Eva said that is very impressive, especially after such a short period. Eva started testing her to see what she understood in English, and she was in awe with how many words she understood and was responding too. She also told me "No Mama" when impressed Bobby. :) She is so smart!
We fed her a bag of sour cream and mediteranean seasoning potato chips. She was really good at sharing until she got to the very bottom of the bag. When there was nothing but crumbs left she stuck her head in and started licking her finger and sticking it in the crumbs to get every last morsel. She does have some food issues, and is worried when its gone. We'll have to work on that when we get her home, but it seems very manageable. Plus she is sharing food with us, and has realized that when we hold the bag, she still gets more (which is good).
Before we knew it our visit was almost over so Bobby gave her a piggy back ride 1/2 back to the home. Then we put her on his shoulders. He was singing this tune over and over again as he was walking with her and she was humming it with him. When we got to the home and he put her down, she sang the song to him, and then hugged him. She took her shoes off gave us both a hug and ran upstairs for lunch.
We went to another restaurant today for lunch (since the previous one told us they were going to be closed). This restaurant was about 10 minutes further away, but man was it delicious and worth it. The restaurant had a huge menu, clean seating, and was much busier. We sat at a table and ate like kings! We even had ice cream cake for desert. After that we played Uno again to pass the hours before we could go back.
We went back to the home and arrived about 345pm. Gia was again waiting by the door with her Nanny. She saw us pull up and was staring at us through the door with a huge smile on her face. We opened the door and she jumped in my arms. I love how happy she is to see us!
Then we walked to the park to play. We kicked the ball around, Bobby chased her around and around, and we ate some crackers. She seemed tired this afternoon and was starving. She ate about three times what she normally eats in the afternoons, so maybe she missed a snack or something?
She wanted to go to the benches in front of the market again and started walking that way. We told her to "stop and wait for us" which we know she understands. She looked back at us and smiled that grin that means trouble, and kicked the ball further ahead of her and then took off running. I yelled for her to stop and she looked back and smiled again and I swear picked up speed. I dropped my purse and went off sprinting after her. She ran straight across a road that cars fly through and my heart stopped. I finally caught her and she started laughing. I told her that she can't run away like that and that it isn't safe and grabbed her hand and made her walk all the way back to the park and sit on the bench with me. She was not happy, and didn't want to sit. She kept pointing to the benches and making her sign for food and water. I told her No that she was going to sit here for a few minutes to relax. She was not happy. Eva eventually translated to her and told her that she is not allowed to run away from us, and that she needs to listen to us. Her response to this was to do a motion with her hands that we seriously interpreted as flipping her middle finger at us, but Eva told us it just meant "whatever." We put her hands down and told her "no" and she started laughing. Then she tried to climb over the bench, so I grabbed her sat her back down and in my mean mommy voice explained to her again that it wasn't safe to run off like that and that she was going to sit her and relax for a few minutes. Eva translated to her again and she finally seemed to get that we weren't playing. She sulked for a minutes, then I asked her if she wanted to go to the benches and she said "ja." I told her she would have to hold me hand, and she grabbed on and we walked all the way there. I know she understood what I needed from her.
When we got to the benches we colored some more, but she seemed a little high strung. She kept asking to go in the market (that was closed) to get some ice cream and didn't like being told "no." Eva even explained to her that the market was closed because it was Sunday, but she didn't understand that (or refused to believe it). We gave her some more crackers and water, and she told us what to color with what colors as she ate.
Then before we knew it, it was time to go again :( We walked back to her home (and of course she was on Bobby's shoulders singing the same tune he made up). We realized that the kids and the Nannies were at the park so we walked her to the park. When we got close to the kids she started screaming the tune really loudly as they walked. Bobby finally put her down and she came over to me and I picked her up and sang the tune with her and bounced her too it. Then when I put her down she pointed at Bobby and tapped both of her shoulders and looked at me. I asked her if she wanted one more ride on Papa's shoulders and she told me yes. Since she asked so nicely I told Bobby he had to give her one more ride, and he did. She was so excited! I wanted to encourage her positive behavior. Then we put her down and said our goodbyes. She was not happy that we were leaving and made a pouty face at us and sulked a bit. Then I picked up the basketball and bounced it to her and hummed our song. She smiled and I told her we would see her in the morning. She let us leave and was okay until she saw us driving off in the van. The Nanny had to give her a hug, and that was the last thing I saw as we left the village.
Then we drove back to the hotel, came upstairs and washed up. The front desk lady came up and knocked on our door and asked us if we wanted dinner because the cook came in just to cook for us. We had talked about not eating since we ate such a huge lunch, but how can you not eat with the lady came to work just to make you dinner. We went down ate, and now I am writing this blog :)
I hope you are enjoying our journey. I'll add pictures to this tomorrow night from Sofia (where the internet is more cooperative).
I can't believe tomorrow morning is our last visit. We are packing up tonight (Bobby has already started as I'm typing this) and putting our stuff in the car before we visit her in the morning. Then we leave from there to drive back to Sofia and we will be back at the Budapest tomorrow night. I am sad that our trip is already over :(
I really, really hope this summer flies by!
Love,
Lura
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