Katya

Katya is so easy to love. Oksana commented one day that she likes her because she is such a happy child and she really is happy (about 95% of the time, anyway). I don't know the story of her life and maybe I never will but I know it has been rough. One day she asked Oksana why her mom and dad beat her. It just broke my heart to think that she had to deal with that - she would have been younger than 9 years old.

Oksana also said, basically, that she hopes she never loses that innocence about her. I had actually been thinking that same thing. She reminds me of the song "I Hope You Dance" (which I put on the player on the blog). She is like a kid was when we were kids - before video games and a TV in every room, where your mom would send you out in the neighborhood and not expect you back until night fall. You would spend the day riding bikes, climbing trees, swinging on the monkey bars, and playing "Red Rover". I hope she stays this way - at least for a little while!

I can't wait until Katya can speak English well enough that she can actually have a conversation with me. Up to this point, we have really just gotten to know her through her facial expressions and her comical charades. It will be awesome to know what she is thinking and feeling. I have a feeling that she is going to say really funny stuff!

She makes my mom and I laugh. At night, she will not go to sleep - she will tickle grandma in the middle of the night. This morning she whispered in my ear, "Mom, me I love you Anton". There is a little boy in the neighborhood that she plays with named Anton. She definately has good taste because he is the cutest boy around here but she's already thinking about boys and she is only 11! The other day, my mom bought this book with English phrases in it and Katya was reading the phrases to us and we were laughing so hard. To hear her say, "I am sick and tired of this" and "That is none of your business" with her little accent - it was hilarious! She would eat bananas all day if we would let her, she puts ketchup on everything and she can get so dirty doing anything. Yesterday she came in with mud all over her white shirt and yet her friends didn't seem to have any dirt on them. Oh brother!

It is amazing to think about how we got to this point. It was a long road and it cost a lot of money but makes it all worth it when she comes and puts her arms around me and says, "Mom, I love you".