When introducing these kids to new people, we usually have a disappointing first act. They shy away from eye contact until prompted, and then they express a fairly insincere greeting, followed by a marked physical disinterest. Such was the meeting with my sister, Camille, and her 2 girls (Ali & Ashton) yesterday morning at Lagoon, the long awaited amusement park. Though our families have been on this journey with us for months, anxiously awaiting the meeting, for the poor Ukrainian kids it's just another case of an introduction to something unfamiliar. Luckily, after the awkwardness of act 1 passed, they let down their guard piece by piece, until the 12 of us danced effortlessly together through the park.
When I say effortless, I'm speaking of the children. Meanwhile, I had a thin smile pasted on my face as I constantly counted 1, 2, 3...No, counting by 1's wasn't fast enough. Start over. 2, 4, 6, 8. Eight? I thought we had 9 kids. Where is Jaxon? Oh there he is. So who is missing? 2, 4, 5. I thought I just counted 8. How did I just lose 3 more? Count. Herd. Repeat.
The social interaction between the kids was astounding. Hand in hand they would walk with each other - girls, boys, new acquaintances as well as familiar - they loved and looked out for one other in a way that seemed to pause time and motion, against a backdrop of dizzying sights and sounds.
As was expected, some of the rides and activities elicited shouts of "fu" and thumbs down. These fu moments were peppered with screams of glee and thumbs up when we would hit upon a ride that met the high standards of our Ukrainian kids. Several times I shot Camille a pitiful look that fell somewhere between feelings of amusement and feelings of complete bewilderment, and we would both just laugh.
This is Sasha's request to go through the haunted house:
As much as I try to give equal stage presence to all 3 kids in this narrative, Sasha makes it completely impossible. In daily living, we are fully engaged with all 7. They each bring unique contributions and challenges, which makes them an integral part of the dynamic of our family. Many times they get even more of our attention than Sasha, because we spend a fair number of hours each day ignoring his antics. The bottom line is, they all know they are loved because we take the time to show them. I just can't help it that Sasha is a fascinatingly complex individual who makes me think more than the others, and that thinking leads me to writing. So please forgive my imbalance. I'm acutely aware of it.
Night before last I had a dream about Sasha. I won't go into details, but he was down some stairs and he was crying for me to help him. With all the tender feelings of a mother, I did. Contrast that with our day at the park when all Sasha did was help the others. There was never a time when he wasn't hand in hand with someone, and at the same time scanning the perimeter to make sure all were accounted for.
After riding the big wooden roller coaster with my niece Ashton, Sasha came to me holding his hand and motioning that it was hurt. He tried to communicate something about the seatbelt through charades, but I wasn't understanding. He asked for my phone and typed me this:
I was puzzled. Aaron happened to be right by them on the ride and he explained to me that after the seat belts went down, Sasha started trying to tell him that Ashton's seatbelt was not tight enough. He was trying to get the employee to help, but just then the ride started. I typed this:
We topped off the day by eating at In & Out Burger (yum!), and then making the long drive home to Park City. We rode bikes and the kids played tag before settling in for a "feelm" (film, aka movie) and a well deserved good nights rest. While sitting with Sasha before I went to bed, I couldn't help feeling those same darn feelings as in my dream. I love him. I love all these kids. Although I am completely unsure of how this story will end, for these moments and days we have together, I thank a loving God for bringing us together.
When I say effortless, I'm speaking of the children. Meanwhile, I had a thin smile pasted on my face as I constantly counted 1, 2, 3...No, counting by 1's wasn't fast enough. Start over. 2, 4, 6, 8. Eight? I thought we had 9 kids. Where is Jaxon? Oh there he is. So who is missing? 2, 4, 5. I thought I just counted 8. How did I just lose 3 more? Count. Herd. Repeat.
The social interaction between the kids was astounding. Hand in hand they would walk with each other - girls, boys, new acquaintances as well as familiar - they loved and looked out for one other in a way that seemed to pause time and motion, against a backdrop of dizzying sights and sounds.
As was expected, some of the rides and activities elicited shouts of "fu" and thumbs down. These fu moments were peppered with screams of glee and thumbs up when we would hit upon a ride that met the high standards of our Ukrainian kids. Several times I shot Camille a pitiful look that fell somewhere between feelings of amusement and feelings of complete bewilderment, and we would both just laugh.
This is Sasha's request to go through the haunted house:
As much as I try to give equal stage presence to all 3 kids in this narrative, Sasha makes it completely impossible. In daily living, we are fully engaged with all 7. They each bring unique contributions and challenges, which makes them an integral part of the dynamic of our family. Many times they get even more of our attention than Sasha, because we spend a fair number of hours each day ignoring his antics. The bottom line is, they all know they are loved because we take the time to show them. I just can't help it that Sasha is a fascinatingly complex individual who makes me think more than the others, and that thinking leads me to writing. So please forgive my imbalance. I'm acutely aware of it.
Night before last I had a dream about Sasha. I won't go into details, but he was down some stairs and he was crying for me to help him. With all the tender feelings of a mother, I did. Contrast that with our day at the park when all Sasha did was help the others. There was never a time when he wasn't hand in hand with someone, and at the same time scanning the perimeter to make sure all were accounted for.
After riding the big wooden roller coaster with my niece Ashton, Sasha came to me holding his hand and motioning that it was hurt. He tried to communicate something about the seatbelt through charades, but I wasn't understanding. He asked for my phone and typed me this:
I was puzzled. Aaron happened to be right by them on the ride and he explained to me that after the seat belts went down, Sasha started trying to tell him that Ashton's seatbelt was not tight enough. He was trying to get the employee to help, but just then the ride started. I typed this:
While nodding his head and rubbing his throbbing hand, Sasha replied, "Yeaaazz."
Sasha held Ashton's seatbelt tight through the entire ride, thinking that if he didn't, we would lose her.
Just before that he pleaded with me to give him some money to play one of those rip-off amusement park basketball games. He wouldn't let up. Normally I wouldn't have a problem saying no and sticking to it, but I had the feeling that something bigger was going on here and I was intrigued to let it play out. I put him off for awhile and even let Macoy play the game while Sasha was on a ride. Sasha returned and pleaded some more. I slowly pulled the money from my wallet and handed it over.
A smile from ear to ear graced his face as he won the game. The kids all took turns holding the winning prize and then Sasha took it back into his possession. Shy, yet confident, he walked over to my niece Ali, and like a true gentleman, bestowed her with the gift of her very own pig.
Besides Sasha's protective instincts, his ability to navigate unfamiliar places is astounding. He is keenly aware of details, a skill undoubtedly developed as he navigated life on the streets earlier in his life. We are getting used to it, but Camille was blown away as she watched. It was as if he had been to Lagoon 100 times before. He knew exactly where to go and how to get back to something we promised to get back to earlier in the day. When you are with Sasha, you are never lost. Unless it involves his heart.
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