November 24, 2005
This time last year I was ready to fall into bed, utterly exhausted, after arriving in Khabarovsk from a 20 hour plane flight halfway around the world. I ate a good dinner with my friend Pasha and then went back to my room to crash and sleep. (I wasn't able to get Alesia out of the orphanage until the day after Thanksgiving, late in the afternoon.)
This year, having cooked and cleaned all day long, I am ready to fall into bed exhausted. I had dinner with friends. I won't see Alesia all day tomorrow either, as I have to work.
Strange how things are sort of similar to last year. Then again, so much has changed.
This time last year Alesia didn't speak English, and I didn't have a house for us to live in. She had never eaten turkey. She hadn't helped me make pecan pies.
I am really really tired. We had a nice dinner. We served fried turkey, dressing, gravy, creamed corn, squash casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, pound cake, and pecan pie.
My friends Michael and Cissy Hollingworth came over with their children, and we had a very pleasant evening. Bronwyn also came. They were gone by 8:30.
Cissy's daughter Jessica is about a year older than Alesia. They've been around eaach other before, but weren't great friends, just because of the language barrier, I think. Tonight they played together and had a great time. Jessica taught Alesia to play Monopoly. Jessica wanted to spend the night - we vetoed that until another time. I'm so pleased they like each other.
The only thing that marred the day, I regret to say, is that I snapped at Alesia and Mother a couple of times, just because of being so tired and having no patience. I feel bad about that.
Since we didn't eat dinner until about 6:30 tonight and it was a beautiful day, we had the curtains open and were out in the yard several times, and watched hordes of people walking up and down the street. It was sort of funny. I walked outside when our neighbor Andrew came by with his dogs and his nephew, and he said they just needed to get out and walk. He has 12 people at his house. I think the crowds of walkers were just folks who were bored and needed to get away from the family enclaves. I sort of wished I had gone to walk...
Now to sleep. Perchance to dream of leftovers...
