Two Years Home

Just about this time two years ago, I was riding what felt like a bus all the way back from Ukraine- and I could not have been happier!

Last night we celebrated with a dinner that has now become a January 18th ritual. We recreate the last meal we ate in jail, I mean Kyiv. Just about the best hot dogs you ever tasted and fried potatoes- all washed down with ice cold Ukrainian beer- YUM!

Matt was looking forward to this last meal in Ukraine in the worst way- we were just about to sit down to dinner and the door bell rings- and lo and behold, it's the infamous Alla. All dressed up with full length mink coat sniffing around for something to eat. I'm sure she thought we would be going out (hopefully the the super expensive place we had gone several times earlier in the trip) but we were having none of it.

This of course did not stop two things from happening. 1. My Mom inviting her to stay and 2. Her staying and eating Matt's second hot dog. I wish you could have heard the torrent of curses Matt rained down upon her for that. The poor thing was so upset, I have to cook him the same meal (with two hot dogs) every January 18th just to help him get over it....

I'm not sure he ever will..........

Anyway, here we are home. The kids still can't speak English properly, they drive us nuts. Natasha has started wetting the bed with a vengeance and I'm ready to take off for Tahiti at a moments notice.

Actually, it's not quite that dramatic. I'm told thier English skills are remarkable for kids home only two years, and the bedwetting thing has been ongoing since Natasha came home.

It's just that she's taken to getting up in the middle of the night and instead of getting up to use the bathroom, she's decided on more than one occasion to change clothes, stay up and play and when she's had to go to the bathroom, just pee all over herself and everything in her room.

Two weeks ago, she pulled this stunt, taking off her pull up, putting on panties and play clothes and wetting those. She proceeded to take the wet clothes off, put them in her hamper, put on dry pj's and go to bed. Where she wet the bed AGAIN, this time soaking everything, including the pillow. Needless to say it was not a pleasant sight (or smell) the next morning.

Last night I discovered that she's been taking off wet pull ups and putting them in the drawer where her clean pj's are kept- I found two souvenirs there.

We've explained twelve thousand times to her that it's okay that she "goes" in the diaper, but the only place for a dirty one is in the garbage and that she has to tell me when she has an accident in her clothes. I don't yell or carry on, and try to reassure her that it's completely okay.

No dice, she won't do it and I'm at the end of my rope.

Sorry, I know you were expecting a happy all is bliss, we're home two years post, but I'm simply not feelin' it.

Oh, and if you're thinking about leaving me some lame ass comment about this is to be expected or your kid wet the bed until he/she was 21- do me a favor and don't do it.

I'd appreciate only comments that contain offers of sympathy/constructive ideas on how to handle this/alcohol and/or drugs to make the stabbing pain behind my eyes andthe nervous tic I've developed go away.

Thank you......