Midnight Train to Kiev, Part 2

Exactly five years ago, we were in Ukraine, in the home stretch of our five-week adventure for Masha’s adoption. For a few more days, I’m posting excerpts and a photo or two from each day. Sometimes funny, and sometimes proof of how naive we were, I hope you’ll enjoy our little trip down memory lane…

Wednesday, 13 June, 2007 – The Midnight Train to Kiev (part 2)

The train arrived right on time this morning, and as Mark was trying to wrestle one of our big duffel bags out from under the bench seat, he popped up, and there was our driver standing in the doorway!  It was nice to see a familiar face, and nicer to see one that could help carry luggage!

We had a few minutes to kill before the medical clinic opened up, so Sasha announced that we would go to McDonald’s for breakfast.  No McD’s for well over a month, and then twice in 18 hours!  AAARRRRGGGHHHH!  This time, we hit the drive through, named “McDrive.”  Not kidding.

Sasha suggested that we figure out what we wanted before we got up to the window, and so we asked what all was on the breakfast menu.  Sasha replied “No special menu, just the regular food.”  Mark:  “You mean like Big Macs and Frech Fries for breakfast?”  Sasha: “Yes, of course.”  Like eating a Big Mac was a great way to start the day.  Masha got a Coke and fries.  I got a Diet Coke and fries. Mark got a Diet Coke.  This is a great start for our new attempts to eat healthy and set a good example for our daughter…NOT!

After sharing our fries with some of the stray birds flying around the parking lot, we all piled back into the car, and drove to the medical clinic.

From there, we drove over to the US Embassy…We waited in a nice waiting area that had some kids books and toys, and a water dispenser.  No snacks or sodas to speak of, so make sure you don’t go in hungry like we did…we were ready to gnaw our arms off when we got out a couple hours later, but it was worth it.  The consular officer that we met with was very helpful, and promised that Masha’s visa would be ready for us tomorrow morning…this is the last piece of paperwork that we need before we can head home as a new family!

Once we left the embassy, we headed to the suburbs to our new apartment.  This time, we are staying with a woman named Svetlana and her grandson in a very large two bedroom apartment.  Svetlana made us a late lunch of chicken soup and vareniki (yummy).  Mark hopped online for a few minutes while Masha taught me how to play Uno, and then we watched a Harry Potter movie on the laptop.

After dinner, Masha dressed up her magnetic paper-doll and took photos of all the new outfits, then she did the same with the two Barbies we brought for her.  She planned out her clothes for the next couple of days (including requesting our hostess to do a load of laundry for her).  She finally settled down for a bedtime snack of an apple (after a KitKat was vetoed).

Would you let your kids eat french fries and coke for breakfast?  Leave a comment…