Natasha slept until 11:15 this morning and who would be at my front door but Nina. As soon as she heard her voice Natasha bolted out of bed and ran to her and hugged her. They know the time is drawing near and I am grateful for one more day with them together. Nina’s father called me today and asked if I had “kidnapped” his daughter again. I said I like to think of it as “attending church camp” since she has been with us almost every day of Natasha’s stay and I couldn’t have done it without her…
The girls had breakfast and they are now sleep deprived, emotionally exhausted, little girls and Natasha started acting silly at the table. I turned to say something to her when a full glass of cranberry juice came my way in slow motion and all over me and on the wallpaper of my kitchen… I know what would have happened to me with my parents so all I said is “Get in the car. We’re going to see the Russian shopkeepers.” They went running to the car laughing and when we arrived I explained what had happened to the shopkeeper and I said “She goes home tomorrow and I don’t want this to be a downer but I want her to understand she can’t do things like that.” Her eyes got big when she heard what she had done and she said in a thick Russian accent “No, she must listen… I will talk to her…” So in a very even toned voice but with big brown eyes that said she meant business she had a “consultation” with Natasha and it was worth the $31 I paid for Russian sausages and cheese. She came out of the store much more gracious and I believe the “message” was received loud and clear. She ended the conversation very sweet and talked to the girls for almost 15 minutes and said “I hope to see you again.”
I took the girls over to Walgreen’s today so they could choose the pictures that Natasha would take home with her. I think they hit every button on the screen but I didn’t care because those pictures will help her through the flight tomorrow and she’ll be able to show them to the other kids that were hosted. We came back to the house and they turned on the TV and what would they be watching but “Annie.” I saw those little girls in the movie scrubbing the floors and I didn’t know if I should just change the channel or not… They were engrossed in the movie and I decided to let them see that it had a happy ending.. They were fine. I was not so fine…
I served them lunch and suddenly Beau and Maggie got into a fight and fur was flying everywhere. Maggie got too close to Beau’s food and Beau let her have it Texas style… It scared Natasha so much she started crying and finally after I pulled them apart she wanted nothing to do with either one of them. I told her we had to take Beau to the vet and leave him for the night and suddenly no one would sit in the car with him… I had to do some major negotiations but finally ended up with Beau in the front and the girls in the back… Natasha asked if Beau was sick and I said “no” but you could tell she was worried about him and why he wasn’t staying at home with Maggie.…I told her I want to make sure he is OK while I’m at the airport tomorrow so better safe than sorry. By the time we arrived at the vet clinic Beau was back in good graces with both of them… They started to take Beau back to the kennel and she latched on to him with all she had. It reminded me of Timmy and Lassie of yesteryear… She started crying and tears just fell down her cheeks as we walked out to the car…Beau and Maggie have been great therapy dogs for Natasha and there’s nothing better than having a pet when a child is upset or angry. They have a special way of soothing their little souls…
I took the girls over to Buckhead’s for the last dinner of ribs and French fries. Jo Miller and her friend Vickie along with Trinity (Vickie’s granddaughter) joined us and the girls were back to laughing and giggling together. I told them after 2 ½ weeks of carb ridden kid food I’m pretty sure a colon cleanse is justified…I am ready for some healthy food again…
The girls started getting quiet again as they got back in the car and covered up with blankets in the back seat. They both refuse to wear jackets so I have my car filled with blankets to keep them warm. So I decided to lighten up the mood by singing way off key my version of their Russian songs they have been playing all week…They just laughed and giggled and then Nina said with a thick accent “You drive. No sing. You no good.”
I took Nina home to Jeff and Donna’s and they begged to bring Maggie along and so off we went and said our goodbyes to their family. We came home and packed the remaining clothes and trinkets. Natasha’s favorite American slang is now “ I dunno and Oh my Gosh.” She practically had to sit on the suitcase to get it closed and she had her backpack full along with another little Walmart bag. I gestured to her that she came over with this little clear plastic backpack that was sitting on the floor and she realized how much she had been given during her stay and how much she was taking home with her. She kept looking at all of it and saying with her sweet accent “Oh my gosh.”. We practiced rolling the suitcase in my hallway as she had her backpack, purse and bag in tow…
We ended the night with one last round of Russian ravioli and she gestured and smiled when she looked at the wallpaper. We both laughed that the day had started out a bit rough but ended on a sweet note. At 1:15 I finally got her in bed and watching some American television. I am hoping the late hours will allow her to sleep on the plane.