BIG NEWS!!!

So the big news, if you missed it, is that our next home with be Pretoria, South Africa!!  We are very excited about it and will move sometime in September.  While I have an enormous amount to figure out (like how to get a giant dog there), right now we are just having fun imagining the fun parts- ideal climate, safaris, the chance to finally live in a house with a garden!!  Yeah!!!  Much more later, but for now back to our lives here in Kyiv....

First, a video of my bubble blowing kiddos....

Maria sat herself down at this booth in the park last weekend.  I did not notice until the art had already begun.  I can see this happening a lot in our future....

Maria prefers to do the stairs in our apartment building herself.

all 58 of them......

We are late for everything.

For those of you who know me well, you know I would never voluntarily eat a banana.  

Just my luck that my daughter loves them....

....um, NO THANK YOU!!!

Our little superstar.

No Maria in this photo because she was terrified!
People in costume? Stay away from Maria right now!

An alfresco breakfast at Milk Bar...

....including a babyccino (foamed milk).

grumpy moment

Always exploring....

New sparkly Hello Kitty Crocs.  She will NOT take these off!

The fancy grocery store in town (Le Cilpo) is always good for some fun.

Last weekend we went with Gio to a classmate's birthday party at Blockbuster Mall.  Inside they have an entire city set up for kids where they can try out all sorts of jobs.  Maria spent most of the time pretending to be a pilot 

Here is Gio doing some sort of entertainment job.
This being Ukraine, I think it was less a theater and more of a night club gig!

Worn out from the whirlwind of birthday and good-bye parties we finally collapsed in the park.

Gio found this face painter this time!

Maria found her new rain boots this week.  She is obsessed. 

At the tile playground.

Gio lost his first tooth (without the assistance of a dentist) at school this week!

Sibling love!

Sandbox time

Crashing Gio's class (she is not one to miss a snack opportunity).

Maria has begun to insist on walking Enzo herself.

He is incredibly patient about the whole thing....

We are off to Washington, DC, this weekend.  We will be visiting for 2 weeks.  I hope to do a few more posts before I need to change to a new blog.  BellisinPretoria?  Not sure what to call it......