At the dolphinarium.


If a beach is rocky you can always stand to sunbathe.

An excursion in the Black Sea.



Sarcastic Lena

Monument of Lenin is Yalta.



Karina and Natashia.
We went to the dolphinarium at the sanitorium.  Nothing is ever the way I expect it to be.  My expectations are according to my American experience.  When I here "Dolphin Show" I think Sea World.  Not exactly.  The show was indoors in what was probably a 50 meter pool with three or four dolphins.
There is a youth summer camp here that had booked a show.  They didn't allow other guests.  So we missed the show but we were able to go in and see the dolphins after.  The variety of smells I have experienced here has been unequaled.  I had the priviledge of adding to that collection yesterday at the dolphinarium.
I've been wondering what a sanitorium is.  The name alone makes me want to stear clear but they are very popular here.  We asked what you do there and if we could go for a day but Natashia says you need to spend a week there to really benefit.  You need to breath the air and drink the water at least that long.  You can also have mineral baths.  The sanitorium yesterday was essentially a big park with a lot of trees.  It was quiet and beautiful.  From the look and feel it is just a place to detox from the world.  They come from Russia.
Karina came and told me Liuba was crying last night.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong but I hugged and kissed her.  Then I told the girls goodnight and went to bed.  It wasn't five minutes later that I hear a wailing sob coming from Karina.  It sounded very fake and I didn't want to encourage that behavior by giving attention to it.  But when she didn't stop after several minutes I went out to see what was wrong.  I figured she is at the least starved for attention, poor thing.  Liuba translated for me that she misses her sister, Yana.  How sad!  I invited Yana to spend two days with us in Kiev before we leave but she can't come.  She is studying for exams.  Karina talked to her for quite awhile on the phone today and seems to feel better.
Remember those sport clothes we bought for the girls.  Liuba is dying to wear hers.  I am trying to keep it clean for the flights home and haven't let her.  She begged me all morning, "please, mom, costuma, pajayiusta!"  I keep telling her its for the plane ride and to stop saying, "mama, please!  Mama, pajayiusta!"  She hasn't given up yet.  Neither have I.
We're right around the corner from coming home.  It makes me so anxious, so I try not to think about it.  For some reason I think if I don't think about something I will be pleasantly surprised when it comes around.  But I miss my sweet kiddos so bad and can't wait to see them!