My Christmas Poem :)

Every year, my good ol' Pops writes my mom, my brother, myself, and now my sister-in-law a Christmas poem.  This has been going on for at least 35 years...maybe longer?  It's a Frost Family tradition to have it read on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, no matter how far away you are.  So, although my Christmas yesterday was one of the books, I ended up being able to skype with the fam (at 2 am my time nonetheless) and hear my Christmas poem!  Pops outdid himself this year.  Every Frost Family poem usually requires a lot of time on Pops' behalf, but also a lot of thinking about important/funny/random things that happened that year.  This years poem has to do with the Peace Corps (of course), so without further ado...

One Surprise After Another 

Your mom thought Africa was where you’d have to go;

She didn’t know you’d end up where they have a lot of snow.

You took a hush-hush trip to Dallas, driven there by Scott,

But afterwards, what you could tell us was really not a lot.

“What’s Lydia gonna do?” folks asked 10 times a day,

And all 10 times we’d shrug and simply not know what to say.

We’d say, “She’s working here for Cathy…now and then”—

“We’ll know more later on…but we’re just not quite sure when.”

All that was in 2010—the PC takes its good time choosing

While candidates spend theirs just wondering and musing.

But then, word comes that thrills your very being—

You’re in!  Eastern Europe!  So you go…skiing.

You’ll take your brother and good friend Jill,

Hoping they won’t have a spill.

Ol’ Pops can send you Peace Corps papers

While you’re up north pulling skiing capers.

You’re skiing, but you want to know—

Where is it that you’re gonna go?

Mom’s in the car—I’m in the house,

And you’re as quiet as a mouse.

The FedEx man has brought the news,

Which means that soon you have to choose:

Have me send it…the question’s how…

Or have me open it and find out now.

Up in New Hampshire, you think a minute

About the packet and what is in it—

It isn’t long…the die is cast.

You vote to learn your fate at last…

My knife cuts through the envelope

While all that you can do is hope—

I rush to ease your aching brain…

And tell you…it will be Ukraine!

  

Before we know it, you’re in Oster,

A faraway place on a distant shore,

Learning Russian in a hurry,

With new words coming in a flurry.

For forty years I taught that tongue,

But you were bored when you were young.

I failed your appetite to whet—

You knew no more than да and нет.

You used to ask me…”An adjective’s what?”

You really didn’t know diddly-squat

When it came to English grammar and such

And didn’t want to discuss them much.

Somebody asks, “Is that the dative?”

“No clue,” you say, “I’m just a native.”

Participles, verbs, or nouns

To you are terms that just cause frowns.

But you can get around по-русски

And hang with Phil and have a brewski.

You buy your tickets at the station,

And you can navigate that nation.

It’s not your most important care

Whether you have to wash your hair.

You’ve learned to cook, but here’s the catch—

Most things you have to make from scratch…

Without an oven or a range!

To live abroad, you have to change.

The бабушки know how to push in line,

But so do you, so you’ll be fine.

With e-mail, Kindle, and such stuff

You’ve somehow managed to write enough.

The techno-world can keep me puzzled,

But no way does it keep you muzzled!

This is my yearly, silly poem—

You’ve heard ‘em before, and so you know ‘em.

But from the heart, though far away,

It means have a wonderful Christmas Day!

Circa Christmas-ish 1991?

Cool acid wash jeans Pops :) Loved this years poem, even from 5500 miles away!  Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas day, remembering what the day is truly supposed to be about.  Love love, from Ukraine :)

Merry Christmas Eve, from Kirovograd :)

What started out as normal Ukrainian adventure, quickly became a day for the books.  Not only was it freezing outside with a dusting of snow on the ground, but the entire reason of today's adventure ended up being put on the back burner due to how cold we were!  Let me explain a little more...

This is the New Year tree in the center of K-grad.  Today was the lighting festival, complete with performances, street vendors, and too many Father Frost (Ukrainian Santa) outfits to know what to do with.  

eskimo Lydia

I'm not sure how cold it was today, but it was honestly the first time I've been cold since being here.  Definitely below freezing...but not by very much.  This makes me incredibly nervous for actual winter...but we won't think about that now!

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet (the Ukrainian/Russian versions)

Perhaps one of the funniest parts of today's adventure occurred when Julia (one of my K-grad oblast friends) and I spotted what we thought was a baby panda bear.

Turns out it is actually a dog, with a very creative fur coat cut to look like a panda bear...and somehow dyed fur as well?  It was so bizarre.  

Then the same guy who charged 20 grieven for a picture with the "panda bear" pulled a monkey out from underneath the table.  It was SO tiny and so adorable, and was incredibly bashful for the camera.

Phil purchased one of the most ridiculous hats available from a street vendor, complete with light up stars going across the front of it :)  

One of my post entries soon will feature Phil with numerous Father Frost impersonators, but it's so good it deserves a post of its own.

We got too cold to watch the tree lights be turned on...so we eventually headed to a local favorite, Churchill's, to enjoy some American-ish onion rings (which are currently making my stomach hurt).

The best part of the day though came while waiting for the dadgum lights to be turned on for the city tree.  Phil has been working on this present for my parents for a while now...but it can also be applicable for most of my Oklahoma friends :)    

Merry Christmas Eve, from halfway across the world!

Craft time and a movie...

This is how I'm spending my cold Friday night in K-grad...bundled up with a craft project (to be featured later)...

And one of my favorite movies ever.  You already knew that though...

Throw in a little laundry and you've got one heck of a Friday night :)  Happy Friday everyone!!

Ok, I'll say it...

I snapped a picture from my office window of the snow just so you could see I wasn't making it up :)  

Although it's not very much, I was still ecstatic  clomping through it on my way to work today.  And, the weather forecast has changed...so I don't know if we'll be getting any more, but this will suffice as the closest thing I've had to an honest to goodness White Christmas in a city that I lived in!  

Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves snow here.  The right side of the picture is the playground for the school next door to my work.  I watched kids throwing snow balls for a few minutes, then noticed dogs playing in the snow together in the far back of the picture.  I only had my iphone with me, but I have a feeling there will be lots more snow pictures for the next few months :)  

I had my second group of 3rd formers from the school next door today.  They are the more rambunctious class, to put it lightly.  I had trouble keeping their attention today because they had been playing out in the snow and wanted to be back outside instead of in English club.  However, I did get them to say a few cute things for the camera :)  Merry Christmas, from Lydia's absolutely precious kiddos.  

And, in case you're wondering what the title of the blog is in reference to?  I'll say it...my kids are absolutely adorable, even if they make me want to pull my hair out.

Way-Back-Wednesday #14: SNOWWWWWW :)

It snowed today.  Do you know how much this southern girl LOVES snow?  Well, some of my kids do...I must have mentioned it a time or two :)

I was in one of my English clubs when my office door opened and one of the students said, "LYDIA!!! Look out the window!!!"  I couldn't believe it.  The biggest, most beautiful snowflakes I've ever seen before were falling as fast as the eye could see.  Thank you, God, for that beautiful sight :)

We won't go into the fact that it has been raining for 5 days and didn't really stick.  I've been wearing my pink rain boots for what seems like a week, wishing and hoping that we might have a white Christmas here in K-grad.  Instead, it's just poured, and drizzled, and made the roads turn into giant puddles.  I don't have a problem clomping through the puddles (thanks to said rain boots).  However, the Ukrainian women wearing stiletto boots have to daintily go a mile out of the way to cross the street in some areas.  I'll take the weird looks any day for the practicality of rain boots.

I didn't have my camera today to snap some pictures of the snow, but it's supposed to snow the next few days...and this girl is crossing her fingers that it will finally be cold enough to stick :)  Since I didn't snap any pictures today, I thought we'd take a walk down memory lane of some past snow experiences...

My brother in a rare Alabama snow! 

Frost Family in 2nd rare Alabama snow.  I think this is the year my brother built an igloo that was barely big enough to crawl into.  Am I right, Jeremy?

Frost Family Christmas in NYC (2001ish?)--overnight, the city got one of the biggest dumpings of snow in history...while we were there! Phenomenal.

This is what southern kids deprived of snow do...even in their 20's, or 30's...  :)  

New Hampshire snow--circa 2007

One of Oklahoma's biggest snows in years...2010.  And one of the cutest puppies in the world :)

Missy didn't know what to do with all of the snow sticking to her fur!

And, just in case you were wondering who won the Gingerbread House Competition...

It was Lyuda!  

And coming in at a close second...was the Gingerbread tent!

Sweet Tanya who I work with!

Thank you thank you for all of the votes :)  I am off to bed now after doing a few loads of laundry (still playing catch-up...) and flaking out after my last English clubs of 2011 today!  Happy Wednesday :)

OH, and today's Christmas video is thanks to my Pops :)  He reminded me of this famous jingle (at least in Oklahoma) and I couldn't resist posting.  To most Okies, this song marks the start of the Christmas season and will be played on TV and radio stations all day, every day, up until Christmas.  Enjoy!

I need your help please!!

Just finished our gingerbread house competition at my apartment, and the results were quite creative! I  need your help picking a winner though :)  I have a few small American prizes to give the women who participated (I'll post about all of that later...).  But, for now, just vote please!  The ladies were encouraged to be creative...and most of the houses were falling down the entire time, so they had to get really creative in order to get them to stay put!

#1--note the attention to detail

#1 close-up:  I liked the addition of the fence...

#2--creative roof line! 

#2- close-up: the bears sun-bathing next to the pool (the green circular candy is "in the pool")

#3--the gingerBEAR house, complete with heli-pad on top

#3 close-up: heli-pad...

#4--gingerbread tent!

#4 close-up: they've got pillows inside their tent...

Left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4 (in the back right)

Please please please tell me which is your favorite :) email me at lydfrost@gmail.com or leave a comment below.  Thank you!!!!

ТАК НОРМАЛЬНО...

Literal translation: like normal.  The way Ukrainians use it?  Something along the lines of, "Just normal."  {at least that's how I translate it in my head...}

My normal Monday started off at 9 am at the Prilosek Gymnasium (the boarding school I got a special tour of, complete with video...remember?).  Some of my English club girls were in a few dance numbers of this mornings performance.  They invited me to come to the performance (in honor of St. Nicholas day) and I of course was excited to see them dance.  St. Nicholas day is a holiday celebrated here which involves St. Nick leaving chocolates/small gifts under kids pillows...and in my translation, kind of symbolizes that St. Nick is on his way (soon--most Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 6/7).  

Olena (counterpart) and I met outside of the building to walk in together.  We were greeted by another teacher that we know (Olga), who quickly handed me off to two of my favorite boys who speak superb English.  They were two of the boys in the video from my tour of Prilosek...so it was fun to get to see them. The students that study at this school are so studious, it puts my college days to shame.  But, that's not what the post is about today!

I'm trying to get a few of the videos to upload right now.  We'll see if they work (I have a million other things that I should be doing right now, like figuring out what I'm doing tomorrow in English clubs...) in time for me to post on the blog.  But for now, a picture will suffice!

Olena, Lydia, Vitalik (from video), Olga, and a random performer who happened to cross by our picture just in time...

After the performance this morning, I learned that Olena was going to meet Lyuda (one of my Ukrainian friends--she went on the EuroTrip with work!  And she does my manicures for me :)) for some beauty school time.  Lyuda is a teacher at the cosmetology school here in K-grad, teaching hair and nails in particular.  She's awesome at both, although I have yet to actually get a haircut since I've been in Ukraine. Shh...

On another note, I gave myself bangs on Saturday night while I was doing my three loads of laundry.

Carrying on...Lyuda starts doing Olena's hair, and eventually it needs to sit for a while, so she starts on my manicure.  But first I snagged a picture of them...

Olena and Lyuda (they will both probably kill me for taking this picture...)

 While Olena's hair was sitting, I got to start mani time.  It's days like this where I wonder if I really am in the PC.  However, I will say that keeping up with your nails over here is definitely like keeping up with the Jones' in the US.  Some ladies and girls change their nail color every day.  I'm lucky if my nails don't have dirt underneath them, let alone have a color on them.  It is one of my goals to learn how to do an actual manicure while I'm over here...and I have a lovely new manicure set from my sister-in-law that I try to fiddle with from my time to time.  I still love it though, Tina :)

getting my nails did.

 Lyuda is in my adult beginner English club...which means I get to practice my Russian a lot when we talk.  I usually learn one new word a day when I hang out with Lyuda...at least that I can remember :)

I wanted one with Lyuda smiling.  Isn't she precious :)

As soon as Lyuda put the base coat on, Olena's hair was ready. Luckily, Lyuda's friend had just showed up who also happens to be a nail guru.  I have yet to take a good picture of the design she did, but it was the most intricate design I've ever seen, done with the TINIEST brush in the world.  I asked for something Christmasy/wintery...and got...

SNOWFLAKES :)  They're hard to see, but I will post better pictures soon...

 So, as I'm waiting for my nails to dry, Lyuda is now done with Olena's hair.  I mentioned that I was going to the gym after this and then would go to work.  When Lyuda heard I was going to the gym, she said, "Oh! I'll braid your hair Lydia!"

Hmm...you mean my messy ponytail at the gym is not kosher?  I had kind of figured that out from mere observation (the Ukrainian women that go to the gym a) don't sweat and b) leave their hair down), but what's the point in fixing my hair for the gym, especially when it's going to get washed an hour later anyway? I didn't want to break Lyuda's heart though, so I obliged and sat while she did the following to my hair. I can now say I have had my first official Ukrainian braid :)

Let's forget about the fact that my hair is on day 2 or 3 of no washing...which translates to lots of hairspray and teasing. Lyuda had to comb through it first, which made the grease show through.  Fail.

After Lyuda finished the braid, she wanted to have a фотосессия, aka: photo-session.   

Lyuda having fun with my camera

End photo-session.

And that, ladies and gents, was my just so average Monday. Work was filled with 2+ hours of making corrections to a translation for an Earth Day festival we have in April.  Google translate only helps so much in situations like that...

And now, it's almost 11 pm and I have to finish cleaning my apartment because tomorrow is our gingerbread house competition at mi casa :) all of the fixings are bought, chili is made, cornbread will be easy to do tomorrow, and I'm ready to laugh with my Ukrainian friends.  They don't know who our secret judge is...but I'll give you a hint.  

Glad I've still got my Photoshop skills.  I expect this to be somebody's new profile pic...and just for the pic, I'll give you a tab.

Where'd the weekend go?!

This was one of those weekends where I look back and think where did my time go?  But in all actuality, I did a lot of productive things.

Like three loads of laundry in my WORKING washing machine.

Let me reiterate that.  My washing machine is in WORKING order and makes the entire clothes washing process SO much easier.  I don't mind washing clothes by hand...it's the wringing out by hand that is utterly exhausting and makes my hands cramp for the rest of the night.  My washing machine is a little bit jerry-rigged (okay, a lot jerry-rigged), but it works, and I am beyond ecstatic :)

My counterpart's husband came over on Saturday to help get the whole draining water system underway. Remember the process I was using before?  Well, now, the pipe that takes the dirty water away is actually hooked up to a real pipe meaning I don't have to dump the dirty water in the toilet 30 times.  I fill the machine up with water now from the tub using the shower connection, put in soap, run the cycle for 6 or 7 minutes, dump the dirty water, and fill again to get the "rinse" cycle going.  Some loads took 3 or 4 rinse cycles to get it to where no soap was left...but some of those clothes were also really dirty.  The clean clothes and towels are now happily drying on my drying rack and will be done by tomorrow :)  this girl couldn't be happier!

My counterpart's husband also moved the stove into the correct place in the kitchen, so now I have an "almost done" kitchen!

The stove was sitting right where I took the picture from, which is incredibly inconvenient.  The stove and the table to the left of it had to switch places in order for the stove to be hooked up to the gas.  The lid opens to the stove and has 3 working burners...I've already made quite a few things on it!  The oven doesn't work, but I am just as happy with my little toaster oven.  The concoction on top of the stove right now was ingredients for gingerbread house icing :)  I am having a few Ukrainian friends come over on Tuesday night for a gingerbread house decorating contest...and wanted to make sure the icing worked before the competition!  I'm also making chili and cornbread for them because Olena (my counterpart) saw my pictures from Phil's birthday of the chili and wanted to try it.  If only I had Fritos...I could teach them the goodness of Frito Chili Pie!

I received my parents Christmas card in the mail with two particularly funny Zits cartoons in it.  They're now on the wall of Zits cartoons, which the Frost Family believes is actually written about our family sometimes.

Did I mention that I've been an official Peace Corps Volunteer for SIX months!?  As crazy as it seems, it's true.  Kirovograd got two new volunteers that I got to meet and show around K-grad today.  I think our oblast got seven more volunteers with this group of newbies. 

And, no, I did not forget today's Christmas vid :)  One day, my house will have this many lights.  I don't know about the coordination with music...we'll have to see when the time comes.  

That video almost has 10 million views on YouTube.  I can remember when it was one of the first houses to coordinate dancing lights to music and caused traffic jams on their street for HOURS.  Somebody was a smarty pants to invent a system that does the timing for you...Happy Sunday :)

Whoops...Way-Back-Wednesday #13: Frost Family Christmas Style

So, I know it's not Wednesday.  But, my calendar (in my head at least) has been a day off all week long.  I didn't realize today was Thursday until it was noon.  This post should have been for yesterday...so just pretend it switched places with the post for yesterday.

Today started off with another early morning at the gym :)  I had the same trainer from Tuesday (Roma, I think) and he asked me how I felt when he put me on the treadmill this morning.  I told him "Very bad.  My legs hurt all day yesterday." He laughed.  I could finally walk like a normal person today and actually enjoyed my workout because I wasn't hobbling around in pain the whole time.  

I had my second group of 3rd formers today.  There are a few troublesome boys in that class that I now have to send out in the hall at least once every class.  They view it as a game now and one of the girls in the group said, "Which one are you going to send out next?" I guess I'm that predictable. And that, ladies and gents, is why I'm thankful I'm not a teacher.  Praise goes out to all of my teacher friends and family once again for making the world a better place!

Today's post is about some old Frost Family pics that I love love love to look at.  Not much to read today, just some old pics :) enjoy!

Mom and Pops' first Christmas together (I think)

My older brother Jeremy, running to grab his stocking on Christmas morning 1978.  I love the real strand of popcorn and cranberries on the tree.  Also, take note of his Christmas stocking...that comes with a story in a later photo.

Lydia's first Christmas.  Who can identify the video game that Jeremy is playing on the first color TV the Frost Family owned?

In my Bama cheerleader uniform that Imogene made (Christmas 1990)...if only it were a Sooners outfit :)

Must have been playing dress-up with my dolls.  Story time now...

So, in the picture above, take note of the 5 stockings on the mantle.  Left to right, we have Jeremy, Papa, Panda (our dog), Mama, and then a long one that doesn't quite belong :)  My mom is probably laughing reading this as she knows the story I'm about to tell.

You see, my mom made each one of our personal stockings (including the dogs...).  Ours tell a summarized story of the Night Before Christmas.

Jeremy's is first and says: "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring...".

Pops' is next and says: "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...".

Then comes mine...which I can't remember what it says right now!  But, it goes in the middle.

And then mom's is last saying: "Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

But, Mom never got around to finishing mine until I was in high school I think.  She'll probably correct me on that...but I had the long skinny stocking (which I liked because it held more presents!) for most of my life :)  We still have it too...couldn't think of getting rid of the memories that go with it!

Awesome bangs, I know.  I can teach you how to do them.  I'm also wearing a Christmas romper :)

Cool shoes, Jeremy.  Reading the GameBoy instruction manual (circa 1990).  That's my pretty ballerina to the side...not Jeremy's.  

Our first Christmas with Missy :) she's about 3 months old I think in this pic...

And last but not least, to lead us into today's Christmas movie, we have the following pic:

"I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!" 

I know I already featured a Christmas Story once, but I couldn't resist showing one of my favorite scenes from it, with a quote I like to throw into my life whenever I can.

That's all for today folks :)  The newest Ukraine Peace Corps Volunteers got sworn in today.  Remember my little blurb about the actual swearing-in ceremony? I just realized I never finished it.  I'll add that to the list of things to blog about.  Let's just say, it feels good not to be the newbie anymore in the PC world :)