We went to the beach this weekend. The girls had a great time!  The weather was perfect; they were in the ocean almost all day on Sat.  I purchased two boogie boards before we went so each girl had their own board to use.  I made them both wear life vests and they were not happy about having to wear them.  The ocean was really crowded and I just felt safer having them wear the vests even though they are both excellent swimmers.  I sunscreened the girls several times so they both have nice tans and did not get burnt.  Dan, on the other hand, refused to wear sunscreen so he is quite red today!  We got to the shore Fri night about 8; then we headed to the boardwalk.  Both girls were so excited.  There is definitely a common bond between orphanage children.  Olia readily shares everything with Dasha.  She gave Dasha half of her birthday gifts from her party with her friends.  Part of me was torn because I wanted Olia to enjoy her gifts, but the major part of me was happy that Olia is so willing to share with a child who owns nothing. Dasha was very pouty when Olia opened her gifts from Dan, Renee and I on her actual birthday. Dasha actually sulked and wouldn't talk to Olia for a while.  Whatever I have purchased for Olia, I have purchased for Dasha for the time she has been here. But I did not buy her birthday gifts on Olia's birthday and Dasha let us know that she was quite unhappy about it. I felt that Olia had the right to have her own family birthday presents on her birthday.

   On Fri. night the girls took turns choosing which ride to go on.  Sat. we spent the entire day at the beach.  The girls also swam in the hotel pool.  We went out to dinner on the boardwalk and both girls were thrilled eating out.  We ate in an Italian restaurant; Renee waitresses in an Italian restaurant.  She showed the girls how to dip bread into olive oil after adding cheese to the oil.  The girls loved it;  they ate most of the dip so I think Renee wasn't thrilled that she showed them what to do with it.  We went on the rides again on Sat night.  Dasha had been begging to go on the huge ferris wheel and Renee had promised to ride on it with her.  When we got there, the ferris wheel was closed and Dasha became very pouty and didn't want to ride anything else.  Dan tried to coax her, but I told her she could just wait with me.  Within a few minutes, she changed her mind and went on the rides.  Dasha motioned with her arms up and down the boardwalk and towards the beach and kept saying.....really cool!  Dan and I watched her walking with Olia and thought.... who decides which orphans get families???? It just doesn't seem fair that Dasha has to go back to an orphanage. I am happy that Dasha has the opportunity to have a nice summer; but I hope she isn't upset when she has to go back to Ukraine.  Dasha keeps telling me......America, so good, Ukraine, not good.  I tell her that I love Ukraine(I really do love the country). 

   Olia and Dasha had such a great time.  Orphanage children are raised differently and act younger than U.S. kids.  The girls held hands as they ran towards the rides and they squealed with delight.  They gave each other piggyback rides and did ballerina turns up and down the boardwalk.

   Fri was Olia and Dasha's last day of gymnastics camp.  The class had a performance for the parents.  It was really cute and both girls loved performing the gymnastic feats and dance routines.  I was not happy that Dasha had lent Olia's goggle(only two weeks old) to a counselor and the counselor lost the goggles.  Dasha does not place any value on items that belong to others.  I let her know that if she broke or gave Olia's goggles to anyone ever again that I would take her goggles and give them to Olia and she would not get another pair.  This is the second pair of goggles that I had to purchase for Olia because Dasha lent Olia's goggles to someone else.

   Frontier Horizons found a dentist for me to take Dasha to on Mon.  She is going to get root canal on the tooth that has been bothering her. I hope they can do it in one visit because the dental office is far away from where we live.  The man who actually found the dentist does not live that far from us. He is hosting a sister and brother from Ukraine for the summer,  He is planning to adopt the siblings; this is the third time he has hosted them. They are now just getting processed in Ukraine court and the fourteen month waiting period will begin.  He is thrilled that they will eventually be available for adoption.  He said there were a few paperwork glitches.  He seemed so nice; he spent a lot of time trying to get someone to treat Dasha.

   Tomorrow the girls will attend Cheerleading camp.  I think it is going to be another hot day so I am glad that they get to swim for part of the day!