Such a peanut, and Taxi Tales

What amazes me is how small our little guy is. He will be 5 in December. He is so much smaller in person than in the pictures. My boys were his size at the age of one year old. He walks like a one year old also, that "I just figured out how to do this" stagger with his arms waving. It is very cute. But the clothes we bought him are 2 sizes to big. We will buy him better fitting outfits here at the market. He wears a size 2T, but even those are slightly big on him. It is kindof funny, because when we decided on adoption we chose an older child and we STILL get to do the little baby thing with G. Unexpected but fun.

Today there is a graduation of some sort going on at our hotel. There is a marching band downstairs. Papa and Hannah are having a blast checking it all out.

Taxi rides are interesting. Most of the guys are pretty nice, but there are a few who take you for a ride, literally. A ride costs 10 hrivna (2 dollars) one way. One guy insisted on 15. Marina told us no way, pay him 10 and get out. Then yesterday we shared a taxi with the other adopting couple from Guatemala, Jose and Claudia, and this guy was pretty smart. He waited until all of us got out of the car. Claudia paid him a 20. He refused to give her change. She argues with him but was not very successful. That guy is darn lucky he did not get me in there by myself because he would have been in for an experience with my "I lived in the ghetto for a good long time and I am not having this" attitude. Let's just say that I can be a nice girl but I have a decent touch of "don't mess with me" as well. Time to use it, me thinks. Next time no one gets out of the car until payment has been taken care of. No more ganging up on chicks alone.

Our ride back from the visit this morning had the potential to be similar to the ones mentioned above. The guy studied the hotel adress for a really long time. This time I told Isaac to have the 10 hrivna bill in hand so the guy knew we were aware of the appropriate taxi fare. So what does he do? He refuses to drive us all the way to the hotel. He drops us off a few blocks away. Acting like he has no idea where the hotel is. Isaac began motioning to him that it was the wrong spot, but by then I saw the writing on the wall and figured it was just plain time to get out of that taxi and walk the few blocks to the hotel. I don't think the taxi driver expected me to just grab my kid and get out, but that is what you get when you play. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you hoped buddy. Making a detour and then charging us extra for your "trouble" is not gonna fly here. You can't tell me a seasoned taxi driver does not know the way to the hotel. There are only 2 of them in this town. The weather was nice, the walk was good for us anyway. It is all good, as they say at home.