Spring Break 2021 and other April Happenings

May is here and spring has finally sprung here in Kyiv.  Trees are blooming, things are green and slowly, much too slowly for our tastes, the weather is starting to warm.  We had a fun April.  The girls finished out the month doing online school as Kyiv stayed locked down until May 2.  They return to their classrooms tomorrow.  We are excited but also dreading that 6:30 wake-up.  Here are the pictures from our last few weeks, including our spring break trip to Odessa, Ukraine's coastal city on the Black Sea. 

A friend in the neighborhood came up with the fun idea to take a mobile happy hour to our neighbors one Friday.  I helped her and we had so much fun ringing friends' doorbells and chatting with them over a little plastic cup of wine.  I think it brightened a few days for sure. ;)

Speaking of bright days, this particular day was our very first day with temperatures in the 60s.  The sun was shining and it felt amazing.  We found a restaurant that was doing the allowed "take-out" but you could eat it on their terrace.  

It was so nice to have a meal on a restaurant patio after our long, hard winter. 

Sarah Avery took a little pony ride after our patio lunch.  

We have hedgehogs that visit our back porch and the dogs go crazy over them.  Its such a random thing about our life here. 

I broke my no running rule to participate in a global 5k for our friend Micala's charity.  The whole family ran together.

Tired and proud and a little sad.  

Another first for the girls.......they had their first happy meals!  We made the dangerous discovery that McDonald's delivers here, so since this photo they have had their second and third happy meals too.  ;)

Sarah Avery's Daisy troop was so excited to meet in person again, even if it was freezing and drizzling.  We met at a famous park with this beautiful view of the city.  

Susannah and her favorite furry companions. 

Speaking of furry companions, our neighbors rescued these kittens and they are so beautiful.

For spring break, we traveled with another family to Odessa.  This was our first night, walking to dinner.  

The view of the Black Sea from our room was pretty spectacular.  

But in Ukraine, you can never expect perfection.  So of course there was a pool under construction directly beneath our balcony.  

We had some sunny days, but it was still chilly, especially with the sea breeze.  

The resort had cozy blankets at all the outdoor spaces though so you could still enjoy the views and the sea air.  

And the lemonade.  

It was fun to add another destination with this guy to our very long list of adventures.  

The outdoor pool was heated, but it was so chilly, you wanted these robes as soon as you hopped out of the pool.

I only braved the pool one day but these three were troopers.  

Post swim beers and fuzzy blankets helped.  

The resort was super family friendly and each child had a gift bag waiting for them in the room.  These hats were a hit. 

These two enjoyed lounging on the sun deck and watching for the Russians.  

Sunbathing beauty

One night we were too tired to make it to dinner so we ordered room service and it was delicious.  Such a fun way to end a family vacation day. 

We spent one day exploring Odessa.  It is a beautiful seaside city with nice architecture a a bit of a Parisian vibe.  This is the Ukrainian tomb of the unknown sailor.  It is in a beautiful park that offers amazing views of the sea. 

These four had so much fun together. 

As did these four.  ;)   Here we are on the famous steps in Odessa.  They are an optical illusion and a famous city landmark. 

Checking out the views. 

These three.  The loves of my life.  

This cool tree was outside of the famous Odessa Opera house.  

Unfortunately it was closed for indoor tours, but we admired it from the outside.  

With a scoop of ice-cream.  

After lunch downtown, we headed back to our resort to warm up and rest in the hot-tubs.  

The daily breakfast spread was quite impressive.  Susannah had oysters on the half-shell some mornings.  

Sarah Avery opted for crepes every morning.  

Our last day was rainy so we let it be our dolphin day.  Our resort is famous for it's dolphins.  They offer dolphin therapy sessions for kids, dolphin training sessions, and even have a daily show.  

The girls did the training session so they had an opportunity to work with the dolphins and the trainers.  

I think it may have been the best 30 minutes of their lives.   

The dolphins were so sweet and gentle and so social.  

Sarah Avery was in heaven.  

This picture.   

Taking a ride.  

So fun!

Who is this teenager who steals my phone and takes sassy selfies????

The hotel also offered family swimming sessions so Peter and I got in on the fun. 

The water was cooold without wetsuits, but we were only in for 10 minutes.  

More dolphin friends.  

It was a magical day.  

Group shot

After a quick shower, we were off to meet Susannah's friend from school and her family at the dolphin show.  

I had a hard time watching the show because I just wanted to watch their faces.  

The show was amazing.  

One last dolphin encounter.  

We all went to dinner and the kids had their own table.  Luckily the restaurant was empty.  

The adults only table was so fun!

We returned to Kyiv on Wednesday.  Then on Friday the girls had one more spring break adventure.  

A horseback riding birthday party.  

Such a little cowgirl.  

Cupcakes!

Last weekend was a big holiday weekend in Ukraine because it was orthodox Easter.  Most Ukrainians celebrate by cooking over a fire in the woods.  So that is what we did.  This little beverage truck was set up in the parking lot of the park where we picnicked.  I thought it was so cute.  

I didn't take any photos of our awesome shashlik spread (Ukrainian BBQ).  But I did take a picture of this crazy tree during our post lunch walk.  

And finally, I had to snap this photo because it is what I will miss when the girls go back to school.  This view of them eating their lunch and reading their books.  Sometimes it takes my breath away how fast they are growing.  

And now we are heading into May with lots of optimism.  Kyiv has re-opened, we are vaccinated, and the dark winter is behind us.  We hope all is well with each of you.  Miss and love you all!