A Historic Meeting! - by McP

On Saturday the kids accompanied me to an event for my friend Jim Martin, who is running for U.S. Senate. We went to Atlanta, checked in to our hotel, and then walked up the street to Crescent Avenue for a nice supper. Alina especially loves dining at places that look fancy! We then walked up the street to another nice place where the event was being held.

We were sent to a separate area which looked like a swanky lounge with private curtained-off areas with a television and pit group sofas. From there we watched the rest of the Georgia - LSU game (which really pleased Mac and Cal). Alina said that the place looked like where "rock stars would have meetings."

Before long, a photographer came and President Bill Clinton entered the room. Alina and Mac have been studying the American Presidents for a couple of years, and with the election on their interests have been more keen.

President Clinton made a big deal over the three, as they were the only children around. He asked about them, and shook hands with all three. I thanked him on behalf of all parents of internationally adopted children, for streamlining the citizenship process while he was in office. All three benefited directly from that new law, which granted citizenship to Alina and Mac on 02/27/01, and to Cal the moment he came to his new country in 2006.
When it was all over, we walked back to our hotel for a movie and to assess the evening. Cal had only one question. As we left the former President, he asked "Was he a football player?"

The next morning, we got up and headed to Dawsonville to Burt's Farm, where Alina and Mac remembered going in the past. This was Cal's first experience with so many pumpkins! Of course I remembered the puny Kazakhstan pumpkins when I saw these giants!

Georgia vs. Tennessee - by McP

When you live in Northwest Georgia, there is only one football game that really matters each year, when the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Tennessee Volunteers. Friends and family are divided in our area much like what happened in the War Between the States!

I had a dinner to attend in Athens on Friday night, and Alina, Mac and Cal accompanied me to my Alma Mater and we are having a great time. Alison is camping with her family at Chester Frost Park, and we all miss her.

We ate lunch at our favorite pizza place, Little Italy. Over the din of servers yelling at customers to pick up their orders, Cal serenaded us with an impromptu rendention of the ABC song.


Mac's friend Michael Quinn is here with his family, and he and Alina got to spend some quality time with them while Cal grabbed a quick nap before the game.

Alina and Mac already look forward to college, particularly so that they can have access to something like the Tate Student Center, where there are internet monitors everywhere - and I wonder if they will still be checking out the Webkinz site?

Mac skinned his knee, which was quickly attended by the staff of the student center. Nevertheless, he did not want there to be any possibility that his shorts would touch the wound!

Cal finally got another Georgia helmet. With the Matthew Stafford jersey his mother got him, he is ready!

The great tradition of ringing the chapel bell to celebrate Georgia victory is something the kids really enjoy!




We got back to the room at the last part of the forth quarter to see Georgia BEAT Tennessee! Go Dawgs!!! - McP

Cal and the Snow Leopard

This is fall break for Cal, and Alison took him to the Chattanooga Zoo today, and snapped this great picture of Cal (already dressed for the big GA-TN game this weekend) posing with the animal which is the symbol for the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Snow Leopard, which is usually described as the "elusive" Snow Leopard. When we were last in Kazakhstan, we kept our eyes open for them! Mac claimed to have seen a Yeti on the snow-capped mountains there.

All the children are growing up fast. - McP