April 22nd/Day 36

What is that saying about the best laid plans?
Apparently, I'm not coming home on Friday.
Alex's passport photo (as well as every passport photo taken in Dniproprotrosk that day) did not turn out and has to be re-taken. And although, the picture is taken in Diniproprotrosk and sent to Keiv and then sent back to Dniproprotrosk and I am currently IN Kiev I cannot get this fixed here. Alex and I are now back on the night train to get his picture taken at nine tomorrow morning and then BACK on the night train AGAIN to get back here.
BUT there's more....
Now we have another three working days from tomorrow before the passport will be finished making it MONDAY before we will have the passport and then Tuesday we can go the embassy and fly home on WEDNESDAY!!
The question you're asking might be, did you cry?
OF COURSE!!!
I tried hard not to let Alex see me but I couldn't help the tears from streaming down my face. Poor Irina and Lena (my translator) who had to deliver the bad news. I called Amy and cried to her and then pleaded for her to stay with me in Kiev as I think I might be going insane!! She was coming to Keiv already to drop off Jeff and pick up her friend and we arranged to take the night train Thursday back to Keiv together. (Yes, Andreas-take the train it is so much cheaper than driving AND safer too! Plus it's an adventure!)
Amy's friend Mary is coming in Sunday and my Ukraine BFF Amy has agreed to stay with me through Tuesday. We're going to share my apartment and honestly she is an angel. The idea of staying alone and attempting to entertain Alex for FIVE days more was really pushing me over the edge! Not that he isn't the sweetest boy in the world but we're both bored and ready to come home! (I did break out the Game Boy today-I was saving it for the plane ride home but I figured, I'll have Amy, Jeff and Mary-he needs something too!)
So I am at the Internet cafe-again-trying to rearrange my flight plans-again! I will be here when Sodeburgs and Horlachers get here, that is a bright spot in all this and I made Amy promise to not let me cry and be a party pooper.
I'm working on finding church here on Sunday, that will help.
By the time I leave, I will have been here six weeks and one day. (But who's counting?)
My BFF and husband James leaves for two weeks of work the morning before I get back. We will have not seen each other for five weeks by the time he gets back. Good thing we had those 17 straight days in Ukraine together. I told James between my sobs this morning that I feel like I'm a pregnant overdue woman and every extra day feels like a week! He had a few choice words to say about the Ukraine government that I will not repeat on this family friendly sight.
Alex is entertaining himself by looking at the items on the street market outside. He came and asked me for 20 gryvna and came back with a "Suprise Mama" and made me close my eyes. He bought me a beautiful wooden trivet for my kitchen then he asked for more gryna and came back with surprises for Papa and Babooska. I won't say what they are as to not spoil his surprise but is he sweet or what?
Tonight on the train we do not have a private compartment and will be sharing with two other people. That will be interesting, I just hope they are regular bathers. (Don't scoff-it's not a common occurrence here-bathing!)

Thanks for the comments and emails. You are my life line to home.

Someday I'll look back and this will have been a blink, today it feels like a black eye but someday, a blink.