Took the kidlet in for his shots today ;-(

[Oscar]

[This message has been edited by Oscar]

Wow, did I feel bad.  Got my girl and her 7 year old on their own health insurance (can't put her on mine till we are married).  We took him to get the vaccinations he needed for school today.  She could have gotten them done in Kiev but she said they would have cost $65 per shot so she told them she would prefer to get them here.  All of it together cost a $15 office co-pay.

He needed-

Hepititis A
Hepititis B
Varicella (Chicken Pox)
Rubella (MMR)
a TB skin test
Blood test..

Wow!  4 injections, a skin test and blood drawn!  The little feller was pretty upset!  I felt really bad for him (he did NOT go quitely! LOL!) but I also felt really bad for my fiance who ended up crying a little as well!

Bad news is that for the Hepititis, one is a series of 2 shots and the other a series of 3!  I can just see trying to get him back in there for those!  
;-)

I think he was just more afraid than anything else.  He was looking right at me when they gave him a couple of the injections and he didn't flinch (aside from the complete freak-out, crying, screaming etc..) ;-)  I really don't think he even felt the injections, the nurse was very good at it... but try telling HIM that!  LOL!

Damm, very tough day...  I'm spent!  LOL!

[Cold Warrior]

... in response to Took the kidlet in for his shots today  ..., posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

good enough for school?

[Oscar]

... in response to How's his english?, posted by Cold Warrior on Jan 23, 2003

His Mother had worked with him In Ukraine before coming here and he knew the alphabet and could count in English etc., but he really knew little English.  
He started school in first grade after the Christmas holiday and is now reading amazingly well!  The info says that when kids first come here, they go through a kind of "quiet period" away from the house.  They are just "absorbing" the language for a few weeks.  He is starting to chatter like crazy now and can't wait to tell me what he learned at school when I get home from work.  I had to see his teacher yesterday to pick him up to get his vaccinations and she said he was doing beautifully..  Evidently with or without ESL training, the kids this age pick English up fast and are pretty much up to speed in 2 or 3 months..
So it's going very well..  He certainly has no problem telling me where I am screwing up when we play video games together! LOL!

[Cold Warrior]

... in response to Re: How's his english?, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

nt

[KenC]

... in response to Took the kidlet in for his shots today  ..., posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

Oscar,
Are you having any difficulties with the step parent role?  I don't know if you have any children of your own or not, but step parenting is usually a tough one.  How have you and your fiancee worked out the details on parenting?  Do you defer to her or have you stepped in as a father figure?  
KenC

[Oscar]

... in response to how's it going with him?, posted by KenC on Jan 23, 2003

I really have been terribly fortunate.. no difficulties so far, but he's only 7.  I think it is more difficult and challenging, the older the children are when you get together.  I'm not really worried as he is younger.  In all the time we were apart, he asked about me constantly and never forgot me, which I found amazing.  He really had a dad who was uninterested in him and he would often ask his Mother why he had a Father like that.  So he seems thrilled with a Father figure that seems truly interested in him and who is spending time with him.  

I don't have kids of my own but we are planning on them.

Yes, we spent a gret deal of time talking over 9 months about parenting, discipline, her expectations, mine, etc..  We felt very comfortable about how we matched up on these issues.  It was very important to me and very much so for her.
I believe he does see me as a Father figure and I do step in, but he is so naturally obedient that there have been no disciplinary problems thus far.  I am sure that will change some in time.  But she is always interested in my take on things with him and is happy to include me in all decisions etc., something I greatly appreciate.

I think these kinds of issues are absolutely vital to discuss together well before decisions are made to marry, or even start a K-1.  

[KenC]

... in response to Re: how's it going with him?, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

Oscar,
It is better for you that the child's father didn't "step up to the plate" because he will be all yours now.  I agree that the younger the child, the easier the transition.  Best of luck to you.  Any wedding plans yet?
KenC

[Oscar]

... in response to Re: Re: how's it going with him?, posted by KenC on Jan 23, 2003

I appreciate it Ken, thank you...

Hey, I haven't even given her an engagement ring yet! LOL!  I want her to be very settled in and comfortable and sure of things before I go there..  I know she would be fine with it right now, we are doing great and I am sure we will marry, but I just don't see any rush.  I promised myself that no matter what, I would try to be smart and use at least 3/4 of the time alloted to us to really make sure of things as much as possible.  I know neither of us wants to make a mistake again and neither of us thinks we have.

I wanted things to be comfortable and in place for her son, like with school, friends, vaccinations (yeouch!), family etc..  I think we are getting there and starting to settle into some nice routines.  I would anticipate giving her ring to her within a couple of weeks.
Don't have a clue where we will marry.  Was thinking Las Vegas at one of the nicer Hotels but I don't think all of my immediate family would be able to join us so we may just do it here in SLC and then hit Vegas for the honeymoon thing for 5-6 days or so.  Might possibly use the free tickets we have for Hawaii but I wouldn't want to go there for less than 10 days and that may be a little too long to leave her son where he isn't speaking that much English yet..

Time will tell..

If we go to Vegas, I would like to perhaps stay at the Paris Hotel.  That way when people ask us where we went for our honeymoon, we could tell them we went to Paris!  ;-)

[LP]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: how's it going with him?, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

[This message has been edited by LP]

....there last Sat/Sunday, took a couple on a marriage charter. Never been on the strip in January even though I go to all three airports often. It was nice, no people and temps in the 60's. Nothing like in summer.

Lol, be sure to look up ole Davey when you're there...

[KenC]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: how's it going with him?, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

Oscar,
It sounds as if you are doing things the right way (for the two of you).  Lena and I waited until getting married was a forgone conclusion too.  We "thought" we were in love before she came to America.  After living together we "knew" we never wanted to be apart.  We went directly to marriage without much engagement time.  Unknown to me, Lena had many a conversation with her mom (via phone) about me NOT asking her to marry me.  It was like, "No Mom, Ken hasn't asked me to get married yet, but we are in love and I am sure it will happen."
-
We choose a nice little wedding chaple in Vegas and stayed at the Venitian.  Contrary to what some might think, there are some very classy wedding chaples in Vegas.  Lena nixed an Elvis wedding. LOL.
KenC

[Oscar]

... in response to Vegas weddings, posted by KenC on Jan 23, 2003

Yes, I was in Vegas about 6 months ago and saw some of the nicer Hotel chapels..  Some are extremely nice with very reasonable packages.  I loved Mandalay Bays chapels (they have two!).
I love the Venitian but dang, their rooms are expensive!  I think even more expensive than a basic room at Bellagio..  I have heard great things about the Venitian though.  I don't know, I will have to do some surfing on Expedia.com to see what I can come up with as we get closer..

Perhaps she is talking to her mother about the same thing, I don't know.  If she has, she hasn't mentioned it.  I love the fact that she is old fashioned and waiting for me to pop the question..  Again, I just don't see any reason to rush.  We're just enjoying the process..

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Vegas weddings, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

[This message has been edited by Michael B]

So says the sign at the entrance to the Efiel (Eifel? sp) Tower at the Paris hotel. I asked the attendant if they were trying to be funny and she siad no, before we put the sign we had 4 or 5 wedding a day up there, people would just buy regular admission tickets and then go up and have their wedding. Most of the other people liked it, but it was really cutting into the business of our wedding chappel.

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: how's it going with him?, posted by Oscar on Jan 23, 2003

I think they actually do weddings at the top of the "Eiffel Tower" at the Paris casino.

But, if I remember correctly, they won't let you unless you use their people.

Apparently, people were going up there with their own minister and getting married. Pissed off Paris, so now it is "unlawful" to do that.

Oh well, I guess when you build the tower, you can make the rules.

If you really want to impress people, you should stay in Paris one night, and then NY, NY, and then the Venetian. Then you can say: "Well, for the first part of the honeymoon, we went to paris, then finished it in New York to do some shopping..." and then ended up in Venice for a ride in a gondola