Kazapalooza Wooza Wooza

It has taken a bit to compose this post because I went straight from Nashville to a business conference in Miami. Kazapalooza was …interesting. At times fun, often overwhelming and completely chaotic is the best way I can describe our experience. I guess I could have predicted as much given that the whole affair centered around the gathering of more than 60 children, most (it seemed) between 1 an 3 years old.

The best part for me was just being there because it meant I was on the other side of my adoption journey. I wasn’t waiting, hoping to be part of Kazapalooza reunion like I was last year. I was there with my own kaza cutie, a proud and pleased mama. Of course I had also hoped to be able to meet and talk with the families I had grown to “know” thru blogland and facebook. It is weird the sense of familiarity I had with people I never actually met. I hoped to really talk with my Kaz Mama 3Day Walk Mates; women I felt I truly did know. I wanted to pose Nina for pictures with all of her Kaz cousin’s, especially her Ust baby house first family. Unfortunately the realities of socializing with a 2 year old prevailed on my not so well laid plans. We ended up spending a lot of time away from the group allowing Nina the down time and sleep needed.
On the first night we arrived at the meet and greet at 5pm and by 6:30pm (7:30 our time) Nina was back in our room fast asleep.

The next day at the pool party Nina was so cold her blue lips chattered and she cried “hot tub, hot tub”. She loves the water but after several rounds of bone chilling swimming, crying for a towel and rubbing her to get her warm again she was beat. She was napping before lunchtime.

That evening was the dinner and raffle at Dave and Buster’s. Talk about sensory overload. Nina only lasted about 90 minutes before Dart brought her back to the quiet and peace of our hotel room.

Aside from the formal events some of my highlights from Kazapalooza 2009 included...

Nina took her first long car trip and was awesome. I expected it to be awful but it really wasn’t bad at all. She even told us when she needed to go potty and stayed dry the whole trip. We got thru with lollypops and a never ending loop of Kidz Bop tunes.

We got to see Diana and Bob and their son Anton again. Diana and Bob were in Ust with us and I was surprised at the emotion I felt upon seeing them again. My throat was tight and my eyes swelled when I hugged Diana. It was like we had been to war together. All I could think was “we did it, we really did it”.

There was my first sighting of a kaz family I had heretofore only known from blogland. We were on the river boat ride and I looked up at the bridge just in time to see Riley ‘s signature pigtails and Sara smiling and waving warmly towards us.

I finally meet Karen and Glen and Max. They are the Ohio family that traveled to Ust with our same agency the summer before we did. Before I traveled it was Karen who sent me a picture of Nina she had taken that summer. That precious picture of our children together a half a world away created a bond somehow and I was so very pleased to see Karen and to see our children reunited under such happy circumstances.

There was the parade of families; Yoeman’s, Van Sant, Jenkins, Morgan, Elrod, that I had blog stalked for so long and were now in front of me live and in person. Familiar strangers. More beautiful than their blogs could show.

There were tears with Kristen as we watched the Kazapalooza video and reflected on our good fortune and remembered the children still there. Later the next day, unbeknownst to Kristen our daughters posed like best girlfriends. I got to meet in person, (all too briefly); Stacy, Regina, KJ, Sara, Tricia and Jennifer. It wasn’t nearly enough time (or quiet) but it was enough to know I am going to truly enjoy spending 3 days with them this Novemeber.

We got to see Susan and Leeza again. I had to laugh as my kids stalked them all weekend (fair turn about given Susan’s cougar like pursuit of Kiefer J). Nolan called Leeza “Angel-ly” and wished out loud that Nina was as sweet and Nina has asked me every night “where’s Leeza?” I loved watching Nina jump in the pool, fearless as ever. She even started diving for rings. Do all two year olds do this?
Nolan (the sweetest big brother on the planet who loved every baby he saw) sitting with me in the lobby, taking in the antebellum wrought iron balconies asked “is this what it was like when you were a girl?”

Finally Nina who was dressed in the colors of the Kazakhstan flag most of the weekend, who carried her pink toy carry on at all times, who had in her suitcase 7 pair of shooes, 2 swimsuits, 6 pair of sunglasses,8 dresses and a Kazapalooza shirt with mom's hand sewn embellishments was recognized as the “Most Accessorized” Kaza-Kid. Too much? Too funny.