Shiny Happy People *

Yes.
That's Lexi.
She really is the epitome of a shiny happy person.
It takes a lot to ruffle that little one's feathers.  She's generally a go-with-the-flow kind of girl.  Lexi is just happy to be happy.

But, uh, back to the shiny part.
Or should I say... shiner.

"What happened Lexi?"
"I bonked into the counter."
That she did.  Racing through the kitchen.  Took the turn a bit too tight.  Bonk.

But still smiling.

It brought back the horrible memory of... dun dun dunnnnn.... The Moscow Swing Set Incident of 2008.
Let's see.  We were all of 5 days into our parenting journey.  The children had been entrusted to us for less than a week......

No wait!  Hold on!  Before we relive The Swings...
First came...
The Bed.
So, it was the first, FIRST I TELL YOU!  The very first day we got the kids in Krasnoyarsk.  Finally, set free from the confines of the orphanage.  Finally together!  Finally a family!

And then... a couple hours into our bliss. (Wasn't I blissful in Russia?  I'll have to go back and read the old blog posts.)

Anyway.
We had only been back in the hotel for a couple hours.  The five of us were sitting around on the bed.  Next thing you know, Lexi stood up and simply walked off the bed.
No. It was more of a dive.
She landed head first on the hardwood floor.
Scott and I may have locked eyes for a split second.  Then the simultaneous screams heard only in each of our minds,
"I thought YOU were watching her!"

Then came Lexi's audible screams.
Well great.  We've had this kid for 2 hours and have already broken her!

Do I go on to describe how her eyes began to roll back in her head?  How we woke her up every hour that night in case she had a concussion?  Trying to figure out how we would explain this in a Russian ER?  In the end, she had a pretty good size bump on her noggin, but (thank God!) she was okay.

A few days later....
Now we're in Moscow.  As you can imagine, living in a hotel room for days on end with a 2, 3 and 4 year old was about to push us all over the edge.   But then a fellow adoptive family tipped us off about a park.  A park!? Yay!  It was only a few blocks away.  We pushed our rickety double stroller through the streets of Moscow.  Then, we found it.
We found it!
Yes children!
Run!  Run free!
For a bit, all was right with the world.  They chased.  They climbed.  They swung.  Scott and I stood together, watching our sweet, innocent, ahem... non bruised children.

Then, as if in slow motion...
Lexi begins to dash toward the back of the swing set....
There is a little Russian girl already on the swing....
That little girl sails forward....
Then flies back...
The wooden seat...
The metal bars...
Right
Into
Lexi's
Face....

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE WATCHING HER!!!!"

Oh, it looked bad.  It still makes me queasy thinking about it.  She was definitely dented.  Really.  Her cheek was dented.  Her sweet little perfect cheek instantly had a purple indentation.

Seriously.  Who let us take these kids???

So that, my friends, was The Moscow Swing Set Incident of 2008. 

Incidentally, it was also one of our first big lessons on parenting.  Scott and I learned that one of us can play a zone with Justin and Natalie.  

But as for Miss Lexi?

Well, she requires one on one defense.

AT ALL TIMES.

Here are a few of the happier moments at the park.  Pre-dent.

And here's....

Well, you get it.

* Disclaimer:  No children were permanently damaged in the making of this family.  Believe me.  We immediately checked with our pediatrician when we got home.