Metcha' Day
This weekend marked a very special anniversary in our household - three years ago, on November 8th, 2005, we met our kids for the first time. I'm not going to post the family video this year, but if you want to check it out, click here.
Instead, I'm going to tell you how we celebrate this occasion in our family. For the last 3 years we have had a "Metcha' Day Dinner," to which we invite family and friends. We always serve Russian food, so our guests are required to be adventurous. Here is the menu:
Jeff and I enjoyed the food in Russia so much, that this has become one of our most anticipated meals of the year. Vika also loves it since borscht is her favorite food and she could eat a whole plate of sardines in one sitting. It's fun to introduce family and friends to the flavors we experienced while meeting and adopting our kids.
This year's Metcha' Day Dinner was especially successful. Our friends attended as well as my family, and we all had a great time swapping stories and hanging out. Mel, who's a NICU nurse, has some especially crazy delivery-room stories, which she thoughtfully decided to share after dinner was over. Vika and Eamon also had a great time playing with Chad (Mel's son) and stayed up until 11 pm, running around, laughing and dressing Chadly up as a "rock star."
Sadly, none of Jeff's family chose to attend. I'm still a bit annoyed and hurt by their continued disregard of our family. I don't understand why they make no effort to be a part of our lives or get to know Vika and Eamon. But in the end, I have to remind myself that it is their loss - and really, no one missed them much anyway.
It's funny how the idea of family shifts over time. Sitting at around a table laughing with my friends, listening to my family discuss politics at the next table, and watching the kids play with their "cousin" Chad, I felt content and surrounded by love. What more could you ask for when celebrating the anniversary of the best day of your life?
Instead, I'm going to tell you how we celebrate this occasion in our family. For the last 3 years we have had a "Metcha' Day Dinner," to which we invite family and friends. We always serve Russian food, so our guests are required to be adventurous. Here is the menu:
- Appetizers: Salmon Blini, sardines and crackers, and salmon caviar.
- First course: Borscht with dark Russian bread and butter
- Entree: Golubtsi (Russian cabbage rolls) and Gypsy Potato Paprikash
- Desert: Russian tea cakes and wafer cookies (which the people at the orphanage referred to as "cake.")
Jeff and I enjoyed the food in Russia so much, that this has become one of our most anticipated meals of the year. Vika also loves it since borscht is her favorite food and she could eat a whole plate of sardines in one sitting. It's fun to introduce family and friends to the flavors we experienced while meeting and adopting our kids.
This year's Metcha' Day Dinner was especially successful. Our friends attended as well as my family, and we all had a great time swapping stories and hanging out. Mel, who's a NICU nurse, has some especially crazy delivery-room stories, which she thoughtfully decided to share after dinner was over. Vika and Eamon also had a great time playing with Chad (Mel's son) and stayed up until 11 pm, running around, laughing and dressing Chadly up as a "rock star."
Sadly, none of Jeff's family chose to attend. I'm still a bit annoyed and hurt by their continued disregard of our family. I don't understand why they make no effort to be a part of our lives or get to know Vika and Eamon. But in the end, I have to remind myself that it is their loss - and really, no one missed them much anyway.
It's funny how the idea of family shifts over time. Sitting at around a table laughing with my friends, listening to my family discuss politics at the next table, and watching the kids play with their "cousin" Chad, I felt content and surrounded by love. What more could you ask for when celebrating the anniversary of the best day of your life?
First, the food was delicious. But I missed the salmon caviar, dang it! And, as a devout beet hater, I really love the borscht. See, even very old dogs, yada, yada, yada.
As for family, I still remember the Thanksgiving after I divorced HWSNBN and Tony and Nicki had moved to Chicago. It was just you, me, and your brother. Having always had large holiday celebrations, I was feeling particularly sad that year. Then we met Jeff, my friend Rob, and Joe started dating someone. With the three of them around the table with us that year, our family dynamic changed. Suddenly family wasn't only about blood. It was about caring and love. Now we've merged with Ed's family and the house is full once again.
And I love it!
you are right, it is their loss. sounds yummy. do you have recipes to share or did you buy it?
Melissa - Jeff did all the cooking. We got the Golubtsi and blini recipes from the book, Please to the Table and the Gypsy Potato Paprikash recipe from Ya Tibya LuBlu. Both are excellent cookbooks - I highly recommend them.
I am happy to send copies of Jeff's revised recipes (he always adjusts things) to anyone who's interested.
Funny, when I was a kid I liked to pretend the sparkling juice was champagne - do Russian children make-believe it's beer?
Please, please! I want the recipes: all of them!!!!
Oh, and glad you had a nice time. Congrats on 3 years. :)
Happy Metcha day!!! The dinner sounds wonderful-sounds like a wonderful tradition you have started!
Sounds like a great day, I'm sorry Jeff's family is choosing to not involve themselves.
Sounds like an awesome - certainly delicious! - Metcha Day celebration! Jenn, I just had to go back and watch that video again. The sappy soundtrack goes beautifully with it, and it's so nostalgic for me that I've practically 'adopted' it as my own! Seeing Eamon walk into that room is sooo joyful and touching, and reminds me of just how many families are brought together in that room. Heck, I'm just gonna leave off here and go grab a hanky... :-) Mazel Tov, as my peeps say, on the 4 years!!!
Happy Anniversary!
As for the family dynamic(which I experience also), it's probably better to NOT have them there... then the peace and love of that day can be felt openly and honestly!
I'm glad for your special friends, they are your family.
:)
Meetcha' Day is even better than a birthday!
I really do think family is who we make it and you have a wonderful family! As far as Jeff's family goes-- you are so very right, it is their loss.
Sardines? Oh my. LOL