April 23, 2009
This morning we went back to the computer store to get memory put on the modem we have borrowed here (thanks to the Dickinsons for leaving it with Jamie J) so this evening we were finally able to post on our blog since we’ve been here! So scroll down if you want to hear about whats happened the other days. We’re so thankful that now we can communicate to all of you about our daily adventures.
We then went to the orphanage for our morning visit form 9-11 am. Our interpreter dropped us off so we struggled a little bit communicating but they got Slava for us when we showed up at the doctor’s room where we met him yesterday. He actually is called “Vladik” here—I know Slava is also a nickname for his full name, Vladikslav, so maybe he was called Slava when younger, I don’t know but we have always called him Slava so its hard to remember to call him Vladik J They let us play alone with him in the music/play room, which was nice to have some privacy. He immediately went to the piano and wanted to play on it….he loves it, infact, it was a bit difficult to get him to do anything else for a while! (We found out later that they don’t want him to play on it, as “music is music, noise is noise” but we know he will enjoy it once he gets home)
He also was preoccupied with going behind the curtain where supplies were kept so we got a lot of practice in saying “nyett” (no). The kids enjoyed helping to feed him a snack (he is a very good eater…and a healthy, stocky little guy), building with big foam blocks, and blowing bubbles—which he loved. He also loved taking his shoes off.
Once after I had wiped his face and got a new one, he walked over to Haylee and washed her face and hair with it…then Naomi’s and then Jonah’s …it was very funny. I wish I could figure out how to load the video clip on here. We also requested to see him eat, so they let just John and I go in to see…they were eating soup seated around 3 small tables. He ate all by himself. The caregivers got him to say “Mama!” twice J
After our visit we went to get lunch with Irina our translator and tried some more Ukrainian food…pancakes with chicken and cheese inside, their version of burritos and banana juice! We had some errands to do before Irina would leave later this afternoon…the grocery store, the eye store (to get Saline…which they didn’t really have here), the courthouse. We came to our apartment and I hoped to get a nap but we ended up having only a short time before we needed to head back for our 4-6 pm afternoon visit. When we picked him up we got to see Slava’s bedroom…maybe 13 little toddler beds all lined up head to head, as well as the room he plays in.
It was beautiful outside today, and we got to play with Vladik outside. We enjoyed the fresh air and walking around with him…he goes very fast with no fear. He really enjoyed playing in the sand (until he decided to put it all over him, which I didn’t think the orphanage caregivers would appreciate so we got him out). While outside, we got to see some other children playing with their groupas…they would smile and wave at us and it just broke our heart to see so many kids without families. One little girl in particular in Slava’s groupa has severe disabilities and seems to stay in a stroller a lot….she did not go outside with the others, which made us sad. We got to interact with her briefly…she would smile at us when we asked her things. We hope to find out about her and others who may be able to be adopted to pass on to Reeces Rainbow.
Tomorrow we are on our own as Irina had to travel to Kiev tonight to take paperwork stuff there. We were able to get a court date for next Thursday at 9 am!! The next day is the beginning of the Ukrainian holiday when things shut down for a week so we are so thankful we got it before hand, so I (Traci) can get home to Annabelle and Elsie. Because the US Embassy will be closed the next day, we are also thankful that our caseworker Victoria had us get some forms (you usually must have the leaving parent sign at the Embassy before leaving) notarized in the US, which they will honor at the Embassy, so it looks good for us to go home. We’ve decided to let Naomi stay here with John and Haylee, so I’ll be returning with Jonah on May 2nd after court.
This morning we went back to the computer store to get memory put on the modem we have borrowed here (thanks to the Dickinsons for leaving it with Jamie J) so this evening we were finally able to post on our blog since we’ve been here! So scroll down if you want to hear about whats happened the other days. We’re so thankful that now we can communicate to all of you about our daily adventures.
We then went to the orphanage for our morning visit form 9-11 am. Our interpreter dropped us off so we struggled a little bit communicating but they got Slava for us when we showed up at the doctor’s room where we met him yesterday. He actually is called “Vladik” here—I know Slava is also a nickname for his full name, Vladikslav, so maybe he was called Slava when younger, I don’t know but we have always called him Slava so its hard to remember to call him Vladik J They let us play alone with him in the music/play room, which was nice to have some privacy. He immediately went to the piano and wanted to play on it….he loves it, infact, it was a bit difficult to get him to do anything else for a while! (We found out later that they don’t want him to play on it, as “music is music, noise is noise” but we know he will enjoy it once he gets home)
He also was preoccupied with going behind the curtain where supplies were kept so we got a lot of practice in saying “nyett” (no). The kids enjoyed helping to feed him a snack (he is a very good eater…and a healthy, stocky little guy), building with big foam blocks, and blowing bubbles—which he loved. He also loved taking his shoes off.
Once after I had wiped his face and got a new one, he walked over to Haylee and washed her face and hair with it…then Naomi’s and then Jonah’s …it was very funny. I wish I could figure out how to load the video clip on here. We also requested to see him eat, so they let just John and I go in to see…they were eating soup seated around 3 small tables. He ate all by himself. The caregivers got him to say “Mama!” twice J
After our visit we went to get lunch with Irina our translator and tried some more Ukrainian food…pancakes with chicken and cheese inside, their version of burritos and banana juice! We had some errands to do before Irina would leave later this afternoon…the grocery store, the eye store (to get Saline…which they didn’t really have here), the courthouse. We came to our apartment and I hoped to get a nap but we ended up having only a short time before we needed to head back for our 4-6 pm afternoon visit. When we picked him up we got to see Slava’s bedroom…maybe 13 little toddler beds all lined up head to head, as well as the room he plays in.
It was beautiful outside today, and we got to play with Vladik outside. We enjoyed the fresh air and walking around with him…he goes very fast with no fear. He really enjoyed playing in the sand (until he decided to put it all over him, which I didn’t think the orphanage caregivers would appreciate so we got him out). While outside, we got to see some other children playing with their groupas…they would smile and wave at us and it just broke our heart to see so many kids without families. One little girl in particular in Slava’s groupa has severe disabilities and seems to stay in a stroller a lot….she did not go outside with the others, which made us sad. We got to interact with her briefly…she would smile at us when we asked her things. We hope to find out about her and others who may be able to be adopted to pass on to Reeces Rainbow.
Tomorrow we are on our own as Irina had to travel to Kiev tonight to take paperwork stuff there. We were able to get a court date for next Thursday at 9 am!! The next day is the beginning of the Ukrainian holiday when things shut down for a week so we are so thankful we got it before hand, so I (Traci) can get home to Annabelle and Elsie. Because the US Embassy will be closed the next day, we are also thankful that our caseworker Victoria had us get some forms (you usually must have the leaving parent sign at the Embassy before leaving) notarized in the US, which they will honor at the Embassy, so it looks good for us to go home. We’ve decided to let Naomi stay here with John and Haylee, so I’ll be returning with Jonah on May 2nd after court.
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