Black Sea!!

I got to really see the Black Sea today!!  Special thanks to our new friends Rachel and Jonathan and their boys Sasha and Boris.

We were up a bit later than usual this morning (yes, another rough night) and met our friends at 9:30.  Rachel got us taxis, and we were on our way.  When we arrived at the waterfront, we checked the times on the dolphin show and found we had about an hour to kill until show time, so we walked up the hill to a big park above the water and looked down on the docks and out across the water.  The big boys had a great time "wrestling" as we walked.  Boris and Lena walked holding hands sometimes and usually in animated conversation.  I carried Hanna so long, I think I sprained my left wrist.  She got down and walked some, but she didn't want anyone but me to carry her.  We walked and talked, had a snack, then walked back to the aquarium for the show.

The kids LOVED the show.  John got some video, so I'll upload when I can.  I know I keep saying that, but we're just so busy we don't have time for things like that.

After the show we walked along the beach.  The kids loved that, too.  Very excited.  I have a pocketful of shells (Hanna had a diaper full of sand).  The water is cold.  Jonathan and Rachel said that the whole area where we were walking was ice just a couple of weeks ago.  The weather today was beautiful!  Hard to believe that it was snow and ice so recently.

We returned to the flat about 1:30-2pm for Hanna's NON-nap.  Yes, refusal again.  She's really wearing on us.  Fortunately, she's been fairly good-natured even without sleep.  She has her moments, but for the most part she's a happy kid.  When she got up, all three kids played together for a little while.  It was really cute to see them all together.  Oleg is a really good big brother.  He plays gently with her and she loves it.  Lena wants her to be more of a baby and let her carry her and dress her and such.  Hanna knows she isn't a baby, so she's not very happy when Lena gets bossy.  However, she does love to be chased and tickled and play hide-and-seek with Lena.  That was really cute.

Late in the afternoon John took the big kids to the grocery store.  We have one more night here, and we needed some supplies for tonight, tomorrow, and for the train tomorrow night.  I can tell John is really tired.  I really hope he can get some sleep tonight.  While they were gone, I was able to skype for a little while with Cliff.  Our internet has been down for a couple of days, and I just wanted to see if I could get on today.  Thankfully, yes.  It was so good to see and talk to him.  Made me really miss him and the girls and home, though.  Five more days and we'll be in our own beds!!

After supper and cleanup we dimmed the lights, lit some candles, put on some music and tried to get the girls to quiet down.  Lena started to cry which made Hanna cry a little (she's a sympathetic crier).  Got them somewhat calm and put them down.  Hoping that letting Hanna put herself to sleep will work better than what we've been trying.  I put Hanna down first (with strict instructions from Oleg to go to sleep).  Then we put Lena down.  I think they probably played a little, but Lena is asleep now.  Hoping Hanna is, but kinda afaid to check yet.  Here's praying!

May have lost the internet again, so posts will be delayed until we get to Kiev and get some time.  Zhenia says we will have passports tomorrow.  Medical exams on Tuesday.  Embassy interview on Wednesday.  Visas on Thursday.  Flight on Friday.  PLEASE pray that all goes as planned, all paperwork is in order, and we have no delays or snafus!!!

Tired!


Here's a picture of the kids and me on the beach.  The Black Sea is behind us.  Not exactly the pose I pictured, but you take what you can get!  I LOVE IT!

Odessa Zoo today

Today we ventured out to the Odessa Zoo.  I know I've said it many times before, but John is just amazing at making plans to get us out of the flat.  Good thing, too, because left on my own, I would not get out at all.  Better to be out and about.  Less TV, GameBoy, whining, etc.

We called Zhenia to get us a cab and set off on our journey.  We got there, got tickets and went in.  We were among the first to get there.  The animals were just getting out for the day.  We saw everything in about an hour.  It is not a large zoo at all, but bigger than it looked initially.  The enclosures are small and dated.  The good thing is that we could see the animals. The bad thing is the animals were cramped in concrete cells.

Oleg took the camera (which I found in the bottom of my suitcase when I rearranged).  Most of the pictures are his.  He needs to learn to slow down and let the camera click before he moves on to the next thing.  Most were really blurry but some were really good.  Then he handed the camera to me, so the rest are mine.

After the zoo we went back to the flat for lunch and nap for Hanna.  In the evening we met another family for supper.  They are adopting Boris and Sasha from the same orphanage and just made it to town.  Boris is friends with Lena, and Sasha is friends with Oleg, so it worked out really nicely.  Rachel and Jonathan are from California and are first time parents.  They are very good with the kids, and Rachel even speaks some Russian after an exchange experience in Khazakstan in college.

At the end of the evening we decided to try the beach together tomorrow.  Should be a fun experience.

I'm sure there's lots more that happened today.  I just can't remember it now.

Second Day on Our Own

Well, here we are at the end of our Second Day on our own.  Had another rough night with Hanna.  She was awake in the night for a couple of hours, I'm guessing as I couldn't see my watch.  Fortunately she did not wake Lena and DID go back to sleep.  AND she took a good nap this afternoon.  BUT we're going on 3 hours of trying to get her down tonight.  I had her asleep but couldn't get her put down without waking her.  I hoped she would roll over and go back to sleep, but she started her stimulation behavior (lip smacking, scratching, kicking, playing with her hands).  Left her alone to maybe work it out and go back to sleep, but no such luck.  John is in there now.  Hope he has some success soon.  I'm beat!

Had a good day.  Followed John's plan.  I took the big kids out in the neighborhood and to McD's for lunch.  Found a bookstore and got Oleg a couple of books to read (so he doesn't do as much GameBoy, etc.).  Turns out the kids really don't like McD's (no big loss to me), so we won't be doing that again.  Rather go to the Fat House myself - IF I'm going out.  Also got Lena a cute hat to keep her warm.  Hanna did nap.  And we got to skype with Cliff briefly before we lost connection.

Took some cute videos today.  Will try to get them uploaded soon.  Maybe.  Eventually.

I need to get Oleg started on English.  Lena MIGHT be able to do it, too.  I think Oleg will think it is too easy, but he could surprise me.

Our house showed yesterday, but the lookers weren't interested.

It really was a good day.  Just too tired to put it all into words.

May go to the zoo tomorrow morning, return here for Hanna's nap, skype with Cliff and (hopefully the girls), and maybe meet up with another family from our orphanage (adopted sons who are friends of our big kids) if we can work it out.

Night!

First Day on Our Own

Today was our first day on our own, and it went fairly well.  Zhenia went back to Kiev to keep working the system to get us out of here at the end of next week.

We got more sleep last night than the night before.  Both girls were up in the night but still mostly asleep, so they didn't stay awake.  We actually got up around 6:30, and the boys were still asleep.  I got the girls some yogurt, and we went back in the bedroom to give the guys some more time.

John got up and made breakfast.  He took the girls to the park, so I could take a shower.  Oleg chose to stay with me.  I wish we'd had a little more time together after my shower (during which he colored in his Spiderman coloring book and played GameBoy).  He got out the Star Wars lego set that John bought for him and went to town.  He is really good at following the picture directions.  Fast!  I was just figuring out which pieces he needed, and he was done with each step.  It was nice to have some time just with him.

Oleg got "grounded" from the GameBoy after lunch, because he refused to wear his jacket when John asked him to go to the store with him.  That was interesting.  He was mad and acted it for a while, but he and John smoothed things over when John got back.  He'll get to play again tomorrow.

I spent most of the afternoon trying to get Hanna to nap.  I would just get her to the point that I thought I could put her down, and she'd wake up.  I didn't want to go without a real nap, but I didn't have a choice.  I had planned to spend her nap time giving the older kids (especially Lena) some more time with me.  Didn't work out.

While I was with Hanna, John got Oleg to try the math assessment I put together for him.  He did okay.  Definitely some holes in his knowledge and some cultural differences (decimals - "." in States, but "," in Europe).  The kids also watched Shrek 3 with Russian subtitles (another John idea).

Late in the afternoon, John took all the kids out, so I could make dinner undisturbed.  One thing we've noticed is that as soon as the food comes out we start to hear, "Me eat" from Lena, Hanna becomes a pest, and Oleg snitches food off the counter.  Just easier to have them out of the way for a little while.  I made little meatballs from some ground beef that John found (yea!), mashed potatoes (for Hanna and Lena), rice (as an option to potatoes), steamed broccoli (Hanna liked it, she likes rice, too).  Oleg and Lena didn't eat much.  John said it was good, so at least he, Hanna, and I enjoyed our supper.

Bath time was fun.  No poop in the water this time, though.  Hoped it would settle the girls, but they had so much fun it just riled them.  John is still trying to put Hanna down - about 1-1/2 hours later.  I don't know how she does it, but Lena goes to sleep through all the crying.  I got more one-on-one time with Oleg.  He read a Russian kid's magazine to me and we played some of the games in the magazine.  He is bright and has a fun sense of humor.

I have to brag on John.  He is absolutely amazing.  He plans almost everything for us from food to activities.  And he is great with the kids.  This trip could only be better if Cliff was the one here with me. Tomorrow, John wants to take Hanna duty and let me have some time with the big kids outside the flat.  The weather may not be very good (cold, drizzly), so he suggested McD's (ick!) for early lunch and some exploring of our surroundings.  I must admit being a bit hesitant.  I'm not as adventuresome as he is, but I do need to get out and see Odessa.

Zhenia called tonight to say that it looks like it will be Monday before the passports are ready to be picked up.  All passports are made in Kiev but must be picked up (with signature by parent) in the region.  That means we are in Odessa until Monday night.  We will take the overnight train and be in Kiev for medical evaluations on Tuesday.  That's the plan for now.

Tax Numbers and Passport scans

Well, it was a long and a short night.  A long time to get Hanna to sleep and then not so much sleep.  I think she may have slept about 4-5 hours.  We were awake way before dawn, but she actually behaved quite well.  The first thing she said when she woke up was, "Ect," ("yest" means "eat").  So I got her a snack and hoped we would go back to sleep.  No such luck.  Lena was awake a little before 6 and then there was no hope of going back to sleep.

First order of business for the day was to feed everyone.  Oleg wasn't hungry (WHAT??), but the girls ate well.  Then we got them all bathed.  THAT was fun.  Hanna and Lena got in the tub together.  It was interesting that Hanna really didn't seem to know what to do in the tub.  Lena had no problems entertaining herself.  John fashioned some make shift tub toys out of plastic bottles, and the girls went to town pouring water.  I had just gotten Lena out of the tub when Hanna pooped in the water.  Huge thanks to John for cleaning up the tub while I took care of the girls.

Just before lunch, Zhenia came to get me to go legalize the birth certificates.  I had to sign some things at some office not far away, and we were done.  Got to ride in a Russian car (Lada) that Zhenia says is a piece of junk (I must agree).  John kept the kids while I was gone.  When I got back we did lunch.  John got some hot dog type sausages at the grocery yesterday.  I boiled them (the Ukrainian way), cut some apples, and shared the last of our American potato chips.  Seemed to work well.  Hanna didn't like the potato chips.

Just when we were ready to put Hanna down for a nap and have John take the big kids to the park, the landlord appeared with a satellite repair guy.  They did fix the satellite, but they delayed nap time by about an hour.  John took Oleg and Lena to the park to work out some energy.  Poor Hanna only got about an hour before we had to head out again to do passport pictures.  But before we left we had a chance to Skype with Cliff.  The kids were so excited to see Papa. They wanted to tell him everything we've done and show him pictures and videos.  I had to tell them that we would send them to him, because he couldn't see them through Skype.

Passport photos went well, and we had a few minutes to "relax" at the flat before Zhenia came back to go to dinner with us at the "Fat House" for some authentic Ukrainian food.  He came bearing a gift that requires some background.

When we got the kids yesterday, we were all so excited that we forgot to be sure the kids had any of the the toys and things that we had given them - including Oleg's GameBoy.  When we asked about it, he said he forgot it.  Then later he said that a caregiver had taken it from him when he didn't put it down immediately to do his chores.  Zhenia called another caregiver to inquire and heard a different story that Oleg had given the GameBoy to a friend.  We have no way of knowing what really happened, but Zhenia arranged for Vitaly to pick up the GameBoy and take it to the bus station to give it to the driver coming to Odessa to bring it to Zhenia (did that make any sense).  Long and short is that the GameBoy made it here - minus the charger.  But we now have a charger.

The Fat House was fun.  Really cool when 5 people can eat for $20.  And it is good food, too.  Oleg said I should try a certain salad, so I did.  Pretty sure it was crab.  And it was good.  I had a chicken steak (flat chicken breast dipped in egg and fried in a skillet), buckwheat, and one of Zhenia's cabbage rolls.  Hanna had mashed potatoes, some of my buckwheat (which she liked!), some of my chicken (which she didn't like) and some of the cabbage roll (which she liked).  Lena had mashed potatoes and 2 big meatballs with tomato sauce.  Oleg had chicken kiev (which he always wanted to try but did not like), dumplings (which he didn't eat because he got too full), coleslaw, skillet potatoes, and something else.  

After supper, I took the girls back to the flat to get them ready for bed.  John, Oleg and Zhenia went to the drug store to try to find something for these spots that Hanna has.  Zhenia called the orphanage doctor to find out what to get.  That's when we found out that Hanna has a citrus allergy.  Apparently someone at the orphanage must have given her citrus, and she now has about 5 spots on her arms, legs and face that are about the size of a dime.  Wish I'd known!  I asked specifically about food allergies when we met Hanna the first time.  They said she didn't have any.  Kinda ticks me off, but there's really nothing I can do about it.  I would still be her mom.  And we'll see what the doctors in the States say.

Had another hard night with Hanna.  Not as bad as last night.  About half as long.  She just can't let herself relax and go to sleep.  She keeps stimulating herself to stay awake - rolling her tongue, smacking her lips, scratching her spots, kicking her legs, etc., and she refuses to close her eyes.  I console myself with the fact that it was better tonight than last night.  Hoping it keeps getting better! 

So I should close now and take advantage of her being asleep by getting some sleep myself.

P.S.  I have a very sweet son.  He brought me flowers today and he gave me a big hug when I put him to bed.

Gotcha Day!

Today is what's know in the adoption world as "Gotcha Day."  It is the day we picked up all the kids.

The court decree took longer than we expected - about an hour longer.  Then we ran to the orphanage to get Lena and Oleg.  We changed their clothes, said some goodbyes and jumped in the car for the 2-1/2 hour trip to Tarutena to get their birth certificates.

The kids were great in the car.  They ate every bit of food I had with me.  Once at our destination, Zhenia went to see about the birth certs, and John, Vitaly, and I entertained the kids (and some locals, I believe).  We also got to experience the closest thing I've ever seen to a Mexican bano (Cliff knows what I mean).  I signed for the birth certificates, and we were on to get Hanna.

Once in Bilograd Dnistrovsky, we stopped at the notary to start the petition for passports and then went to the orphanage.  The director was lovely as usual and very happy that we were taking Hanna to be part of our family.  The big kids were AWESOME with her.  Lena is already "Little Mama," playing with her, holding her hand, brushing her hair, feeding her.  And Oleg is terrific with her, too, doing many of the same things.  Before leaving town, we finished at the notary and then got on the road for Odessa.

By the time we arrived in Odessa it was too late to get the tax numbers and start the passports.  Vitaly's car started having some problems, but he made sure he got us to Odessa.  Zhenia found us a reasonably priced flat near the city center, so we dropped our bags and headed for McD's.  Oleg said they had never eaten there before, so tonight was the first time.

Oleg ate his cheeseburger and fries, filched a few fries from Hanna, and ate at least half of Lena's cheeseburger before he said he was full.  Lena refused the cheeseburger but ate all her fries and a few of Hanna's.  Hanna ate all of her cheeseburger and most of her fries before she started playing with the fries by taking them out of the box and putting them back in the box.

From McD's, we did some shopping - diapers, pacifier, sippy cup, toothpaste, and a few other essentials. Then the boys left us girls at the flat to get ready for bed while they went to the grocery to get us some food for tomorrow.  Lena LOVES her pajamas - Tinkerbell.  Hanna was actually quite helpful in getting herself dressed and ready for bed.  I decided NOT to try bath, brushing teeth, etc. tonight.  Everyone is exhausted, and I thought it was better just to get sleep.

While the guys were gone, I tried to get Hanna and Lena to settle down, but Lena was too excited by her new clothes and trying to "help" with Hanna.  Once John was back, he took over with the girls, and I settled on the couch with Oleg and the computer.  Emma had sent me an email, so I responded to her and caught up on some other email stuff.  Next thing I know, Oleg is reading my emails out loud to me and actually doing quite well.  When we got to one from Cliff, he read it to me, read my response, and then I asked him if he wanted to say something to Papa.  He did, so I typed it for him and sent it.

The internet quit working, so I checked on John and the girls.  Lena was snoring but Hanna was still wide awake and really fighting sleep.  I really thought it could go either way, but I suspected that we might have trouble with her.  She did not have her nap this afternoon and was WAY past tired.  As I type, we are about 2-1/2 hours into trying to get her to sleep.  It is John's turn now.  Lena has barely moved since she went to sleep.  Oleg is asleep, too.  Looks like a long night for John and me.

Somehow I got here without a camera.  Thankfully, Zhenia has  taken some great pics today, so I will post when I get a chance.

I think it may be time for me to go give John a break.  Wish me luck!

Getting to Izmyil

Train ride was uneventful.  We actually slept fairly well, although it helped that we had already been traveling for more than 24 hours and were exhausted.  

We arrived in Odessa around 6am.  Yuri, our driver, met us at the train and helped us get the bags to the car.  Then we started for Izmyil.

The road to Izmyil actually took us through Moldova for about 15-20 minutes.  So now John has unofficially been to Moldova as well as Ukraine.  About an hour from Izmyil we stopped at a roadside cafe to eat.  Since John needed to have a fully Ukrainian experience (according to Zhenia) we had the pork shish-kebab dinner for breakfast.  This is the same restaurant that Vitaly took us to on our first trip.  It was a definite hit even if it wasn’t a traditional breakfast.  

We arrived in Izmyil around 10:30 and went to the flat.  We had determined that we would need to stay here 1 night, and we needed some rest.  Zhenia left us and went to do work (pictures of the kids for the embassy, documents, notary, etc.).  We freshened up and got a quick nap.  We also went to the bank to change some money and went to the grocery store to get some supplies.  On the way back to the flat, we met Zhenia in the taxi.  He was looking for us to take us to the orphanage to see the kids.  I had forgotten the phone in the flat, so we didn’t know he was on the way.

At the orphanage, we met first with the director.  I gave her a donation for the orphanage and signed some documents.  She gave us the kids’ medical and school records and some documents needed for the rest of the process. Then she asked if I was happy about the kids.  I assured her that I was very happy.  Then we went to find the kids.

Turns out they were outside (it was a beautiful day).  I saw Lena first.  She came walking up to me with this, “where have you been” look on her face.  She seemed glad to see me, but she did not hug me.  Oleg, on the other hand, was behind me, and when I turned around, I saw him running toward me with a big smile on his face and his arms outstretched for a hug.  It was a GREAT hug!

We went inside to visit - to our usual spot.  I introduced John to the kids before we went in, and they seemed to take to him quite readily.  The kids entertained us for quite some time by wrestling with each other.  Oleg was quite gentle with Lena but definitely the dominant wrestler.  But Lena was persistent.   He let her get him down a couple of times, and she took full advantage.  Its a wonder she didn’t hurt HIM. 

An Italian couple came in with their boys, and our friends from California came in with their boys.  All the kids kind of played back and forth between us all for a while.  Then Oleg asked John if he wrestled.  So they wrestled some as well while Lena pretended to be asleep.  And, of course, they ate the snacks I brought.  All in all, we had a good visit.

As we were leaving, Oleg asked if they were going, too.  I told him we would be there in the morning to get them.  Haven’t seen a smile that big in quite a while!

After the orphanage, we went to another restaurant that we tried on the first visit - the little hole in the wall - for an early supper.  We enjoyed a Romanian soup, pork chop, and homestyle potatoes.  John had a Ukrainian beer, and Zhenia and I had green tea.  We sat and talked for a long time.  Zhenia gave John a short version of his background and passion for helping orphans.  It is quite a story.

Back at the flat, John and I decided that we needed to stay up until about 9pm, so we spent a couple of hours just talking about all kinds of stuff.  I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad we took the time.  After tonight we will have the kids with us and may not have another opportunity to talk like that.

Update on the bag:

My missing luggage was delivered to Andre, our driver in Kiev.  Zhenia arranged for Yuri, the driver from Odessa, to drive to Kiev, pick up the bag, and deliver it to us in Izmyil.  This is no small task.  Yuri left Izmyil after dropping us at the flat and should return about 2am.  John agreed to get up in the night to receive the bag and pay Yuri (thank you, John!).  Whew!  Now we have clothes for the kids and the gifts that we brought for our Ukrainian friends.

Plan for tomorrow:

For whatever reason, the court decree was not ready today as we thought it would/should be.   So......

We will be ready to go tomorrow at 7:45.  We will get the court decree, go to the orphanage to get the kids, and get on the road to their hometown to get their birth certificates issued in their new names according to the court decree.  We have all the documents we need from the older kids’ orphanage, so the next stop will be to pick up Hanna and her documents.  Then we go to Odessa for their tax numbers and to apply for passports.  We hope to get all of that done tomorrow.  Vitaly will drive us, so I will be able to give him his gift - a jar of peanut butter.

I hope I can sleep tonight!

Public Dance

So in our wanderings today, John and I stopped to watch some street dancers and a live TV show featuring dancing.  The street dancers were pretty good.  John even recognized some of their music selections.  The TV show was a bust, though.  Not nearly as interesting as we had hoped.  Lots of what appeared to be technical difficulties.

John took some video of both events.  When I get it, I will post it, so you can enjoy it as well.  It may be a while, but I'll let you know when I post it.

Back to Ukraine!

After a week at home trying to make preparations to bring our three new gifts home, my brother and I left for Ukraine.  Our flight left Houston mid-morning.  We changed planes in Newark and again in Frankfurt before arriving in Kiev at one this afternoon (6am CST - we are now 7 hours ahead with the time change in the States).

Upon arrival we learned that one of my bags did not make it to Kiev.  It was checked straight through from Houston, but with 2 plane changes, it could have gotten "misplaced."  Zhenia's VIP arrival crew took very good care of us.  We got all the necessary paperwork filed, and we hope to have the bag located and on its way to us tomorrow.  Unfortunately it happens to be the bag with all the kids' clothes and the gifts we brought for some of our friends here.

After filing our paperwork, we met Zhenia and Andre and headed into Kiev.  Zhenia helped us stow our bags and then left us in our old neighborhood to wait until 9pm when he comes back to get us for our overnight train to Odessa.

In the meantime, I showed John around.  We walked up the hill to St. Sophia and down the street to St. Michael.  This time at St. Michael, we went inside (we couldn't go on our last trip, because we didn't have scarves or hats to cover our heads).  Once inside, we were struck by the intricate and ornate artwork.  Not speaking or reading the language, we really didn't know what were were seeing.  It appeared to be several "stations" dedicated to saints or apostles with candle sticks for people to light candles.  For what purpose?  We don't know.  It seemed to be an elaborate process of crossing themselves (like in the Catholic Church), kissing the likeness of the saint, praying (possibly) and then lighting the candle.  Very interesting.

From there we walked to the overlook of the river and then down to the square.  By then we were thirsty, so I showed John the market.  After that we located at McDonald's for some free wifi, and here I am posting.  We are going to the cafeteria for supper.  Then more waiting until 9pm.  Probably back at McD's, as it is our meeting place with Zhenia.

More soon!  We may have the older kids tomorrow night!

Meet Our New Family

And now it is time to introduce you to our kids.  You will recognize Emma and Vivian in the pictures.


First is Hanna Sofia Johnson (pronounced HAH-nah), formerly known as “Thumbelina.”  She’s three and a half.  Born in September 2007.  She had a rough start in life but she’s tenacious and here for a reason.


Next is Helena Elizabeth Johnson, nicknamed Lena (pronounced Lenna) and formerly known as “Giggles.”  She’s 6 and a half and born on her cousin Holly’s birthday in 2004.  She may be small, but she’s full of personality.


And Oleg Matthew Johnson (pronounced ah-LEG), formerly known as “GameBoy.”  He’s eleven and born on his Uncle John’s birthday in 2000.  


You will remember that the kids are in different orphanages, so we don’t have everyone all in one picture, yet.  I'll post more when I get a chance.

Emma, Papa, Hanna, Vivian

Lena, Mama, Oleg, Papa, Vivian, Emma

Court Today!

The court building (the only one in Izmyil for all civil, criminal and administrative matters) is down the street from our flat.  We really could have walked, but Zhenia insisted that we drive.  More professional.  Walk to SDA.  Drive to court.

We arrived before the kids.  They came separately with the lawyer for the orphanage.  GameBoy arrived with his short haircut, new sweater, new coat, too big slacks and a HUGE smile on his face.  Giggles was buried in her coat (girls size 12 with sleeves rolled up), striped turtle neck, blue cable cardigan sweater, adorable jeans with heart patches on the knee, the coolest little girl boots and her normal beautiful smile.

We gathered inside and waited for the inspector to arrive.  We were about 30 min early for our court time at 3pm.  Everyone was excited and a little anxious.  I don’t think Vivian breathed until court was over.

A little after 3 the court administrator called our case, and we moved into the court room to wait for the judge and jury to come in.  We were surprised that there was another couple there for an adoption (Ukrainians adopting a younger child).  We knew we were being squeezed in.  We just didn’t realize HOW squeezed.

The judge and 2 jurors arrived and took their places at the head of the room.  The Prosecutor was on our right and the inspector and lawyer for the orphanage on our left.  Zhenia sat with us and translated the proceeding.  GameBoy and Giggles sat with us on the front row.  Emma and Vivian sat behind us.

The judge read our petition and then asked us questions.  Each of us had to stand, state our name, birth date, address, and occupation.  He also asked each of us if we had been told and understood the health of each child.  He asked Cliff about our other children, so he introduced Emma and Vivian.  He asked me why we wanted to adopt.  We each had to state our request for the court to approve the adoption petition.  Then he asked for the comments and recommendation of each official.  The Prosecutor stated that he “fully supported” our petition in the interest of the children.  The inspector and the attorney also supported the petition in the interest of the children.

We expected the judge to talk to the children.  Perhaps ask their thoughts about the adoption or somehow gage their understanding of what was happening.  He did not.

Then the judge and jury members adjourned to consider the petition.  In the interim, we chatted with the Prosecutor (through Zhenia) and played quietly with the kids.  The prosecutor has a good sense of humor, and law is his “family business.” 

The judge and jury came back about 15 min later.  The judge read the whole order and pronounced us a family.  Then he wished us good luck.

To celebrate we took the kids to have pizza.  We gluten free folk tried local Ukrainian salads (my opinion, all were good) and either borscht or chicken soup.  Then we took the kids back to our flat.  GameBoy thought it was “so cool.”  We visited with the kids, told them that we had to go back to the States for a few days, and gave GameBoy a GameBoy and 2 games to play while we’re gone.  Then we had to say Good Bye.

I can’t tell you how hard it is to leave them here even for 10 days.  I know they are okay, but I will miss them terribly.  

Hair Cut and Lost Tooth

Today we arrived at the orphanage to find that GameBoy had gotten a haircut and Giggles had lost a tooth.  A lot can happen over night!  GameBoy doesn't like the haircut.  Too short, he says.  Makes me wonder what he'll want when he has a choice!

We don't know how (because we haven't talked to him about it) but GameBoy knows about court tomorrow.  We had a brief conversation about it.  We have not talked with the kids about our impending absence.  We thought it best to do that with an interpreter.  Zhenia will be back tomorrow, so we'll tackle that subject with him.

Another family here had court today.  From their blog, it went well, and we now have some idea of what will happen today when we go.

All in all another good day.

Yes! We have a court date!

We just heard from Zhenia that we have a confirmed court date of Thursday the 3rd at 3pm.  Yea!

This means we will leave Izmyil on Thursday after court and drive to Odessa to catch the overnight train to Kiev.  We will then fly out on Friday and arrive home on Saturday.  Just in time to put Cliff on another plane to Atlanta for the Board meeting.  Still trying to figure out how THAT will work, but at least he will BE there!  On time!

For future planning, our 10 day waiting period (we don't expect a longer one) should be up on Sunday the 13th, so I will need to be on the ground in Izmyil on the 14th to pick up the court decree and head to the town where the kids were born to get their birth certificates and other documents.  If that goes well, "Gotcha Day" could be the 15th.  We will still have more to do before we can come home, but we should be back around the 23rd (hopefully before!).

Continued Visits

Continuing to visit the kids each day.  GameBoy calls us everyday to find out when we're coming.  Sometimes several times a day (yesterday it was 12 times between 7am and 2pm).

Showed them pictures of their little sister the other day.  GameBoy said, "She's so big!"  Giggles said, "She's so little!"  They haven't seen her in a couple of years.  Funny their different perspectives.

No confirmation on a court date, but then nothing happens on weekends.  Zhenia says we will know definitely tomorrow.  New plan when we get that info.  Will be home this week (without the kids) no matter what.  Just a matter of WHEN.

Izmyil Flat

Here are some pictures of our flat in Izmyil.  It is smaller than the Kiev flat and arranged a little differently.  We "measured" it to be about 500sqft.  We have a living area that doubles as the girls' bedroom, a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom (with the luxuries of an Italian washing machine and a heated floor).

Feeling Better

Feeling better today.  Fever broke in the night.  Felt up to eating by lunchtime.

Went to the orphanage in the morning.  Only saw GameBoy.  Giggles was in the nurse's office.  The secretary told us she was sick.  Gave GameBoy his R/C car.  He LOVED it!  Couldn't stay long, because we still had to drive 2 hours to the other orphanage to see Thumbelina.

At our visit with GameBoy, we met another American couple from Longmont, CO.  They are doing their second Ukrainian adoption.  They have 4 kids of their own (his and hers) teenagers and up.  They adopted a teenage girl from Eastern Ukraine a couple of years ago.  And they currently have 2 exchange students - 1 from Russia and 1 from Thailand (I think).  And they are here to adopt 2 that they had last summer as part of a hosting program.

While we were at the orphanage, Zhenia was at court trying to get our court date.  It appears that the soonest they can schedule us is the 4th.  Something about accepting a jury for civil cases.  The jury is supposed to be accepted Friday, but it could be Monday.  There are families here who have been waiting up to 2 weeks for the jury to be selected, so they can have their court dates.   We didn't even know that a jury was involved.  That wasn't part of our "education" about the process.  But apparently it is necessary.  If the jury is not approved Friday, then the court cases for next week could be delayed.  The 4th just isn't going to work for us.  Cliff has to be in Atlanta on the 5th for a 3 day meeting of his executive committee and Board of Directors that starts at 9am on the 6th.  So our only option (assuming what we hear about the jury is true and that we can't get an earlier date) is to set a later court date, go home for Cliff's meeting, come back for court, go home for the waiting period and come back to pick up the kids.  Whew!  Still working it out.

After a quick lunch, we piled in the car and left for Bilhorod Dnistrovs'kyy.  Vitali is our driver now.  Zhenia really likes him.  Cliff does, too.  He is good people.  He drove Cliff and Zhenia to the kids' birthplace to get the corrected court decree a couple of days ago.  Apparently it was quite a ride.

In Bilhorod Dnistrovs'kyy we had an appointment with a city official at 4:30pm.  She is like a Deputy Mayor. She meets with all adoptive parents, asks some questions, and signs a paper approving the adoption.  We weren't sure what to expect.  Zhenia said very few officials do this, and you never quite know what their motivations is.  This woman was quite nice.  It seemed like a formality only and not an inquisition.  She wished us  much patience and wisdom.  She told the girls that Cliff and I would need their help.

From there we went to the orphanage to see Thumbelina.  The Director was just about to leave, so we got there just in time.  We visited with her for a while.  Another very nice lady.  We took a picture together.  And then we got to spend about 20 minutes or so with Thumbelina.  She doesn't seem as little now as she did before.  I remembered to take out my tape measure and get some measurements for our growth charts.  Once I plotted them, I am quite pleased with her progress.  She is very small for her age, but she is proportionate and showing great growth progress.  Her speech is clear.  Cliff was tickling her, and she very clearly asked him to stop (in Russian, translated by Zhenia).  And she has a terrific giggle.  The visit was way too short, but we had a long drive back to Izmyil.

Zhenia left us with Vitali and went to Odessa to catch the train to Kiev.  He will turn in necessary paperwork to SDA to get their approval for court (they have 5 days to provide).  On our way back to Izmyil, Vitali stopped for supper at a little restaurant.  He ordered pork kebabs, cabbage salad, borscht, and fried potatoes.  It was really yummy.  I wished I could eat more of it, but my stomach was not quite ready for so much food.  The cabbage salad was really good.  We would probably call it coleslaw, but it is not like any coleslaw I have ever had.  The pork was amazing - crispy and well seasoned.  And the borscht was very good.  Probably the "worst" part of the meal was the fries.  Apparently the men had stopped here on their other trip and wanted to share the experience with us girls.

We arrived back at the flat a little before 10pm - exhausted but happy.

Continued prayers for court - that even if we can't get in earlier that at least the families that have been waiting longer will not be delayed anymore.

Sick Day

Short post today.  I have been sick since the middle of the night.  Upset stomach and now fever.  Haven't been able to keep anything in me except yogurt and dilute fruit juice.

Had to re-do a document this morning which required a trip to the notary.  I thought I was going to hurl the entire time but managed to wait until we got back to the flat.

Didn't see the kids today.  Wishing Cliff and the girls had gone.  GameBoy didn't get to see him yesterday.  He has called a couple of times today really wanting to see us.

Zhenia spent the afternoon in the city of the other orphanage working on papers there.  Heard from him and all is in order.  He's on his way back.

Plan for the next few days:

Other orphanage tomorrow to see Thumbelina.  We need pictures for court, and we just want to see her.  Hopefully we can get in a short visit with the big kids here first.  Really want GameBoy to get some Cliff time.

Cliff and Zhenia will leave from there to go back to Odessa and on to Kiev.  Zhenia will submit paperwork to SDA on Friday morning.  Cliff will go to the embassy to sign papers allowing me to come back without him to pick up the kids (more on that when I feel better).  The girls and I will come back here to Izmyil and be on our own on Friday.

Cliff comes back to Izmyil Saturday without Zhenia, and we continue to visit the kids.

Hopefully Zhenia will pick up SDA papers on Monday and be on the night train back here.  If we can have court on Tuesday, we can be on our way home Wednesday.

Prayers:

That I will feel much better VERY soon.

That we get to see the big kids tomorrow before we go to visit Thumbelina.  Good visits all around.

Safe travel for all of us.

That SDA will get their paperwork done and ready for pickup on Monday (they have up to 5 working days), so we can have court on Tues or Weds.

That the embassy cooperates fully in all that we need done.

For us girls alone without our man for 2 nights and 2 days.

For homesickness.  We all miss the familiarity of home.  Emma in particular.

Thanks so much.  More soon!

Another Good Day

The kids had their physicals for the court paperwork.  Giggles was running a slight temperature and GameBoy had a runny nose, but otherwise all seems to be well.  Cliff and Zhenia went to the city where the kids were born to get the court paper fixed.  They had about a 2 hour drive one way.  Talked briefly to Cliff and it appears all is well there.  Waiting for him to get back to get a full report.

The girls and I went to visit the kids.  GameBoy was a bit disappointed that Cliff wasn't with us.  He really enjoys his attention.  We brought an R/C car with us, but apparently the battery didn't charge properly.  So we didn't have much to do.  Happily, though, we managed.

There's another American couple there adopting 2 boys (10 and 7), so we talked a bit while playing with our kids.  And the boys played together.  They had a puzzle and this magnetic building set (can't remember what its called).  Giggles and their youngest are in the same groupa and are good buds.  We exchanged email addresses to keep in touch.  The mom has a video of Giggles and their son dancing together in the Valentine's Day celebration, and she said she will send it to me.

I could tell that Giggles didn't feel well.  She didn't make an entrance when she came in, and she didn't jump into my lap as usual.  No camera, and no silliness.  Then she said she wasn't hungry.  What?  Is this the same little girl?  Eventually she did accept a juice box, and she took her banana for later.  She tried a Twix bar but gave it back.  The nurse came and took her back to the clinic for a while.  Not sure what went on there.  Feels weird that my child - who is not yet legally my child - is receiving medical care and I don't know what's going on.  Did that make sense?

Update:  Cliff says all went well with fixing the court document.  Yes!

Answered Prayers . . .And More Requests

Well, its official.  GameBoy spoke with the orphanage director and the inspector and made it abundantly clear that he wants to be adopted by us.  Zhenia said that he said something like, "I already told you 'yes.'"  It sounds a bit abrupt to us Americans, but it is normal Russian phrasing.  He was just emphasizing that he has not changed his mind.

Zhenia also spoke with another facilitator that is working with an Italian family, and she said that GameBoy told their boy that he had spoken with the other American family and they told him it was good that we wanted to adopt him and wished him luck.  This is what I prayed for but had no way to knowing would happen.  I would like to think I would do the same thing in their shoes.

So we had a good visit with the kids today.  They are settling in with us, and we are seeing a new comfort level.  We take them snacks (usually fruit, juice and some candy) and play games and try to talk.  Today GameBoy introduced his best friend, and they played games on the cell phones for a while.  The camera got a rest today, as Giggles found other amusements.  We did a puzzle, "played" Uno (she has her own rules), tickled and wrestled a bit.

Yesterday GameBoy asked for a cell phone so he can call us and keep in touch.  We brought that for him today, and he was thrilled.  He called us about 30 min after we left this evening (we were in the cab outside the inspector's office), asked to talk to each person in turn, and tried very hard to use his English.  It was really sweet.

Zhenia spent the time marshaling the paperwork.  Unfortunately he found that the court order severing parental rights contained some errors.  It will have to be corrected before we can proceed.  The inspectors need this document to complete their paperwork.  So tomorrow he and Cliff will make a 2 hour drive to the city where the order was originally filed to pick up a corrected order.  Fortunately Zhenia has been able to lay the groundwork by phone, so it should just be a matter of picking up the order and coming back to Izmyil.

While they are gone, the girls and I will go over to the orphanage and visit the kids.  Should be interesting - especially with GameBoy.  He really enjoys Cliff, so it will be different for him.

We had a celebratory supper at a "hole in the wall" restaurant that was out of this world good.  We had the biggest pork chops I think I've ever seen, a Romanian/Bulgarian beef soup (yum!), and homestyle potatoes.

Now for the prayer requests:  That the court order is quickly and easily corrected and ready for pick up tomorrow; that Cliff and Zhenia will have safe travel to and from the court; that the rest of the paperwork will be quickly and accurately prepared and ready for pick up when we need it; that USCIS will swiftly process our request to bring the kids home (we need this document to schedule our court date); that we will be able to have our court date on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, so Cliff can get home in time for his Board Meeting.

Fourth Visit

Today we met with the kids without Zhenia.  He had to go back to Kiev yesterday for some paperwork (we're not clear if it was for us or for another family).  So we were a bit nervous about flying without a net (translator), but we did fine.  We remembered the backpack, so we had the coloring books, soccer ball, snacks, etc. Game Boy met us at the door with smiles and a hug for Cliff.  We went to the same open area as before.  We talked a bit waiting for Giggles to arrive - she always makes an entrance!

Once Giggles arrived, we got down to the business of playing.  Cliff and Game Boy wrestled a bit.  Game Boy went back to his room to get a toy truck to show us.  A friend came by with cookies for each child.  Giggles insisted on sharing with us (we are gluten free but decided to eat the tiny pieces that she wanted to share).  We all played Uno together (Giggles and I made a good team, but she doesn't quite get the rules yet).  We colored, did puzzles, and played soccer (until we got in "trouble").  Giggles did some more camera work.

We got a bit miffed about 30 min into the visit when Game Boy asked to call Zhenia.  We didn't know why but thought it couldn't hurt.  He had his conversation and came back to play.  Some friends stopped by and he sort of introduced us and showed off a bit.

For snacks we brought bananas, apples, and candy bars (forgot the juice).  Giggles likes bananas, and I gave her a Ukrainian chocolate covered wafer cookie.  She ended up with a chocolate ring around her mouth, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.  Game Boy (and Emma and Vivian) got Snickers.  I tried to collect the wrapper to throw away, but he said, "Not trash" and took it from me to show his friends later.

A few of their friends came and played with us, too.  Puzzles and coloring.  They seemed pleased to be included.

Toward the end of our visit, Game Boy asked to call Zhenia again (actually, I think he had the phone, had watched Cliff call before, and dialed Zhenia as he asked for permission).  They spoke briefly and then he passed the phone to me.  Zhenia told me that Game Boy asked when we were going to take them home with us.  I didn't know what to say.  I don't think it totally registered at first.  So I told Zhenia that he was in a better position to tell him when.  I passed the phone back to Game Boy.  They spoke a bit more.  He seemed satisfied and that was that.

When we got back to the flat, Zhenia called and talked with Cliff.  Apparently the first call from Game Boy was to ask Zhenia if we brought any gifts today (that is very important in orphan culture).  We left the Hot Wheels coloring book, the colored pencils, a Phineas and Ferb activity book, and the soccer ball with him, so I think we passed on that account.  Plus he had the Snickers wrapper.  The second call was as stated above.  Zhenia asked what we thought and should we proceed.  Cliff said proceed.

So now we have a lot of paperwork to get done tomorrow to make this adoption work.  Zhenia will be back tomorrow to get this done and then back on the train to Kiev to file the papers with the SDA on Wednesday and get their papers to register with the court.  They have 5 days to get back to us.  We hope to have the SDA papers on Monday and court on Tuesday.  Then we can come home.  We won't have the kids with us, but we can come home for the waiting period, Cliff can make it to his Board meeting, and we can start preparing our house for 3 new kids instead of 1.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!