Dohbrehootra from Vladivostok! It is Sunday morning here and I am sitting on the couch with Christina and my “new” oldest daughter as we watch some Russian cartoon. We would love to go to church, but a driver and car would cost us $100, money we can't afford to spend right now.
Things have gotten better each day. Our son no longer fights bed time, and the oldest is no longer afraid of being in public. Previously, she would ask to go to sleep if we were in the lobby (or the playground) around other locals or other families. Last night we had supper with about four other couples. One of the couples adopted a daughter from the same home as our children and she is about two years older than our oldest. She was quite comfortable in the restaurant and never asked to go back to the room. She even walked to the market this morning with me. She got a little upset because she wanted to spend the night with her friend who is just a couple of rooms down from. Neither set of parents thought that would be a good idea right now. This is a period of adjustment and bonding that we need to work through. I am so happy we got the children during the 10 day wait. I can not imagine working through all that we have in the short time we have between the day we receive our documents and then fly to Moscow. That would be a little stressful!
We are all very, very tired. I am the jungle gym they all climb on and jump on and, mom is the giant teddy bear they all like to hug. Poor Christina is worn out as well – mostly from continuously telling our son nyet. For families coming to Vlad, there is a brand new swing and playground set, very big, for all the children. The weather now is still very cool and the kids have to bundle up to go outside. With their immune system weak, we are afraid to let them stay outside long.
We called our son this morning on Skype and it was good to talk to him. I told him when we got home, he had to take me somewhere to buy a large Coke full of ice. Ice is rare here. You can get some in a glass if you ask for it, but we don't have it in our rooms because the sink water is unfiltered. The staff here at the Inn are very accommodating and helpful. They will do what they can to help. The best thing is that they think nothing of kids running around. The restaurant is popular among the locals, particularly local officials and their families. As a result, there are many kids here running around.
Friday was the last day for Rebecca, our social worker with our agency in St. Louis. She was the best! Many would simply refer to her as a coordinator, but she was more than that to us. She became part of our extended family in the past 14 months. We sent her an e-mail thanking her for her help in making these children part of our family.
A small stomach bug appears to be making rounds. Our youngest threw up yesterday and Christina threw up last night. It has not hit me or Dawn yet. I know my stomach is a little more tolerable than Dawn and Christina's.
Tomorrow, we have photos for the kid's passport's taken. One step closer to getting home! In a couple of days we can use names and post pictures.
2 comments:
Hi guys! It's wonderful to hear how much your children have progressed in the short time you have been together! Love is an amazing gift. It's so neat to "watch" your children thrive via your blog! Glad to hear there is new playground equipment. That will come in handy, I'm sure! Praying that you stay healthy and continue to have great bonding time with your children!
Oh! I hope the stomach bug stays away from you! It will be exciting when you can post pictures! I sounds like your children are making very good progress.
Post a Comment