I caved we are leaving in 2 days.
Thank God.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Days 7 & 8: Trains, Caviar and the International Incident(s) oh my!
Praise the lord - INTERNET CONNECTION!
I feel better now that I'm plugged in:) Since I could not access the internet last night, I am rolling two posts into one. I have to leave my good friend's flat to get wi-fi service. She does have it but we cannot get my iPad to accept the password:(
I'm officially tired ya'll and I'm now living with my friends mother Ludmila (and as of today, her husband Sasha) in my friends apartment but my friend is in Turkey. The last time I saw Ludmila, she was cursing me out in Russian LOL, for being a dumb 18 year old girl who, in total collusion with my friend, got into big trouble all over the globe.
Awesome:)
All is well though, she does NOT speak any English. So far so good, she has been bending over backwards to be nice to us. A little too much backward though, as I found out this morning when I spoke to our adoption team here in Moscow, I'll explain as I go through the post. She's being mama bear for me and I so appreciate it but she's also Cossak, and them sort of Russian's don't take no foolishness, or no for an answer!
So, yesterday went a little something like this:
- A morning out to buy flowers for E to go with her gift from us Region 2 Hand-In-Hand adoption agency families, plus a few other kind souls. I had NO clue what I was doing at the flower stand but I think I spent $60.00 on a bouquet, whups. They were really pretty, E loved them. In my mind, I thought I was spending $30.00, oh well, just don't call me a math major, in fact don't call me for anything math related. Thanks.
We took a last play at the fountain, throwing in all the random Ruble coins I had and which confuse me because of the denominations, so I was gald for Ian to throw in about 30 of them! To say he had a ball would be an understatement! I'm sure people thought I was abusing him when it was time to leave, he screamed and cried and stomped and all that. Oye.
A fond farewell to The Coffeshop Company, which was the closest I could get to Starbuck's - I started calling it "Rus-bucks" after a while.
- A tearful departure at the delivery of E's "Fund of Hope." The total gift was $3,300.00!! I have VIDEO of this moment but you all know I cannot post it till I get home, unless I find an iPad app that can handle mpegs. She cried and cried, and I am sure she would have continued had it not been in front of our driver Sergey. She said she has never been given a gift like that and I just know it was relief for her. I watched her breathe a deep sigh afterwards and to me, that spelled success for us in trying to help her get through this difficult period of her life with three families to care for and being so overworked with OUR adoptions.
- A 4.5 hour train ride with Ian, his FIRST ever, and my first ever on a new Russian train, kinda looks like the Shinkansen Bullet Train I rode in Japan. Cool! I love the fast train. I am SO SAD Ari is not here for this, he would LOVE this. Mommy will take you on a bullet train sweetie, I SO promise!
That's Elena and Sergey with Ian.
Thank goodness E and Sergey, our driver, took us right to the seats, or I would NOT have managed the luggage and Ian alone. You have to keep a KungFu grip on Ian or he'll be driving the train off before you realize he's gone!
It was a little hectic on the train, you have to be just about FIRST in line (remember this those R2 families going after me) to get a space for your luggage if you have anything other than carry on size bags that will not fit above your seat. These trains were not built to hold baggage, so it can be a fight to get space. There was almost an international incident when a guy from England put his thousand pound (haha, they use pounds for money in Britain yeah? ahahah) bag on top of mine, watched it crush them and then got mad because I asked him to please move his bag. This was AFTER the Italian tourist group ALSO asked them not to throw their heavy bags on top of theirs....Oye Vey! The English?? I had no idea, I thought the Italians we're known as the ruder ones. Rest assured, I'm being a very good representative of the United States, and I will be SO HAPPY to be HOME on US SOIL again.
Ian did great on the train, just playing in his seat, sleeping, and eating. He loves to eat, he laughs when something seems so absurd to him - like eating on a train, shoot, just being on a train has to make his mind just about explode. It's really cute to watch.
We were served a three course meal. Note to future families, choose the Fish and not the Beef, trust me on that one.
- Arrival in Moscow at 6:00 pm. I thought we were being met by our Moscow facilitators husband. This was not the case. We were met by a very much oder man who struggled with our luggage and who did not speak English well and who drove like a complete maniac. I didn't care for this change of plans without my notice. I am frustrated with the Moscow team, but I am trying to hold my tongue until we get home and then I will be writing a LONG letter to our agency. The things that are happening here could have ALL been avoided with some simple professional level communication. OYE!!!!!
Ludmila however, ain't holding her tongue! In fact, I found out this morning that she was furious with the taxi driver over what he charged me, $60.00 US. I did not know this yesterday, all I knew was that she and he were exchanging words. Olga, our Moscow adoption facilitator (and she is NOT an Elena at all, which is part of the issue for me, she's lacking and I'll leave it at that), told me this this morning over the phone as we dealt with another issue - the doctor.
- Arrival at my friends Moscow flat was um, ScArY! So, I told you that Anastasia's address was considered one of the best addresses in the city. So, when we pulled up and I saw this:
I could not beleive we were at the right place. Could this be it? When Ludmila came out, I knew it was the right place and I was sure E had made a mistake in thinking this was some prestigious address, as she has used the word to describe it to me. Not that I cared AT ALL, I was just surprised. Things can look like an absolute disaster on the outside in Russia, but can be very, very nice on the inside, or not, either way, curb appeal is just in my blood and my mind has a hard time thinking that front door in the photo above could lead to a place I'd wanna stay.
Then, the door was opened and, WOW! Anastasia and I would get along famously as intereior deigneers. It looks like they own stock in IKEA. I love her place and I am grateful to be their guests. It is comfortable. Her two children are away at camp and her husband just returned from the US, buying film making equipment for a big event they will run this September in Moscow.
They have a maid, her name is Larissa. She cleaned last night for two hours and all day today. She is still here cleaning. Last night, Ian had another first with this jetted, LIT bathtub! Heaven would not even describe where I think he thought he was!
Settling in last night went a lot better than I had expected. Of course dummy, Nastia's parents would not still be mad with me over things that two dumb 18 year old girls did! Thank goodness. She has been very, very kind to Vasya and I.
She's a grandmother. Enter BIG problem and another AMAZING thing about this orphan no more in our midst. When you go to grandma's house, you get to do and sometimes behave, in ways that are not allowed at home. This is why grandma's house is the bomb! So, Ian GETS THIS concept and took full advantage of it from jump. Ludmila does not get it about him and this is his FIRST time ever in a HOUSE.
BAB Luda has replaced Mama for the time being, as most favorite person. She speaks Russian for one, and since Ian understands all that is said to him, this no doubt comforts him. She could care less about his behavior and keeps telling me I can fix it all when we get to Amerika! Baahahaha - so you are riding on the plane with me and him then right! With Baba, so much is possible, like running freely in the water soaked muddy pants (where he promptly FELL and was COVERED in mud, crying and screaming). This was the sight of international near miss incident #2 in which a group of Russian's laughed at Ian when he fell and was crying. It took ALL of me not to freak out and start giving them a piece of my mind. I did the "how dare you" stare and got him out of there.
Where I get to swing in a swing that mama said no to for several reasons, but that Baba said yes to (I'm not mad, it's funny really, I'm just SO exhausted mentally at this point, and I've put in A LOT of hard work last week in getting Ian with a program of behaving before that plane ride. To see it all kind of fall apart, it's just hard)
EATING flipping CAVIER by the SPOONFULS! (I swear, this has got be a FIRST, out 5 days from an orphanage where he's spent his ENTIRE life and eating Caviar by the spoonful in the house of a Russian filmmaker - OYE!)
OHHHHH he has been SO SO Naughty! Yelling, screaming, refusing to hold my hand outside, touching things he knows he should not touch (granted the apartment is not child proof as Nastia's kids are 10 and 15), HITTING me and laughing about it, not listening to anyone. He's behaving like he did those times we met him and he was like a caged animal.
So, here is where I guess I get to keep it real. Rose colors nowhere in sight,
it never fails that when I SAY things are going well, they inevitably tank. This time it has to do with three things: (1) the Moscow team and I don't gel, at all; (2) Ian is TRIPPING! and (3) my attitude again. I'm so ready to be done with this trip. I could get out of here in 2 days but it would cost me $500 and I don't want to spend it because we need it for Ian when we get home. His Caridogram will be half that right off. I don't want to wast money because I feel blue, that seems like a quitter to me.
I need some help with Ian, he's more than a handful now. The screaming and yelling are really wearing on me. There is simply no way to keep him from doing this. He is VERY impatient and is ALL about instant gratification. He's off his routine and I can tell it is bothering him. He just has SO much to take in, it's nearly impossible for me to expect him to be appropriate, but I have to make all attempts. Lordy, I need a break for just a moment. I sleep when he sleeps so every waking moment we are together, just me and him, I have no one to talk to, adult wise. Not having Skype yesterday was so depressing because I've been talking to my mom and my son at home everyday and that has helped me to get through this. Craig is out of touch as you know on his retreat so I can't confide in him other than in emails that cannot be answered right now.
Yikes, I will freely ADMIT that this IS much harder than I thought it would be. I'm tired and I wanna go home:(
AND GOD KNOWS THIS....so you know what he did for me today? THREE THINGS! He countered the 3 things that were getting me down with three things lit me up!
(1) Ian and I went for a walk this morning. When I turned onto the main drag outside of Nastia's flat, BAM there it was!
Not sure what I'm showing you? How about closer:
Closer!
STARBUCKS!!!!!! Oh joy of joys, something that reminds me of home! Of course, I hurried 10 blocks up to the nearest street passage, UNDER THE STREET (you cannot cross on the streets in Moscow on top, you will be run over trying to cross 8 lanes where they drive at highway speeds)
Up the steps and then back 10 blocks and we were there, sitting, laughing, eating cheesecake, and feeling so much better! I am self-medicating with Cheeesecakes and Coffees - don't judge, it's helping:)
and guess who got a Starbucks Barista bear from Russia! Haha, Ian did! and I was not mad that I had to pay $25.00 for it. It made him happy.
(2) Nastia's husband came home last night and I met him today and HE SPEAKS ENGLISH! yeah! He fixed the Skype and translated some stuff Luda has been telling me in Russian that all I can do is to respond with a deer in the headlights look.
Last night, Luda talked to me for a while, then called someone and that person attempted to translate what she had said. Luda wanted to get a babysitter for me so I could have a little break. Luda does not apparently watch kids, or clean LOL. She does cook, well. She watches television in Christian Dior sunglasses and eats Caviar at dinner.
(3) I'm blogging from a "Rus-Bucks" with free Wi-Fi and I got my break. Ian is HAPPY as a clam as there is another LUDA babysitting him right now (who also incidentally has a son named Vasya) 2 Luda's and 2 Vasya's, wow. She is the professional babysitter for the major film studio here in Moscow. She's a grandmotherly type and of course, speaks Russian, no English. Ian's in 7th heaven.
Tomorrow: Another free day with which Ian and I will go to the Moscow Zoo! I'm excited about that. Red Square is within walking distance so we will also pay a visit there for the obligatory Red Square photograph. I have many memories of that place, it will be strange to be back under these circumstances.
Tuesday: 11:30 am interview at the US Embassy to process Ian's VISA and other things.
I have no idea what happens after that. We leave on Friday morning for Frankfurt and then a final flight home. I will lose it at the airport, and I'm looking forward to that.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I feel better now that I'm plugged in:) Since I could not access the internet last night, I am rolling two posts into one. I have to leave my good friend's flat to get wi-fi service. She does have it but we cannot get my iPad to accept the password:(
I'm officially tired ya'll and I'm now living with my friends mother Ludmila (and as of today, her husband Sasha) in my friends apartment but my friend is in Turkey. The last time I saw Ludmila, she was cursing me out in Russian LOL, for being a dumb 18 year old girl who, in total collusion with my friend, got into big trouble all over the globe.
Awesome:)
All is well though, she does NOT speak any English. So far so good, she has been bending over backwards to be nice to us. A little too much backward though, as I found out this morning when I spoke to our adoption team here in Moscow, I'll explain as I go through the post. She's being mama bear for me and I so appreciate it but she's also Cossak, and them sort of Russian's don't take no foolishness, or no for an answer!
So, yesterday went a little something like this:
- A morning out to buy flowers for E to go with her gift from us Region 2 Hand-In-Hand adoption agency families, plus a few other kind souls. I had NO clue what I was doing at the flower stand but I think I spent $60.00 on a bouquet, whups. They were really pretty, E loved them. In my mind, I thought I was spending $30.00, oh well, just don't call me a math major, in fact don't call me for anything math related. Thanks.
We took a last play at the fountain, throwing in all the random Ruble coins I had and which confuse me because of the denominations, so I was gald for Ian to throw in about 30 of them! To say he had a ball would be an understatement! I'm sure people thought I was abusing him when it was time to leave, he screamed and cried and stomped and all that. Oye.
A fond farewell to The Coffeshop Company, which was the closest I could get to Starbuck's - I started calling it "Rus-bucks" after a while.
- A tearful departure at the delivery of E's "Fund of Hope." The total gift was $3,300.00!! I have VIDEO of this moment but you all know I cannot post it till I get home, unless I find an iPad app that can handle mpegs. She cried and cried, and I am sure she would have continued had it not been in front of our driver Sergey. She said she has never been given a gift like that and I just know it was relief for her. I watched her breathe a deep sigh afterwards and to me, that spelled success for us in trying to help her get through this difficult period of her life with three families to care for and being so overworked with OUR adoptions.
- A 4.5 hour train ride with Ian, his FIRST ever, and my first ever on a new Russian train, kinda looks like the Shinkansen Bullet Train I rode in Japan. Cool! I love the fast train. I am SO SAD Ari is not here for this, he would LOVE this. Mommy will take you on a bullet train sweetie, I SO promise!
That's Elena and Sergey with Ian.
Thank goodness E and Sergey, our driver, took us right to the seats, or I would NOT have managed the luggage and Ian alone. You have to keep a KungFu grip on Ian or he'll be driving the train off before you realize he's gone!
It was a little hectic on the train, you have to be just about FIRST in line (remember this those R2 families going after me) to get a space for your luggage if you have anything other than carry on size bags that will not fit above your seat. These trains were not built to hold baggage, so it can be a fight to get space. There was almost an international incident when a guy from England put his thousand pound (haha, they use pounds for money in Britain yeah? ahahah) bag on top of mine, watched it crush them and then got mad because I asked him to please move his bag. This was AFTER the Italian tourist group ALSO asked them not to throw their heavy bags on top of theirs....Oye Vey! The English?? I had no idea, I thought the Italians we're known as the ruder ones. Rest assured, I'm being a very good representative of the United States, and I will be SO HAPPY to be HOME on US SOIL again.
Ian did great on the train, just playing in his seat, sleeping, and eating. He loves to eat, he laughs when something seems so absurd to him - like eating on a train, shoot, just being on a train has to make his mind just about explode. It's really cute to watch.
We were served a three course meal. Note to future families, choose the Fish and not the Beef, trust me on that one.
- Arrival in Moscow at 6:00 pm. I thought we were being met by our Moscow facilitators husband. This was not the case. We were met by a very much oder man who struggled with our luggage and who did not speak English well and who drove like a complete maniac. I didn't care for this change of plans without my notice. I am frustrated with the Moscow team, but I am trying to hold my tongue until we get home and then I will be writing a LONG letter to our agency. The things that are happening here could have ALL been avoided with some simple professional level communication. OYE!!!!!
Ludmila however, ain't holding her tongue! In fact, I found out this morning that she was furious with the taxi driver over what he charged me, $60.00 US. I did not know this yesterday, all I knew was that she and he were exchanging words. Olga, our Moscow adoption facilitator (and she is NOT an Elena at all, which is part of the issue for me, she's lacking and I'll leave it at that), told me this this morning over the phone as we dealt with another issue - the doctor.
- Arrival at my friends Moscow flat was um, ScArY! So, I told you that Anastasia's address was considered one of the best addresses in the city. So, when we pulled up and I saw this:
I could not beleive we were at the right place. Could this be it? When Ludmila came out, I knew it was the right place and I was sure E had made a mistake in thinking this was some prestigious address, as she has used the word to describe it to me. Not that I cared AT ALL, I was just surprised. Things can look like an absolute disaster on the outside in Russia, but can be very, very nice on the inside, or not, either way, curb appeal is just in my blood and my mind has a hard time thinking that front door in the photo above could lead to a place I'd wanna stay.
Then, the door was opened and, WOW! Anastasia and I would get along famously as intereior deigneers. It looks like they own stock in IKEA. I love her place and I am grateful to be their guests. It is comfortable. Her two children are away at camp and her husband just returned from the US, buying film making equipment for a big event they will run this September in Moscow.
They have a maid, her name is Larissa. She cleaned last night for two hours and all day today. She is still here cleaning. Last night, Ian had another first with this jetted, LIT bathtub! Heaven would not even describe where I think he thought he was!
Settling in last night went a lot better than I had expected. Of course dummy, Nastia's parents would not still be mad with me over things that two dumb 18 year old girls did! Thank goodness. She has been very, very kind to Vasya and I.
She's a grandmother. Enter BIG problem and another AMAZING thing about this orphan no more in our midst. When you go to grandma's house, you get to do and sometimes behave, in ways that are not allowed at home. This is why grandma's house is the bomb! So, Ian GETS THIS concept and took full advantage of it from jump. Ludmila does not get it about him and this is his FIRST time ever in a HOUSE.
BAB Luda has replaced Mama for the time being, as most favorite person. She speaks Russian for one, and since Ian understands all that is said to him, this no doubt comforts him. She could care less about his behavior and keeps telling me I can fix it all when we get to Amerika! Baahahaha - so you are riding on the plane with me and him then right! With Baba, so much is possible, like running freely in the water soaked muddy pants (where he promptly FELL and was COVERED in mud, crying and screaming). This was the sight of international near miss incident #2 in which a group of Russian's laughed at Ian when he fell and was crying. It took ALL of me not to freak out and start giving them a piece of my mind. I did the "how dare you" stare and got him out of there.
Where I get to swing in a swing that mama said no to for several reasons, but that Baba said yes to (I'm not mad, it's funny really, I'm just SO exhausted mentally at this point, and I've put in A LOT of hard work last week in getting Ian with a program of behaving before that plane ride. To see it all kind of fall apart, it's just hard)
EATING flipping CAVIER by the SPOONFULS! (I swear, this has got be a FIRST, out 5 days from an orphanage where he's spent his ENTIRE life and eating Caviar by the spoonful in the house of a Russian filmmaker - OYE!)
OHHHHH he has been SO SO Naughty! Yelling, screaming, refusing to hold my hand outside, touching things he knows he should not touch (granted the apartment is not child proof as Nastia's kids are 10 and 15), HITTING me and laughing about it, not listening to anyone. He's behaving like he did those times we met him and he was like a caged animal.
So, here is where I guess I get to keep it real. Rose colors nowhere in sight,
it never fails that when I SAY things are going well, they inevitably tank. This time it has to do with three things: (1) the Moscow team and I don't gel, at all; (2) Ian is TRIPPING! and (3) my attitude again. I'm so ready to be done with this trip. I could get out of here in 2 days but it would cost me $500 and I don't want to spend it because we need it for Ian when we get home. His Caridogram will be half that right off. I don't want to wast money because I feel blue, that seems like a quitter to me.
I need some help with Ian, he's more than a handful now. The screaming and yelling are really wearing on me. There is simply no way to keep him from doing this. He is VERY impatient and is ALL about instant gratification. He's off his routine and I can tell it is bothering him. He just has SO much to take in, it's nearly impossible for me to expect him to be appropriate, but I have to make all attempts. Lordy, I need a break for just a moment. I sleep when he sleeps so every waking moment we are together, just me and him, I have no one to talk to, adult wise. Not having Skype yesterday was so depressing because I've been talking to my mom and my son at home everyday and that has helped me to get through this. Craig is out of touch as you know on his retreat so I can't confide in him other than in emails that cannot be answered right now.
Yikes, I will freely ADMIT that this IS much harder than I thought it would be. I'm tired and I wanna go home:(
AND GOD KNOWS THIS....so you know what he did for me today? THREE THINGS! He countered the 3 things that were getting me down with three things lit me up!
(1) Ian and I went for a walk this morning. When I turned onto the main drag outside of Nastia's flat, BAM there it was!
Not sure what I'm showing you? How about closer:
Closer!
STARBUCKS!!!!!! Oh joy of joys, something that reminds me of home! Of course, I hurried 10 blocks up to the nearest street passage, UNDER THE STREET (you cannot cross on the streets in Moscow on top, you will be run over trying to cross 8 lanes where they drive at highway speeds)
Up the steps and then back 10 blocks and we were there, sitting, laughing, eating cheesecake, and feeling so much better! I am self-medicating with Cheeesecakes and Coffees - don't judge, it's helping:)
and guess who got a Starbucks Barista bear from Russia! Haha, Ian did! and I was not mad that I had to pay $25.00 for it. It made him happy.
(2) Nastia's husband came home last night and I met him today and HE SPEAKS ENGLISH! yeah! He fixed the Skype and translated some stuff Luda has been telling me in Russian that all I can do is to respond with a deer in the headlights look.
Last night, Luda talked to me for a while, then called someone and that person attempted to translate what she had said. Luda wanted to get a babysitter for me so I could have a little break. Luda does not apparently watch kids, or clean LOL. She does cook, well. She watches television in Christian Dior sunglasses and eats Caviar at dinner.
(3) I'm blogging from a "Rus-Bucks" with free Wi-Fi and I got my break. Ian is HAPPY as a clam as there is another LUDA babysitting him right now (who also incidentally has a son named Vasya) 2 Luda's and 2 Vasya's, wow. She is the professional babysitter for the major film studio here in Moscow. She's a grandmotherly type and of course, speaks Russian, no English. Ian's in 7th heaven.
Tomorrow: Another free day with which Ian and I will go to the Moscow Zoo! I'm excited about that. Red Square is within walking distance so we will also pay a visit there for the obligatory Red Square photograph. I have many memories of that place, it will be strange to be back under these circumstances.
Tuesday: 11:30 am interview at the US Embassy to process Ian's VISA and other things.
I have no idea what happens after that. We leave on Friday morning for Frankfurt and then a final flight home. I will lose it at the airport, and I'm looking forward to that.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Moscow, Russia
Friday, August 19, 2011
Day 6 of 14: Passport Fruit Bed, LOL!
Today was passport pick up day, and the official first glitch in our program here.
E and I left at 8:30 am. She was waiting in the lobby for us and Ian, in typical kid style, kept with the kid secret credo to act out when company comes, and only when company comes LOL! He's been such a CHAMP in the hotel restaurant, except for today.
He did okay until he dropped a piece of tomato on the floor and (1) got upset that I picked it up and didn't allow him to and (2) that I would not allow him to then eat that piece of tomato (size of a raisin BTW). We can all surmise where this is coming from, I am sure if the kids dropped what little food they had at the orphanage, they all scrambled for it and the lucky one who got it first had a little more to eat that day.
After the tomato incident, things went totally South. He began to eat wildly and make noises that are not appropriate for a place like where we were, and I do respect that others want to eat in peace, so I gathered him up to leave and he threw a fit. An Ian fit is pretty simple really, he'll stomp his feet, refuse to walk, might sit on the floor, wrinkle up his little face, turn red, and scream and cry.
So.....this is what our facilitator saw as she was in the lobby when we came out of the restaurant. Great! She did say she fully believed me when I told her that this was the first day he did that downstairs.
In order to leave with E, I had to once again, hire a babysitter. Babysitters here in Russia are uncommon and rare. There are also very few children, comparatively. This is because kids are VERY expensive here. However, our go to guy Boris hooked us up FOR REAL this time with an awesome person.
The new babysitter was WONDERFUL, she's a mama herself and despite her very limited English, we communicated enough for her to tell me that it was HER gift to have gotten to know Ian. She was blown away by how smart he is she called him a "miracle" boy. I did pay her extra, but not for saying those things, for just being a caring, lovely person, and because she has kids to care for in a country where not much is easy.
We left for the United documents center and to take the line at the Passport office. When our number was called, we went up and at the very last moment, after I had signed the for his passport, E caught TWO mistakes. Both his last name in English "Stewart", and his middle name in English "Will" were spelled wrong. OH. MUH. GOSH.
Momentary moment of panic. That one passport took a WEEK to produce. Panic paused and left me once we were told they would fix it - in TEN MIN! Sweet. We waited right there for it and it came off still warm from the presses. Thank goodness we had TWO passport pictures.
So, that was it, all St. Petersburg items were completed and E and I hugged and celebrated with a coffee and pastry in the cafe downstairs.
Next, we went to the peddlers market in the shadow's of the Church of the Spilled Blood and I was able to make some great deals on a few trinkets. The most important one however was Ian's keepsake from his birthplace. It's a hand painted music box that plays Katusha. He loves it but he can't touch it, it's one of those shelf things until he's an adult. It's something for him to keep for his entire lifetime. Now I just have to get it home safe.
If you have been reading my posts, you will recall a few days ago I wrote about our adoption facilitator here, Elena. I told a small fraction of her story. I am so overwhelmed with joy today that many of families in this region who are also depending on her to make their dreams of adoption a reality, heard my pleas for her and have come to the rescue. This time, we are going to effect a small rescue of the rescuer herself! While there is still 15 hours to give, as of this moment, I will hand her $3,100.00 as a token of our appreciation and love, and recognition that we KNOW she is in NEED and we are proud to be the hands and feet for her this time around.
Heck, if any of you where touched by her story and want to increase that amount for her, there is still time. Just email me at bringhopehome@gmail.com with the amount you want to give and then, before 8/26, go here: www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorstewart, to submit your gift using the donate to Ian button. I need to know within the next 15 hours though because I will be presenting it at that time to her, along with a bouquet of flowers so she can cry into them!! I'm so lucky to get to deliver this to her and I profusely thank all of the Region 2 families who gave, even in the midst of needing thousands for adoptions themselves.
So, what of Ian's day today after mama got from securing his passport? BTW, he has dual Russian and American citizenship until he's 18 years old - cool!
IT DID NOT RAIN TODAY, AND.....drum roll please....THE SUN WAS OUT FULL FORCE!! A perfect and beautiful last full day here for us.
We walked more than a mile today.
I had not planned on stopping at my favorite Russian wanna be Starbucks but Ian recognized it as we walked by and HE pulled me to the steps! Haha! He loves to sit and enjoy the outdoors and "read" the menu and drink his fresh made Apple Juice. What a kid!
Perusing the choices.
I'll miss the latte's here, they are kind of yummy.
Then, a trip to the fountain to throw coins in. It was clearly, this little boy's FIRST TIME seeing a fountain. OH he had SO MUCH FUN! At first he stood there in absolute amazement, he yelled in delight over this new strange but neat thing.
Then he got up the courage to touch it and lean in!
Then, in true boy fashion, he tried to jump in! LOL, luckily I was already one step ahead of him and his little jacket became my pull tab to keep him from keeling over into the fountain.
It was HARD to leave the fountain. I think tomorrow morning before we leave, since I'm already all packed, we will go back so he can throw more Rubles into his new found pleasure.
How adorable is THIS? Ian likes to play in the hotel room. He is SO CONTENT doing so. Haven't you been wondering how I am getting time to blog? He's a SUPERSTAR of independent play and it's what he wants to do so I just go with it. A happy Ian is all I'm worried about. Yes, I want to play with him and I do, but he's soaking up this little freedom of being able to do what he wants when he wants, I just get the pure JOY of watching it all.
The fruit bowl the babysitter ordered as a part of lunch was well stocked for that of a Roman God! Ian took full control over that bunch of fruit for about an hour today, transporting it to different places in the room and eating little bits as he went along. He crosses his legs when we eats, so cute!
The best play for today that I got to watch was him making a bed by the door, taking his little jeans off, placing his slippers on one side of his little bed and his jeans on the other, with his fruit bowl right up next to his pillow, and then laying down next to it, while reaching in for grapes to eat.
CAN YOU GET ANY MORE AWESOME THAN THAT? He wanted to sleep with his bounty. Love this child, more than words will ever be able to say. Thank you to every single person who helped us raise the more than $40,000.00 that it took so he could sleep with fruit. :) Just LOOK at this child's eyes, he's in heaven.
To cap the night off, dinner was ordered up. Again, I was sad about his inability to eat solid foods, but he is trying. He SMELLED the french fries (not what I ordered but oh well) and then after trying to eat one and not being able to, he had an absolute ball, and so did I, feeding them, catsup ladened, to ME! We pretended I was the fry monster, fun, memorable times our last night in his birthplace.
We roll out of here at noon tomorrow, heading for the fast train to MOSCOW! It's been 23 years since I was in Moscow last, it will be good to be back.
I won't be mad at cha' at ALL if you choose to start praying NOW for our flight from Frankfurt to home. 8 hours folks, in a small space with many people who want to sleep. I promised not to rose color my blog, and I have been gifted with a kid that is so amazing and transitioning so well right now, that I have not really had any horrors to report.
The worst thing he does do, at least a few times per day, is yell and scream and there is nothing I can do to make him not do that. It is a little bit unpredictable too, so that makes it hard. My plan for the plane ride home is to let him run through the Frankfurt airport as much as I can to tire him out before we get on the plane, and that's all I got folks so your prayers are needed! Prayer does work and this I KNOW to be TRUE.
Please also keep Craig in your prayers tonight. He is in Denver, CO at a spiritual retreat and we cannot communicate until Monday so I have no clue how he is doing.
Goodnight America, we are heading a few more miles your way! Oh, and I almost forgot, guess who I got to STOP sucking his thumb and fidgeting with his ear AND guess who is sleeping soundly now, NOT tossing and turning and rocking for most of the night! OH JOY of JOYS! I think a little bit of love, some freedom, some time to be a child with NO WORRIES and no CARES, has already changed his life.
Tonight, he learned to PLAY in the bath.
Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
E and I left at 8:30 am. She was waiting in the lobby for us and Ian, in typical kid style, kept with the kid secret credo to act out when company comes, and only when company comes LOL! He's been such a CHAMP in the hotel restaurant, except for today.
He did okay until he dropped a piece of tomato on the floor and (1) got upset that I picked it up and didn't allow him to and (2) that I would not allow him to then eat that piece of tomato (size of a raisin BTW). We can all surmise where this is coming from, I am sure if the kids dropped what little food they had at the orphanage, they all scrambled for it and the lucky one who got it first had a little more to eat that day.
After the tomato incident, things went totally South. He began to eat wildly and make noises that are not appropriate for a place like where we were, and I do respect that others want to eat in peace, so I gathered him up to leave and he threw a fit. An Ian fit is pretty simple really, he'll stomp his feet, refuse to walk, might sit on the floor, wrinkle up his little face, turn red, and scream and cry.
So.....this is what our facilitator saw as she was in the lobby when we came out of the restaurant. Great! She did say she fully believed me when I told her that this was the first day he did that downstairs.
In order to leave with E, I had to once again, hire a babysitter. Babysitters here in Russia are uncommon and rare. There are also very few children, comparatively. This is because kids are VERY expensive here. However, our go to guy Boris hooked us up FOR REAL this time with an awesome person.
The new babysitter was WONDERFUL, she's a mama herself and despite her very limited English, we communicated enough for her to tell me that it was HER gift to have gotten to know Ian. She was blown away by how smart he is she called him a "miracle" boy. I did pay her extra, but not for saying those things, for just being a caring, lovely person, and because she has kids to care for in a country where not much is easy.
We left for the United documents center and to take the line at the Passport office. When our number was called, we went up and at the very last moment, after I had signed the for his passport, E caught TWO mistakes. Both his last name in English "Stewart", and his middle name in English "Will" were spelled wrong. OH. MUH. GOSH.
Momentary moment of panic. That one passport took a WEEK to produce. Panic paused and left me once we were told they would fix it - in TEN MIN! Sweet. We waited right there for it and it came off still warm from the presses. Thank goodness we had TWO passport pictures.
So, that was it, all St. Petersburg items were completed and E and I hugged and celebrated with a coffee and pastry in the cafe downstairs.
Next, we went to the peddlers market in the shadow's of the Church of the Spilled Blood and I was able to make some great deals on a few trinkets. The most important one however was Ian's keepsake from his birthplace. It's a hand painted music box that plays Katusha. He loves it but he can't touch it, it's one of those shelf things until he's an adult. It's something for him to keep for his entire lifetime. Now I just have to get it home safe.
If you have been reading my posts, you will recall a few days ago I wrote about our adoption facilitator here, Elena. I told a small fraction of her story. I am so overwhelmed with joy today that many of families in this region who are also depending on her to make their dreams of adoption a reality, heard my pleas for her and have come to the rescue. This time, we are going to effect a small rescue of the rescuer herself! While there is still 15 hours to give, as of this moment, I will hand her $3,100.00 as a token of our appreciation and love, and recognition that we KNOW she is in NEED and we are proud to be the hands and feet for her this time around.
Heck, if any of you where touched by her story and want to increase that amount for her, there is still time. Just email me at bringhopehome@gmail.com with the amount you want to give and then, before 8/26, go here: www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorstewart, to submit your gift using the donate to Ian button. I need to know within the next 15 hours though because I will be presenting it at that time to her, along with a bouquet of flowers so she can cry into them!! I'm so lucky to get to deliver this to her and I profusely thank all of the Region 2 families who gave, even in the midst of needing thousands for adoptions themselves.
So, what of Ian's day today after mama got from securing his passport? BTW, he has dual Russian and American citizenship until he's 18 years old - cool!
IT DID NOT RAIN TODAY, AND.....drum roll please....THE SUN WAS OUT FULL FORCE!! A perfect and beautiful last full day here for us.
We walked more than a mile today.
I had not planned on stopping at my favorite Russian wanna be Starbucks but Ian recognized it as we walked by and HE pulled me to the steps! Haha! He loves to sit and enjoy the outdoors and "read" the menu and drink his fresh made Apple Juice. What a kid!
Perusing the choices.
I'll miss the latte's here, they are kind of yummy.
Then, a trip to the fountain to throw coins in. It was clearly, this little boy's FIRST TIME seeing a fountain. OH he had SO MUCH FUN! At first he stood there in absolute amazement, he yelled in delight over this new strange but neat thing.
Then he got up the courage to touch it and lean in!
Then, in true boy fashion, he tried to jump in! LOL, luckily I was already one step ahead of him and his little jacket became my pull tab to keep him from keeling over into the fountain.
It was HARD to leave the fountain. I think tomorrow morning before we leave, since I'm already all packed, we will go back so he can throw more Rubles into his new found pleasure.
How adorable is THIS? Ian likes to play in the hotel room. He is SO CONTENT doing so. Haven't you been wondering how I am getting time to blog? He's a SUPERSTAR of independent play and it's what he wants to do so I just go with it. A happy Ian is all I'm worried about. Yes, I want to play with him and I do, but he's soaking up this little freedom of being able to do what he wants when he wants, I just get the pure JOY of watching it all.
The fruit bowl the babysitter ordered as a part of lunch was well stocked for that of a Roman God! Ian took full control over that bunch of fruit for about an hour today, transporting it to different places in the room and eating little bits as he went along. He crosses his legs when we eats, so cute!
The best play for today that I got to watch was him making a bed by the door, taking his little jeans off, placing his slippers on one side of his little bed and his jeans on the other, with his fruit bowl right up next to his pillow, and then laying down next to it, while reaching in for grapes to eat.
CAN YOU GET ANY MORE AWESOME THAN THAT? He wanted to sleep with his bounty. Love this child, more than words will ever be able to say. Thank you to every single person who helped us raise the more than $40,000.00 that it took so he could sleep with fruit. :) Just LOOK at this child's eyes, he's in heaven.
To cap the night off, dinner was ordered up. Again, I was sad about his inability to eat solid foods, but he is trying. He SMELLED the french fries (not what I ordered but oh well) and then after trying to eat one and not being able to, he had an absolute ball, and so did I, feeding them, catsup ladened, to ME! We pretended I was the fry monster, fun, memorable times our last night in his birthplace.
We roll out of here at noon tomorrow, heading for the fast train to MOSCOW! It's been 23 years since I was in Moscow last, it will be good to be back.
I won't be mad at cha' at ALL if you choose to start praying NOW for our flight from Frankfurt to home. 8 hours folks, in a small space with many people who want to sleep. I promised not to rose color my blog, and I have been gifted with a kid that is so amazing and transitioning so well right now, that I have not really had any horrors to report.
The worst thing he does do, at least a few times per day, is yell and scream and there is nothing I can do to make him not do that. It is a little bit unpredictable too, so that makes it hard. My plan for the plane ride home is to let him run through the Frankfurt airport as much as I can to tire him out before we get on the plane, and that's all I got folks so your prayers are needed! Prayer does work and this I KNOW to be TRUE.
Please also keep Craig in your prayers tonight. He is in Denver, CO at a spiritual retreat and we cannot communicate until Monday so I have no clue how he is doing.
Goodnight America, we are heading a few more miles your way! Oh, and I almost forgot, guess who I got to STOP sucking his thumb and fidgeting with his ear AND guess who is sleeping soundly now, NOT tossing and turning and rocking for most of the night! OH JOY of JOYS! I think a little bit of love, some freedom, some time to be a child with NO WORRIES and no CARES, has already changed his life.
Tonight, he learned to PLAY in the bath.
Amen.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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