The people that got us through

Our day started with a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant. They have good food, but not as good as other places we have eaten. Andrei arrived at 9:30 to take us to the orphanage.

Today we brought all of our donations and gave them to the social worker. What a wonderful lady! This orphanage has a director but it is the SW that has all the knowledge. Then it was up to the group room. We found our boy in the little office area with a few other children. They were all tearing a newspaper to shreds. One little one tried to make a break for it. Man they see an open door and sprint for it. Papa picked up Pickle and it was off to our visiting closet. We have heard about a therapy room at this orphanage that is large with lots of toys, but have yet to see it.

We sat down and pulled out the photo book. He flipped through it again and I said all the names. Then he played with his little bus that we brought. Papa pulled out an empty Gladware cup for him to play with. The social worker was supposed to come so we didn't want him flinging food everywhere before she arrived. So when he saw the empty cup he was a little irritated. He was aware that there was supposed to be food in this cup and there obviously was not.

We have determined that our boy is going to be a lacrosse player. We would put a Little People panda bear in the cup and he would fling it across the room while still holding the cup. Hey as long as it isn't soccer I am happy. Besides... cross-checking is legal in lacrosse.

He was not amused about being cooped up in that little room. He kept grabbing my finger and trying to pull me to the door. I kept telling him no, but that just would not do. He would pull my finger (that sounds bad) and then when I wouldn't come he would trot over and sit in my lap. Finally we couldn't contain him anymore and we gave in to his demands. He walked up and down the plant hall with Papa and was quite content. Up the stairs, down the stairs. Back and forth. Then he did the same with Mama. He has a bit of a cold so this exercise was a bit tiring. Eventually he got so exhausted he just sat down at the top of the stairs. I picked him up and we cuddled a little. Pickle was quite content about that.

We met with the doctor and the social worker. He is healthy with the exception of a hernia, which we knew about. He will have surgery for that next month. He is small for his age, but very proportionate. He seems to have big feet, a little wide.

Pickle is a pretty laid back little boy, but seems to get frustrated easily. He is not overly verbal, but understands anything he is told (in Russian of course.) The was evident when we had to go back to the visiting room to talk with the doctor. He cried big crocodile tears. He came to sit with Mama and we finally asked if we could give him some of the snacks we brought. We were told yes and this made him happy.

He likes to play with paper so we gave him a piece and then the pen. He could hold it in his hand and draw on the paper a little. Mama showed him how and he got better. We now have our first piece of Pickle Art. I think I might just frame it when we get home.

Bye Bye was ok today too. We did sign the intent to adopt. I was very adamant about asking if he had been seen by the required number of Russian families and asked if all his paperwork was in order. They assured me that all was good and when we signed the intent to adopt they would no longer show him to anyone. This boy is all ours!!!!!

Tomorrow we go to the notary public at 9:00 to sign the release letter request and then off for our last visit.

We spent the rest of the afternoon with lunch at the cafe. We went back to the blue church and bought some great souviners. We walked back toward the hotel and stopped in the new family center. This place is amazing. Full of games and all kinds of activities. One part of the building is all shops. We found a great toy store and a children's furnishings store that sold none other than IKEA furniture. I am not kidding here. They apparently buy IKEA stuff, put it together and sell it. We did buy diapers for the orphanage at one of the shops. Diapers are just as expensive in Russia as they are in the US. Yikes!

Tonight we are planning a nice dinner together at the Restaurant Russki. Can't wait!