Day 8
Day 8
I’m sitting in the kitchen of the apartment laughing with Jay about our yummy ham and cheese sandwich! Really they are good, just getting a little old (not the meat just the taste). Last night we went to dinner at the Elephant Cafe. A little restaurant about 2 blocks from here…..the menu was in Russian and we had forgotten our translation book Jay had some kind of meat (hamburger) and I had a HAM AND CHEESE OMLET! Go figure, what was I thinking. It was good and the waiter tried so hard to communicate with us. We all had a good needed laugh and will probably frequent Elephant just because they were friendly and the food was good. We are getting good at the point and eat menu!
Svetlana is leaving this evening for Kiev. She will take our paperwork and get to see her grandchildren. She is such a wonderful caring person. She does not want to leave us because she is afraid for us in the city. She is just like an Oma, worried about her kids! We feel very safe here; however, we do not speak English on the streets (because Svetlana told us not to). It’s not like you can’t tell we are the ‘big ugly Americans’! She will be gone until Tuesday. She has to try to get our papers signed and approved for our court date next FRIDAY! Pray, Pray and Pray that she gets them signed/approved. The Italian translator there has been waiting seven days to get his client’s paperwork signed, but Svetlana says she has a plan.
Well, today at Our Children we had our best day yet! We are so uplifted and our spirits are very high. It must be all the prayers from our friends and family. Thank you for lifting us up to the Lord, we feel His love raining down on us today! Chas was very receptive to us today. We did not have anything different from the other days, and he was really glad to see us. When I bend down and hold out my arms, he comes into them and lets me pick him up and kiss his face and he laughs. Then he looks at Jay and smiles and lets him kiss him. Jay did not get a chance to hold him today. The workers do not like us to carry him, I guess because there is no way they could carry all the children. You know us; we are always holding at least one of our children at any given time, so it is hard for us to not carry him around everywhere. When we do the worker stomps her feet like she is walking and says, ‘Mama’, and motions for me to put him down so he can walk.
Today we went outside, which I was a little worried about because he hasn’t listened to us when we call. By the way, they told us to only speak in English and to call him Charles and I think they are going to do the same (use his new name) when he is with them. We went out to our little area, Chas carrying his pink bag (yes, they have pink here too, I love it! Remind me to tell you about our new hot pink terrycloth sheets! ) and we looked at pictures of Bubby and some books. Took the Hot wheels out of the box, put them back in the box and into the pink bag again, and again, and again. Then we got to actually play with them after a while, I guess he realized we were not going to take them away from him. We drove them all over Dad and the bench. He thought that was funny. He will play just like a 2 year old and then something comes over him and he packs everything (and I mean everything he can get his hands on) and tries to leave. We let him go today to see what he would do. He got about 20 feet from us and Jay called him sternly ‘Vlad” and he turned around, thought and came back (Praise the Lord) - now a few times we did have to go get him. We made sure we were not playing a game of ‘catch me’ because we are so afraid of him wondering off later. He is trying his boundaries and we are trying to set a few simple ones. We tried to go inside a few times to the music room, but he would lower his head and go back to the bench and wait. I really think he did not want us to go or maybe he did not want to go back to his room, either way it felt good. I did a sanity check with Jay, and he said I am not being overly optimistic. After about an hour Oksana (his care giver) came and got him, told me to put him down and told him to say, “Good bye.” He doesn’t seem to care that we are leaving, hopefully that will change. Svetlana said all in good time. She is wonderful woman. I will have to tell you her story one day when you are bored at work/home ;) Oksana came back a few minutes later and told us that we could not come tomorrow, because they are not staffed for visitors on Sunday. She said that we could come Monday two times: 10-11 and 4-5, so Svetlana has arranged with Rashid (the Twinkie driver) to pick us up each day while she is in Kiev. I am going to try to get him to take me shopping too! I have seen some neat stores, a large kids store but haven’t been able to find it again. Jenny do you remember where it is?
Right now Jay is trying to find a church for us to go to tomorrow. He found a Mormon church (we’ll pass) and then an Evangelical church, which is on the other side of town. Maybe we will tell Rashid, “Hey, (translated – ‘group of trees’) will you drive us across town to go to an English speaking Christian Church?” That will probably work. I am looking forward to listening/watching Jay try to explain it.
Thanks everyone for your comments and the phone calls! Cousin Howell, how GREAT it was to hear your voice. I needed some Bubba Southern to make me laugh yesterday! We had a bad connection, because I was standing between two tall buildings. Jay was inside a Kievstar (phone company) office trying to ask them what number to dial for our computer to connect via Bluetooth to send and receive e-mails/internet. Now THAT was amusing. We are usually in our room about 7 pm here and we seem to have a good connection. Jeanie sounds great and I was excited to hear Zac is ‘cruisin’ around the living room. Watch out Virginia! Especially since he is getting 2 teeth!
Oma you need to go shoe shopping with Linda today. I am having Target withdraws so go for me so I can know you are having fun. Elizabeth is wonderful with the kids, so no worries!
Jenny, I do not think this is the same orphanage, we went to your blog and looked at the pictures and I don’t think this is Eddie’s orphanage. It is right next to a court house. I could not believe the pictures of both of those beautiful children! How a year has changed them. It is truly a blessing how they have flourished under your loving family’s care. I only pray our Chas will blossom as they have. We are glad to know we have you and all our wonderful friends and family to help ‘raise him up’.
I’m sitting in the kitchen of the apartment laughing with Jay about our yummy ham and cheese sandwich! Really they are good, just getting a little old (not the meat just the taste). Last night we went to dinner at the Elephant Cafe. A little restaurant about 2 blocks from here…..the menu was in Russian and we had forgotten our translation book Jay had some kind of meat (hamburger) and I had a HAM AND CHEESE OMLET! Go figure, what was I thinking. It was good and the waiter tried so hard to communicate with us. We all had a good needed laugh and will probably frequent Elephant just because they were friendly and the food was good. We are getting good at the point and eat menu!
Svetlana is leaving this evening for Kiev. She will take our paperwork and get to see her grandchildren. She is such a wonderful caring person. She does not want to leave us because she is afraid for us in the city. She is just like an Oma, worried about her kids! We feel very safe here; however, we do not speak English on the streets (because Svetlana told us not to). It’s not like you can’t tell we are the ‘big ugly Americans’! She will be gone until Tuesday. She has to try to get our papers signed and approved for our court date next FRIDAY! Pray, Pray and Pray that she gets them signed/approved. The Italian translator there has been waiting seven days to get his client’s paperwork signed, but Svetlana says she has a plan.
Well, today at Our Children we had our best day yet! We are so uplifted and our spirits are very high. It must be all the prayers from our friends and family. Thank you for lifting us up to the Lord, we feel His love raining down on us today! Chas was very receptive to us today. We did not have anything different from the other days, and he was really glad to see us. When I bend down and hold out my arms, he comes into them and lets me pick him up and kiss his face and he laughs. Then he looks at Jay and smiles and lets him kiss him. Jay did not get a chance to hold him today. The workers do not like us to carry him, I guess because there is no way they could carry all the children. You know us; we are always holding at least one of our children at any given time, so it is hard for us to not carry him around everywhere. When we do the worker stomps her feet like she is walking and says, ‘Mama’, and motions for me to put him down so he can walk.
Today we went outside, which I was a little worried about because he hasn’t listened to us when we call. By the way, they told us to only speak in English and to call him Charles and I think they are going to do the same (use his new name) when he is with them. We went out to our little area, Chas carrying his pink bag (yes, they have pink here too, I love it! Remind me to tell you about our new hot pink terrycloth sheets! ) and we looked at pictures of Bubby and some books. Took the Hot wheels out of the box, put them back in the box and into the pink bag again, and again, and again. Then we got to actually play with them after a while, I guess he realized we were not going to take them away from him. We drove them all over Dad and the bench. He thought that was funny. He will play just like a 2 year old and then something comes over him and he packs everything (and I mean everything he can get his hands on) and tries to leave. We let him go today to see what he would do. He got about 20 feet from us and Jay called him sternly ‘Vlad” and he turned around, thought and came back (Praise the Lord) - now a few times we did have to go get him. We made sure we were not playing a game of ‘catch me’ because we are so afraid of him wondering off later. He is trying his boundaries and we are trying to set a few simple ones. We tried to go inside a few times to the music room, but he would lower his head and go back to the bench and wait. I really think he did not want us to go or maybe he did not want to go back to his room, either way it felt good. I did a sanity check with Jay, and he said I am not being overly optimistic. After about an hour Oksana (his care giver) came and got him, told me to put him down and told him to say, “Good bye.” He doesn’t seem to care that we are leaving, hopefully that will change. Svetlana said all in good time. She is wonderful woman. I will have to tell you her story one day when you are bored at work/home ;) Oksana came back a few minutes later and told us that we could not come tomorrow, because they are not staffed for visitors on Sunday. She said that we could come Monday two times: 10-11 and 4-5, so Svetlana has arranged with Rashid (the Twinkie driver) to pick us up each day while she is in Kiev. I am going to try to get him to take me shopping too! I have seen some neat stores, a large kids store but haven’t been able to find it again. Jenny do you remember where it is?
Right now Jay is trying to find a church for us to go to tomorrow. He found a Mormon church (we’ll pass) and then an Evangelical church, which is on the other side of town. Maybe we will tell Rashid, “Hey, (translated – ‘group of trees’) will you drive us across town to go to an English speaking Christian Church?” That will probably work. I am looking forward to listening/watching Jay try to explain it.
Thanks everyone for your comments and the phone calls! Cousin Howell, how GREAT it was to hear your voice. I needed some Bubba Southern to make me laugh yesterday! We had a bad connection, because I was standing between two tall buildings. Jay was inside a Kievstar (phone company) office trying to ask them what number to dial for our computer to connect via Bluetooth to send and receive e-mails/internet. Now THAT was amusing. We are usually in our room about 7 pm here and we seem to have a good connection. Jeanie sounds great and I was excited to hear Zac is ‘cruisin’ around the living room. Watch out Virginia! Especially since he is getting 2 teeth!
Oma you need to go shoe shopping with Linda today. I am having Target withdraws so go for me so I can know you are having fun. Elizabeth is wonderful with the kids, so no worries!
Jenny, I do not think this is the same orphanage, we went to your blog and looked at the pictures and I don’t think this is Eddie’s orphanage. It is right next to a court house. I could not believe the pictures of both of those beautiful children! How a year has changed them. It is truly a blessing how they have flourished under your loving family’s care. I only pray our Chas will blossom as they have. We are glad to know we have you and all our wonderful friends and family to help ‘raise him up’.
posted by Kelley @ 5:43 AM
.JPG)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home