Day 9 - More Photos :)

Hello! This morning we braved the bus to get to the orphanage. We were a little late because it took us an extra 1/2 hour to be able to get onto a bus. And it wasn't due to lack of trying! I'll try to get a photo this week - it is amazing how many people can fit inside one of these little buses! People waiting in line on the sidewalk - well, not really waiting in line, because when the bus pulls up - it is first shove, first served - so the people that don't make it onto a bus help out by pushing the door shut from the outside after the last person crams on! And I was worried about not wearing my seatbelt - ha!
We had about two hours to visit today in this itty bitty room - but thank goodness there were several toys to choose from. And there was a bat and a ball - his favorite thing! (well, a bowling pin for a bat - but hey, that works for our little guy - he's a real power hitter!). Note to self - do not bring PURPLE grape juice juicebox for a kid that has never used a straw (we stopped and got some white grape juice on the way home!). After our visit, we also enjoyed having lunch with the Reynolds family that is here from Tennessee. It is such a treat to have another family here who we can talk to. Ok, off to make some soup for dinner (thank goodness for Trader Joe's chicken broth packets!) even though it is 10 pm here. Our sleep schedules are still not 100% set - Grant and I just woke up from a 3 hour nap. So here's our little slugger:

Outside of our apartment:

Best Day Ever!!!!

Ok, so I won't bore you with too many details, because what you really want are photos!!! Here they are!!! Oh, and in case you are wondering, they sure didn't have to ask us twice about our decision to move forward :)
(Sorry for the delay. Out here in the boonies, it took over 6 hours to upload these photos!!)

"Who is that tall guy over there who keeps smiling at me?"

"Look out! I'm gonna be walking soon!" (He actually took a few steps by himself when they first brought him into the room! And you can tell he's been practicing - notice the boo boo on his forehead!)

"I like my new book and Mama only had to show me one time how to push the buttons, then I could do it all by myself."

He concentrates so hard when throwing or rolling the ball - and boy can he catch (sort of) and throw! We need to get a t-ball set right away!

Isn't he just soo cute?!?!?!

"Come on Papa, I can eat this cookie, kick the ball, and choose another toy all at the same time!" Did I mention that he is a busy bee!

"Bubbles make me smile!!"

Day 5 - Rainy Day, But We Have Our Official Referral!

We have our official referral in our hands!!!! Now we are “legal” and can actually go to the orphanage to see our little guy on Monday!! (We look a little rough around the edges because we took this pic at midnight in our apartment!)

It was pretty rainy today so we didn’t go out much - just to the government adoption agency to pick up our referral paperwork and then to eat lunch. At a ****** buffet! Thought it was pretty neat that they have a handwashing station before you get your tray. If they had these in the U.S., I might actually enjoy going to a buffet! Thankfully Eugene, our trusty facilitator, was there to explain what the dishes were. One was this cabbage/coleslaw type stuff over salted fish – hmm, any guesses on if I tried this one! I had the apple filled pancakes (kind of like a turnover) with blackberry sauce as a main dish (yummy!) and vegetable potato soup (and bread and tea and cake). Grant had a variety, including boiled potatoes and sausage and some sort of coleslaw (lots of cabbage dishes!). Mom had the cherry verenyky (kind of like pierogies) and vegetable beef soup with sauerkraut and pickles in it. It was all sooo good – I wish we could go there again. And the best part was, it only cost about $4 a person!

The other day we stopped at a toy store and I found this Fisher Price toy that has sayings in Russian – I sure hope “Robert” likes it! I just couldn’t pass it up :)

Oh yeah, almost forgot. This is what I did in my free time this morning – ironed money – very exciting!!! Of course Mom had to take my picture! Yes, it is true – in order to exchange money it must be crisp and free from marks and tears.

Behind the Scenes - Day 4

We have seen many beautiful and magnificent buildings in the city that we are currently staying in (leaving here on Saturday to go to the orphanage region), but it is definitely not all glitz and glamour here! We were spoiled by "regular" toilets until today (as you can see in Mom's post below). And yes, you should ALWAYS carry a handy supply of tp! And work on those leg muscles if you are headed over this way! Between squatting over the Turkish toilets, climbing the hilly cobblestone streets, and lugging your suitcases and groceries up several flights of stairs, you'll be getting a great workout! No wonder these ladies can wear skinny jeans and stilettos!
Lots of stray dogs around - just don't pet!
Here are some more photos of our apartment, too - outside the entrance,up the stairs, and our little balcony. And since we left to go out early this morning, I figured out the mystery of the cat pee smell wafting under our inside door - the entry door was propped open, and there was a big bowl of food and water inside the entryway. Linda H. - did you follow me to ******?! :-)
We had our official appointment today at the government agency (the officials are very nice!), and tomorrow (Friday) we will pick up our paperwork that allows us to go see our little guy at the orphanage next week - yay! I do have to admit that I wore my seatbelt today - our driver got stuck in traffic before picking us up and we had 10 minutes to get to our appointment across town (the traffic here is almost as bad as Chicagoland - but the driving is wild, wild, wild!). Even though it is considered offensive to a driver, when we turned a corner and met another car headed for us in our lane - seat belt time!
I do miss the good ol' USA, and our Boys, and water that doesn't need to be boiled to brush your teeth or wash your dishes, and a shower nozzle that is mounted on the wall, and being able to read and understand labels, and being able to wash more than 1 single bedsheet in the washing machine, and soft toilet paper, and not being scared for your life while riding in a car - but it is all worth it. Plus, Eugene (who is a very careful driver, by the way!) has been taking very good care of us. We will miss him when we leave this weekend for the orphanage region - and his English speaking abilities!
Talk to you soon!

New Sights and Experiences - by Saunie

How do you walk in these heels?
How do you pee in this toilet?
How's Granny getting back up the hill?
Celebrating the Feast of the Good News.
The monastery bell tower.

More Photos from Day 2 and Day 3

Checking Out the Town - Waiting for Our Referral

We have had a chance to check out the area while waiting for our referral appointment on Thursday morning. On Tuesday and Wednesday our driver, Eugene (who speaks English very well), showed us around the capital city. Here are some pics. Notice that parking is never a problem here - if you can't find a spot, no worries, just park on the sidewalk, or even better, in the middle of the street! Have to get up early, so I will write more tomorrow.