Okay, funny thing happened this morning. We got to the Dom Rebyanka around 10 AM and the translator went up to her room to ask them to get her ready for outside so we could play with her out there. So when she comes out with her, she said that the caregivers ask her to tell us to stay away from the other children. Seems we were "ruining their discipline." hehehe Even other people's kids we spoil! :) Anyway, she went on to say that the caregivers said that after our little play session yesterday the kids were just wild and they did not follow the rules. So today we were only allowed to play with MM and not with everyone else. Which was really just as well because we had a great day with the M and M.
She still cried when she first saw us. She didn't really want anything at all to do with us. But Brian brought out the Gerber puffs today and that did the trick. After she figured out that we had food, she was happy as a lark. Bribery is not beneath us! :) Anyway, we walked (and walked and walked) laps around the Baby Home. Brian started to kick a rock and she would kick it too. Then she would let go of my hand, run over to him for a little bit of dried fruit, and then run back and grab my hand. She was like a little bird.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like she was jumping into our arms or anything and she still wouldn't even let Brian hold her hand. We still have alot of work to do, but she relaxed alot for sure. She particularly got happier when I would speak the very few words of Russian I know to her. So I think the key is going to be to learn a few little phrases at least that I can say over and over to her. I know some main ones, do you want to eat, sleep, walk, etc., but it might be nice to learn a few other things to have a little more to say to her other than things to do. I would like to learn the names for animals so we could look at books, etc. I know the sounds the animals make in Russian (believe it or not, Russian animals speak a different language too), the frog says, qua qua for example, but I don't know the names. Maybe I will get Marina to give me a list of those translations.
We went to St. Catherine's Catholic Church today for mass. The mass we attended was being said in Polish. So of course, Brian and I couldn't understand a word of it. But the nice thing about a Catholic mass is that if you are Catholic, you know the order of the mass and you can follow along, even if you don't know what the priest is saying. So we knew when it was time to say the creed, the Our Father, etc. And we got to take communion. It was really interesting actually because the priest dipped the host into the wine and gave the communion on the tongue, both blood and body at the same time. I have never seen a priest do that in a Catholic church, but it seems like a good and sanitary idea in a country where TB and other communicable diseases actually do still exist. So anyway, it was really a blessing to attend the mass. I enjoyed it alot.
During the mass, we heard the rain start to POUR outside. I mean coming down in BUCKETS! It was thundering, the whole thing. Of course, this morning it had been beautiful, so we were totally caught unaware. Anyway, we had to run the whole five or six blocks back to our hotel with no umbrella. My sweet husband gave me his jacket for my head and he went without, so he got soaked for sure. I was relatively dry when we got back, except for my feet.
Don't forget, lots and lots of prayers needed for court tomorrow. I foremost am praying for a positive decision from the judge, but beyond that, I would so love an immediate decision. She is just starting to warm to us, it seems so hard and senseless to leave her here for another two weeks and then come in and yank her out of the orphanage first thing. For sure she will not understand if the next time I show up I am taking her into a whole new world. I am really torn about leaving her, but I have to get home to my boys, they need me too. Please just pray that by some miracle, we are able to bring her home this time. We know that God is in control of this situation and that He may choose not to intervene, but we also know that He is able and that He can overrule this judge and we just ask Him to act on her behalf tomorrow.
Psalm 115:3
"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him."
She still cried when she first saw us. She didn't really want anything at all to do with us. But Brian brought out the Gerber puffs today and that did the trick. After she figured out that we had food, she was happy as a lark. Bribery is not beneath us! :) Anyway, we walked (and walked and walked) laps around the Baby Home. Brian started to kick a rock and she would kick it too. Then she would let go of my hand, run over to him for a little bit of dried fruit, and then run back and grab my hand. She was like a little bird.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like she was jumping into our arms or anything and she still wouldn't even let Brian hold her hand. We still have alot of work to do, but she relaxed alot for sure. She particularly got happier when I would speak the very few words of Russian I know to her. So I think the key is going to be to learn a few little phrases at least that I can say over and over to her. I know some main ones, do you want to eat, sleep, walk, etc., but it might be nice to learn a few other things to have a little more to say to her other than things to do. I would like to learn the names for animals so we could look at books, etc. I know the sounds the animals make in Russian (believe it or not, Russian animals speak a different language too), the frog says, qua qua for example, but I don't know the names. Maybe I will get Marina to give me a list of those translations.
We went to St. Catherine's Catholic Church today for mass. The mass we attended was being said in Polish. So of course, Brian and I couldn't understand a word of it. But the nice thing about a Catholic mass is that if you are Catholic, you know the order of the mass and you can follow along, even if you don't know what the priest is saying. So we knew when it was time to say the creed, the Our Father, etc. And we got to take communion. It was really interesting actually because the priest dipped the host into the wine and gave the communion on the tongue, both blood and body at the same time. I have never seen a priest do that in a Catholic church, but it seems like a good and sanitary idea in a country where TB and other communicable diseases actually do still exist. So anyway, it was really a blessing to attend the mass. I enjoyed it alot.
During the mass, we heard the rain start to POUR outside. I mean coming down in BUCKETS! It was thundering, the whole thing. Of course, this morning it had been beautiful, so we were totally caught unaware. Anyway, we had to run the whole five or six blocks back to our hotel with no umbrella. My sweet husband gave me his jacket for my head and he went without, so he got soaked for sure. I was relatively dry when we got back, except for my feet.
Don't forget, lots and lots of prayers needed for court tomorrow. I foremost am praying for a positive decision from the judge, but beyond that, I would so love an immediate decision. She is just starting to warm to us, it seems so hard and senseless to leave her here for another two weeks and then come in and yank her out of the orphanage first thing. For sure she will not understand if the next time I show up I am taking her into a whole new world. I am really torn about leaving her, but I have to get home to my boys, they need me too. Please just pray that by some miracle, we are able to bring her home this time. We know that God is in control of this situation and that He may choose not to intervene, but we also know that He is able and that He can overrule this judge and we just ask Him to act on her behalf tomorrow.
Psalm 115:3
"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him."
4 comments:
I just finished catching up on your blog. Good luck tomorrow. I am praying your 10 days is waived. I know it must be tough having your children in 2 different places. I also thought is was funny that you were asked to not play with the other kids. Looks like a good session of stimulation can cause wild children! I think it is wonderful you got the chance to at least touch those kids lives for a few days. I can't wait to see pictures of M & M. I am also praying for your transition with her.
Gerber puffs are like magic! I'll be praying for you tonight and checking my feed reader when I wake up in the morning to see how it went in court!
That M M! You just have to love her. She is so full of personality just like her mama!
We are keeping the prayers coming your way!
Nicole
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