Pretty in Blue

Robin here. Upon our arrival at the doorway of Kristina’s group this morning, we were met with a vision of sweetness as she stood up from her chair wearing a pretty blue dress that we had not seen before. Julia looks beautiful in pink and we learned today that Kristina looks lovely in blue. The color seems to awaken the pallor of her skin, giving it a healthy glow and brightness.

I think the color blue also energizes Kristina, as she was non-stop action today! As soon as we entered the playroom she hopped onto the mini-trampoline and bounced for at least ten minutes straight. Then, after catching her breath, Kristina picked up a softball sized rubber ball and began bouncing on the trampoline again while batting the ball to Greg. This back and forth went on for another ten minutes or so without interruption as Kristina slapped the ball back to Greg just about every time he bounced it at her. She also kicked the ball a few times with amazing precision as she continued to bounce on the trampoline. I think she will make Uncle Jim proud with what appears to be natural soccer skills!

After a LOT of physical activity, we set up the computer to play a Disney Christmas DVD. The first of four movies on the DVD is about Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck competing with one another in an ice skating performance. This particular movie was Julia’s favorite when we bonded with her. It bridges the language barrier by conveying simple emotions to tell the story. Kristina sat quietly through the movie and seemed to enjoy it. It didn’t matter that she could not understand the words spoken. She understood the feelings of friendship, jealousy, rivalry and ultimately true friendship in the end between Minnie and Daisy as the story unfolded. I will be curious to see, if like Julia, Kristina will pull it out of Papa’s briefcase every single day for the rest of the week and ask to see it again and again.

Today marked the halfway point of our bonding period. Next Tuesday will be our fourteenth day. Our lawyer will submit paperwork on that day and we will hopefully stand before the judge less than a week later. We don’t know yet if Kristina will be allowed to stay at the apartment with us during the fifteen day waiting period after court. We hope so for many reasons, including the fact that having her here will eliminate the need to drive almost two hours roundtrip to the Poulidino orphanage as we wait out the days. The jury is still out as to whether or not Greg will head back to the States right after court, or spend some time here with Kristina and me during the waiting period. We’ll have to wait and see how well the stars are aligned when the time comes.

After not visiting the orphanage on Sunday, we returned today eager to see "the little peanut" as we've branded her. As we walked in the door, she was sitting with her group and all of the children were working on some craft project that involved clay. At the sight of us, Kristina jumped up and ran to change into the yellow dress she now wears for our visits.

She grabbed an apple from a bowl before leaving her group's room and was starting on it as we walked down to the playroom. We walked through a hallway that has a fish tank and a cage with two parakeets in it, one blue and one green. We tried to see if Kristina would tell us the parakeet's names, but to our questions and motions towards the birds, she replied "SEEN-yee" (blue) and "zeel-YOH-nee" (green). She definitely knows her colors.

The play time went very well and thankfully there were no hints of Saturday's power struggle, even when the camera was in use. We spent some time determining that Kristina is ticklish, and then she turned the tables on us and tickled us too. This was followed by playing on the jungle gym, bouncing balls, throwing balls at each other and Kristina enjoying a few pieces of candy from Robin's purse.

The activities ended a little early because we had an appointment to see Yuri, the orphanage director and a woman who is the orphanage doctor. The purpose of this was to discuss the circumstances of Kristina's coming to the orphanage and learn of any medical details.

We said goodbye to Kristina and met up with Yuri in his office. Igor, our driver/translator, sat across from us. We first discussed Kristina's background. As we'd heard before, she was a 'foundling' on the streets of Petropavlovsk. Her mother had abandoned her, but left her birth certificate tucked in a pocket so that when she was picked up there would be some basic information about Kristina. She came to the orphanage about a year ago on 5-Sep-2005.

The orphanage doctor told us that Kristina is in good health. We got her height/weight (in centimeters and kilograms, time to find a conversion website) and the opinion that she is an active child and performs tasks and activities well. We thanked the doctor profusely, especially once we learned that she'd come in on her day off to give us this information.

Today was our fourth visit with Kristina and our first test of wills. The visit started a little on the contrary side when we entered the playroom as she was eating an apple. Despite our motions to come sit with us, she climbed to the upper floor of the jungle gym and ate the apple there. It seemed a little contrary, but no big deal.

When she finally emerged we got out the ViewMaster with the Cinderella reels and this was a big hit. She quickly figured out how to work it and would squeal with delight as she saw each new slide come up.

As usual, We were taking pictures of her and showing her the snapshots every time she would say "PAKA-zhee" to us. Kristina then decided that she should take some pictures of us and we showed her how to manage this. The little stinker actually took some good shots of us.

The problem came when we needed to regain control of the camera. Kristina was not ready to give it up and it turned into a situation where we just had to tell her "No" and take the camera. The "big pout" ensued followed by the big "I'm ignoring you" and topped off with retreating into a small play house and shedding some tears.

We resisted playing into this behavior until it got to the tears. At that point We coaxed her out of the playhouse and all three of us hugged as Robin and I told her "NEE plach" (don't cry). The camera was put away for the rest of the session and things were a bit subdued until we started playing with some of the rubber balls.

After a bit we were playing catch with the balls and she was having me chase her around the jungle gym until she got to Mama's lap which was the safe zone. Some more ViewMaster, a little bit of the trampoline, and our session ended on a happy note.

Robin here. I don’t know if it’s jet lag or not, but I awoke about an hour ago, saw that it was 6:30 and mentioned something to Greg about going to the orphanage in a few hours. It took several minutes of conversation and the need for Greg to walk me to a window so I could see where the sun was at in the sky before I was willing to accept his idea that it was not 6:30 Saturday morning, but instead, 6:30 Friday evening. After getting over the disappointment that we would not be seeing Kristina in a few hours as I had thought, I immediately relished the idea that I still had a full night’s rest ahead of me! One would think with all the napping I’ve been getting that I would feel well rested; all I feel is disoriented…

Our visit with Kristina today (Friday) was just great. The children were in a different room when we arrived this morning. As we approached the door, we could see that they were watching a TV program. Still, the moment Kristina saw us standing in the doorway she jumped up yelling, “Mama, Mama, Papa, Papa!” She hugged us both tightly, and although I know her excitement was genuine, it was also quite evident that she was declaring to her group mates that SHE had a Mama and a Papa. It made me sad to imagine how envious the other children must have been at that moment.

Today’s visit was cut short by half an hour when we were informed by our translator, Igor (who, by the way, is just the best) that we had to leave early in order to meet our coordinator, Shoboln (female) at the notary office to sign some papers. We also lost 15 minutes of bonding time with Kristina when she was called out for a shower. So, between the shower and leaving early, we felt a bit cheated as we said our DAH svee-DAHN-yah’s (Good Bye’s.)

We stopped for lunch with Igor on the way home from the orphanage and Greg enjoyed his first taste of horsemeat by way of a bowl of soup. Greg is not a soup eater, but he said it was the best he had ever eaten. It looked to be highly seasoned and it contained dollops of sour cream and a slice of lemon among its ingredients. It had rice, potato and vegetables and was garnished with lots of fresh parsley. I am not at all adventurous when it comes to meat, so I am sorry to say that I did not partake.

Tomorrow (Sat) is day 4 of our bonding time with Kristina. And, as much as I enjoy every minute we spend with her, it’s almost as if I want the two hours over with quickly so we can move on to the next day. Having done this with Julia in ’04, I know that we will be in court before we know it. But, my heart is impatient…

Robin here. Today is Friday and in a few hours we will be leaving for the orphanage for our third visit with Kristina! Yesterday’s visit was awesome! The moment Greg and I appeared in the doorway of Kristina’s group’s main room, we were greeted with a huge smile as she jumped from her seat, still chewing the green apple she was enjoying as a mid-morning snack. Kristina immediately ran to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss. She then went to Greg and repeated the hug and kiss for him. Before leaving the room, she took her Russian speaking doll, Anna from the bookcase where it sat among other toys. Kristina also grabbed the book light she had confiscated from Greg the previous day. With these two possessions in hand, she hurriedly led us to the playroom. Once in the playroom, Kristina sat with us and finished her apple – core, seeds and all. The only part of the apple remaining when she was done eating was the tiny stem she handed to me to dispose of as she swallowed her last bite.

Yesterday’s pa-DAHR-uk (gift) from us was a Memory match game. The game has 72 cards, each with a simple picture to which there is a match. As we assembled the cards face down on the floor, we would call out the names of the pictures in Russian --
KOOK-la (doll), M-YAH-CH, (ball) OOT-ka, (duck) bah-NAHN (banana) and so on. It was now time to turn the cards over and try to remember where the matching card was located in the grid. Let’s just say that Kristina has a REALLY good memory and matched her pictures with ease. It was then time for some physical play in the jungle gym where Kristina climbed, jumped, crawled and slid in a furry of nonstop action! Greg and I stood outside the jungle gym as she taunted us with the Russian version of na, na na, na, na na, you can’t get me!

Finally, in a moment reminiscent of our bonding with Julia, Kristina began to dig through my purse, and once found, my comb and mirror became her tools to give me a makeover. She removed all ten of the clips from her own hair and began her magic on Mama! I believe the picture we’ve included says it all… And, not to be forgotten, Kristina even spent a minute or two styling Papa’s hair – picture NOT included!

I don’t think our second day of bonding could have gone better. Kristina is obviously ready to become a part of us. She readily calls us Mama and Papa and she imparts generous hugs. She is a precious child whose spirit and ability to trust has not been broken, despite the circumstances of her life prior to coming to the orphanage. We learned yesterday that Kristina was found. This means that she was without an adult, roaming about on her own. We will learn more of the details of this today when we speak with Yuri, the orphanage director.

Our day started with Igor picking us up at 9 AM for the hour ride to Poludino. The orphanage is located in this small village about 60 kilometers east of Petropavlovsk. Igor and our coordinator, a woman named (phonetically, at least) Shobahn, rode in the front seats while Robin and I sat in back.

Traffic lanes and laws are on the endangered species list in Kazakhstan. We were doing 150 kmh (about 90 mph) for most of the ride. And we were on whatever part of the road was the least bumpy, left right or center. Visually stunning in the morning light were the many stands of tall birch trees, their white bark nearly glowing.

As we neared our destination, Igor turned onto a road and we slowed to cross some railroad tracks. Igor pointed out that these were a part of the trans-Siberian railroad. Yep, we're pretty far north. A little further on stood the orphanage, home to some 90 children. Igor wound his way among several massive piles of coal already positioned for winter heating needs.

Pulling up to the door we were greeted by Yuri, the orphanage director. A handsome man in his fifties, we exchanged greetings and then Robin and I went inside to wait while he, Igor and Shobahn conferred outside. After about ten minutes, the three of them joined us in his office and Igor said "He would like you to talk about yourself and why you're here." With the
practice from the previous day's Ministry of Education encounter, I once again launched into who we were, where we lived, what our occupations were and a description of our family life.

Shortly before leaving on this adoption trip, I'd scoured all our photos from the last couple of years to produce a 24 page photoessay of Julia and how she has adapted to becoming our daughter and living in America. Each page has both Russian and English titles of words such as school, skills, friends, trust, happiness, etc. Then there are 4 or 5 pictures showing learning, playing, and just generally enjoying life.

It seemed like an opportune time to introduce this material so I asked Yuri if he would like to see how Yulia (again, using the Russian pronounciation) was doing since our trip in 2004 to adopt her in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Yuri nodded and then began paging carefully through the entire book, asking some questions and commenting favorably on almost every page. He seemed particularly interested to see the page titled "heritage" showing the Kazakh flag that Julia and I attached to our front door as well as the ethnic horse painting that stands over our
fireplace.

As he finished examining the last page titled "family," Yuri looked at us and said that it was evident that Julia is a happy child and enjoying her new life in America. He wanted us to confirm what sex child we were looking for and we replied "A girl." We explained that "Julia would like a sister." Yuri looked thoughtful for a few moments and then told us that he had a "very special" girl who was beloved by the caretakers. It was pretty clear that it was the highest trust to allow us to consider adopting her. Her name is Kristina and she will be 6 years old on October 13th.

Robin and I eagerly agreed and Yuri called an assistant to bring Kristina from her group's room into his office. After a brief wait, the door opened and a little peanut of a girl strode into the room and said "Strav-voh-tyee" ('Hello' in Russian). Robin and I were all smiles as we retuned her greeting and admired this sweet little girl wearing a red dress and a big white bow in her hair.

Kristina was eager to see who would be her sister, so Yuri took her through Julia's photoessay. Then Kristina came over by us for a first hug and kiss. I presented her with the Russian-speaking doll, Anna, and she was very happy to hear her English and Russian phrases. With a solid start on our introduction to Kristina, we headed for the playroom for a chance to play and bond.

It's Tuesday evening and we're here in Petropavlovsk. The flights via United to Frankfurt, Germany and Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Astana, Kazakhstan went very smoothly. We arrived in Astana at about 10:30 pm local time Monday night (after leaving Chicago at 6:30 pm Sunday evening).

We were met by Viktoria and a driver who took us to a hotel. We got some sleep and were up and at it again Tuesday morning for the final 10:30 am flight from Astana to Petropavlovsk. We had beautiful flying weather and landed in Petro just a little before noon.

Our translator, Igor, met us at the airport and immediately renewed our faith in Kazakh hospitality. He is friendly, helpful and funny all at the same time. You just know that you're in good hands.

We chilled a little at the apartment we're renting until it was time to go over to the Minstry of Education for a meeting with an official who would grant us access to an orphanage. After a bit of waiting in the hallways we were finally ushered into the gentleman's office. It had the distinct flavor of being interviewed by someone who needed to be sold on our credentials.

Questions were asked about our occupations and family situation. I think it really helped that we were able to tell him that we'd been to Kazakhstan in 2004 to adopt Julia. I was careful to refer to her in her Russian pronunciation "Yulia." He specifically asked if we helped her to remember her heritage and we went to lengths to explain that we sent letters to her friend Jenya as well as reinforce her understandings of her roots.

After a while, he finally gave a nod and signed some papers. We go tomorrow to the orphanage about 50 kilometers from here (Poludino) to see the girls available in the 6-8 year age range. One challenge down, many more to go.

The pictures show the beautiful waxing moon we saw from the United 777 as began our trip. A self portrait of Robin and I somewhere over Belarus. The car we drove in with Viktoria and an orange dashboard mascot. Finally, the beautiful in terminal in Astana that seems to be modeled on a Kazakh yurt.

Mixed Emotions

Robin here… Today is a bittersweet day for us. Julia’s tears started last night in bed. We knew – she knew that this day was coming. And, while we are all thrilled that we are finally traveling for her sister, the realization that we are traveling for her sister was more about missing each other and less about a little girl half-way around the world.

I think we all went to sleep last night with a tickle of excitement in our guts and big lumps in our throats. Happy, sad – happy, sad…

Well, you can see by the LONG gap between the first couple posts and this one that this person who issues the 'golden ticket' (Letter of Invitation) must have had an exceptionally nice vacation. So nice that he/she spent most of the summer enjoying it and only very reluctantly resumed work.

But, patience is a virtue and so now we must be brimming with it (feels kinda tingly) since we finally did receive out LOI on August 22nd. We depart at 6:33 pm Sunday, September 3rd for Petropavlovsk by way of Frankfurt, Germany and Astana, Kazakhstan.

We're already into the new school year and Claire starts as a high school sophmore while Julia enters 3rd grade. We have a tradition of taking their picture in front of the house on the first day of school, so here they are.

We're scrambling trying to get all the final pieces in place before we depart. You'd think that with all that time spent waiting, it would just be a pushbutton operation at this point. Not so. We're notarizing and apostilling the last few forms, making copies of tax returns, getting an obscene amount of pristine cash from the bank, et cetera, et cetera.

Robin here. I am amazed at the patience I have demonstrated over the last ten months of our adoption process. This experience has been so different from our first. Considering what I now know, I am so grateful that our journey to Julia in December of '04 went so smoothly. I think ignorance really is bliss in certain cases.

We initially set out for Russia this time around. But, after five months of uncertainty over accreditation and the future of independent adoptions, we decided to switch to Kaz and go back to the program we already knew and loved. I must say that our coordinator, Alla, did a superb job of moving our dossier along.

And... five weeks ago we thought we would be traveling very soon. But, as Greg previously posted, our dossier is sitting on the desk of a vacationing regional official. Hence, we wait for said official to return and issue our much anticipated LOI so we can finally travel for our daughter.

Poor Julia has been waiting for ten months for a little sister and I have to say that, all in all, she has been very patient. Still, we are all very ready to get this show on the road...

We're in the final weeks of waiting for our Letter Of Invitation from the government of Kazakhstan. Last week I would have said we were in our final 'days', but we've just been informed that whomever issues it has gone on vacation and we shouldn't expect anything for another month. Ah, bureaucracy. The only true common ground among nations and peoples.

Once we receive it, we'll embark on our second and final adoption odyssey. Our first trip was in December of 2004 when we traveled to Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan to adopt our daughter Julia, who was 7 years old at that time. She is an amazing girl who plays with all the neighborhood kids, loves to watch Disney's High School Musical and just celebrated her 9th birthday among family and friends.

Although Julia is a younger sister to our 15 year old daughter and 18 year old son, what she really wants is to be an older sister too. So, we're gonna do it one more time and see if there's some 7 year old in Petropavlovsk who wants to join forces with us and the human tornado named Julia.