Today Maria and Sasha picked me up at 11:00 a.m. and we went sightseeing and bought a coffee pot. Jon had a head ache and was tired so he decided to sleep in. I made deviled eggs for lunch and we had fresh fruit. We got ready and were picked up at 2:30 to go to the orphanage. We arrived at the orphanage and everyone was looking for Almira. I asked where the restroom was and the assistant director took me by arm like a student and took me to the nurses’ area. There were several examining rooms and there were students getting doctored on. She showed me the restroom and then left. I went back down the hall to the classroom where we meet and we waited on Almira. She was off running around somewhere getting her drawings to show us. She came running in the room and had several of her drawings with her. She also had the Nick magazine that we had sent her. She had drawn some of the things out of the magazine in unbelievable detail. We were very impressed. Unfortunately I had to run back down the hall to the restroom since my lunch was not agreeing with me. The director saw me coming out of the bathroom and I rubbed my stomach and she came and took me by the arm and led me into one of the nurses’ offices. All these Russian women were crowding around me and all speaking Russian. I think they thought I was dying. One of them came in and tried to give me a pill. I said “Spaceba” (thank you in Russian) and tried to leave. They told me to sit down on the couch. They didn’t want me to leave. Then my interpreter came in and was all upset and thought something bad had happened. I told her no that I was okay, just upset stomach. So Maria starts translating and starts asking me about symptoms. I told her I ate something that didn’t agree with me, but I’m fine. She continues to ask what my stomach is doing and how is it feeling. They finally allow us to leave. It was really quite comical. I know they take really good care of the children.
All the while Jon is sitting down in the classroom by himself with Almira. They started working on the small Build a Bear dog that Sarah had picked out. He does not know what’s going on. Then when Maria and I get back we start going through the little book about her dog. Then Boris comes into the room and says he needs to speak with us outside. I asked Maria if she knew him and she said no. I asked him to come into the room and meet Maria. I’m not sure about the relationships between people here. I know that some coordinators and adoption workers don’t like Boris and I don’t why. He does wonderful things with the kids. He met Maria and then said he could just tell us there. He had another girl with him and he explained that this girl was sponsored and having a birthday party tomorrow afternoon. Since Almira was invited to attend the birthday party it would affect our visitation time, he invited us to come to the birthday party. So Jon, Almira, Maria and I will be attending a birthday party tomorrow. Then Boris said he needs to speak to me in the hall. He tells me that he has talked to the coordinator and has agreed to let Boris check her out of the orphanage all day Saturday and all day Sunday. She will have to be returned to the orphanage at night at 8PM. She can come to our apartment if someone is with her. I think maybe Boris and Maria may both be there. It is hard to tell when people in Russian are disagreeing or just talking. It is so fast and sounds like they are mad. So Boris takes me to the director’s office and talks to him and I just nod and agree with everything that Boris is saying. Then we go back outside and he tells me that everything is okay. We head back down to the classroom where Almira, Jon and Maria are and he does not want me to tell Maria anything. And I told him I didn’t want to do that. I couldn’t be dishonest with our coordinator. He said okay and goes in and proceeds to tell her everything in Russian. Almira is listening and her eyes are getting big. Sometime in the conversation she mentions something about school work and Boris told her “Don’t worry about school, you’re going to the United States.” She just started laughing at that. He then said something else to her in Russian and she started saying “Nyet, nyet” and shaking her head. Boris said he was joking with her and told her if she was worried about school work he could bring her back early and she was saying no, no. We laughed at that. Almira laughs a lot and seems to have a good sense of humor.
I told Maria I would like to take Almira shopping for shoes for court this weekend, if we could. It will be interesting to have Maria, Boris and Almira in our small apartment this weekend. I’m thinking about cooking some of my jambalaya I brought with me. The store down the street has a roasted chicken that is very good. I could just get Jon to shred it up and put it in the jambalaya. Maybe some salad and bread. We are very excited about spending some time with Almira away from the orphanage this weekend.
All the while Jon is sitting down in the classroom by himself with Almira. They started working on the small Build a Bear dog that Sarah had picked out. He does not know what’s going on. Then when Maria and I get back we start going through the little book about her dog. Then Boris comes into the room and says he needs to speak with us outside. I asked Maria if she knew him and she said no. I asked him to come into the room and meet Maria. I’m not sure about the relationships between people here. I know that some coordinators and adoption workers don’t like Boris and I don’t why. He does wonderful things with the kids. He met Maria and then said he could just tell us there. He had another girl with him and he explained that this girl was sponsored and having a birthday party tomorrow afternoon. Since Almira was invited to attend the birthday party it would affect our visitation time, he invited us to come to the birthday party. So Jon, Almira, Maria and I will be attending a birthday party tomorrow. Then Boris said he needs to speak to me in the hall. He tells me that he has talked to the coordinator and has agreed to let Boris check her out of the orphanage all day Saturday and all day Sunday. She will have to be returned to the orphanage at night at 8PM. She can come to our apartment if someone is with her. I think maybe Boris and Maria may both be there. It is hard to tell when people in Russian are disagreeing or just talking. It is so fast and sounds like they are mad. So Boris takes me to the director’s office and talks to him and I just nod and agree with everything that Boris is saying. Then we go back outside and he tells me that everything is okay. We head back down to the classroom where Almira, Jon and Maria are and he does not want me to tell Maria anything. And I told him I didn’t want to do that. I couldn’t be dishonest with our coordinator. He said okay and goes in and proceeds to tell her everything in Russian. Almira is listening and her eyes are getting big. Sometime in the conversation she mentions something about school work and Boris told her “Don’t worry about school, you’re going to the United States.” She just started laughing at that. He then said something else to her in Russian and she started saying “Nyet, nyet” and shaking her head. Boris said he was joking with her and told her if she was worried about school work he could bring her back early and she was saying no, no. We laughed at that. Almira laughs a lot and seems to have a good sense of humor.
I told Maria I would like to take Almira shopping for shoes for court this weekend, if we could. It will be interesting to have Maria, Boris and Almira in our small apartment this weekend. I’m thinking about cooking some of my jambalaya I brought with me. The store down the street has a roasted chicken that is very good. I could just get Jon to shred it up and put it in the jambalaya. Maybe some salad and bread. We are very excited about spending some time with Almira away from the orphanage this weekend.
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