Kirovohrad Feb 25Th, 2009

Well today we stayed in because we where suppose to go to Marianna’s school and pick her up, but we got a call saying that she didn’t go to school and to meet Kate our translator so we can take a taxi to go see her.

We met Kat at 3:30 and headed to orphanage to find out what happened. When we got there, that beautiful girl was waiting for us and she had the biggest smile on her face as she came out with some of the other kids. Nothing looked wrong with her and she was playing, so what was the deal? We where told that Marianna’s teachers where concerned about her heath, or something like that and sent a note to have her looked over and that she could not go back to school until she was cleared.

We learned later that there was not a thing wrong with her and the teachers knew that she only had a few days of school left. They didn’t want her to interrupt her class mates and the school. Why didn’t they just say that, our hearts where up in our throats and we where thinking all kinds of things had happened to her.

After talking to Olga for about ten minutes, we headed to some place like Chucky Cheese, but with a Ukrainian twist to it. I paid more for the games she played than I did for the taxi ride to get there. Way more, but she had a blast! We ate dinner and played games until it was time to take her back to the orphanage. We stopped off at the store down stairs and picked up some chips and things for her to share with her caregivers and friends.

When we got back to the orphanage we walked her up the stairs where her group was and showed everyone the treasures. She then walked us back down the stairs and said her good nights. She than asked Kate for the thousandth time when court was, and told her that she was ready to go home with Mama and Papa NOW! We told her what we knew, that it could be Friday, or Monday. All three of us were hopping for the sooner.

We are ready for her at the flat! She picked out what she wanted to eat for breakfast so we would have it when she gets to come home for good. We told her that was fine, but she may want to pick out something she could eat on the ride back to Kiev. We all where ready to get home.

Adrienne and I can’t wait to get her into our house, because that will mean that we all are finally a family.

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb 24Th, 2009

Today it was a beautiful day and the sun was out with the birds a chirping. Even though this day was turning out to be so beautiful, Adrienne still had her cold. This meant that we would need to stay in and catch up on our wash and don’t forget that even with the sun out, it was in the upper 20’s. It is so cold!

Washing took most of the morning, so we just set around being lazy. We would have to wait for Marianna to get out of school before we could see her. You have to understand that we American’s are so privileged to have working TV’s and many other things to keep us from boredom. I can’t get this TV to turn on after turning it off the other day. I have had the manager of the apartment out twice already and she doses something to it and it works. She doesn’t speak English and she never shows me how she fixed it.

After all this we headed out to pick Marianna up from school. We met our newest translator outside the apartment gate. Her name as we can pronounce it was Kate. Adrienne and I think that we three are scaring them off, or something. We met Marianna at school and got some papers that where from her teacher giving Marianna a good report on her school activity.

After picking her up we went back to the flat and we where going to try too call the Glazener’s so Marianna could talk to Kyle. On the way Adrienne AKA Mama got a bright idea. Why don’t we pickup some knitting needles, yarn and beading things to keep her occupied while we are in a holding pattern. It’s not that we didn’t bring things for her from America, but that all got taken from the other kids in the orphanage.

We are counting the days,
Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb. 23nd 2009

Well, Adrienne caught a cold from being outside in 25° - weather and has started to loss here voice. The good news is that we got a call from Lena, our head interpreter that we would be able to pick Marianna up from school every day and keep her until 7pm ever night. What wonderful news!

Since Adrienne has this cold we decided to take a taxi to Marianna’s school that is only two blocks away, we being Adrienne. As we arrived we where able to meet her teachers and some of her classmates and of course Marianna had to take photo of everyone that she was able to stop.

She even wanted to take one of her classmates home to the apartment with her. The little girl was all ready to go with her school bags packed and everything. The funny thing was that this little girl got mad at us when we had the translator tell her that we couldn’t take her with us. I guess Marianna and she had it all worked out before we arrived. It turned out that she was a friend of hers from the orphanage, but all the same, we didn’t have Olga’s permission to take her with us.

After going to the store and spending time with Marianna at the apartment, we met up with Lena and the attorney. This is when we found out more wonderful news. Our court date should be no latter than Monday and she had the ten day waiting period removed and if everything goes right Marianna will be ours that day. We will still have to go back to Kiev and the American Embassy.

Oh, by the way. I hate this TV in the big family room. I can’t seem to turn it off without messing the thing up!

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb 22nd 2009

Today we slept in and it felt great. Now that I have a new pillow it was fabulous. I dreamt that we where all back home now!

Marianna had a Concert / Festival to get ready for and we where told not to come until 1pm, so it was off to the orphanage at 1pm. Marianna was there at the door setting in a chair that she had dragged down stairs and was waiting for us. We asked her how long she had been there and she said all morning!

Richard and I had Lena tell her the night before that the caregiver asked us not to come until 1pm, but she must have miss understood. We didn’t have a translator with us, so we didn’t get the whole story. All we knew is it broke are hearts again. As we got up stairs we noticed that there where no sounds coming from Marianna’s group and we didn’t see any children as we walked into the class. The caregiver came out of the room that the children slept in and told us that we would have to be real quite because the children where napping!

We played checkers and some other quite games. Like there are any kids that know how to play quite games! Marianna decided that we where going to go outside and play. She told the caregiver this and believe it or not, the caregiver said yes, so we where off in a flash playing with her outside in 25° - weather. It was cold! BRRRRR!

!!!!!

After about 10 minuets I decided it was to cold and it was time for us all to go back inside. I’m a Texas girl, not an Eskimo! We came back and Richard, Marianna and I where banished to a room with a piano, a table and a Dentist chair in it. It was also the room that you had to go into to get too the computer room. Surprisely enough guess who started to play the piano? It wasn’t Richard, or I, it was the Princess. She could play and read music. She may not be Mozart, but she has had some training. How awesome is that?

It was now time for the Concert / Festival. She was rushed off by one of the other kids to get ready for her première. We where taken to Olga and seated in a large classroom with the rest of the orphanage. It was great! The whole thing lasted about an hour and a half. What can I say, she was wonderful. The first part was in the large class and then it was back outside for the finish. The Concert / Festival was called their National pancake day, or something of the fact. It must be something big if Olga was there.

We really didn’t know what was going on, but it was fun to watch. I should not have been outside in that cold air, but it was worth it. Even if I did loss my voice and now have a cold. We did get video of most of it and will put it on the blog if we can get the OK.

We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we will play it by ear. We do know she will be going to school and then she will be back at the orphanage around 4 – 5pm. Then we will be off to see her again. That will be our whole day. We have not heard from the attorney and that is worrying us, but everyone is telling us not to worry. If we have been permitted to see her so much and spend time with her, then there shouldn’t be any problems.

I am now going to go sleep with my new pillow!

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb 21st 2009

Today it snowed a little again. Vicka, (Lena’s newest trainee and one of the nicest girls) met us about 8:45 to go pickup Marianna. Marianna was at the door to meet us and she was very happy to see us. We took a taxi back into town and had breakfast at our favorite pizza place down by the town square and then she wanted to show us where she went to school even though it was a Saturday and the school was closed.

We had to find her some shoes so we walked from one store to the other and that meant going up many hills and down the others. After the third store we came across a pair that fit her and that we could all agree on. On the way back to the flat we finely found a store that had a pillow for Adrienne, if we didn’t she would be the Hunchback of Norte Dame. We had been all over Kiev and Kirovohrad looking for this pillow. You wouldn’t think it would be so hard to find a store that carried the dang thing.

We came back to the flat and Marianna started to play, sang and dance. Then it was to her computer. Really it is her Papa’s, but don’t tell her that. After that Vicka left and Lena traded places stayed the rest of the time. We tried to call Kyle (Bogdan), but he didn’t want to talk at that time. It was pretty early in the am back in Texas, so we could not blame him.

We took Marianna to Dinner and then it was back to the orphanage. It is so sad to see her go back there, but tomorrow she will be in a concrete and we are going to see her perform with her class.

Now we are back on a holding pattern and we are just waiting for our final day in court.

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb 20Th 2009

Today we got up early and studied our Dossier so that we would be ready for our Guardianship meeting today. We had a little breakfast and then off to the meeting. We where so nervous and worried, that we might forget what to say.

After getting to where the meeting was to be held, we waited out side the door for what seemed like forever, but in reality it was only minutes. We where asked to come in and take a seat. As Adrienne and I walked through the door we noticed that there where 10 people behind a long set of tables. Not three, or four, but 10.

There was one woman that set right in front of us and she was the one that asked most of the questions. This is where our nerves started to get to us, Adrienne was asked why we wanted to adopt and after going over it so many times, she said something completely different.

Then it was my turn. I didn’t think I was nervous, but for some reason I started to answer most of the questions. That’s when Adrienne leaned over and said to me, stop answering all the questions. I don’t think any of them spoke English, but one of the women said something to one of the others and pointed to their ring. I think she said something to the fact that yes, we are married and smiled.

Then all of a sudden, the woman up front said that we had the blessings of the court and that they all wished us success, the whole thing toke less than 15 minuets. YEA!

We where suppose to pick her up at her school, but the school had let the students out early and she had to ride home with the other kids. We being Adrienne, Lena our interrupter, Vicka, Lena’s friend and myself had to pile in to a taxi and to the orphanage to catch up with her. We got to the orphanage and picked her up for dinner. Then back in to the taxi and off we went. Tomorrow we will be able to spend 9am tell 7pm with her. We can’t wait!

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit

Kirovohrad Feb 19Th 2009

Adrienne and I tired all night to get some sleep, but where unable to do so. We where so excited about seeing Marianna. So we got up early and got dressed to go and see the notary. K drove us down to the notary and we signed a bunch of legal papers and than we had to pick up the attorney and then we where off to see Marianna.

We saw our angle and she ran, or should I say flashed right pass me and flew into Adrienne’s arms. They held each other for about 30 minutes. Then I got my turn, she gave me the same hugs and kisses that Adrienne received and sat in my lap.

After the attorney and Olga observed our interaction they both gave Adrienne and me their blessings. I guess we passed their test. We had to leave for a little while and it was very hard on us three. K, Adrienne and I went back to the apartment to rest up until 4pm, then it was back to see Marianna until about 7pm and then we had to leave. Once again it was hard for all three of us. We told her we would see her tomorrow and she seemed to be ok with it. She knew that we where there to adopt her and that was all she cared about.

Gods speed, AKA Alice and the White Rabbit