Day 36

We learned this morning that today will be the last regular visitation day. Because we couldn't reach Marsha, we got a hold of Yulia. She explained that she had scheduled for our driver to come today. Apparently, getting the court decrees and birth certificates take more time that we realized. But a part of our problem was that we weren't told and didn't know to ask.

We had really great visits with both of the girls. Kaitlyn is into trying new things and feels much more confident around us. She is playing more and more with her brothers. Sarah is also playing more with her brothers. I was a bit nervous about our visit with Sarah today after having to sternly discipline her. At first, she seemed a bit cool and kinda regressed. She also seemed calm and treated us more like she does the care-givers; which included listening better. After a few minutes of play and juice, she pretended to be a baby that wanted to be rocked. But something changed, I could tell by her relaxed position that she really enjoyed being rocked. I even sang a lullaby: "za-snoch, za-snoch, za-snoch men'ya doch"; which means, "go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my daughter". Behavior was not an issue and I was truly happy to have such a wonderful visit with my daughter, especially after the last time. For other parents out there... expect good days and difficult days but none of them are easy.

We had dinner with Christine and Julia Reed at Premier and I tried Ukrainian borsch. It was delicious! It also came with very strong garlic bread, which made us take a drink after one bit. The garlic was very, very strong. I loved it! I also had chicken with cheese and spinach. Oh, and don't forget the Sprite. Jennifer had some real beef! The boys had the chicken as well. We walked home and later Yulia called.

We learned that Marsha is helping another couple with their adoption and that the reason why she is not with us is that they had serious problems with getting their court date. Since we are on the downward slope, she felt it was better to stay with the other couple. I would have appreciated some forwardness on her part but I can't blame her for staying with the other couple who needed her more. Marsha's mother is taking her place and already has the court decree and the passports. The birth certificates will be available for us to pick up first thing tomorrow morning. After that, we will head over to Sarah's orphanage, have a small party, give gifts, and she'll never have to see that place again. After Kaitlyn's nap time, we will do the same for her.

Marsha's mother will also assist us with getting to the train and boarding. After that, we will be in better hands, Yulia's hands, and in Kiev getting the girls VISAs. We'll need to stop by the SDA, we'll grab some souvenirs, maybe more toys to entertain the girls with, and just have some fun! Then it's off to the airport but that is for another post.

Oh, and we saw this today.