Stahlke Adoption

A Daily "Routine"

I don't know if anything on our trip can be called "routine," but at least this week each day has roughly the same schedule. We arrive at the orphanage around 10:00 am each morning and round up Bogdan, Luda, Lena, and Misha. Usually the word gets out among the other children in the orphanage, and our four come running up to us. Except for two days when it was raining, we spend all our time on the grounds that surround the building. We start the visit with something to eat--sometimes candy or ice cream, but more often fruit, which they love. We then play with them using a variety of games and toys that we bring each time. (One of our tasks each day before leaving home is gathering our "stash" to keep four active kids interested for four hours!) Besides balls, rubber snakes, art supplies, rubics cubes, puzzles, etc., etc., they are also fascinated with non-toys like my umbrella, calculator, and camera bag. And one of the best items is the packet of "wet ones" that we bring each day. They love to wash everything, including everyone's faces, the umbrella, and my purse! I'm just happy they want to be clean!

We must return them to their respective "groups" shortly before noon for the lunch hour. We then do business in the afternoon (lots--that's a future posting) and go to the flea market to keep our toy stash from depleting. Then it's back to visit from 4:00 until 6:00.

I need to run--as much as I want to write more, we have so much to do, like buying clothes for us and the kids for court next week, getting our finances in order to give gifts to caregivers and the orphanage, preparing for paperwork at the U.S Embassy next week, etc., etc. I'll write more when I can. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes!

posted by Stahlkes @ 7:11 PM