The Rain in Urkaine...

...stays mainly all day long!
Today we went to the orphanage around noon and found the Straders. They were patiently waiting to see their Julia. We talked for about half an hour and then they were taken to another room for lunch. We were invited but declined as we had just had breakfast. Sleeping late is one of the perks of having nothing to do but visit one little boy in an orphanage each day.
Because it was too wet to play outside we went to the exercise room where James and Alex broke a sweat playing catch, ping pong without a table, kicking the soccer ball and then finally I secured a pump and James and Alex pumped up the tires on the two bikes in the room and road them around in little circles trying not to crash into each other.



I tried to find Oxana as we were planning to get pictures of waiting kids today to post but she had left with the Straders to the inspectors so I asked Lex if he knew where a store was? Yes. Can we walk? Yes. So we went to the director for permission to take Lex off the premises and got it but, not permission to walk. George came and dropped us off at what appeared to be a cinema and we arranged for him to pick us up in a few hours.
Freedom at last! Alex’s idea of shopping is looking at expensive cell phones. After three stores, I said “nett telephones” and started picking my own stores. We wanted to eat something-like in a sit down restaurant but managed to only find a café where they sold coffee and ice cream. We had previously stopped at a grocery store and bought (you guessed it) banana’s, Starburst for Lex, Skittles for James and Lex insisted on choco-late for Mama. We let Lex have ice cream and he ordered us herbal tea-or at least we hope that is what it was-he was so proud to order for us that we would have drank it no matter what is was. So along with candy, chocolate and ice cream he had a banana. Are we good parents or what?

James and Alex at the Cafe (Notice James gruff-don't mess with me-face!)

(Yum, ice cream and candy for lunch...I'm going to LOVE living with these parents!)

Then off to more shopping and hopefully find some real food. I found a lovely shoe and purse store much to Alex’s dismay and I bought a great purse with lots of outside pockets. Then we found me a nail file (I had forgot to pack one) and Lex asked for some sort of man’s body spray. I’m all for good smelling boys so what the heck? I laughed as he imitated the characters on the bottle that showed a cartoon man showering, wearing body spray and getting the girl. Alex did the same and then pretended to put his arm around an imaginary girl. Too funny!
I went to a perfume store and Alex and James went next door to a computer game store. I ended up in their store as well and the prices were incredible. Like 50 grinva’s for a computer game. Which is roughly $6. After many “netts” to the violent mature games he wanted we settled on one that didn’t look too mind altering. He’s so excited to play it tomorrow on the laptop.
We finally found a bakery that sold little pizza’s. Or what we thought were pizza’s. It was more like chicken salad on a pizza crust with cheese. It was okay, really mayonnaise-y. We also had a lovely fruit tart.

Alex is still wearing those dumb too small cleats of Rylee’s. I know they hurt his feet but he won’t admit it. I tried to find him a new pair but couldn’t find child size cleats anywhere. Tomorrow I’m bringing the new shoes I brought and getting a translator to explain we’ll get him new cleats that fit in the States!
Alex was so very protective of us, watching for cars, opening my umbrella, telling us not to talk in the stores as to not draw attention to our foreign-ness. He paid for everything (with our money of course) and the best is he would walk next to me and lay his wet head against my shoulder and sigh. Ahh…to have parents.
He told us he wanted us to stay with him until seven but our driver had other plans and we had to leave around 6:15. He remembered I had left my bag in the directors office and made sure I got it before I left. He’s just always looking out for us.
We’re roommates with Oxana and Olec now. (Olec being the one and the same as Alec that drove us here-obviously we’re having issues remembering and pronouncing names correctly here!)
Everyone is watching movies on their laptops and I’m of course blogging. I have pictures and video of Alex and James riding bikes in the exercise room, at the café and our lovely pizza but can’t post until a laptop is free.
Tomorrow we go over our statement to the court. Oxana picks up the corrected papers in Dnipropetrovsk and meets with the judge here-who happens to be a personal friend of Naydia the director.
Our papers go to the SDA with Oxana on Friday and then we wait for them to come back to schedule a court date.
I’ll attempt to post pictures of kids tomorrow, if anyone melts your heart, contact Elliana or Yuri for more info.
One more day down, who knows how many to come but, so far, so good!
I love and miss my children at home. Last night I got a little weepy thinking of them. But I’m so glad we’re here getting this child to complete our family. My heart soars when he calls me Mama and lays his head against my shoulder. And more than once-when he thinks no one is watching-he’ll climb on to my lap and let me hold and cuddle him. But not for too long!
He has started teasing James which is certainly a sign of father/son affection. Funny how that can translate in any language.
And as little orphanage Annie sings, I’m hoping the sun will come out tomorrow!

Video of James and Alex on bikes!