Hello everyone, it's Bill. If you've been reading our blog then you know that my wife is extremely gifted when it comes to writing....so I've been a little intimidated knowing that I would assume the blogging privelage when she left the Ukraine. She is now on her way to the US, and I'm here in the Ukraine, so it's time to face my fears, roll up my sleaves, and get to working. Big deep breath....here we go.
Today is the day after our court hearing, and the first full day that Ruslan is officially, unofficially part of our family (can't wait for the 10 day waiting period to be over - then it's official!). Karen left yesterday for the US so it's been a lonely night and morning. I've been able to pass the time by checking her flight status constantly. It was fun crossing departures and arrivals off on my sheet as they happened, but the fun went away when I saw that her second flight from Germany to Washington DC was over 3 hours delayed...which meant that she would miss her final flight to RDU. I knew I couldn't do anything from here, but I worried and worried and worried. At 3:45 p.m. Ukraine time I pried myself from the computer and walked the 30 minutes to the orphanage.
I was nervous to go without our driver to escort me into the building, but it worked out perfect. I was able to get in quickly without any problems (usually there is a man at the guard building). When I got upstairs to where Ruslan's group stays, the door was open and I could see Ruslan sitting at a table putting together a lego fire truck that we had brought for him. He heard me at the door, turned around, and said, "Papa, where is mama" and before I could answer he said (with a huge smile on his face), "in America!" Then he started to laugh because he knew the answer before I did. At this point his teacher told me that he needed to eat snack before he could leave. He sat down, took two bites of something from a bowl, made a yuck face at me, and then gathered his truck and we went outside. We sat down at a table and had our daily banana and Sandora (which is the brand name of a juice that he LOVES). Also, I gave him a couple of departing gifts from his, now legally recognized, Mama. One was a package of stickers and the other was a chocolate egg with a prize inside. Before he opened either of them he said "thank you Mama" toward the sky with a big smile on his face and a little bow that he does when he askes permission or says thank you. He gobbled up the chocolate, got some on his lips, closed his eyes and said "num, num." He then tanked some more Sandora and asked me to help him put together his fire truck. While I got to work on that, he started to look through the photo album we brought to be used in court. There is a picture of our house and he likes to point to each window and tell me which rooms they are. He giggles when he gets to the bathroom and smiles when he gets to his room. Then he bursts into singing "Oh Happy Day" at an increased volume. I was surprised because he usually doesn't want anyone to hear him, but today it seems that he's thrown caution to the wind...his voice is loud and proud.
After his group finished snack they came outside to where we were sitting. His teacher asked us to move to another area of the playground...so we did. They either like to give us space for our comfort or keep us from the other children to keep the chaos down for their comfort...or a little of both...I haven't been able to decide. But alone at our new table, we are able to chit chat in the "he speaks Russian and I speak English" way that we've grown comfortable with. He jokes with me and asks why I didn't go back to America and Mama stay with him...at least I think he's joking because he starts to giggle after he says it. Then, after getting a frown face from me, he rolls with it and says that I can leave at 5:00 p.m. today (usually we stay until 6:00 p.m.) which gets another frown face. He giggles and then holds up 10 fingers saying that he wants me to stay until 10. He leans in for a hug and he get one. He's a great kid and has an awesome sense of humor. For all that he's been through, it's really good to see that he can still have a place inside him filled with fun, love, and happiness.
We spent the rest of the time playing frisbee (I think we each took 3 throws), playing with the legos, and alternating between the songs of "Oh Happy Day" and a new one that he started singing today titled "Daniel Ruslan Kochies." (Oh, by the way, don't try to transliterate Daniel Ruslan Kochies into Russian....he wants no part of that. He clearly stated that we'll be writing it in English from now on). This new song is sung by repeatedly singing Daniel Ruslan Kochies in different notes to different beats. Throughout the visit today I can't help but notice how happy he is. And he also seems relieved. I truely believe that he understands what happened at court yesterday. He now has a family. Just like he wished for during a project at the orphanage. Just like he hoped and dreamed. He has a mama, a papa, a brother, two dogs, a stray cat, a frog, and a tank full of fish. That's a lot to love....and he has the heart to do it. Before I left he asked me to lift him high in the air (which he asks for everyday). And then he asked for another, and another. On the last one, he wrapped his legs around me so I couldn't put him down. Then he gave me at least 15 kisses on my cheeck and head. I gave him some in return. Then we said our dasvidaniyas and he went with his group and I left the orphanage.
I was nervous about today. It was my first solo flight here in the Ukraine and I didn't have Karen with me. But all-in-all I think it went really well. When I sat down to eat at the restaurant in the "Walmart" a music video came on the televisions mounted on the wall. It was Karen's favorite song in the Ukraine...."TaCaTa". And I thought of her. And I knew that everything was going to be alright.
Today is the day after our court hearing, and the first full day that Ruslan is officially, unofficially part of our family (can't wait for the 10 day waiting period to be over - then it's official!). Karen left yesterday for the US so it's been a lonely night and morning. I've been able to pass the time by checking her flight status constantly. It was fun crossing departures and arrivals off on my sheet as they happened, but the fun went away when I saw that her second flight from Germany to Washington DC was over 3 hours delayed...which meant that she would miss her final flight to RDU. I knew I couldn't do anything from here, but I worried and worried and worried. At 3:45 p.m. Ukraine time I pried myself from the computer and walked the 30 minutes to the orphanage.
I was nervous to go without our driver to escort me into the building, but it worked out perfect. I was able to get in quickly without any problems (usually there is a man at the guard building). When I got upstairs to where Ruslan's group stays, the door was open and I could see Ruslan sitting at a table putting together a lego fire truck that we had brought for him. He heard me at the door, turned around, and said, "Papa, where is mama" and before I could answer he said (with a huge smile on his face), "in America!" Then he started to laugh because he knew the answer before I did. At this point his teacher told me that he needed to eat snack before he could leave. He sat down, took two bites of something from a bowl, made a yuck face at me, and then gathered his truck and we went outside. We sat down at a table and had our daily banana and Sandora (which is the brand name of a juice that he LOVES). Also, I gave him a couple of departing gifts from his, now legally recognized, Mama. One was a package of stickers and the other was a chocolate egg with a prize inside. Before he opened either of them he said "thank you Mama" toward the sky with a big smile on his face and a little bow that he does when he askes permission or says thank you. He gobbled up the chocolate, got some on his lips, closed his eyes and said "num, num." He then tanked some more Sandora and asked me to help him put together his fire truck. While I got to work on that, he started to look through the photo album we brought to be used in court. There is a picture of our house and he likes to point to each window and tell me which rooms they are. He giggles when he gets to the bathroom and smiles when he gets to his room. Then he bursts into singing "Oh Happy Day" at an increased volume. I was surprised because he usually doesn't want anyone to hear him, but today it seems that he's thrown caution to the wind...his voice is loud and proud.
After his group finished snack they came outside to where we were sitting. His teacher asked us to move to another area of the playground...so we did. They either like to give us space for our comfort or keep us from the other children to keep the chaos down for their comfort...or a little of both...I haven't been able to decide. But alone at our new table, we are able to chit chat in the "he speaks Russian and I speak English" way that we've grown comfortable with. He jokes with me and asks why I didn't go back to America and Mama stay with him...at least I think he's joking because he starts to giggle after he says it. Then, after getting a frown face from me, he rolls with it and says that I can leave at 5:00 p.m. today (usually we stay until 6:00 p.m.) which gets another frown face. He giggles and then holds up 10 fingers saying that he wants me to stay until 10. He leans in for a hug and he get one. He's a great kid and has an awesome sense of humor. For all that he's been through, it's really good to see that he can still have a place inside him filled with fun, love, and happiness.
We spent the rest of the time playing frisbee (I think we each took 3 throws), playing with the legos, and alternating between the songs of "Oh Happy Day" and a new one that he started singing today titled "Daniel Ruslan Kochies." (Oh, by the way, don't try to transliterate Daniel Ruslan Kochies into Russian....he wants no part of that. He clearly stated that we'll be writing it in English from now on). This new song is sung by repeatedly singing Daniel Ruslan Kochies in different notes to different beats. Throughout the visit today I can't help but notice how happy he is. And he also seems relieved. I truely believe that he understands what happened at court yesterday. He now has a family. Just like he wished for during a project at the orphanage. Just like he hoped and dreamed. He has a mama, a papa, a brother, two dogs, a stray cat, a frog, and a tank full of fish. That's a lot to love....and he has the heart to do it. Before I left he asked me to lift him high in the air (which he asks for everyday). And then he asked for another, and another. On the last one, he wrapped his legs around me so I couldn't put him down. Then he gave me at least 15 kisses on my cheeck and head. I gave him some in return. Then we said our dasvidaniyas and he went with his group and I left the orphanage.
I was nervous about today. It was my first solo flight here in the Ukraine and I didn't have Karen with me. But all-in-all I think it went really well. When I sat down to eat at the restaurant in the "Walmart" a music video came on the televisions mounted on the wall. It was Karen's favorite song in the Ukraine...."TaCaTa". And I thought of her. And I knew that everything was going to be alright.
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