Oatmeal, Play-Doh and a Modified Sobriety Test...

Tuesday, October 16

(Dana posting)

Rise and shine! It's 4:30 am, jet lag has awakened us and it will be dark until 8:30....ah, insomnia. So, why not break out the Russian hot pot that we bought during a long convoluted search on our previous trip and cook up some instant oatmeal that we brought from the States. DARN those new fandangled "green packaging" envelopes! I went to shake the bag and it ripped open and maple-brown sugar instant oats flew all over the room. Crud, I can't leave that for housekeeping to clean up! So I make my way to the front desk in my pajamas and slippers and ask if they have a vacuum I can use. Sans smile the receptionist looks up from under her spectacles.

"You want vhat?"

"A vacuum" (motioning with charades).

"Vhy?"

"Um, I spilled a little something, I'd like to clean it up so the housekeeper doesn't have to" (smiling...sheepishly).

(Long pause ) "Vhat deed you do?" (Definitely no smile coming back my way).

(oh man, I feel like I'm about to get grounded)

"I just spilled some powdery stuff and I wanted to try to clean it up." (Let's try smiling again.... hmmm, didn't seem to help.)

With furrowed brow she silently leads me down the hall to the utility closet and hands me one of those non-powered Bissells--you know, the ones you sometimes see them use in restaurants. I quickly say thank you in Russian and scamper down the hall to conquer the oats.

Ever try Bisselling up oats? Don't. It doesn't work. Shoot.

(Russian news reporter..she may have been reporting on the oats incident)

Finally it is time to meet Sveta and Dasha for our trip to the orphanage. As I walk out they look down in horror at my toes coming out of my flip flops.

"Are you crazy? You vill get sick. You need shoes on, it is very cold today (temps in the mid-60s in the forecast for today). You have medical exams today. They vill fail you on your psych exam if you don't cover your feet in this veather."

So back I go, past the front desk Bissell providing lady, to get my tennis shoes on. Man, I'm batting 1,000 today!

We make our way back to her baby house. Kyla comes in with her new outfit on from the day before. Darn she looks cute! We get to go outside today-just the three of us. We had a great time. She laughed, we played hide and go seek, she called out for "Papa" and reached up so he would take her hand as she led him to her favorite slide. We about hurled after going round and round on the merry go round with her (why they call those "merry" I'll never know.) She loved the Play-Doh we brought. All in all, it was another great visit.

Once the visit was over it was time for our medical exams. We drove into the heart of the city and arrived a little early so Neil and I toured a Stalin era Russian submarine.

 

Pretty fascinating. Glad I don't have to live underwater for months at a time on one of those!

 

The exams were being done at a very beautiful, ornate government building in a big corniced hall. We came prepared with all of the requested blood tests from our State-side exams as well as with the massive FILM based (no digital images here, please) chest X-rays that we also had done in the US. There was a team of about 9 white coated doctors all milling about. They told us they didn't need to see our paperwork (well so much for that) and then spoke rapidly in Russian while examining our chest X-rays through the light of the leaded glass windows. Must have looked good to them because next thing we know they are shooing us into another room.

"Sit here. Take off your shirt. Yes, your bra too." (Female doctor, thank goodness. AND she smiled...BONUS!). Take deep breath. And another. And another. And another (x16). Right around the time I thought I was going to hyperventilate she told me I could stop.

"Vhy you vant to adopt?". "Vhy special needs". (Seriously? I'm still sitting here baring all...)

"You may get dressed now, harasho (good job) "

Wow, she told me I did a good job... I about hugged her but thought I should get dressed first.

Next the neurologist (?) came in. I had to close my eyes, stick out my tongue, touch my finger tips to my nose (eyes still closed mind you) and squat down all the way to the floor. I suspect they had Russia's version of "You've Been Punked" secretly filming but fortunately I seemed to pass the whole thing with flying colors.

Finally we met with 2 psychologists and they asked us a bunch of questions that seemed to be good practice for court on Thursday. Neil did all the talking-he did great. "Why do you want to adopt? Why special needs? Why now? What do you do? Do you drink? Do you have suicidal thoughts?". Basic stuff.

All in all the exams went well and we were granted the big whopping Russian stamp of approval on our paperwork. Whoo Hoo!

So, another great day. Another adventure under our belts. Another kiss for our baby girl. Another picture of our kids back home to keep us smiling while we are away.

Thank you for reading!

Time now to surrender to sleep surrounded with the homey scent of maple-brown sugar instant oats......

 

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