The News

I am sure that we have several frustrated people who have checked this blog looking for details. We have been so busy traipsing all over the city of Kiev with Kostya. That man loves to walk!

First you have to read through the trivial stuff. We did not go to the soccer game last night. It was just too cold. We invited Kostya and his other family, the Conrad's over to our apratment to watch the game from the comfort of our living room. We first ran to a nearby restaurant and ordered dinner to go. I tried to order two hamburgers for the kids but we ended up with chicken sandwiches with avocado and mustard on them. Neither kid would touch it with a ten foor pole, even though they hadn't eaten since early that morning.

The soccer game was between Kyiv and Donetsk, a major rivalry in Ukraine. It was such a touchy game that they hired expert referees from outside the country to prevent any favoritism. Believe me, they erned their pay that night. the Donetsk coach was thrown out of the game in the first half. All told there were three red cards and several more yellow. in the end Kyiv won. Kostya was happy so we were happy too.

This morning we walked to breakfast at a local chain restaurant. DS ordered hot chocolate that was way too chocolaty. I must have added three times as much water before he would even consider drinking it. Then it was too cold. I thought it was wonderful. Both kids ordered "pancakes," which were like crepes, with jam filling. they both liked them but ate very little before they claimed to be full. Somehow those few bites did manage to tide them over until we were able to eat dinner at about 6 pm.

After breakfast we rode the subway across the Dnipro where Kostya had some business to attend to. the ride itself was an adventure for all of us. The Kyiv subway is not much different from the New York subway but it is much deeper underground.

After that we dressed up and walked to our appointment. The new office is just down the street from St. Michael's Cathedral. I managed to say a little prayer or twelve as we walked past. We walked in the door to the offices about ten minutes early and were ushered in right on time. The area that we waited in for the few minutes before they called our name was basically a small foyer for several offices. There were maybe four chairs set up to sit and wait in. There were maybe two or three other families waiting and a few others who may have been translators for families already inside. We had not time to actually look at the board where the lists are posted. I'm sorry that i can't provide any information about anything that was on it.

Our two kids went with us when we went inside. I have to say that after two days of major misbehavior, like whining and squabbling and generally poor amnners, these two kids really shaped up. i was very proud of how they behaved. They were very respectful and sat quietly while we talked with the psychologist and translator. Because they were so good, our ensuing celebration was centered mainly around them.

Okay, now for the details. We met with a psychologist whose name I never did catch, even though I heard it at least two or three times. i will have to ask for help for other families to find out her name. She was tall and thin, as are many Ukrainian women, with long wavy dark hair. She was very kind and smiled throughout our meeting. We were also joined by julia, that nice woman who answered the phone when I called for our appointment. I told her she had quite a fan club growing back in the states. She was just as nice this time as the last time I spoke to her.

We were first warned of the problems that children experience when they are either taken away from their parents or are abandoned. We discussed what type of child we were hoping to learn about and then the psychologist selected and discussed a few children who seemed to match that discription. Every child we talked about seemed like a wonderful little one. Even though it was hard to hear some of the details of their pasts, i just loved looking at their cherubic pictures. Each one seemed to have so much personality evident in their snapshots, even if they pictures were a few years old.

We listened very carefully to the way the psychologit described each child. i was searching for that sign that would tell me that one of them belonged with us. It all seemed so objective and clinical until the last child. As soon as I heard the name i felt a spark. i had sensed from the beginning of this process that we would know our child by name when the time came. This child's name wasn't earth shattering but it was meaningful to me. Before we heard another word i told the psychologist that I felt that this was likely the one. When she told us more about this child everything seemed to fit.

We will return to the office Wednesday evening after 5 pm to pick up the paperwork we need to go visit this little one. i can't say too much more because we still have to meet him before we will make a decision about pursuing the adoption. (There, i gave you a hint.) Here's another one. We will be travelling 15 hours by overnight train to Simferopol in Crimea to visit his home.

The meeting lasted about ninety minutes, although to us it seemed no more than thirty. Afterward we hooked up with the Conrads again and celebrated by going ice skating. Well, the kids and i skated and the rest watched. I'll have you know i did not fall once. And I was easily the oldest woman on the ice by at least a decade! Tomorrow DD wants to go to St Sophia's to take pictures and then we will check out of our apartment before we get to celebrate the Conrad's good news. Then it will be "Goodbye' to Kostya and we're off to Crimea, called by some the "California" of Ukraine.