Trip 2 Day 13 Friday May 28

This turned out to be a full day. We went over to the orphanage in the morning and smoothed things over with Valya by giving her a shirt and a necklace. Probably not the right way to handle things but we don’t have a lot of time and we want to make Julianna’s last few days in the orphanage as painless as possible. In reality we’re past the 10 day waiting period but Nastya won’t be here until Monday so we must wait.
When we arrived back at the hotel Alona R and guardians were waiting for us. We spent the two hour break between orphanage visits in the hotel room with them. Granny had arranged that Alona R would join us for the second visit to the orphanage. This isn’t really how we wanted them to meet but it was out of our control. Alona R had never been to the orphanage before and she was very scared to go there so I’m not sure what Granny was thinking. The visit was awkward but they’re both really nice girls and I’m sure it will work out in the long run.



We hooked up with G & G again after the visit and drove to this fetid pond area. We didn’t know it but this was close to where the milk cows are pastured during the day and we were waiting for them to walk back to the village. During the wait I ate enough bugs to qualify as an appetizer for dinner and donated enough blood to earn some cookies and juice. It was really cool to see the whole herd of cows walking back to the village. Nobody was leading them, they just seemed to know where to go. We followed in the car and then Jillian, Alona and I got out and followed Rosa and Meilka home with Alona giving them an occasional swat to keep them going.




G & G were busy with the animals so I had Alona give me a tour describing everything while I videotaped her. I’m too citified to know what all the vegetables are and I was curious. In the process of taping I managed to run a tree branch into my eye so I’ll have to edit that part out to maintain a “G” rating. They fed us some strawberries from the garden that were probably the best I’ve ever had.



We went to their apartment and after a lot of preparation they fed us a great meal. It’s amazing how hard they work. Once again they wanted us all to spend the night but fortunately Jillian was swelling up so bad from her bug bites that we could say we needed to get back to the hotel to give her some medicine. We got back to the hotel around 11:30 PM for some much needed rest.

Trip 2 Day 12 Thursday May 27

Although we didn’t know it until we arrived it was “Last Bell” at the orphanage today. This is a ceremony signifying the last day of school and all the kids were dressed in their best clothes. Many of the girls had big white bows attached to their pigtails. We waited out front for a while with our usual group of followers. My buddy Vlade managed to delete all the videos off my Flip camera so I was happy I uploaded them to the computer last night. The nurse hauled Julianna off to take some medicine and she was very unhappy about that. She doesn’t know what it’s for but they tell her she has to take it to go to America. Maybe we can figure it out when Nastya gets back here Monday.




We crowded into the large room for the ceremony. There were a few speeches interspersed with song and dance routines. Julianna and Kosta (who I’ve been calling dancing boy) had a great extended dance routine. They handed out “diplomas” to the ninth graders and there were a lot of tears following the ceremony. This is the end of the line for them here. We tried to find out when they would be leaving and where they would go but Julianna doesn’t seem to know.






Afterward we went up to the bedroom area and we had Julianna put some gifts together for friends and teachers from stuff we brought. It’s always awkward handing out gifts because there’s never enough for everybody but I guess they’re used to it. Sveta started crying heavily during this time. I found out later she wanted to go and see her family but they wouldn’t let her. We believe Sveta and her brother were taken from the family due to alcoholism.



One of the teachers we gifted suggested we take Julianna with us back to the hotel for a visit. We’re still a little paranoid so we checked with Nastya and she thought it would be OK. We brought Sveta along as well to try and cheer her up. We worked on a puzzle and did some crafts in the room for a while then headed for the candy store. Julianna picked out an assortment of her favorite candies for Jacob, Justine & Joseph. A little later this turned into an assortment for Ted, Diane & Jillian. Sorrry! We’ll restock before we leave.



From here we walked to our restaurant. Julianna told us her mom worked there but not anymore because she died. It was fun to watch them study the menu and order. They had salad with imitation crab and chicken in it, pork with french fries and cappuccino. Julianna seems to like all food and meat in particular. I can’t wait to bring her to Costco.



We said our goodbyes and Pasha returned the girls to the orphanage. We accomplished our goal of making Sveta feel better but it may have been a mistake to take her with us. Julianna called us later and she was very despondent. She said “Valya no my friend”. I managed to figure out that Valya was upset that we’ve been lavishing all this attention on Sveta so she told Julianna they weren’t friends any longer. It doesn’t sound serious but we found out later that Valya cut herself as a result. We will do some damage control tomorrow.

Trip 2 Day 11 Wednesday May 26

Julianna called this morning to confirm we were at the hotel and then informed us she would be here in a few minutes. She and Sveta were out to buy flowers so they stopped by for a visit. We gave them some food and then let Julianna go through the post orphanage clothes we had brought for her. To say she was happy and excited would be an understatement. There were a couple items that were too large that she gave to Sveta otherwise the fit was good. She especially liked the white sweater but was worried about it getting dirty. Diane explained that we had a washing machine in America but Julianna corrected her and said that she would wash it in the sink. I also showed her a sleeping bag and inflatable mattress combination that I got from REI for her since I knew we would be short a bed. She tried it out and said “I am princess”.



Diane and Jillian wanted to get Sveta something so the girls headed to the “mall”. I decided to go to the store and try and buy soap and toilet paper. Usually I use hand signals to get my point across which worked fine for the soap but not so well for the toilet paper. The other shopping trip was more successful, and less embarrassing. They found a shirt, necklace and bra for Sveta and another bra for Julianna for the grand total of $17 usd. Jillian also used her money to buy a volleyball for the orphanage as they often use a soccer ball for this purpose.



We were given prime seats for the 3:30 PM show at the orphanage. I’m not sure if there was a specific reason for the show but they brought three kids in at the beginning and gave them some small gifts. Julianna was in a dance skit with Marina and also sang a solo in a different skit. It was a lot of fun and I got it all on video.





After the show we stayed in the large room and entertained many of the kids for the rest of our visit. We had different groups of kids playing games on our laptop computer, our small netbook computer and my Ipod touch. We also had two large inflatable punching balloons that we blew up and batted around. Jillian overinflated one of the them and Julianna wrapped her arms around it and said “Like Poppi (me)”. Of course Jillian thought this was hilarious but I got my revenge a little later when it exploded and scared them both.



Julianna seems to be worried about the fact that she has no fat on her. Jillian assured her we would take care of that when we got home. We’ve been trying to figure out what they eat here. Our conclusion so far is that they get some vegetables, fruit (at least in the summer) and plenty of starches. The older kids go to the store and buy junk food if they have money. The glaring omission seems to be protein. They don’t seem to get meat of any sort and when we asked Julianna she confirmed this to be true. They may get some protein from other sources but we haven’t seen it.




We had a bigger group than normal follow us out to the car for good bye hugs including some boys. Diane and Jillian have completely fallen for an approximately 12 year old boy named Misha and he was there as well. As you can probably tell it was a great day. Julianna told us many times how happy she is to have a family and go to America. We seem to be making some of the other kids happy as well so we have a sense of satisfaction mixed with the realization that we provide no long term solutions.

Trip 2 Day 10 Tuesday May 25

We weren’t visiting Julianna until 4 PM today so went to the foster home to make some overdue blog updates. Their computer was broken but help was on the way so we visited with Pasha, Oksana and daughter Katya. We really feel welcome here and with Katya interpreting we were able to have a great conversation. Oksana knew Julianna before she went to the orphanage so we were able to fill in a lot of gaps in our background information. This is the last we’ll see of Katya as she’s headed to Odessa to prepare for her wedding. She was appreciative of our wedding gifts (collapsible colander, oven mitt, scrub brush & towels) saying that nobody else will have anything like it. I invited her to America and she said “I will dream of it and maybe some day my dream will come true.”

We went over to the orphanage at 4 PM and hung out with Julianna and her friends Sveta and Valia. Jillain gave Valia a bracelet she had made for her along with some shampoo, which is very hot item for the girls. We played some cards, looked at pictures of extended family on the computer and watched the beginning of High School Musical 3. With all this exposure I’ll probably dance my way off the plane if we ever get home. After looking at the pictures she said “I have a very big family”. The girls followed us out to the car and we hugged them all goodbye. Although the kids are often affectionate with each other I think they like this adult attention. Julianna has started squeezing me very tightly around the waist during the goodbye hug. Given that all our digestive systems are in an uproar this is a risky maneuver on her part.



She informed us that she will be dancing in a show tomorrow and we should arrive at 2:00 PM. She also asked me for 50 grivna (about $6) to buy flowers for the show. She’s getting the daughter thing down pretty quickly. We’re really looking forward to the show.

We’re starting to get a little depressed when we think about the long road still ahead of us. Jillian is having a difficult time dealing with the emotional challenges without the support of her friends and other family members. At the same time we realize that we’re very lucky that Julianna is so happy and loving. Most people don’t get this feedback so early in the process.

Trip 2 Day 8 Sunday May 23

Alona's family showed up at 9:00 AM for the trip to Chernigiv. Granny didn't seem too happy I'm not going if I'm interpreting her disgusted head shaking correctly. I was in excruciating pain from my knees last time I was stuffed into the back of the LADA so she'll have to get over it. Hopefully Diane and Jillian will have a fun and safe trip. I used the time after they left to do a little laundry so I don’t have to compete for line space with their unmentionables. I then went in search of phone cards. I needed minutes on the phone we’re going to leave with Alona R and Julianna needed some as well. Anyway I went to a store and the guy tried to help but for some reason it didn’t work out. I was wandering around aimlessly after that trying to come up with a plan when I saw some kids from the orphanage, dancing boy and a couple girls. They seemed happy to see me so I recruited them to help me find the cards. Mission accomplished!



I went to see Julianna at 11:00 and we played games on the computer. We tried this medieval quest type game called Fate she seemed to enjoy. Her character had a companion dog that she named Ted. It’s good to see she knows where I am in the pecking order.





This approximately 12 year old girl was resting her arm around my shoulder until she got embarrassed and left. The sadness that you try to guard against kind of hit me after that. Many of the kids are gone because they are “social orphans” and spend the weekends with whatever family they have. The kids that are here on the weekend are either true orphans or their families don’t take them out. There’s a lot of really nice kids here and they deserve to be bathed, and bandaged, and above all else, loved.

The afternoon visit was pretty quiet. I asked her earlier if I could bring her anything and she said ice cream, so I went to the store and tried to figure that out. The simplest things can be difficult. It took a while to figure out how to buy the right milk and mayo was a challenge too. This time a clerk in the store smiled at me and came around the counter and tried to help me as soon as I came in. I waved my hands at the cooler and she picked something out. I must have been pretty pathetic on my previous visit because usually they just look at you like you’ve got a third eye in the middle of your forehead. I don’t know if Julianna really liked the ice cream bar but she ate it and she definitely could use the calories.

The visit mostly consisted of her playing Fate, the game she was playing earlier. I came all this way for a computer geek! She was boring me so I broke out the Ipod touch and played checkers with some young girls. Eventually I let them take it and play amongst themselves.

Back at the hotel now and looking forward to the return of Diane and Jillian. I’m sure they’ll have some stories to tell. I’ll have Jillian guest blog and add a paragraph here at the end.


Jillian writes:
We made it all the way to Chernigiv with out grandpa falling asleep at the wheel on us but I was watching the rear view mirror to be sure. I was so excited to see Alona. As we walked into the apartment the table was set with tons of food. The adults sat at one table and the kids at the other. There was about 14 people sitting at our table. We started eating at 1pm… and finished at 6pm. Longest meal of my life. They poured me a glass of sook which is juice from a birch tree. It was alright, but I didn’t care for it so I stuck to the champagne. I tried to pull the whole switch-a-roo trick that my mom did with the milk at grandma and grandpas. It pretty much back fired. My moms had about ¼ left in it and I put it in front of me but within a couple minutes they came by and refilled it for me all the way up to the very top. I could tell mom was trying to contain her laughter. Through out the long and drawn out meal a couple people would get up from the table and disappear for a while. Alona took my camera and was taking pictures and came back to show me one of grandma sleeping on the bed. They all would take breaks to lay down! There was a girl there that is going to school to be an interpreter so she was able to translate questions that they had for us. They asked us many questions about how populated our area is, our minimum wage, if people grow there own vegetables or if we get them from a store, etc. One lady that was there told us she works in a lab of some sort and she only makes $120 a month and sometimes she doesn’t have enough money to buy milk or bread. This was considered doing well in Ukraine. It makes me feel horrible knowing they work so hard and don’t have enough money for food. I get the luxury of working outside in a pool and from two jobs I make almost double that in two weeks. It really puts things into perspective when I thought about that. They all asked for us to bring them to America. It really is as bad, if not worse here than I expected.





After a long day in Chernigiv I was ready to go back to our hotel and rest. Usually to go back to the hotel you take a right after the orphanage. We drove right past that turn. I was speechless and too exhausted to make any facial expression, but I looked at my mom and I knew what she was thinking. We ended up only staying at their apartment for maybe an hour. So we finally got to get back to the hotel and went to bed early to get a good long nights rest.

Trip 2 Day 7 Saturday May 22

Today being Saturday, we get to visit Julianna twice today. We went over at 10 for the first one. She wanted to finish watching the movie Hairspray that we started yesterday so we did that up in her bedroom area. After that we went outside to throw the frisbee around. There were lots of younger kids around so we started handing out the balsa planes I had from the Boeing Store. We were swarmed but for the most part they don’t ask for anything. I also had a bigger 787 foam plane with me that you launch with a rubber band. It took some time to assemble and I was completely surrounded by kids. I told them to expect some schedule slides in the assembly process but they didn't get it. That turned out pretty cool because I was able to let them take turns launching it and we got lots of video. Diane handed out some sidewalk chalk and little stretchy animals so we were pretty popular today. Jillian was also actively involved playing with the kids and really enjoyed it. Boredom is a big issue here, so it's nice to make a difference, even briefly.




We quickly gathered a following as we went in for the second visit but some of them gave up when we went up to Julianna's bedroom. Diane and Jillian got started on some craft projects with the kids. We had a real mixture of ages and genders so it was pretty cool. Julianna stuck with that for a little while but then she and I played games on the computer. Justine called while we were there and said, “Hi sister!“ to Julianna on the phone. She really seemed to like that.




We went to our usual dinner spot but tonight it was rockin'. The women were out on the dance floor shakin' it and the men were sitting around watching. I like the concept. Some guy accosted us when we went in but our waiter Misha scared him off pretty quick. Lucky for the guy because I was about to assume the crane position (similar to the Karate Kid but I need to hold on to something).

Tomorrow we're expecting Gramps & Granny to show up early to take us to Chernigiv to pick up Alona R. Since this would amount to 6 people in the Lada, I've selflessly volunteered to stay behind and visit Julianna. I don't seem to be getting the proper appreciation for this gesture. It will be nice so see Alona again and I know Jillian is excited.

Interesting Julianna facts for today are that she likes scary movies and she's excited about swimming.

Friday May 21 Trip 2 Day 6

Apparently they found some internet!



This morning we walked to the foster home to visit and to get computer access. This connection to home is a big deal to us. This stranger in a strange land thing gets a little wearing at times. Oksana did her job with the tea and snacks. Diane and Jillian did their jobs with disapproving looks related to my fondness for the latter. We handed out some balsa wood planes to the boys and they had fun throwing them around while Oksana and Pasha were trying to get the baby to sleep. Oops!



We visited Julianna in the heritage room, my personal favorite. Her “friend who is a boy“ joined us. His name sounds like Dennees. This changed the dynamics a little but he seems like a nice kid and it's obvious they like each other. This makes it all the more amazing that she is so ready to leave. I don't know how somebody her age, who has lived all her life in this poor town, can be so aware there's a better life for her in a strange country. I hope it's partly a testament to our obvious love for her, but I also think it speaks to her character.



We gave Julianna a shoulder bag with her full name embroidered on it that Auntie Terri got for her. She had a cute smile and we took some pictures. She said she would use it for school. I also explained it would be good for on the plane. We started watching the movie Hairspray and she loved it. She loves music and dancing so no surprise there.

A New Phone Number/Update

The foster homes computer broke down. This is the only place where my dad can e-mail me his blog posts from.

Things are going well. They are starting to get pretty bored in Shors. The highlight of the day has been visiting the orphanage and playing with all the kids, which doesn't start until 4 pm on weekdays. They'll be in Shors until next Tuesday, then off to Kyiv for some paperwork. The current plan is for Jillian and my mom to come home on June 5th and my dad and Julianna to come home on June 11th. We'll have a welcome party at the airport on that night so try to keep it free if you want to welcome her.

We can hope that they will have access to the internet before going to Kyiv!

Here are the two numbers to get a hold of them:
380-964572833: Primary Phone Number
380-934255041: Secondary Phone Number

Just remember they are 10 hours ahead.

FYI: Skype is a great way to call. You can download it onto your computer, create an account, add minutes on your credit card, and call for $.18 a minute. Like I said, they are BORED, so don't hesitate to call.

If you need help with calling on Skype, feel free to call me: Justine Cell: (206) 310-6045.

Thanks Everyone!

Trip 2 Day 5 Party On, Ukie Style

Julianna called me this morning sounding like she wanted us to come to the Internat (orphanage) and go to the store. She decided rather quickly it was too complicated for me to understand so she called Nastya to translate. Nastya explained that Julianna wanted to have a party with us and her friends to celebrate the favorable court decision so she was requesting that we bring food and drinks. So the early part of the day was spent gathering up stuff for the party. Diane and Jillian, smelling much better today, also bought a few soccer balls to bring along.

We went to a classroom in the orphanage and Julianna and a few friends prepared for the meal. They were very meticulous in every aspect of setting the table. The sausage and cheese had to be cut a certain way. Everything we brought was nicely arranged on plates or bowls. They arranged the desks to form a big table and covered it with a tablecloth. Jillian and Julianna sat at the head of the table on one end and Diane and I were on the other end. During the meal the girls told Jillian “You are very good”. I told Jillian later that I’m fairly sure they meant to say “pretty“. Either that or they meant she was good at eating. We had a nice time and they all said “Thank you” in unison at the end of the meal.



Afterwards we moved to the bedroom area and Jillian started a hemp name bracelet for Valia, who has the bed next to Julianna’s. Nadia was in bed and Diane noticed something looked wrong with her mouth. We took a look and determined that she has a rear molar that is badly decayed. After checking that it was allowed we gave her some Advil. We have Nastya lining up a dentist so we can hopefully get her taken care of but there’s some red tape to clear with the orphanage first.



Last night I was able to reload music on the green Ipod shuffle we had given to Julianna last trip. She thought it was broken so we replaced it with another spare we had at home when we arrived this time. With Julianna’s consent I gave the green one to Nadia. Her look of gratitude is hard to describe. Any act of kindness has a big impact on these kids.

On the way out we saw a young girl standing by herself watching some boys play soccer. Jillian walked up and gave her our one remaining soccer ball. She was awestruck and the expression on her face was priceless.

Trip 2 Day 4 Happy Days are Here Again

Here's the same day I (Justine) wrote about in the previous post, but in my dads words:

I won’t keep you in suspense. Today was as good as yesterday was bad. The day got off to a good start because I was up early and got all clean and pretty while Diane and Jillian were still lazing around in their sleepwear. Sure enough Alona R’s guardians came busting through the door and sent them scrambling. They didn’t have Alona with them because she’s in Chernigiv with Uncle Wowza and family while she’s participating in some sports competition. Eventually Nastya showed up and we were all able to converse productively. It turns out Granny knows Julianna’s aunt and they had talked yesterday about the adoption. I guess small towns are the same everywhere. Granny reassured her that she knew us and we were a good family. Granny also told us that a fortune teller had told her that Alona would be rich but living in another country. The guardians told us they would be back to pick us up later and also that we would be going with them this weekend to pick up Alona. The LADA 1500 post traumatic stress disorder will be kicking in soon.

Nastya, myself and my two unbathed companions headed to the foster home to do some computer work. This is a really comfortable place to visit and Oksana feeds me lots of pastries and sugary tea so this place rates four stars on the Schors travel guide. Oksana was happy because up to this point she didn’t realize who we were adopting and she knew and liked Julianna. I was able to send some blog updates and Jillian sent her journal entries to her Senior Issues teacher. He was nice enough to cut her some slack for leaving early in exchange for reporting her travel experiences. It’s interesting to get her perspective. I think I’m funnier but she’s very insightful.

From here we went to pick up Julianna for Court Part 2. After yesterday’s fiasco we didn't know what to expect so the stress meter was pegged for all of us. Fortunately one of the Witnesses came by while we were waiting for Jerkov to show up and told Julianna that it was good and she had nothing to worry about. As long as I live I’ll never forget the look of pure joy that transformed her face. Diane and I were somewhat relieved but we wanted to hear it from the judge before celebrating.
We all entered the room and stood while the judge read a lengthy decree that summarized everything that happened yesterday (I could of summed it up with a couple of choice words but they didn’t ask me). Finally she got to the last statement granting our petition for adoption. The judge actually seemed very happy and the secretary started crying again so it was nice to see they cared. We all hugged Julianna and took some pictures with the officials we liked before we left the courthouse.




The prosecutor had given Nastya a note with his email address on it to give to Julianna so she could contact him when we abused her. Nastya gave it to me at the start of the official court proceedings and I immediately handed it to Julianna in full view of the court to show the prosecutor I wasn’t afraid to give her this power. After the court decree was read she walked up to the prosecutor and handed him the paper without a word and turned her back on him and walked away. Evidently she didn’t appreciate his insinuations about her family. Simply amazing.

After we left court to walk back to the orphanage she was actually jumping for joy. At one point she hugged me with her full strength and looked up into my eyes and said “I have a family now”. I told her “Not for long, you’re going to give me a heart attack”. Just kidding. Jillian told her she would have sisters to go shopping with and big brothers to protect her and scare the boys away. She was all smiles. I can’t wait for her to meet her other siblings.



We took a short break at the hotel and Nastya caught the bus back to Kiev. She’ll be back after the 10 day waiting period is over for the final court decree. There can be appeals during this waiting period but none are anticipated. Julianna has to stay at the orphanage during this time so we went over for our normal visit at 4:00 PM. This time we were in a different locked room adjacent to the entrance that has lots of plants and cultural artifacts.



Nadia was with us and Jillian spent most of the time working closely with her on a hemp bracelet. I was happy to see this as Nadia is a very hurt child and I worry about her when we take Julianna away. Julianna worked on some other crafts for a while but then she picked up an English book we had and told Diane she wanted to read to her. I’m not sure she understood everything she was reading but it was a difficult book and she did very well. I secretly videotaped her until she caught me and I had to stop. At one point Diane left the room to go outside and talk to her mom on the phone. Some of the boys must have been yelling something at Diane because Julianna was out of the room like a shot and let the boys know her thoughts. They stopped but she made Diane come back inside the room anyway. Feeling a little protective of her new mom I guess. We left just as they were unlocking the front door to let the kids outside to “play”. This was the first time I really got a sense of the large number of kids that are here. I wish we could do more.

G & G showed up soon after our return to the hotel. We bounced down the road and dropped Granny off at what appeared to be a random location. Maybe the fortune teller told her to get out there. We continued on to Alona’s school and Jillian was able to get a few pictures. Next we stopped by the farm to take care of the animals. We watched as Grandpa put the chickens away for the night and did other assorted chores. Granny showed up with the cows so evidently she had a reason for falling out of the car. They put the cows in the ramshackle shed and Granny started milking. Jillian was surprised that milk came from cows. She wasn’t too happy when I explained why they had pigs. I asked her where she thought her ham sandwich came from? The cow stepped in the bucket of milk so Granny wasn’t a happy camper. This didn’t stop them from serving it to us at dinner though. I thought it was really good but Diane wasn’t going to chance it and secretly changed glasses with me after mine was gone. I was tempted to switch back and ask her loudly how she liked her milk while pointing at her full glass but I wanted to sleep in peace that night so drank it down myself.
We were really tired and the communication barrier was making things very tough. Finally I asked if we could go back to the hotel but it turned out the car was gone with grumpy son Roma so we sat around awkwardly for quite a while. About the only successful communication we had all night was when I dropped my bread in my drink and Diane was able to compare me to the cow stepping in the bucket of milk. I’m not sure how she did it but they got it and thought it was pretty funny.



Sorry for the verbosity but it was a full day. Full and awesome.