Video from atop the "Monument"

Our Sunday Tour with Peter...

So we were driven to Lutugino this morning (with Susan who is adopting 15 year old Olga/Alex) to see Vladik. We weren't exactly sure we would be able to see him because it is Sunday and the orphanage is pretty much shut down on Sundays. They don't go to class, they stay in their rooms and watch movies (Vladik told us) and they eat and they nap and they go outside to play for a bit. When we first got there no kids were playing outside so we walked down to Cafe 999 to get a coffee. About 20 minutes later we walked back to the orphanage (mind you, with the wind, it is like -10 degrees Farenheit outside!) and see the kids out playing. But feeling like we weren't exactly welcome in the gates today we stood outside the fence and watched the kids play about 40 yards away. We kept looking for Vladik and didn't see him but we did get quite a few stares from some of the older kids and the couple caretakers that were out there. So after standing there for at least 15 minutes, while wondering if feeling would ever return to my toes, we saw Vladik as he was going back into his building . He smiled and we waved and then he went in. About 2 minutes later (yes, we were still waiting hoping that maybe he would get to come back out and actually talk to us) he popped his head out his 2nd story bedroom window and waved at us again. But only for a few seconds, we assume he probably got scolded. So after Susan was done visiting with Alex (the older kids have quite a bit more freedom on Sundays) we drove back to Luhansk and dropped Susan off. We asked Peter, our driver who speaks VERY little English and often forgets that we don't speak Russian, to take us around Luhansk to take some pictures. We asked him to take us to some churches and monuments. It was bitter cold but an amazing day nonetheless! This first video is just driving through Luhansk. The second video is us pulling up to our first tourist destination, a breathtakingly beautiful church!

Actually this is from last night, us goofing around trying to fill our time!

Beautiful church!

But there are tons of beautiful churches around here (although this is the biggest one we have seen I think).

I was trying to pretend that is was 70 degrees and I was lounging in the sun...

This was the second stop on our Fabulous Tour with Peter. After he took us to the church we said "monument?" which we knew happened to be a word Peter knew. It was then that Peter said no monument and then a bunch of stuff in Russian. Apparently it was something like "no monument now, I have something better. I am the tour guide let me do my job." And this is where we showed up. We called our translator on the phone and he helped interpret what Peter was trying to tell us. He said this is a holy place and many years ago a priest turn this big piece of wood (tree trunk) into stone, it was a miracle, and now you come and place your hand on the tree/stone and your wishes/prayers will be granted.

This is the wood he turned into stone apparently. It had an ornate iron fence around it and even a roof over it. So it must be very important.

This is the small old church near the wood/stone.

So this is our third stop on our tour! And this was actually a monument, not that we know what it was a monument too. It was atop a big hill and you could see very far and most of Luhansk from it. But being on top of a big hill it was VERY windy.

It was so cool, and also so COLD.

We went back to the car and told Peter that we were cold and we wanted him to take us to City Cafe to go eat. We told him no more pictures please, we were very cold. But Peter had other plans...

This was our 4th and unexpected stop on the tour. It was clear that Peter was not only literally in the drivers seat but figuratively as well. This was some sort of plane/helicopter museum. It was closed today (probably because it was too freaking cold to be outside wandering through an open field of aircraft) but that didn't stop Peter from driving us around all sides of it to stop, get out, and take more pictures.

Peter said this plane was a MIG. I wouldn't know a MIG is it introduced itself so we took his word for it...

Finally Peter let us know that our tour was over. He took us to the mall (not like Town Center though...) where we went in and warmed up and walked down the street for lunch and then back to our apartment. I am so happy we did some sightseeing today and I do still have all my fingers and toes...

Introducing Vladislav Joseph!!!

Over a week ago, we (well really Vladik) decided on his new name. We gave him a couple of options and he chose Vladislav Joseph. We kept Vladislav his first name so if he would like to continue to go by Vladik (and that is what we call him because that is all we have known him by!) he can but if he would like to use an "American" name back home he can use Joseph. He seems really excited about his new name and a few days ago actually insisted Keith use Joseph as his name when playing a game on the iPod. It is so cute to hear him say Joseph. But he doesn't seem interested in a nickname like Joey or Joe, which is good because I like Joseph. We also discovered another nickname of his while we have been here. Sometimes he is called Vladik, or Vlad, or Vladika (by the assistant director), or even Zinny. He explained to me that Zinchenko (his last name) is too big so they just call him Zinny sometimes :)

Last night and today's visit with Vladik

 

This is video of a small part of our drive home from the orphanage everyday just so you can see what we see everyday. Tomorrow we plan to do a little sight seeing around LuHansk because we will not be able to visit Vladik for very long. Pictures and videos to come!

Getting suited up to go out to dinner last night at Mario's Pizza. It is less than a half-mile walk but it is SOOO cold here at night. I look like the younger brother in Christmas Story... I know... "I can't put my arms down!"

My pizza. Ordered enough to take home for leftovers obviously.

My dinner date...

This was supposed to be Keith's pizza but he thought he was ordering a pizza that had only meat, instead this one had onions and hot peppers too. NOT something Keith would eat so I ate it and picked the mushrooms off of mine so he could eat mine! Isn't he so lucky that I will eat just about any kind of food!

This is how pleased he was (NOT) about ordering the wrong pizza. Well if only the menu were in English...

Hanging out with Vladik today. I took this picture because I was so excited to see him in clean clothes. For at least the past 10 days he has been wearing the same outfit and it continued to get dirtier and dirtier. But apparently clothes are kept under lock and key so he only gets to change when he is given clean clothes to change into. I brought about 2 outfits for Vladik to wear on the last few days that we are here that he will be with me (because he will not be allowed to leave with any clothes I assume). But I knew that if I brought clothes in for him to change into that they would become orphanage property and I would not see them again so I have been biting my tongue seeing him in the same clothes for 10 days! On a related note, yesterday he asked for me to bring nail clippers to clean out under his nails. I brought them today and he was so excited to clean under his nails and to clip them.

taking a pic of himself :)

As we were leaving he went to play outside with a friend.

Finishing the Fanta we brought him so he could sled on the ice.

Here he goes!

Little cranky...

For the first time since we have been here Vladik was a bit cranky today. It all started when we informed him we did not bring the laptop today. Then he got a bit pouty when we played Trouble. I told Keith that I think he was probably tired from all that sugar yesterday for the Mens Day celebration and they probably stayed up late burning off all those empty calories. After we came back from lunch he was a little less cranky. To have been here for 14 days and this be our first less than fabulous day that's pretty good! We got to see Vladik's classmates as we were leaving today and I remembered almost all their names. They are sweet kids and were excited to see Vladik because we had given him lots of lollipops to share with them!

Men's Day Pictures

Vladik and one of his teachers

Yeah, I know its sideways... Me and Vladik in his classroom.

Vladik showing us what he does everyday in his classroom.

Apparently break dancing is very popular in the orphanage. Vladik had to break out some of his moves.

Playing the iPod... again :)

SHARING the iPod.

What adorable kids right?!?!

Pictures and Videos from the last couple days

Video #1: This is from yesterday (I think) of Vladik wearing my boots and dancing and being silly. Just being Vladik :)
Video #2: This is from the Men's Day celebration. After we ate and moved the table out of the way, the teacher convinced Mitchem (the other blond haired boy dancing with the teacher in yellow) to dance with her and so then I took my chance to get Vladik to dance with me. He was adorable with that half embarrassed half proud smile stretched across his face! This is in the bedroom where Vladik and 5 other boys sleep.

Men's Day!!!

Who knew they would have an entire day to celebrate men?!?! But its okay, they celebrate Women's Day on March 8th. We were invited to celebrate with Vladik's class. They had a little table set up in the boys bedroom for his whole class (only 8 kids) with cake, and candy, and other sweets. The 3 girls in the class even stood up and made a "speech" for the boys. It was so cute. It was so awesome to get to hang out with Vladik's class and get to see them in their element. After they sat and ate for a while Vladik took us to show us his classroom which is essentially across the hall from their bedrooms. It is small also but well equipped with lots of books and even an LCD projector. It really does seem like the orphanage is trying to give these kids the best education they can. Sadly, that doesn't seem to change the poor outlook for most of these kids futures once they leave the orphanage. It also made us realize just how sheltered Vladik's life is. He has lived the past 5 years in essentially one building. His bedroom, his classroom, and the place where he eats are all in the same building. They go outside to play but they are not allowed outside of the fence. So even the life experiences of a kid living with a family and attending school in Lutugino are very different from Vladik's life experiences. But with that said, the kids really do seem happy. They were kind to each other, danced when the music was on, and interacted like normal 4th/5th grade boys and girls would. The teachers seem kind and were very welcoming to us. Our hearts were just breaking as we left though. One of Vladik's classmates is a boy who was hosted last summer by another family in Georgia (can not remember their name but I remember the boy Mitchem sp???). He is a really sweet and funny kid, a lot like Vladik. The family was very interested in adopting him when they found out he had 3 (I believe) other siblings. After just spending a couple hours with this boy tonight I can see the sparkle in his eye that the other family saw and my heart breaks for him. Another little girl really caught Keith's eye. She was watching us almost the entire time we were there and she gave us gifts of candy and cookies when we left. Keith said she was looking at us with Vladik with a sort of longing, like I want that too. We are so excited to be bringing Vladik HOME but are so sad to know each of the children we are leaving behind. The best we can do is be advocates for them when we get back home. There really are some amazing kids here that just need the love of a family and to have a real chance in life.

We have a court date!

We just got a call that they have scheduled our court date. It is Tuesday March 1st at 11:30am. This is where Keith, Vladik, and I will stand in front of the judge in Lutugino and get asked a bunch of questions about why we want to adopt, what type of home and jobs we have, etc. Vladik will have to answer some of the judges questions as well. But I don't think he will be too nervous.
Once the court appointment is over our 10 day waiting period begins. Our 10th day will land on a Friday though so we will not be able to actually get Vladik until after the weekend on Monday or Tuesday. This also means that Keith can fly back home after our court date. He is excited to get back home and see Jackson but sad to leave Vladik and I here. But its like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, our WHOLE family will be together soon!

Vladik's competition

Just like the older kids yesterday, the younger kids had their competition today. We were not exactly sure when it started so we got there when they were about half way done. I was sad we did not get to see the whole thing but you should have seen Vladik beaming when we walked in. Every time he caught our eye he would just smile from ear to ear. It dawned on me during the competition that since he has been in the orphanage for at least 5 years he has never had the experience of a parent watching him do something at school. It was so cool to BE THERE for him and to see on his face what that meant to him.

Not exactly sure what place his class got or what they were awarded for (because its all in Russian) but his class did receive a certificate and a football, not an American one :)

Doing a march around the gym

Picture of his class, the teacher, and the gym coach (I think that is who he is....)

After the competition Vladik went to lunch and Keith and I went down to the "cafeteria". On a side note, they have food out for you to pick from and so you point to something, they weigh it so they know how much to charge you, and then they pop it in the microwave because who knows how long its been sitting out! But its really not that bad... Back to the real story, after we came back from lunch we were hanging out (as usual) and Vladik wanted to try on my boots.

Here he is dancing in my boots!