Still No News

Tuesday was another beautiful day. Still chilly, but nice. Our morning routine is enjoyable, a walk to the cafe, tea, emails, and blogging. I got letters from Kathie Schweikhert, Sharyn Simpson and my sister Quiz. Talk about hitting the jackpot! By the time I read my sister's letter I was crying like a baby for her momma. I am so ready to be done with this and come home. Absolutely nothing is happening, we are in a holding pattern. Victor says that no one is getting their Interpol clearance documents. This is a brand new requirement, as of February 1st, and our request was submitted nearly 2 months ago. We can't get our court date until this paper comes through. Once we go to court, there is a 10 day wiating period, and then we can take him to get his new passport and visa. That will take at least another week. Gosh!

Anyway, I made a trip to the corner store to get bread, eggs, and TP. I made 2 chicken salad sandwiches to bring to Kai, and had some myself. It was yummy. Vladimir arrived before 3 to cart me to the orphanage. He continued to chat away at me like I knew what he was saying. It was pretty funny. However, if I listened very carefully, I could make out words that sounded somewhat like English. He was doing his best to throw in every English word he knew. Kinda like what I do with my very limited Russian. I said I'd like to be picked up at 6:30 again and was off for another fun afternoon.

A mass of kids were in the courtyard with a few adults. They were heading out for some kind of church service and pizza. Because I was there, Kai didn't have to go. Instead, we went up to the lounge area to wait for Jessica. The orphanage was virtually deserted. I gave him his sandwiches and read him Dr. Seuss's ABC book while he ate. I love that book; "BIG A. little a, what begins with a? Aunt Annie's alligator, a...a....a." It reminded me of how many millions of times I read it to Kelly and Robbie. I tried to be as animated as Kelly used to be. I think he was glad no one was around.

Kai chose to read to me Hop On Pop after that. We were almost finished when Jessica arrived. She was appropriately impressed with his reading. We decided to play Rummikub, since Jessica used to know how to play. She reviewed the directions and we set up on the big table. Once I got the gist of it, I really enjoyed it. Kai picked it up eventually, but with all that food in his belly, I think he got a little sleepy. We played 3 rounds and Kai ended up winning. I was glad because that might make him more apt to want to play again. It's the kind of game I can see Kevin really being good at because you have to make all kinds of combinations with the numbers. He's good at that kind of stuff.

Jessica and I were hungry, so we all walked to the store and bought food; bread, mustard, sliced meat and cheese, chips, chocolate, and juice. What a feast! Back in the lounge, we ate and talked. I told him about my 2 brothers and that we will go to visit them. He asked if we would go to the beach again with my nephews and the Coghlan boys (Micheal Jackson and Timone). I said that we were not planning to go with them, but that we were going to the beach with Kevin's family. Perhaps my sister could come down for the day with Dylan and Ben. We'll see. They might be still busy at Colonial Downs.

Some kids returned and attached themselves to Jessica (they're like ticks, I swear). We shared what was left of the food and soon it was time for me to go. Jessica stayed to do stuff there and Kai walked me out to the gate. I promised to come at 2:00 the next day, because the dude-guy was supposed to show up.

Chatty Vladdy was hysterical on the way home. We were driving down a particularly pot-holed road and he says, "Soviet Union highway". He was yaking about God-knows-what and I just laughed. I wanted to know if he knew what the weather was gonna be like the next day. So I said "Today good. Do you know tomorrow?" He said something about the internet but I didn't get the rest. So he says today, internet, and then turns on his windshield washer spray (Oh, rain!). Then he says no rain today. I gathered that the weather forecast is somewhat unreliable around here. Oh, well. I'll know the weather when I see it.

I had been feeling progressively bad as the day progressed. My sinuses were all stuffed, I was sneezing and I had a headache. I got home and decided to be a good girl and "play sick" so I could get over whatever it was. I put on a sweatshirt, went right to bed and wrapped myself in a warm blankie. I was cold to the bone, even though Kevin was in gym shorts and tee-shirt. Kevin went out to the store and for a little walk. I got up when he got home and played on my computer while he worked. At 10:30, he stopped so we could waych Bones. I went to bed and he stayed up til about 2:00 running a job for work.