Thursday, August 2, 2007
Morning came and so did Pippa, bless her soul, with a cup of hot coffee. Ahhh. She also had a bowl of muesli for me. Olya came in to see me about five minutes, shocked to see that I had eaten the cereal, to tell me the milk was sour.
Well, I got up and took a shower, aching back and all.
Everybody this morning was in a good mood and even “Slowlya”, as we were beginning to call our daughter, because it takes her so long to get dressed and ready to go.
Vasilly and Yelena were waiting downstairs and we drove quickly to the American Embassy for our 10:30 appointment.
Getting into the American Embassy is as tough, well as tough as getting into an American Embassy. No bags, cell phones, purses, containers, food, computers or whatever you would like to bring for a four of five hour wait with two children.
We pass a giant line of Ukrainian people who look as if they have been in line since dawn. As an adopting American family we don’t have to wait.
Once we get pass security we go though a series of the heaviest doors on earth. I think we will be very safe inside this building.
We follow the yellow brick road and sit in a line of chairs in the corridor with four other American couples hoping to get their visa for their adopted children. One couple had three children in tow; a boy about eight, one girl seven and another five. A second couple had a little five year old who looked terrified, while another woman had a pretty twelve-year old girl. Another couple had a little girl who kept bouncing here and there as if she did this every day. Andry sat quietly not talking or interested in any of the workbooks, paper or colored pencils Pippa had brought for the kids.
In talking to the other families and embassy staff we found out that the current, average stay for adopting families is four to five weeks. Our seven-week stay seems even longer now.
It’s a long, long wait at the embassy but we weren’t in a hurry. We were missing one document, the official medical record that wouldn’t be ready until 12:00. Vasilly and Yelena were going to pick it up and rush it over. So, the delay for the medical didn’t delay us more than an hour. The very nice American man behind the counter, said no problem, the visa will be ready for us at 3:30.
We left the embassy and headed for T.G.I. Fridays, a restaurant chain we never go to in the USA, but today it seemed appropriate. When we got there we saw two of the adopting Americans we had met at the embassy.
Andry and Olya were in great spirits and having a wonderful time together. Andry must be relieved that the very long and nerve-racking document scavenger hunt is over. We are all so happy that we can finally go home together as a family. Lunch zoomed by and we zoomed over to the internet café. I’d stay there with the kids while Vasilly took Pippa to pick up the visa and do a last grocery run.
The kids were having a ball together playing “Counterstrike”. They were glowing as they came up to the lobby where I was having a kafe s molokom. That was really nice to see.
The good mood continued all evening back at the apartment. Olya and Andry played on the computers all night. I showed Andy how to design books in iPhoto and gave Olya a few pointers as well. Pippa stayed beside them writing notes to herself.
I couldn’t sleep. I lay just waiting for the next round of pain as the stone comes down lower to the final part of its journey. I’m still waiting, still awake. The clock is ticking. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.
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