Officially Our Child and In my Possession!

Today I signed Anya out of the orphanage.  I thought I may have some trouble with the director once again.  I can not take her out until he signs yet another form.  She is legally my child, but he still has to sign her out to me.  I told our facilitator that Anya really wanted to leave with me today and she said no problem.  However at 1pm we still had not gotten the call that we could meet with the director.  Our facilitator said he wasn't answering his phone.  I was going to be really mad if he put us off until Monday.  Anya had been texting me all morning asking when I was coming.  My final text from her translated like this:  I had to laugh it was so funny, as I'm sure it is not what she said, but the way google translated it....

Shortly after this text we got the call from Tonya (our every so helpful facilitator) that the director said he would meet with us in a half an hour.  So I was to take a taxi to the orphanage.  I did not ask, but assumed that she would be meeting me there.  When I arrived I called her to ask where she was.  She said she was home sick still.  Don't I know the flu takes 3 days to recover from?   She told Anya to take me to his office.  So we went, and when we were finally welcomed into the office, the director was there, he started speaking to me in Russian as if I fully understood him, even though he knows very well that I do not speak Russian.  So I said in my best Russian, "Nyet Padruski" meaning no russian.  The director shrugged his shoulders and said, "No English", I shrugged my shoulders as well.  So then the director started talking to Anya as if she would interpret, lol!  yeah she doesn't speak English either!  Finally some documents were put in front of me by the lawyer and I was handed a pen and told to sign my name, then Todd's name on several different documents (all in Russian).  I had no idea what they said, and hoped it was the assumed documents to sign her out.  Then I handed the director a card with my "donation" and then the director pushed a blank piece of paper and pen in front of me and instructed me (in Russian) to write something.  Obviously I didn't understand.  So I phoned my ever so helpful facilitator to interpret.  Apparently I was to write why I was giving the donation and what it was intended for.  So I graciously wrote out "I Lori C******** would like to give $1000 USD to Anya's orphanage so that they may purchase some new needed windows for the school.  This donation is my way of thanking the school for taking such good care of Anya over the past 2 years."
Everyone seemed pleased and the meeting was apparently over.  Before I left, I reached into my purse and gave him a C******** Farms T-Shirt!  I Told him what it said, and he seemed surprised it was for him!  I assured him it was, and he thanked me and smiled.  I think he was genuinely surprised and pleased.  He asked Anya to be sure and say good bye before leaving Kherson City for good.  At that we left to go get her belongings.

All of her possessions she chose to keep were packed and ready to go.  Most of her the things I had bought her over the past year she gave to her friends.  Sasha was the only one with us at the time, so it was a very anti-climatic exit.  Although we will return for a party on Sunday, where I'm sure it may be a little sad for Anya.

Sasha got permission to leave with us, and we decided to go do something fun.  These kids have to be begged to do anything.  I told them where we were going, they replied "too expensive", I said were going anyway.  (expensive to them is not expensive by the way).  We went to Fabrika which is a mall with arcades and G0-Carts.  We Rode Co-Carts, watched a 4D movie, played some arcade games and then had dinner.   I insisted before they ordered dinner that they order a big meal or I would be mad!  They did as I asked!

Eating the "big" meal I insisted on

Playing on their iPods while waiting for dinner (just like American kids)

Outside of Fabrika fighting over the french fries

Sasha had to be back to the orphanage by 7pm, so we caught a taxi just in time to get him back.  Then Anya wanted to go to the apartment to watch TV and I met up with Nathan and Christina at the John Howard for our habitual meeting/rehashing of the day.

Tomorrow we have no plans, but Sasha will meet us at 10am and spend the day with us.  Maybe we will go to find the town where Anya's step sister lives.  She says it is 55 km away.  Her step sister is 11 years old.  Anya has not seen her since she entered the orphanage.  She has no phone number to call, but knows how to get there, so we will take a chance that 1. they will be there, and 2. her step father will allow her to see her half sister.  Either way, I think its worth a shot.  

Now I'm going to get off the computer and hang out with my daughter!