Sergey came and got us. Vinny's stomach was somewhat better... We had a "tiff" with the Hotel Manager - she wanted to charge us more money than was needed! We had paid her cash at the beginning of the stay at the hotel - to cover the expense of the hotel. She decided she wanted more- and I got somewhat angry. Vinny was trying to talk to her, but I really was mad at this point. It's like - "they are American's - we can take their money" and I didn't like that at all. At any rate - we didn't pay it!! I really put my foot down. Vinny was someone chagrined - but I knew we had paid them in full. I was glad to be going home at that point.
We left the Marriott, and Sergey took us once again through the city. He took us to a marketplace, where you could buy all sorts of things. (Souveniers). We took pictures and bought a few things, but I really think at that point I was ready to come home.
Our flight was delayed several hours. (shock- not). We were stuck at the airport for many long hours. Sergey was wonderful - he stayed with us until our flight left. We were not once ever left alone. The cool thing too, was we found and met several other couples from the USA who had been there for their first trip for adoption. All of them were adopting babies - we were the only ones adoping older children, but it really passed the time quickly talking to these young kids - hearing how excited they were and the process they had gone through. Some were much different than ours. We determined that we were very blessed indeed, to be able to go and see three separate little girls. Somo of the people only got to hold these babies for a few hours, and that was IT! Plus, they traveled hours on bus and planes to get to them. They all clutched pictures, and it was like a healing time for all of us, men and women alike. It was really beautiful.
One thng that happened that REALLY bothered me. (And many other people from the USA- and probably the world). There was a mother there --who had obviously just adopted a little girl - maybe four at the oldest. She also had adopted a little boy who was about one and a half. The girl may have been three. At any rate - they were a handful to say the least. I don't know what kind of post-traumatic disorders these children had, but they would bang their heads, and cry, and try to run. They were SCARED TO DEATH! The kids were sreaming - and disrupting everthing. Her husband was with her, they were both heavy set people (which really doesn't have anything to do with it - other than they wouldn't move to do to do anything for their children.) Well, here we all are... wishing we had OUR BABES IN ARMS, and this MOTHER starts to SLAP HER DAUGHTER HARD!!!!!!! I was shocked beyond belief!!! One gal I was talking to was so angry - she wanted the adoption agency of where these people had been allowed to adopted through. It kept going on. I know it was hard - the lines were long, it was a slow process - and it was hard. But those children were beyond reasoning with -and all the mother and father knew to do was to slap and hit these kids in front of everyone!. I finally walked over to the mother, and asked her if she needed some help with her daugher. She started in about how bad she was(the child) (I'm sorry- but even if that child didn't understand english - she understood the resentment in her voice).... I bent down, and gently talked to the child. She wouldn't make eye contact with me at first - but I noticed that the little boy had tried so hard to stop sniffling, and was sucking on a binking, blinking through his tears. I had some candy or a toy - I don't remember, and I asked if I could give it to them. The mom just shrugged and said sure. So I did, and very calmly told her it was for her. She threw it. I smiled and picked it up and gave it to her again. She looked at me questioningly and did it again. I picked it up again and handed it to her. When it became apparent that she wasn't going to be screamed at or yelled at or hit, she calmed down, and I noticed the baby boy smiling through his tears. Suddenly, the beast of a mother decided she didn't like this at all. She was in control after all, not me. She grabbed that little girls arm, and briskly told me they were going to the bathroom. I did get her to tell me where her agency was before she left (high five)!!!!!. The screaming and kicking started again.
To this day -I am sick about it. Even on the plane.. the Father sat with the little girl, and the mother took the son. They were so loud, and of course the kids were scared to death. Several times, I heard the father turn to the mother and say, "well, I had to slap her hard to make her be quiet and sit". I was so appalled. I never found out if that other girl that was adopting called their adoption agency like she said she was - but it was so so sad.
I will tell you something NOW that I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN!! ( And I have been asked this several times, because my girls are so well behaved and so....normal crazy fun loving happy!!). LOVE THEM FROM THE GET GO. MAKE THEM YOURS. Take them in your arms, tell them you love them, "Yhatza bila blue" (that's how it's pronounced - not spelled (I love you). Don't be afraid to touch them. Bring them in close. Hold them. Touch their hair. Kiss their eyes - their nose.... their freckles. Hold heir hands. They truly can feel your love!! I KNOW THIS IS TRUE. Also - because we adopted older children, after our first trip - we called them once a week before we went back and got them. This re-inforced to them that we were really going to do what we said we were doin - not just lip service. They so looked forward to those calls. I know you can't call a baby - but you can pray every single night - and ask your Father in Heaven to let that special spirit to recognize you and your love. IT WORKS!!!!
Ok. Sorry. Back to the plane. I didn't mean to get carried away. I just can't lose sight of that day ever. And I don't want anyone else to either...
Waiting in line, we met a beautiful young woman named Olya (for Olga). She was an attorney (she looked all of eighteen!!) coming to see her American boyfriend. Our flight was deliyed several hours, we finally made it through security and we were starving. We found someplece to eat. It was SOOOO wonderful. We were able to board - four hours later - and started the long trek home. I had a hard time sleeping on the flight.....so many emotions and feelings, sensory overload and I couldn't shut down- even with medication. We watched a couple of movies ... and I wrote a lot in my journals. (I'm so happy now that I did...) I finally even slept a little bit.
We made it home Saturday eveneing around 9pm. We finally got through customs, and called Morgan around 930Pm. He was worried, thinking we would be home at 5pm - but we had no way of letting him no- (you couldn't leave the line to call anyone and let them know you would be late).
I was absolutely exhausted..(as was VInny), on the drive home. We got home, went upstairs and unpacked some . Morgan came back from the Palmers (friends) around midnight and wanted us to get up immeditely and show him pictures and videos of his new sisters and Russia! We were just tired. I did decide that I would make it to church in the morning. LITTLE DID I KNOW ABOUT JET LAG!!!!
We were HOME!
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