Well, today was another busy day. I had to be at the Belgian Embassy for the transit visa first thing this morning so I arrived at 0900, but they don’t begin seeing people until 0930. Finally they saw me and I gave them Ally’s passport so they could do the visa. They told me to take a seat and I would be called when it was complete. Two hours later I still hadn’t been called. Ally was tired of just sitting and waiting and there was absolutely nothing to do in the waiting area, there were only chairs, a very dirty floor and the table where people were filling out the forms for the visa. Needless to say I was getting a little irritated, and walked up to the window to ask if the visa had been completed yet and all they would say is ‘no’. Finally, the secretary brought a stack of papers out and saw me waiting, since he had spoken to my husband on the phone and me the day before, he pulled her passport out of the file and handed it to me so we could leave. I thanked him profusely and immediately departed before anyone could change his or her minds. After looking at the Visa, the Belgian embassy dated it so Ally couldn’t leave the country until Wednesday, thus erasing the idea of leaving tonight rather than tomorrow night. I was very upset, because there is absolutely nothing for us to do tomorrow after we check out of the hotel. It is going to be a very long day. UGH.
I came back to the hotel and gathered the papers for the Russian consulate and the registration of Ally into the Ministry of Education. Luckily, my presence wasn’t required and since Ally wasn’t feeling well I wanted to keep her in the hotel and allow her to nap. Helen needed all the paperwork that was provided by the American Embassy, the packet of documents with the Visa, the original birth certificates with the translations and the adoption documents with the translations. Also they needed the power of attorney because Peter wasn’t here and both my and Ally’s passport for the registration. I also gave Helen the gifts for our coordinator Anna since I wouldn’t see her before leaving, and the money that she had paid for the passport photos and translation fees. So Helen left for the Russian Consulate at 1:30 from the hotel. Helen returned to the hotel at 4:30 with the mission complete. Ally has proof of the registration in her passport, the stamp and seal in the passport and we are now ready to leave Russia!! YEAH!! I am so tired of living the hotel it is frustrating. I really don’t know how the people that end up staying for three weeks survive. I have only been here 9 days and am crawling the walls.
For dinner we went to a restaurant around the corner from the Marriott called the American bar and grill. It was kind of interesting because they were playing American Country music when I entered and seemed to be very popular with the Russians. They offered both an American and Russian menu, which was nice because it definitely makes it easier to order. They also offered a children’s menu, which was nice because it is very difficult to find food that she will eat, Filet Mignon for a toddler is a little much. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, and some other item for children. She had the hot dogs and loved them, I cut them up for her to ensure she didn’t choke but she ate every one (there where about 6 half hot dogs on a plate with mashed potatoes.) We returned to the hotel for a bath and to get ready for bed. It is going to be a long day for her tomorrow and I want her to beat this cold.
On a side note, some things that I have found interesting that I should mention just in case I forget to write them elsewhere. I have spent a week with Allyson now and it has taken almost a week to get her to understand what a kiss is, she was afraid of them first, now she is okay with them. She doesn’t understand the concept of giving hugs at all and sometimes pushes away when she is held because of the closeness, which can make it difficult for carrying her with all the papers that we have. I am really glad that I have brought toddler toothpaste from Orajel that can be swallowed because she doesn’t understand how to spit the toothpaste out, she just swallows it. Finally, eating has been challenging because she shoves food in her mouth so that it is so full she can’t chew, and I know that this is because of the habit of eating as fast as humanly possible at the orphanage, but I have to take her food away after a bite or two so that she finishes her mouthful before she eats more, otherwise she chokes and food goes everywhere. Also the same applies with drinking. If I give her a cup with no lid, she drinks it great but she thinks that she has to drink the entire glass without stopping and needless to say she continues to drink as fast as she can while she is choking on it. I have to take her glass away after a few swallows so she doesn’t do this. I don’t know how long it will take to get her over this, at least she knows that the food will be there and isn’t gorging herself. I have been working on removing the thumb sucking from her nightly routine; she actually sleeps better when she doesn’t suck the thumb. Last night was the best night yet, and I made sure she didn’t suck her thumb so that will be another item that we are going to have to work with. I will be glad to leave here tomorrow. I am tired of the cold, dirt, wet, and smell of Russia. I am sure the summers are beautiful, winters in a big city are the same all over the world, including New York, Boston, Chicago, etc. I don’t know how many times I have been told by Russians that I don’t dress her for winter. I am dressing her in long pants, long sleeve shirts, and an undershirt under the outfit, coat, hat, gloves socks and shoes. The Russians believe she should be in tights, pants, a snowsuit, two shirts, coat, scarf, hat, over hat, gloves, and boots. Good grief, if I packed all that for the entire trip, I would have had three suitcases just for her stuff – besides the fact that I don’t dress any of my children in that deep of clothing – especially to move from the building to the car to another building. She gets so hot in the clothes that I put her in that she sweats and then gets a chill because she gets wet. Our translator keeps trying to get me to get her tights and all, but I keep thinking that we are leaving soon and I know that she is warm enough, I don’t take her out just to sight see because I think it is too cold for her to be outside just to be outside. I would rather keep her in and warm than dress her like a snowman for a 10-minute walk.
