So Much To Learn!

Today was a great success as we made it all the way to the orphanage and back by ourselves! :) While we were there we had tons of fun with the kids. After we picked them up from their groups outside we took them over the bench we had gone to yesterday and brought out straw cups full of water. Tristan caught on to it right away, but Maya really struggled. She kept trying to open it or lift it up high to pour it out or bite the straw. She got a couple little sips at the end. Then we brought out some cookies, and they were SO excited! Before we gave them out we told them to say "cookie" and there was no hesitation! It was so cute 'cause Tristan said it like "coo-coo."

Next out of our magic Santa bag (the backpack) came bubbles. They loved that too. Maya tried to eat the wand, but we finally straightened her out, getting her and Tristan both to blow some on their own.

After we were done, they wanted to go over to the picnic table where we had drawn yesterday, so we did and I brought out the little pencil cases I had brought that each had crayons and a little notebook in them. They loved coloring with all the different colors and they loved opening and closing the case and taking the crayons all out and putting them back in again. We worked on teaching them colors in Russian and English, and Maya really got the color "blue." We also practiced saying their new names and the names of their sisters and brother. Maya did very well trying to say them all and Tristan could say the "T" sound for his name and the first parts of the others.

While we were out playing around, a lady came up to me and gave me a picture--it was a snapshot of Maya and one of the other girls in her group. It was so nice of her to give me this! I found out later when I talked to her that her name was Olga and that she was Maya's speech therapist. All the kids have speech therapists to help their delays.

When we got back to the apartment we ate some sandwiches for lunch and sweltered for a bit, then took off with Lea and John Moon and their newly adopted son, Nickolai. They are also in a Peace Travel apartment that is just upstairs from us, and we walked together to meet 2 other couples for dinner, as well as Dinia and Ron. Dinia and Ron are Americans who live here for his job with BP. On the side they help adoptive parents while they are here in anyway they can. They are awesome! This was the first time I had met them in person. I had emailed Dinia a couple times, and they surprised me by bringing a fan for us to use! I was sooooo unbelievably grateful! :)

As a side note, I just have to post this picture of our doorbell. To get to our apartment you have to open 4 locked doors! We are apartment 49.