Playing Catch-up...

Here I am, two months ago, walking out the orphanage gate with sweet Beast Cub and Princess Kitty.  It's been a crazy two months, but very rewarding and very, very happy. 

We're definitely at a point now where the busy is regular family busy and the adjustment element has faded into the background -- the main thing we're doing is throwing a party a week from tomorrow for our little Beast Cub, who is turning three.  Visions of cupcake toppers haunt my dreams.

I'll be back dating some posts -- so anything between my Moscow layover post and this will be back dated.  I am sorry it's taken so long to get caught up.

So much to do, so little time...

The combination of going to court one day and leaving at 6.30 the next morning meant that I haven't had time before now to really sit down to blog.

The good news is that court went very smoothly -- only about a 20 minute hearing!  I was told that it would have been 15 minutes if we were adopting only one child (the extra 5 minutes was for the orphanage director to describe our second child).

Since I've been home, life has been VERY busy with the unpacking and all the last minute things to add a child to our family.  We have beds, and mattresses, and almost fully decorated rooms.  Our little ones have nearly full closets and some fun waiting in their toy boxes.  But, most importantly, they have countless family members and friends who can't wait to welcome them home.  <3

***

Over the next few days, I hope to get a bit more caught up with the blog.  Of course, we still can't post photos of the kids, but I have photos from Moscow to share, as well as some of the fun things I did in Bishkek.

Court soon...

I'm way too busy/lazy to upload photos from the trip.  Hopefully soon.

Anyway, court is in the morning.  I'm nervous and can't sleep.

Quick update...

I made it to Bishkek, after a great layover in Moscow.

Court will be on Wednesday, October 22.

Papa Beast is home for work reasons, and will be speaking at a fundraiser for our agency soon (Saturday night US time).

Hopefully tonight I will be able to post pictures from Moscow and Bishkek.

Burana

Our facilitator really wanted us to see something called "Burana," which she described as a "monument."  She said it was sort of near the orphanage, and that it was something that people would ask us about if they knew what city our kids are from.

So, she arranged for the medical translator and driver to take us there after our big medical translation meeting.  I was kind of expecting some kind of war memorial or something like that -- maybe something like the statue of Manas in downtown Bishkek?

 

No, this is a tower -- a very old tower, dating back to the 11th century.  Wikipedia says it's a minaret from an old mosque, but no one in Kyrgyzstan called it that.  Instead, they tell the story of a princess locked in a tower to protect her from a prophesy that she would die when she turned 16 (Wiki says 18, our translator said 16, so who knows).  Her father supposedly built the tower to protect her from all harm, but when she got to the prophesied age, her servant -- the only person allowed into the tower -- unknowingly brought a spider in along with the grapes for the princess's meal.  The girl died from the poisoned spider bite.  I guess you can't tempt fate.

 

Near the tower itself, there is a little museum.  It shows historical images of the tower, along with drawings of what the tower looked like originally compared to what it looks like today.  Apparently it once had a domed top.

The tower before the restoration work that was done in the 1970s.  Dates become very interesting when everything is written in Russian -- it becomes just about the only thing you CAN read.  Okay, fine, that isn't true -- I can also recognize the words for "restaurant" and "café" along with a few menu items.  Survival Russian for the win! (Even though that wouldn't help us here.)

An old gold plate that was apparently found near the tower.  Right about now is when we found out that you can't take pictures in the museum without paying for a photo permit, so we pled ignorance and illiteracy (at least in Russian) and put our cameras away.  Oh well, we got a picture of the gold plate, which is the coolest thing in the little museum anyway.  :P



Oddly enough, they don't care about picture taking in the gift shop, which is in a yurt next to the museum.

Papa Beast finally found a Kyrgyz hat that fits him.  :P

The view from the platform after the open air staircase.

Here's the best picture I could get of the stairs inside the tower.  Papa Beast was quite the gentleman, forging ahead in the dark to light the way for our translator and me.  Wikipedia does have a better lit photo of the stairs.

There were a few windows on the way up.

Basically, the stairs are pretty tall (each step, that is) and I'm pretty short, so I was climbing using my hands a bit, and gripping the edges of the bricks a bit too.  Yes, I did make jokes about climbing like the spider that killed the princess. 

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

 

Here I am!

And here's Papa Beast, collapsed on the floor of the top of the tower.

Another one of Kyrgyzstan's many beautiful views.

And some graffiti, which is actually pretty rare there.

Selfie time!

 

More selfie time!

That little tiny red dot on the bench is our driver.

 

Here's the yurt gift shop along with the museum, as seen from the tower.

 

Papa Beast looking serious.

Here you can see the decoration on the side of the tower.

 Another angle of the tower.



Tourist Stuff in Bishkek

 Playing catch up on the blog again.  Tsk, tsk!  Of course, at least this time we have been busy with our travel, etc. 

There's very little that I can share about the visits with the kids -- things are going great with our son, and our daughter has really warmed up to me as well.  We found out more info on their medical status, but that's beyond what can be shared here.  Just about the only thing I can share is that our suspicions are confirmed and our daughter is in fact (at least) half Russian.

Our first trip has come to an end -- well, at least the part in Kyrgyzstan, with our kids -- and we're in the Moscow SVO airport on a layover, which is giving me the time and free wifi to catch up a bit on the blog.

Here are some of the memorable sights in and around Bishkek that we enjoyed seeing -- because that's something I can easily share.  :)

 

The Kyrgyz White House -- I'm not sure if the president lives here or if he just works here.

 

Manas and the large flag, by the national museum.

 

A statue in one of the parks.  I wish I knew more about so many of the little things we saw around Bishkek.

 

Swan sculpture covered in ivy in the park -- so pretty!

The famous Kyrgyz rugs inside of TSUM.

I want to get one as a wall hanging, but it will have to wait until next trip -- I ran out of luggage space this time.

 

The Bishkek War Memorial, for the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

 

We found Lenin.  I hear he used to be where Manas is now (in front of the "front side" of the museum) but of course after communism fell he was replaced with Manas.  This seems to be where they put ol' Vladimir Ilyich.

Another view of the White House -- I thought it was a cool angle.

Manas and the museum.

 

A close up of Manas, the legendary hero of the Kyrgyz people.

 

 

Just a Quick Update!

Our visits continue to go well.  I will post photos later of the scenery on the way to the orphanage -- sadly I can't share any of the kids.

Marie and Frankie are both enjoying our visits.  Marie is starting to warm up more and more -- though she prefers Papa Beast to me.  :P

Even so, she still lets me play with her, and she readily hands me things and takes things from me -- and she listens when I tell her "nyet."  She is such a sweet kid -- she takes great care of her friend who is blind, helping her with food and other things around the orphanage.

Little Frankie is such a cheerful child.  We almost never see him without a smile on his face.  He did cry yesterday (Day 3 of visits) when we left.  It's good to know that he likes to see us, but it's hard to see my sweet baby cry. 

We met them!

And they're wonderful kids!

We got to the orphanage and brought gifts for the director, clothing donations, etc.  Then we went outside in the play yard to meet our kids.  They have a really nice play yard, with little patios with play pens for summer-time.

We went outside of the office and three kids walked up with a caregiver, coming back from a walk, I think.  One was our son, and the director called him over.  I got on my hands and knees and called at the same time, and he ran to me, and never let go.  He loves his new teddy bear, with his (birth) named embroidered on it.  He kissed the teddy bear when I asked him to and then kissed me when I asked.  :)  So, so, stinking cute -- I wish I could share the pictures.

We went into one of the play patios and waited for Marie.  She was brought over and seemed very shy but did take her new doll from me and a cookie from Papa.  She would interact a little, but the start to pull back because she is nervous. She seems normal and happy with her caregivers and friends, though, so I think this is just her age and being shy (and being smart -- because she knows something is up).  She did warm up to us a tiny bit as they visit went on, and even offered me some of her candy.  She would also look at her new Papa from the next room while she was eating lunch.  She is definitely curious, but she is also afraid to branch out from where she feels safe. 

Our little ones are both very smart, very quick witted, and obedient.  I hope and pray that our daughter's fears will settle down as she comes to trust us -- but I also know that it is normal for her age to be fearful of strangers.  The fact that she is happy and warm with her caregivers and friends means that she can and does form good relationships -- but it might also mean that she is scared to lose the people, places, and things that are dear to her.

Bazaar shopping haul

Here are a few pics I forgot to share last night. I am only sharing the stuff for us and our kids -- no sneak peeks for people back home haha. 

Doll for Marie, Kyrgyz horse riders (one boy and one girl) for both kids, two Kyrgyz hats for Frankie (one to fit now and one for when he is older), two Kyrgyzstan flags so each child can have one, a leather purse for me, a toy horse for Frankie, a wooden yurt magnet for the fridge, a yurt themed nesting doll set for Frankie (Marie gets classic nesting dolls from Russia), a Russian Olympic figure skating pin from 1976 for me, a Kyrgyz chess set for Papa Beast and the kids (comes with checkers pieces and a carrying strap), and a Tatar hat for Marie. 

Even the inside of the chess set is so pretty. 

Saturday and Sunday in Bishkek -- Kyrgyz Independence Day

Yay!  With this post I will be all caught up with the blog.  :)

Then I just need to (finally) get stamps for the Russian postcards.  Yes, some lucky people will be getting Moscow postcards with Kyrgyz stamps and postmarks.  (The Moscow post office was too far out of the way, with working hours that were too short -- and stamps are only sold at the post office, not in tourist shops.  Silly me for thinking the whole world is like Italy and the United States.)

 

Our head rest cover on the way from Moscow to Bishkek was awesome -- Aeroflot is proud to be a sponsor of the recent Sochi Olympics.  We saw lots of Sochi stuff in Russia, though they were sold out of the mascot toys in GUM.

Manas International Airport, formerly Frunze (after a WWII general who was born in Bishkek -- Bishkek was named Frunze for a long time and the routing code is still FRU).  Manas is a legendary character in Kyrgyz epic poetry.

Seal of Kyrgyzstan on the airport wall.  Why yes, I was taking photos while waiting in the immigration line...

The outside of the airport.

 

We met our wonderful representative here Saturday night.  She treated us out to dinner in one of the nicest restaurants in Bishkek.  Here's their take on Russian Olivye salad.

Veal steak and potatoes.  So yummy.

It was wonderful to share a dinner with our representative and get to know her before we need to start dealing with the real business part of our trip.  She is a very, very kind, warm-hearted person.  She told us that she saw our kids, and they are doing well.  Frankie is cheerful and friendly as always.  Our little Marie is very happy and excited, and keeps wanting to put on her best dress to meet her Mama and Papa.  I teared up in the hotel lobby hearing that, in front of our representative whom I'd just met a minute before.

By the end of the evening, she had invited us to the mountains and to the celebration in Bishkek for Independence Day on Sunday.

 

This is the view from the landing where we wait for the elevator in our hotel.

Our hotel's beautiful lobby and bar.

 

Sunday was Kyrgyz Independence Day.  The crowds gathered in the square by the State Historical Museum and the statue of Manas.

In the center of Bishkek, in front of the State Historical Museum.  We hope to visit the museum later this week -- maybe Tuesday or Wednesday (they are closed Mondays, and there was a big crowd for Independence Day).

A poster for Independence Day.  It says 31 August.

I love the carpet style decorations on the front of the building.

The President of Kyrgyzstan made a speech.  Yes, the actual president.  It was quite amazing to think that we had been in Kyrgyzstan less than 24 hours and here we were seeing the President, even from afar.  His presence did explain why we they searched our purses on the way in.

After the celebration in the square, we went to the big Bazaar to buy souvenirs for our kids and also for family members back in the US.

This lady has a lovely booth with many Kyrgyz souvenirs.  We wound up with a nice bulk discount from her.  :P

This is the Bishkek Opera House, just a few doors down from our hotel.

TSUM, pronounced like "zoom" is a big mall with lots of little booths, each with its own vendor.  The prices are more for Kyrgyz folk art, but they have Russian and Soviet stuff that the other shops don't.

We went to have Kyrgyz food for Independence Day.  This lamp was so pretty.

Lagman, a very popular noodle dish here.  Nothing like Chinese or Italian noodles at all.

Juice, Pelmeni, sour cream, and a tomato and red pepper something or other.

Plov (a rice dish) and Kyrgyz bread.

After lunch we went into the mountains.  Here's the sign at the front of the park.

Real, live yurts!

Inside a yurt.

The top of the yurt's ceiling inspired the design on the flag of Kyrgyzstan.

Mountains and trees.

China is on the other side of these mountains.

A river of melted snow.  I hear it's very cold.

More mountains.

A nice view of the river.

A shed snake skin.

Here's as far as we got, really -- it got cold as the sun went down, and I hate to admit it but I don't have full stamina from the Typhoid pill incident in June.  I get better all the time, but the altitude made it more difficult.

Here's an outhouse.  :)

Kyrgyz horses.

For dinner we went to have more Kyrgyz food -- Shashlik, which is like a Kabob.  It's very good and is served with raw onions.

 

Papa Beast is gonna get that Shashlik and show it who is boss!