Just when we thought that our plate was full in life, God dished us up some dessert!





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Thursday, June 10, 2010

I'm not worried about going...it's the leaving part :-(

I'm sick of packing! From that perspective, I just want to go. Once I'm on the plane I can't pack anymore.

I'm having a hard time with the leaving part. I know they will be fine. It is just hard. I'm used to being with them everyday. It's a long time away...

I know it is worth it. I'm glad we are taking Ricky and Lizzy. It makes it more work, but more delightful.

Most anyone here that meets Ricky can't help but smile. He is a riot. His red hair, blue eyes and glasses and vibrant personality it at times just too much. It won't be like that in Stass' birth country. We have been warned. There is no place for these kids in society. They just simply are not in public. They are locked away, first in orphanages and then in mental institutions come their 4th birthday.

It will be tough to get "the looks." But we can handle it, right? I can hope that they are somehow touched by Ricky as he wanders the streets. I hope they are touched by seeing our love for him, and of course for Stass as soon as he gets in our grip.

Perhaps we should bring Ricky's new microphone. The boy has rhythm! He loves to sing and dance...okay dance. He signs a few words, and says a syllable or so every 20 words. I will be shocked if we don't get a little chuckle from someone---anyone.It will be weird.

2 more days at home...and up, up and away....

4 comments:

  1. I know how you feel...i can not wait to go, but leaving my babies behind, is so very hard to even think about. when we went to bring home tatiana , bella was 2 , i thought she did ok, but it took about 3 months for her to be loving again and longer to feel like she was close to me :( tatiana is a mama's baby and attached to me all day long. i cant bear to think she will be mad at me and not bonded when we come home after weeks ....oye. i am getting sad now. anyhoo..so very happy for you and thank you so much for bringing my sweetie her goodie :)

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  2. thats the hardest part, leaving home and comforts and YOUR BABIES! but its in doing things that are hard that we learn and grow. we are here and learning to sleep with the lights on so as to sleep alone, ie; without roaches lol. Serge told us that the people here just can not/do not understand taking on a SN child. they just cant and nothing you can say will change it, they just dont understand. I bet little Rikky will knock their socks off though and they will be surprised that a little sprite can be so entertaining. I cant wait to show them what my Ben and Sophie have been up to. how they have blossomed in our home. but if they never understand? its ok, it means I get to raise some of the neatest kids in the whole WORLD!

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  3. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to take Nadia out of the orphanage to get her passport photo taken. When people saw the way I was interacting with her and her smiles at me, etc. I noticed a few smiles from other people as well. I also see LOTS of Mamas out with their children getting ice cream, going to the park, etc. It is a more "kid friendlY" society than I at first believed but I think there is still such a lack of education about our children with Down syndrome. It makes me sad so I'm glad that some will get to see your family with Rickie in tow!!! Every little bit helps. The orphanage director was very surprised that our daughter Josi had Down syndrome when we showed her our family book. She kept saying, "No, she does not have a true diagnosis" or something like that. I looked at that as a great testimony to how these kids can thrive in a loving home!

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  4. I agree with Kristin...there seemed to be lots of parents with kids out in Zap (strolling, playing at the park), and lots of school-age kids in groups together hanging out, or getting something to eat together. There were very few kids in Kiev that we saw, although there are playgrounds everywhere. That might be different this time of year, but in general, Kiev was not kid friendly. We experienced the same thing with the passport excursion. A few people looked a little confused, but we did get a few smiles, too...and no scowls :).

    I remember the exhaustion of packing, too. And the anxiety of leaving. But you are almost there. One foot in front of the other. Get prepared for things to start moving in warp speed. Before you know it, you will all be back home together :)!

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