Under the Microscope

We went to visit our daughter in the morning today instead of the usual afternoon visit. We've gotten used to sleeping in until about 11:00am and then staying up late. We had to drag ourselves out of bed this morning, but we did it for the sake of one cute little girl that has us wrapped around her finger. Actually, I think she has more than just us wrapped around her finger! I think she's got the whole orphanage staff wrapped around her finger!

Well, the good news for today is that it only took 5 adults to reason with our daughter and convince her to go with us. Once again they lied to her to get her to go with us. A few days ago in the music room they told her that her little friend would come in and play--but she didn't. The next day they told her that we would be going to the mall to meet up with some caregivers who were already there. Umm...they were there, but on their own personal time. The caregivers talked to her on the phone and told her to come and meet them. They did stop by to check on her, but she was having so much fun with us that she didn't see them. So for her little mind they didn't show up. We're we grateful that they truly did stop by so they could see how well she was doing with us and could take that info back to the white coats at the orphanage.

Today we were left without a translator and coordinator for a short period of time and during that time is when she did her crying. So the orphanage staff decided to tell her that we would be taking her somewhere in the car again today (that was not happening today) so she willingly got ready to go. Obviously since we're not fluent in Russian, we didn't know what they were telling her to make her happy so we just went with the flow. We thought they were telling her to get ready to go outside and we'd go out with her groupa who was already outside playing. It tipped us off that something fishy was going on when they directed us to go out the front door with her and not the same door as her groupa went. It became even more clear what they'd told her when we got out there and she kept going up to each car and trying to tell us she wanted to get in and refused to leave that area. She finally got to a point that she was banging on the cars with her hand and saying, "Mama, poe-ma-gee." (Help me!)

Meanwhile, my favorite part (sarcasm intended) was when we looked up at the 2nd story windows and there were all of the white coats standing in the windows and watching us. Are we under the microscope or what? This is ridiculous. Nathan and I discussed later that we should've stopped and taken a picture of them all standing in the window for our blog. Blasted, we missed that opportunity. Luckily for us our coordinator and translator came walking down the driveway and helped us explain to our daughter what was going on. Again, they reasoned her out of another cry because we weren't doing what was promised today and instead told her we'd take her to the mall on Monday.

We left today with the decision made that we would not return to the orphanage tomorrow (Friday). One, it's a major holiday and we wanted to give our tranlator a break because she's been working her rear off for us, but also number two, because the orphanage director felt that we should try not coming for a day to see if she will notice we're gone--to create a longing in her for us. Apparently, they say that when we are not there, she talks about us and constantly sits with her "family book" in hand and flips through it. She tells anyone who will listen about her family and our home.

We've also heard that the orphanage admits that since she's the oldest one there and has been there since she was born that they've spoiled her because as her departure approaches, she's become quite sassy with them. When they ask her to do things like clean up, she responds, "I don't have to because I'm leaving soon." Woo-ee! I think I'm going to be grateful we don't speak the same language so that she can't sass me! Well, she can try...but it will fall on deaf ears!

At this point, we are trying to decide whether to skip out on just one day or whether to wait a little more and return on Monday--the day we receive the official decree. Why not create a big longing and then return on the day that she's officially ours and we no longer have to listen to the suggestions of the orphanage? Why not skip out on the experiment? Still thinking on that one. We do know though, that we have decided that we will do what we promised--once we pick her up from the orphanage, we are going to take her to the mall and have some fun with her, but this time we just won't return to the orphanage. We'll take her "home" or as close to home as we can get at this point. Please be praying for us to have wisdom in this matter and for our daughter as she transitions to us next week.

1 Samuel 1:27 "I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."