Day 46 - The Bug!

Chris's View:

Hey guys & gals.  Today I got both visits in with Griffin... only a little scare today though.

When I arrived, there was quite a bit of commotion going on at the orphanage compound.  If you remember back when we were here, we got to watch a program being practiced by some of the children & some of the nannies.  Today was performance day!  According to the facilitator, it is performance day all over the country, not just in the orphanages, but all over.  I found that to be true when I got to the Karavan for lunch.  There were literally a ton of ankle biters running around!  LOL!  They were set up on the second floor of the mall and it was loud!  It just so happens that they were at the end of the mall where all the restaurants are, so I got to listen to a whole bunch of kids sing in a language I do not understand... still cute though.

Anyway, I put Griffin in a swing in the back of the orphanage, away from the hustle & bustle that was the performance.  There must have been 50 people watching this.  It was crazy too because there were folks in military uniforms, and then I saw what made my heart sink.  A couple of priests dressed in black robes.  The reason being is there is a priest here who went around and emptied some orphanages of special needs children and moved them into his own personal orphanage.  I immediately got on the phone with the facilitator who said she'd make some calls, but told me that there is nothing he could do to take Griffin, since he is legally our child now.  She said she'd call me back though.

As I waited, nervously, many of the people from the performance were making their way to the back of the orphanage where we were. In a strategically plotted out move, I hooked around the left side of the orphanage to try to avoid them. Patton himself would have been proud of the precision at which Griffin & I executed this military maneuver to avoid capture! LOL! Anyway, we came around the front, being cordial to the passers-by until we rounded the corner to go to the train slide which is on the side of the building. Coast is clear. Guess we did really goo... wait, out of the side door of the orphanage director's office walked the two priest's, dressed in black robes.  They made eye contact with me as I froze.  I continued to the train slide, trying not to seem out of the ordinary.  They spoke with the orphanage director a little more, then the director walked over to me and asked if I spoke Russian.  She knows very well that I don't speak Russian. 

She waved for me to follow her.  I did, albeit reluctantly.  The priest that seemed to be "higher ranking" spoke softly and asked me where I lived.  I told him a little village outside of Kaiserslautern, Germany.  He looked a little confused and said he had heard I was from America.  I said that I was, I just live in Germany.  He then asked Griffin's name.  I know they all know him by his old name.  Remember, at this time, I still do not know who this guy is.  I told him, that this is my son, Griffin Nathaniel Solomon.  Again, another confused look, and he asked, "Griffin?"  I replied that it is indeed Griffin, and the director jumped in and said his old name.  I cringed.  What is this lady trying to do!!!  He asked how far away from Darmstadt, Germany, I lived.  I told him an approximate distance and that my family had visited there and saw a Russian Orthodox Church there built by a Russian ruler back in the day.  He gave me a complete rundown on the church and asked if I knew anything about several of the people involved with the story of the church.  I said that I was not familiar.  He then asked my religion.  I told him I was Christian, trying to avoid being more of a target because of my denomination.  He then asked, Catholic?  I said Protestant, and he then said okay and thank you.  He was at least pleasant and spoke decent English.  I told him goodbye in Russian and walked back to the slide, with firm resolve to not leave the orphanage without hearing who this guy was.  If it is THE priest, I was going to walk out of the compound with my son the very next second after hearing it.  A waited an additional 20 minutes past my visit until the facilitator called me back.  Just a local priest who helps the orphanage out.  Whew!

The evening visit went worse though.  Dude is getting sick.  He was pouring snot... not the clear kind either... the thick yellowish-green kind.  Oh now.  He has got to get better for our trip to the capitol for his medical checks.  I don't want anything to require us to have to stay here 1 minute longer than we need to.  One of his nostrils was completely clogged.  He still managed to beat the tar out of GM!  He loves this thing!  It's stinking cute.  Due to the onset of sickness, I am not going to be visiting tomorrow, in hopes that him staying inside will help him fight off the bug.  I did my best game of charades with the nannies to ask them to keep him inside tomorrow, as much as it pains me to ask it because he loves being outside.  Hopefully they understood.

See ya'll tomorrow!

Maria's View-

Hey y'all!  I've missed you! :-)  I have been so busy with getting my girls back on schedule and recovering from jet lag.  It hits little G very hard on this side of the ocean.

Big G came to meet us at the airport in Germany and she clung to me for dear life for the hour drive home.  She is definitely a momma's girl.  We arrived on her birthday so we ended up celebrating her b'day around 9 that night by opening a present or 2... and then our friends helped us to throw a surprise b'day party for her the next day!  She had such a great time!  I was only able to spend a few days with her before it was time for me to go get Little G home.

Little G had a wonderful time in MS!  I honestly think she would have stayed with her Mawmaw if I would have let her!  And I would have had no complaints from her or the rest of my family either!  They kept telling me that I have raised such a sweet, loving little girl... hahaha.... Yes, she is sweet, but mercy, she is stubborn!

When Little G saw me at the airport, she ran to me as fast as her little legs would take her!  Words can not express how wonderful it was to have her in my arms again.  She has made a lot of progress with answering questions by nodding or shaking her head.  She has learned a few more words and she is definitely walking/running better.  Asking her questions is hilarious.  I can ask her if she is going to be a good girl and she will shake her head "no"...or if you ask her if she likes what you have cooked, she will shake her head "no"... got to love brutal honesty!  I have also discovered that she loves fried catfish and boiled crawfish!  Definitely a girl after my own heart, for sure.

As for middle G, our Griffin, I miss him so much and can not wait to get him home!  To be honest, I have been so focused on getting my girls back together and settled that I haven't had time to miss him as much...but now that we are settled, it's hitting hard.  I love his calmness, he always seems so peaceful and content.  I wonder how long that will last once he's home! haha.

Big G had her ballet performance last night and she performed beautifully.   So talented and graceful when she dances.  I love to watch her perform because she always has a big smile on her face and it's just so natural.  She truly has fun.  Little G stayed at my friend Ashley's house and had a blast!  I loved hearing everything she did while she was there.  She has come out of her little shell a lot and I think the 7+ weeks that she was away from me did her some good! 

But anyway, we are holding down the fort back home while the boys are away.  It will be so wonderful to get everyone under the same roof!!  I miss them.

Please pray that Chris has an easy time for the rest of this journey.  He will be doing a lot of traveling with our little dude and we have no idea how he will hold up under the pressures and new experiences!  Thank you!!!