Today was our last orphanage visit and we spent both the morning and afternoon at the orphanage without a translator. Gracie came right to us this morning gave us hugs and took my hand. We played for a few minutes before the other children came outside. She was fascinated by the workmen who were putting in the new stones for part of the playground and kept wanting to go up and help them...They were filling wheelbarrows with sand and laying down square stones. In fact she had Mark retrieve a broken doll stroller from the roof of a shelter, filled it with balls and imitated them.
When we gave her the present, her doll, first thing this morning she just looked at it and said, "ne." She was totally uninterested in a doll. She did love being tickled and rode her tricycle around a lot. The "aunties" also had all of the children sitting together singing songs today and when she was paying attention to the "aunties" instead of the workers she smiled and sang several songs. The children went in early so we had a little bit of time alone before lunch. We got the doll out again and she put her in the swing and was pushing her. She pushed really hard and the swing came back and hit her in the face. She just screamed and big tears streamed down her face. Mark carried her inside and she stopped crying by the time we got her to lunch. Poor thing.
At noon today, we were picked up to go to the notary office which looked like a scary crack house on the outside with graffiti on the door and walls, but was actually a nice office inside. There we signed official papers changing her name to Grace Janette Daniela Dunham and giving the agency, VESTA, power of attorney for our petition. We also got an actual film from her chest x-ray to bring home with us. Then we ate Bulgarian pizza with amazing cheese and caught a cab to the apartment for a nap.
This afternoon, we really saw her interact with some of the children and learned some new things about her. She has a favorite red bucket and yellow shovel that she carries around and holds, even when she isn't near the sand. They seem to be her security toys. Today we watched her pick up other items and "trade" with the other children until she got "her" things. She also runs to get the blue car or the broken tricycle everyday. Today, the tricycle was gone so she was in the car. When one of her friends on the tricycle came near, she said the girl's name and "negotiated" a trade. They both jumped up and ran to the other vehicle. She also had an extra bucket and shovel that she took to another child on the playground. Later, she got out the broken doll stroller and filled it with balls. One of the "aunties" said something about a kukla (doll) and we told her that Gracie didn't want hers. After talking to the "auntie," Gracie went with me to get the doll and put her in the red bucket in the broken stroller. She pushed her around, but didn't want to touch her. The "aunties" took the children inside early so we had about 30 minutes alone with her on the playground. I think they did this just for us since it was our last day. She decided she liked the photo album today and identified people in the book. I told her it was hers in Bulgarian and she liked that. She carried it back in for supper, but didn't want the doll. We gave it to the "aunties" anyway. Maybe she will want the doll when she goes to bed. If we had only known we would have bought her a new bucket and shovel! As we were leaving, she smiled and gave us both kisses. She always says that she will see us tomorrow, but the "auntie" today said something about an airplane (semolet). She smiled really big, but I am sure that she really didn't understand. I really tried not to cry, but Gracie didn't seem to notice anyway.
Tonight the coordinator arranged for us to have supper with a single mom and her parents from Sweden who leave for home tomorrow from their first adoption trip. She is adopting a 7 year old boy. They speak some English so we could communicate. We both hope to be back in November for the second trip. We enjoyed Shopka salad, homemade sausage and grilled chicken and vegetables on a skewer. Flat bread and ice cream finished off the meal. Yummy.
When I got home I realized that all of my papers for my class were due today instead of on Sunday like I thought. Ooops! I just finished them (definitely not my best work) and turned them in. I am completely done with my classes! I need to go to bed now because we are visiting Rila Monastery tomorrow. I'll add photos tomorrow.
Does the fact she chooses books over dolls mean she'll be a librarian instead of a teacher?
ReplyDeleteI heard an old joke from the 1940's that dealt with that subject:
It seems there parents who were curious as to what their little 3-year-old boy would be when he grew up, so they went into the living room and on the end table Dad put an apple, a bible, and a dollar bill. He then brought the boy in and stood him next to the end table. Dad figured if the boy went for the apple, he'd be a farmer, if he went for the Bible, he'd be a preacher, and if he went for the dollar bill, he'd be a banker. The boy looked at his choices, then he threw the Bible across the room, put the dollar bill in his pocket, took a bite out of the apple and left the room. Dad, said, "What do you know, Mother, he's going to be a politician!"