Since Victoria went to sleep super early last night, she was up about an hour early this morning (5:30am). So, we sat on the bed and looked for cartoons on TV. After breakfast, we started to organize for packing. While we pulled things together, Victoria was playing with her balloon (the one she got at the Hard Rock Café a few days back). She obviously could tell that we were packing to leave, because she started to talk about the plane (sam-al-yot). She wanted to make sure that we packed her water bottle and balloon, so she dropped both of them in one of the suitcases that we had opened. We all had a pretty good laugh over this and we told her that we were leaving tomorrow (zavtra) and going on the plane. Of course, this gave us a chance to gauge how she was feeling about tomorrow’s flight. She was all smiles and giggling while we talked about it (other than the landing part). So, she knows we are flying tomorrow and is currently excited about it….which is a good thing, since it is a 10+ hour flight home! Hahaha…
After a little packing, we decided that the 3 of us would go for a walk to Sokolniki Park, which is about a ½ mile from the hotel. Sharon noticed the park while we were taking pictures from the 25th floor restaurant yesterday, so we thought it would be a nice way to spend our last day here. Once outside, we noticed that it was pretty windy and cold…but, we wanted to take in some more sights. So, we bundled Victoria up and headed on our way. Once we reached the park, it was quite a bit larger than we originally thought. So, it made for a nice walk. The first part of the park was obviously for kids 10 and under. Over the sound system, they were playing songs from cartoons. Victoria knew the words to most of them and was singing right along. As we walked, we noticed that there were a large number of amusement park rides within the park. However, based on the time of year and the weather, a majority of the rides were not in service (but, it’s likely a bustling spot when the weather is warmer. Nearing the exit of the park, we caught sight of a few rides that were open (token rides similar to the kind one might find outside a store in the US).
It’s likely that Victoria had never been on a ride before. So, even though it had started to snow (can you believe that it has been in the 50’s each day in Vlad since we left?), Victoria had eyed up a carousel ride and we simply could not deny her the chance to ride. She wanted to ride a few more, so we bought a couple of tokens and she worked her way through the 5 rides that were there. The carousel and motorcycle seemed to be her favorite, with the submarine coming in last (it twisted around, while going up and down).
We relaxed this afternoon and finished up the majority of packing. We are headed to dinner with Chris, Daniela and Sasha to celebrate our last night here in Russia. Our 3 and a half week stay here is almost complete. Tomorrow, we leave the hotel at 8:30am to make our way to the airport. We came to Russia as a couple and we leave and a family of 3. By tomorrow evening, we should be stateside with one of the country’s newest citizens and comfortably back in our home. Other than 4 post-placement visits (a social worker from our home study agency will come in 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years to write a report for the Russian government) and registering Victoria’s adoption with the Russian Consulate, this will mark the end of this adoption journey. However, this was only the first step on “Our Fantastic Family Journey.”
Here are a few pictures from today. The first is a picture in front of Sokolniki Park. The second is a train with a number of cartoon characters. The third is Victoria on the carousel. The last is Victoria next to her first car (some cars here really are that small).
After a little packing, we decided that the 3 of us would go for a walk to Sokolniki Park, which is about a ½ mile from the hotel. Sharon noticed the park while we were taking pictures from the 25th floor restaurant yesterday, so we thought it would be a nice way to spend our last day here. Once outside, we noticed that it was pretty windy and cold…but, we wanted to take in some more sights. So, we bundled Victoria up and headed on our way. Once we reached the park, it was quite a bit larger than we originally thought. So, it made for a nice walk. The first part of the park was obviously for kids 10 and under. Over the sound system, they were playing songs from cartoons. Victoria knew the words to most of them and was singing right along. As we walked, we noticed that there were a large number of amusement park rides within the park. However, based on the time of year and the weather, a majority of the rides were not in service (but, it’s likely a bustling spot when the weather is warmer. Nearing the exit of the park, we caught sight of a few rides that were open (token rides similar to the kind one might find outside a store in the US).
It’s likely that Victoria had never been on a ride before. So, even though it had started to snow (can you believe that it has been in the 50’s each day in Vlad since we left?), Victoria had eyed up a carousel ride and we simply could not deny her the chance to ride. She wanted to ride a few more, so we bought a couple of tokens and she worked her way through the 5 rides that were there. The carousel and motorcycle seemed to be her favorite, with the submarine coming in last (it twisted around, while going up and down).
We relaxed this afternoon and finished up the majority of packing. We are headed to dinner with Chris, Daniela and Sasha to celebrate our last night here in Russia. Our 3 and a half week stay here is almost complete. Tomorrow, we leave the hotel at 8:30am to make our way to the airport. We came to Russia as a couple and we leave and a family of 3. By tomorrow evening, we should be stateside with one of the country’s newest citizens and comfortably back in our home. Other than 4 post-placement visits (a social worker from our home study agency will come in 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years to write a report for the Russian government) and registering Victoria’s adoption with the Russian Consulate, this will mark the end of this adoption journey. However, this was only the first step on “Our Fantastic Family Journey.”
Here are a few pictures from today. The first is a picture in front of Sokolniki Park. The second is a train with a number of cartoon characters. The third is Victoria on the carousel. The last is Victoria next to her first car (some cars here really are that small).
Although it won't be daily...be sure to keep us informed of what all is going on...like how Victoria likes her new room and her cousin Cooper!!!!
ReplyDeleteI know everyone back home can't wait for your return!!!!!