What? Did you say something?

Well, today has been very quiet around here. James slept for 14 hours last night . . . got up at noon today, ate lunch . . .and went back to bed. So, at 2:30 I tried to wake him up to go with me up the hill to the school and he wouldn't budge. I left and made my way up there and waited for quite a long while for Marina and the other two girls. Once they were ready, I told them I needed to get a document from the lawyer at the school - a request for the international passport. Anyway, as things seem to go there, the lawyer wasn't there and the school counselor said he could get the paper for me. Well, he couldn't find it, then got on the computer to print out a new one and didn't have any paper in the printer, then the nurse demanded his attention, and when he finally got the paper printed, he told me to get the director's signature on it as well . . .he was gone for the day!! This is the way things operate around the orphanage, and I have about had my fill. So, tomorrow I have to go back and try to locate the director to get his john hancock. Anyway, the girls were frustrated because they wanted to get the heck out of dodge and all this waiting was eating into their time before they had to be back for homework at 5p.m. So, we came back and Marina wanted to listen to the music she had copied onto the disk she bought and . . . it wouldn't work. I think she must not have finalized the disk and the cd players and computers we tried it in wouldn't recognize it. So, she was frustrated again and didn't understand what the problem was. I called the translator and she told Marina how to try to fix the problem. Marina thought she should just go buy another disk, but the translator (who also is named Marina) told her no, just put it back into the computer and close the disk. I hope she understood. So, James got up around 4:30 and hasn't said a word to me, well maybe one or two, and we ate dinner and now he has dissapeared again. I suspect not sleeping with the CPap is making him extremely tired and it will be nice to get home . . .enough said about that.
Today was much warmer feeling outside, maybe because the sun was out. Anyhow, it was nice and I didn't even need my sweater. Oops! I was mistaken . . . James is in the room behind me watching "fooootball" with Constantine. It's a game with Russia against England. Must be big rivals, because Constantine was very excited for the game to start!

Olga was excited today, because today is the day she get's a shower at school! One shower per week is what they are allowed, and believe me . . . little girls can generate a big stink given only one shower a week! Poor kids!! Olga told me she thinks they are "crrraaazy" for not letting them have more than one per week. I agree. The other thing I have noticed is that while Marina has had a few different pieces of clothing to change in and out of, Olga and Natasha have worn the same outfit since we got here!!! We have been here almost 2 full weeks and they are still in the same clothes! Natasha has changed her shirt once and Olga just put new jeans on yesterday, but the rest of their clothes are the same. It's not that they don't have more clothes, because I have seen the teachers open up these big closets in the hall, which are full of clothes. I think they don't want to do the laundry. Of course if I was in charge of that . . . I might do the same :) Just kidding . . . .well maybe not.

When I got to the orphanage today there were many kids busy gardening . . . or should I say, putting an end to the flower gardens for the year. They had them out there with rakes and they were working away to pull out and rake up the foliage and leaves that have fallen. Then there were kids with brooms, sweeping the sidewalks and cleaning up more leaves. This was the first time I have seen the kids busy doing "chores". I asked if they all had assigned responsibilities, and I didn't get a good answer. Marina told me that she wasn't feeling well today and that is why she wasn't working. She said she was being lazy. Although when I got there, she and two other girls were carrying in a huge bag full of laundry off the line. Maybe that is their job?? Well, not much else to say, except that we miss our babies and can't wait to see them. Oh, by the way, Mom, Nanny and Pawpaw, we realized it is cheaper for you to call us on the "866"# than it is for us to call you, so maybe you can call us in another 2 or 3 days. Maybe once a week. Also, we'd like to hear from Angie . . .we saw one post on the blog from her, but we haven't been able to reach her on the phone. I am wondering if she has our phone #, so maybe Crystal could find out and give it to her if necessary. Just remember we are 8 hours ahead of you, and most nights are asleep by 9:30. Okay, love to all!!