Not parents

"K" was happy to see us today.

He was playing with a bus outside of the caged play area. When we walked up to him, he was all smiles. He came to each of us for a hug and to show us his prized bus. The woman tending the small group today made motions for us to take the bus with us. So we took off for our usual spot.

We found nuts to fill the bus with. "K" is still very particular of where he places his toys. Mostly, he keeps them in his hand. If he decides he wants to climb on the jungle gym, he reluctantly puts it down. While he walks away from it, he turns back to look at it several times to make sure that no one has come and taken it. He is getting better at this, but is still testing his boundaries with us. We make sure that neither kid tries to play a trick on him. They would be doing it in fun, but he wouldn't understand yet. We want him to trust us.

So, we were nearing the end of our visit. "K" had his bus and he and I were playing with it on the walkway. He picked it up and brought it over to his caged area which had been picked up and locked and the kids from his group back to the building. It was time for the bus to be returned to its spot. "K" was not happy, but this is what needed to be done. He stamped his foot and made some crying sounds. I took him by the hand and he did what every little kid does when mad, picked up his kicking feet and hung there, not wanting anything but that bus. I sat him down next to me on a bench and let him have his little fit. I wanted him to calm down on his own and I'm pretty sure he would have except that a mama from another group came and got involved.

She wanted me to take him back to the building and his group. I nodded yes, but when I did not get up right away, she took "K's" hand and started walking him to the building. I took his hand and continued and she shooed us on. I went back and got Ed and the kids and then we went to the building. Every visit we stop on the steps before we take him back to his group for a little cracker and drink of water. Today a nurse came out and chided us for letting him sit on a cement step. Too cold, she said. OK. I had an extra pair of shorts in the bag and I laid that down and had "K" sit on that. Right about this time, the first lady came back and motioned for us to bring him back to his group. OK. Got it.

We are not his parents yet. We have 7 more days until the court decree is finalized. We do not want to jeopardize anything now - especially over a bus or cement step. Very frustrating. He had calmed down on his own by now but of course was not happy once he realized we were now leaving. We left this visit feeling helpless and agitated. One day very soon, "K" will have no one to come to his rescue when Mom and Dad say enough is enough. We would like for him to start experiencing that now while we are having our daily visits and he is still in the orphanage. But, as luck would have it, it will probably be in the crowded airport!

We look to God for guidance in all of our daily doings and this is no different. The language barrier makes it so incredibly difficult, but we knew this would be a challenge going into it. How do we keep our sanity for 20 more days? Did I say 20? Yikes!

Thank you to everyone for your continued kind words, thoughts and prayers. They mean so much to us. Love from Ukraine. The Gillis'

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad