Here's a picture of the breakfast we had everyday at the hotel there in Abbyville
Genius at work--how to get the cap off the Cola Light
Atop our mountain perch. Toni beside the car.
Can't even blame Abby for this shot --she really liked the "baby doll." That's what she called it so I wonder if the word is very similar in both languages? I was afraid she might think it was too babyish.
Apparently she had never seen the magic kind of bottles where the juice/milk disappears and reappears.
I just love this smile.
Hmmm? I wonder who got hold of the camera again?
Doctor Abby examining the doll. Kevin's book sitting on the table.
Uno again.
This is Abby's drawing.
I thought paper dolls might be fun. I am quite sure she had never heard of these before.
Daddy and daughter
The finished products: Daddy and Abby
Wednesday, 2:30 pmWow! our kiddos at home aren't even up yet and we are nearly ready for our afternoon visit. Yesterday's and today's (and tomorrow's I presume) schedule: 7:30 am alarm, 8:30 breakfast, 9:30 meet in lobby to go to Center where Abby is. Play until about 11:45. Back to hotel. 3:30 pm meet in lobby to go back to Center. Play until about 4:45 or is it 5:15?
Yesterday morning as Abby was getting ready to come into the room where we are playing, I could hear the worker coaching her: "Hello, Daddy (deddy), Hello, Mommy." So sweet. And today when she left, she said, "Chow, Mommy," "Chow, Daddy."
We were in the middle of a foam picture when we left yesterday and I'd told her we could finish "tomorrow" but she wasn't too interested today. She saw the new baby doll that we brought and played with the juice and milk bottles, stirred bowl, fed baby, then tipped up the whole bowl. It is interesting to note that she feeds baby laying down though she did pick up the baby and sing to it, holding it a bit away from her body. I showed her how to wrap it in the blanket. I wish that poor dolly had booties or socks or something on its poor cold little piggies. Abby seemed disappointed that the bottles don't actually fit in the dolly's mouth and that the tops don't screw off the bottles (they're the "magic" kind of bottles where the juice and milk appears and disappears.)
We worked on the number sticker book for awhile--not long. Then she discovered the matching card game and we played at least four rounds of that. She cheers for whoever wins, whether it's her or not. Then on to Uno. She handed out the cards in 3 stacks (not quite 7 in each pile, but still) and even remembered to turn over the top card of the deck. She doesn't quite understand the Skip, Reverse, and Draw 2 cards but cooperates. She sometimes holds the cards just looking at the back and has to be reminded to turn them over. "Oh!"
Then back to dolly--playing doctor with the Center's stethoscope, play thermometer, play meds. She was disappointed when it was time to go eat and kind of stalled (Kevin was stalling, too. Smile) but no fit-throwing.
at all.
I plan to measure her tonight so I can buy clothes that (might) fit.
I washed out 3 pairs of socks, 2 bras and 1 pair of underwear in the sink with my handy-dandy travel Tide packet. Kevin said he doesn't need anything for lunch. We've been just snacking in the room for lunch--granola bars, trail mix, jerky, candy. We finished the nut bars yesterday and the last Nutragrain bar today. NOW I'm hungry. I'll have to go munch up.
7:15 PM
Kevin was concerned that we not be adopting Abby against her will so he had Toni translate some questions. Yes, she likes us. Yes, she wants to be our daughter. Kevin showed her on a globe approximately where Idaho is from where AbbyLand is. He also told her that all of our kids are adopted. The psychologist from the orphanage helped explain as well. You could tell Abby was getting uncomfortable with the whole conversation--she started digging through drawers, fiddling with toys, fidgeting.
I got to put her new heart ponytail holder in her long beautiful hair. She put the clips on the sides. She is still wearing the ribbon from her Valentine candy box around her right wrist. Her hair felt wonderful and thick.
We drew with markers in a notebook. I drew her and she drew me. Then Kevin and I started working on paper dolls. She was busy messing with my cell phone. Kevin drew the paper doll bodies and clothes. I cut out partway and Abby partway. The scissors are for right hand and she is a lefty so that provided more challenge. Besides she was super intrigued with the phone and pushing buttons. She smiled at the paper dolls but definitely wasn't really "in" to them even when Kevin said one was he and one was she. In fact, that seemed to confuse her because she thought the dolls were Kevin and I.
I also measured her, so hopefully I can get clothes that fit her. And I traced her foot--it's ticklish. Smile.
Finally I took possession of the phone. I played a video we'd taken a couple days ago--Kevin was narrating while she was doing the cube puzzle. In the video Kevin had referred to her as ___ (her given name) and today when she heard that name, her head came up, she smiled and repeated it aloud. The other adults call her ___ (a very cute nick-name related to her given name) Even though Kevin and I both like "Abigail" and "Abby," I'm not sure that SHE does. Even though we know the meaning and reason behind our choice of names still . . . her name is something she apparently really likes. How about Abigail ____ or (various combinations of name we'd chosen plus her given name.)
Anyway, we played several rounds of "matching." She kept wanting to play again and was disappointed when it was time to go eat (about 5:15) They hustled her out. I blew her a kiss. She liked that.
Tonight at dinner I finally ordered a pizza. I've watched Toni, Marty and Villi each with pizza. It's a big 8-slice thing--about the size of a Red Baron pizza (but with thin crust) for ONE person. I ate 3 pieces, Kevin ate 1 and we brought 4 back to the hotel. Kevin decided to go ahead and get the same thing he'd gotten the first night: chicken fillets (chicken fingers with crunchy corn flake breading) and fries with grated white cheese unique to this country. Our entire order cost 18.10 lv (about 12.57 U.S.) for an entire pizza, a big pile of chicken, a big pile of fries, 3 sodas, 1 water and 3 dishes of garlic sauce. Ooooh that sauce is yummy. Kevin paid 20.10. We didn't get any change back--apparently it is quite customary not to give back small change unless you ask for it.
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