Good evening all,
So our final set of documents to be apostilled prior to the court date have been processed in Nashville by the Tennessee Secretary of State. They are on their way now to North Carolina where CSS staff will get them to Moscow either this weekend or sometimes next week.
We heard from Carol with CSS earlier this week. All indications continue to point to us getting a late March court date, perhaps even one that would allow us to be in Russia with Daniel on his birthday, March 30.
Perhaps we'll hear something definite on a court date early next week.
Regards,
g, m and k
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Update
We're starting to pack for trip 2 which is the Court Appearence trip. Based upon feedback we're getting from the Thompson family, we now estimate that our court date could be in middle March. Another interesting thing we found out is that the 10 day waiting for the Moscow region does count Saturdays. So...doing a little math here...if we have our court date somewhere the middle of March, the 10 day wait following the court date means we COULD either have him home by his birthday or at least we would be with him in Russia on his birthday.
We've been gathering gifts and donations to give to the orphanage. At this point we've got a bunch of stuff like clothes, gloves, diaper cream, lotions, hats plus crayons.
We've been gathering gifts and donations to give to the orphanage. At this point we've got a bunch of stuff like clothes, gloves, diaper cream, lotions, hats plus crayons.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Our "Request to Adopt" petition has been filed
We reached another milestone today!! We got confirmation that our court petition to adopt Daniel has been filed with the Moscow region court.
For most families this milestone would have been reached sometime during their first trip to Russia. However for us it was a little different. When Daniel's mother abandoned him at the hospital, she didn't sign any forms formally terminating her rights. This placed Daniel in a little bit of a limbo state. He was legally available for adoption, but only after it was formally recognized that his mother had terminated her rights.
Since Daniel's mother and no one from her family had called or visited him, they had effectively terminated their rights. Therefore it fell to the city government of where Daniel's mother claimed to have resided to 'legally' terminate her rights. Like many things in Russian government, it takes time and a little prodding to get things done. If no one prods, nothing gets done. The longer things don't get done, the more chances there are things will go wrong... But, thanks to Svetlana and her staff, we've got the paperwork squared away. This was the last hurdle to getting our petition filed in the court.
As you can imagine, this takes a huge amount of stress off of us. We're glad to have this hurdle behind us.
Next step, waiting for a court date!
gah
For most families this milestone would have been reached sometime during their first trip to Russia. However for us it was a little different. When Daniel's mother abandoned him at the hospital, she didn't sign any forms formally terminating her rights. This placed Daniel in a little bit of a limbo state. He was legally available for adoption, but only after it was formally recognized that his mother had terminated her rights.
Since Daniel's mother and no one from her family had called or visited him, they had effectively terminated their rights. Therefore it fell to the city government of where Daniel's mother claimed to have resided to 'legally' terminate her rights. Like many things in Russian government, it takes time and a little prodding to get things done. If no one prods, nothing gets done. The longer things don't get done, the more chances there are things will go wrong... But, thanks to Svetlana and her staff, we've got the paperwork squared away. This was the last hurdle to getting our petition filed in the court.
As you can imagine, this takes a huge amount of stress off of us. We're glad to have this hurdle behind us.
Next step, waiting for a court date!
gah
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Nuggets of advice - Trip 1
So now that we’ve had a few days to reflect on trip 1, I decided it was time to compile my list of recommendations, tip, tricks and other assorted pieces of info. Please keep in mind many of these nuggets of advice are general in nature; some may be more specific if you’re traveling to the Moscow region.
1. Don’t’ over pack! Don’t’ over pack! Don’t’ over pack! – It’ easy to over pack for a trip like this. You’re thinking “OMG, Russia…Cold weather, need lots of coats and boots! I won’t be able to find anything I’ll need. I need to pack for every possible contingency”. Wrong… Moscow has everything you’ll need. Other regions like Tula and Kaluga might be more limited in offerings. While the price may be higher, you can find most items. Packing light has several benefits:
· Many cars in Russia are much smaller than those we have here in the states. Thus you’ll have more difficulty getting to/from the airport if you’ve got tons of luggage. We had 4 pieces of luggage, plus 4 carry-on bags, plus a stroller (still in box). We had to resort to some ‘creative’ packing techniques in the car to get all this to the flat once we arrived in Moscow.
· When you go to check in to fly back to the States, security will inspect each piece of checked baggage individually. They open it and rummage through it. The fewer pieces of luggage, the quicker the process.
· Don’t forget that airlines have luggage weight limits.
2. Consider renting a flat instead of a hotel – If you’re the adventurous type or if money is somewhat tight, a flat may be the right choice for you. There are several companies that rent flats (apartments) to travelers. The flats have a kitchen (cooking in, a great way to keep costs low), many have a clothes washer (another great way to cut back on packing so much, wash your dirty clothes and wear them again). You can also find apartments that offer other incentives: Free high speed internet, free or reduced rate calls to the United States and even maid service. Be sure to do your research and pick an apartment that will be safe and convenient not only for you but also for CSS staff.
We stayed at the Duma flat offered by Peace Travel. It had a kitchen with a stove and microwave, dish washer, clothes washer, clothes dryer stand, frig, free high speed internet and free calls to the US. Since we were sharing the flat with another couple, we went with the Duma flat because it has 3 bedrooms. It is located literally just a short 5 minute walk to the Red Square. McDonalds is just across the street if you get a burger craving.
Pros to a flat – Can cost much less than a hotel; you can cook in and save money; wash your own clothes; call home; update blogs and email in private for free; More choices and locations;
Cons to a flat – You’re not in a hotel surrounded by other people, you can’t just wander down to the lobby for social interaction with others; no room service (you want it, you cook it…); Be aware that not all buildings have an elevator, if the flat is on a upper floor and there is no elevator, you’ll be remembering my first tip about packing light…
3. Peace Travel, Inc – We used Peace Travel for several things for trip 1. We used them for renting a flat, renting a cell phone and assistance with documents for getting our Visas for travel to Russia. Plus they will register you in country when you arrive. They offer other services as well. Dimitry and his staff are prompt and courteous. Check them out - http://www.go-russia.com
4. Rent a cell phone – Even if you have a ‘global phone’ from Verizon or any of the other US carriers, the chances of it working as soon as you land in Russia are slim. Chances are you would need a different SIM card. Even if it did work, International roaming charges are outrageous. Peace Travel offers cell rentals for $5 a day and I believe 20 cents a minute for calls within Russia (check with them for specific rates). Calls to the United States via the cell phones are also relatively cheap (I believe 50 cents a minute).
We found it comforting to have a cell phone in our pocket so we could call our CSS translator/guide at any time if we got out exploring and found ourselves lost or ‘in a pickle’. For the 8 days we were there, even though it cost us $44 (8 days and a few calls), that was money well spent because it gave us peace of mind.
5. Fly in a day earlier than you have to – There can be some advantages to flying in and arriving on Saturday:
· It can be cheaper on airfare. Play with different departure dates when making air reservations.
· If you’re trying to use frequent flyer miles, trying different dates for your departure can sometimes mean a huge savings in your miles.
· Departing on a Friday from the United States can mean a less full aircraft going over. This might give you the opportunity to grab a row of seats to yourself and stretch out.
· You can have the remainder of Saturday to rest and have Sunday for sightseeing. Plus you won’t be dead tired on Monday when you go to the Ministry of Education.
6. Store some stuff in Moscow – The CSS office in Moscow has a closet where families typically store items between trips. Chances are there will be some things that you’ll need in Russia that you don’t typically need back home. You can consider leaving them there for you to retrieve and use on your other trips. We left a piece of luggage full of boots, clothes, toys and some snacks. Plus we took a stroller over on trip 1 to use on trips 2 and 3.
7. Perhaps the best advice I can give is the following – Put your trust in the CSS staff. They always have your best interest in mind. We found the entire staff to be courteous, professional and friendly.
I'm sure I'll come up with other nuggets in the coming days and weeks. Plus, I'm sure there will be a whole new list once we get through trips 2 and 3.
gah
1. Don’t’ over pack! Don’t’ over pack! Don’t’ over pack! – It’ easy to over pack for a trip like this. You’re thinking “OMG, Russia…Cold weather, need lots of coats and boots! I won’t be able to find anything I’ll need. I need to pack for every possible contingency”. Wrong… Moscow has everything you’ll need. Other regions like Tula and Kaluga might be more limited in offerings. While the price may be higher, you can find most items. Packing light has several benefits:
· Many cars in Russia are much smaller than those we have here in the states. Thus you’ll have more difficulty getting to/from the airport if you’ve got tons of luggage. We had 4 pieces of luggage, plus 4 carry-on bags, plus a stroller (still in box). We had to resort to some ‘creative’ packing techniques in the car to get all this to the flat once we arrived in Moscow.
· When you go to check in to fly back to the States, security will inspect each piece of checked baggage individually. They open it and rummage through it. The fewer pieces of luggage, the quicker the process.
· Don’t forget that airlines have luggage weight limits.
2. Consider renting a flat instead of a hotel – If you’re the adventurous type or if money is somewhat tight, a flat may be the right choice for you. There are several companies that rent flats (apartments) to travelers. The flats have a kitchen (cooking in, a great way to keep costs low), many have a clothes washer (another great way to cut back on packing so much, wash your dirty clothes and wear them again). You can also find apartments that offer other incentives: Free high speed internet, free or reduced rate calls to the United States and even maid service. Be sure to do your research and pick an apartment that will be safe and convenient not only for you but also for CSS staff.
We stayed at the Duma flat offered by Peace Travel. It had a kitchen with a stove and microwave, dish washer, clothes washer, clothes dryer stand, frig, free high speed internet and free calls to the US. Since we were sharing the flat with another couple, we went with the Duma flat because it has 3 bedrooms. It is located literally just a short 5 minute walk to the Red Square. McDonalds is just across the street if you get a burger craving.
Pros to a flat – Can cost much less than a hotel; you can cook in and save money; wash your own clothes; call home; update blogs and email in private for free; More choices and locations;
Cons to a flat – You’re not in a hotel surrounded by other people, you can’t just wander down to the lobby for social interaction with others; no room service (you want it, you cook it…); Be aware that not all buildings have an elevator, if the flat is on a upper floor and there is no elevator, you’ll be remembering my first tip about packing light…
3. Peace Travel, Inc – We used Peace Travel for several things for trip 1. We used them for renting a flat, renting a cell phone and assistance with documents for getting our Visas for travel to Russia. Plus they will register you in country when you arrive. They offer other services as well. Dimitry and his staff are prompt and courteous. Check them out - http://www.go-russia.com
4. Rent a cell phone – Even if you have a ‘global phone’ from Verizon or any of the other US carriers, the chances of it working as soon as you land in Russia are slim. Chances are you would need a different SIM card. Even if it did work, International roaming charges are outrageous. Peace Travel offers cell rentals for $5 a day and I believe 20 cents a minute for calls within Russia (check with them for specific rates). Calls to the United States via the cell phones are also relatively cheap (I believe 50 cents a minute).
We found it comforting to have a cell phone in our pocket so we could call our CSS translator/guide at any time if we got out exploring and found ourselves lost or ‘in a pickle’. For the 8 days we were there, even though it cost us $44 (8 days and a few calls), that was money well spent because it gave us peace of mind.
5. Fly in a day earlier than you have to – There can be some advantages to flying in and arriving on Saturday:
· It can be cheaper on airfare. Play with different departure dates when making air reservations.
· If you’re trying to use frequent flyer miles, trying different dates for your departure can sometimes mean a huge savings in your miles.
· Departing on a Friday from the United States can mean a less full aircraft going over. This might give you the opportunity to grab a row of seats to yourself and stretch out.
· You can have the remainder of Saturday to rest and have Sunday for sightseeing. Plus you won’t be dead tired on Monday when you go to the Ministry of Education.
6. Store some stuff in Moscow – The CSS office in Moscow has a closet where families typically store items between trips. Chances are there will be some things that you’ll need in Russia that you don’t typically need back home. You can consider leaving them there for you to retrieve and use on your other trips. We left a piece of luggage full of boots, clothes, toys and some snacks. Plus we took a stroller over on trip 1 to use on trips 2 and 3.
7. Perhaps the best advice I can give is the following – Put your trust in the CSS staff. They always have your best interest in mind. We found the entire staff to be courteous, professional and friendly.
I'm sure I'll come up with other nuggets in the coming days and weeks. Plus, I'm sure there will be a whole new list once we get through trips 2 and 3.
gah
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Trip 1 comes to a close
Saturday morning we got up early and got ready to leave the flat. It snowed a few inches the night before but you wouldn't have known it. By 6:00am there were people out pushing snow off the parking lots. The temps were down into the single digits (F) with the wind chill pushing it I'm sure below 0. Somehow the windchill is much more pronounced there. I've felt below 0 windchills here in the states; it was much more harsh there.
We left the flat and went to the Sheremetyevo airport north of Moscow City. Check in for international flights out of Moscow is horrible. Passport check, baggage check where you actually let them go through ALL baggage, check in, security check and then yet another security check when you get to the gate. We ate lunch with the Thompsons and got to the gate about 20 minutes before they boarded the flight.
The flight from Moscow was about 11 hours to Atlanta. The inflight entertainment system failed for about 1/3 of the seats about 20 minutes into the flight and our seats were affected. No audio, control over your reading light or flight attendant call button.
After having passed through passport control, baggage claim and customs in Atlanta, we boarded our flight for Tri-Cites. Mary's family met us at the airport and we got home at about 8:30 pm, having been up for about 25 hours. Katie was happy to see us and we spent some time with her. After I got her down last night, I got my shower. Mary and I crawled into bed at 11:00 and I truely don't remember anything after turning off the light. I believe I was asleep within 10 seconds.
In the coming days I'm going to reflect on trip 1 and post some pointers for families who will one day take this trip. I know that if we had to do trip 1 over again, there are several things that we would do differently. I'll collect my thoughts and post them when I can.
For now, we wait. We're here in the States and Daniel is about 5,173.66 miles away (you've got to love Google Earth, I zoomed in to his orphanage will no problems). All that stands between us and him now are some legal matters that have to be dealt with in Russia, our appearance before a judge in a Moscow court room and then the mandatory 10 day waiting period after the judge hands down the ruling. Daniel's birthday is 3/30; he'll turn 1 year old. We're hoping and praying that we'll have him home in time to celebrate his first birthday, here in the States.
gah
We left the flat and went to the Sheremetyevo airport north of Moscow City. Check in for international flights out of Moscow is horrible. Passport check, baggage check where you actually let them go through ALL baggage, check in, security check and then yet another security check when you get to the gate. We ate lunch with the Thompsons and got to the gate about 20 minutes before they boarded the flight.
The flight from Moscow was about 11 hours to Atlanta. The inflight entertainment system failed for about 1/3 of the seats about 20 minutes into the flight and our seats were affected. No audio, control over your reading light or flight attendant call button.
After having passed through passport control, baggage claim and customs in Atlanta, we boarded our flight for Tri-Cites. Mary's family met us at the airport and we got home at about 8:30 pm, having been up for about 25 hours. Katie was happy to see us and we spent some time with her. After I got her down last night, I got my shower. Mary and I crawled into bed at 11:00 and I truely don't remember anything after turning off the light. I believe I was asleep within 10 seconds.
In the coming days I'm going to reflect on trip 1 and post some pointers for families who will one day take this trip. I know that if we had to do trip 1 over again, there are several things that we would do differently. I'll collect my thoughts and post them when I can.
For now, we wait. We're here in the States and Daniel is about 5,173.66 miles away (you've got to love Google Earth, I zoomed in to his orphanage will no problems). All that stands between us and him now are some legal matters that have to be dealt with in Russia, our appearance before a judge in a Moscow court room and then the mandatory 10 day waiting period after the judge hands down the ruling. Daniel's birthday is 3/30; he'll turn 1 year old. We're hoping and praying that we'll have him home in time to celebrate his first birthday, here in the States.
gah
Update for Friday
Last full day in Moscow...because of our schedule today we were not able to get to the orphanage today.
The day started with Katia picking us up at 11:00. We drove straight to the medical complex north of Moscow. Here at this complex is where all families that are adopting internationally go through their "medical review". There were 4 families there this day, all from the United States. We were the second family to go through.
Stop #1 - The dermatologist / Oncologist (Yep, one doctor, two specialties). He just sat there in his chair behind his office desk and wrote a statement while asking very simple questions. "Have you ever had any major skin diseases?" "Have you ever had any cancer?"... We could have been two Martians with scaly purple skin and bad breath...he wouldn't have noticed. He never looked up...
Stop #2 - (queue Law and Order "Dun-Dun" sound effect) "The Commission of Doctors" - Into the room Mary and I went. Sitting behind a desk were 5 doctors. Each had their own area of specialty, some had multiple. Again with the simple questions but certainly nothing that would have made Dr. Gregory House even remotely impressed (that would have been funny...Dr. House in the room with these ladies...)
Let me take this opportunity to tell you about 'Scary Soviet Doctor Lady"... I would say she's in her 60s, black and white hair, thick black glasses and a Soviet style look in her eye that would freeze water... She steps before me (Greg) and asks me to close my eyes. I did. Something I was happy to do to get her image out of my head... She immediately repeated the question... Ahhh, I do have my eyes closed... She immediately started rambling something in Russia which our translator (who was behind the screen) translated to English. She said something about my right eye wouldn't close and that I OBVIOUSLY needed to be examined by a Neurologist because my right eye wouldn't close (no jokes from those of you in the peanut section). Apparently my right eye was twitching, no doubt because I had "Soviet Sally" here in front of me making me tremble...
We had to take our shirts off and they took our BP, listened to our hearts and our breathing. Finally, "Soviet Sally" took out her hammer to test our reflexes. I have no doubt that Sally here once was on the Soviet Union's Mens Olympic Team for any and all sports (I bet she has a few gold medals). Anyway she proceeds to test my reflexes. God she was good with that hammer. Next, Mary... If there were a football in front of Mary's legs she could have easily cleared a 50 yard field goal with a few yards to spare.
We were done with the 'review'. This whole 'review' thing really is nothing more than a formality. A nice little "cottage industry" if you will. We were charged 38,000 rubles (about $1100 at Friday's exchange rate) for their 8 stamps and signatures, plus, what, 10 minutes of their time (over 2 hours of our time). I guess it is expensive paying for all those gym memberships and protein shakes for Soviet Sally.
(Note to future families: We've heard that St. Petersburg's medical review are very different. Actual blood tests, actual examinations, the whole thing...)
Following the medical stuff, we left to go a local photo store to have Daniel's picture printed so we'd have them for his American passport/visa (trip 3 stuff).
Traffic in downtown Moscow is crazy on Fridays. Everyone is getting off from work early so they can get out of town and go to their 'summer homes' out of the city. Plus, Raul Castro (Fidel's brother whose now in charge of Cuba) was in town visiting the Kremlin, so traffic all around the Red Square was congested.
We decided to run through a down-town store looking for children's books and CDs for Katie and Daniel. Then, that was it. We were done for the day. Vladimir and Katia took us back to the flat and we headed in to complete packing. It was snowing good at this point and the temps were falling quickly.
The day started with Katia picking us up at 11:00. We drove straight to the medical complex north of Moscow. Here at this complex is where all families that are adopting internationally go through their "medical review". There were 4 families there this day, all from the United States. We were the second family to go through.
Stop #1 - The dermatologist / Oncologist (Yep, one doctor, two specialties). He just sat there in his chair behind his office desk and wrote a statement while asking very simple questions. "Have you ever had any major skin diseases?" "Have you ever had any cancer?"... We could have been two Martians with scaly purple skin and bad breath...he wouldn't have noticed. He never looked up...
Stop #2 - (queue Law and Order "Dun-Dun" sound effect) "The Commission of Doctors" - Into the room Mary and I went. Sitting behind a desk were 5 doctors. Each had their own area of specialty, some had multiple. Again with the simple questions but certainly nothing that would have made Dr. Gregory House even remotely impressed (that would have been funny...Dr. House in the room with these ladies...)
Let me take this opportunity to tell you about 'Scary Soviet Doctor Lady"... I would say she's in her 60s, black and white hair, thick black glasses and a Soviet style look in her eye that would freeze water... She steps before me (Greg) and asks me to close my eyes. I did. Something I was happy to do to get her image out of my head... She immediately repeated the question... Ahhh, I do have my eyes closed... She immediately started rambling something in Russia which our translator (who was behind the screen) translated to English. She said something about my right eye wouldn't close and that I OBVIOUSLY needed to be examined by a Neurologist because my right eye wouldn't close (no jokes from those of you in the peanut section). Apparently my right eye was twitching, no doubt because I had "Soviet Sally" here in front of me making me tremble...
We had to take our shirts off and they took our BP, listened to our hearts and our breathing. Finally, "Soviet Sally" took out her hammer to test our reflexes. I have no doubt that Sally here once was on the Soviet Union's Mens Olympic Team for any and all sports (I bet she has a few gold medals). Anyway she proceeds to test my reflexes. God she was good with that hammer. Next, Mary... If there were a football in front of Mary's legs she could have easily cleared a 50 yard field goal with a few yards to spare.
We were done with the 'review'. This whole 'review' thing really is nothing more than a formality. A nice little "cottage industry" if you will. We were charged 38,000 rubles (about $1100 at Friday's exchange rate) for their 8 stamps and signatures, plus, what, 10 minutes of their time (over 2 hours of our time). I guess it is expensive paying for all those gym memberships and protein shakes for Soviet Sally.
(Note to future families: We've heard that St. Petersburg's medical review are very different. Actual blood tests, actual examinations, the whole thing...)
Following the medical stuff, we left to go a local photo store to have Daniel's picture printed so we'd have them for his American passport/visa (trip 3 stuff).
Traffic in downtown Moscow is crazy on Fridays. Everyone is getting off from work early so they can get out of town and go to their 'summer homes' out of the city. Plus, Raul Castro (Fidel's brother whose now in charge of Cuba) was in town visiting the Kremlin, so traffic all around the Red Square was congested.
We decided to run through a down-town store looking for children's books and CDs for Katie and Daniel. Then, that was it. We were done for the day. Vladimir and Katia took us back to the flat and we headed in to complete packing. It was snowing good at this point and the temps were falling quickly.
Update for Thursday
Thursday started out going to one of the MANY local notary offices to have the court petitions notarized. Following this off we went back to the orphanage to spend more time with Daniel.
He's continuing to bond with us. He comes to us with no problems and enjoys play with both Greg and Mary. We had to wait until he woke from his nap. The caregivers didn't want to wake him up too early because it disrupts their schedule. Disruption of the children's schedule is not desired by the caregivers. I guess I can appreciate that; imagine having I don't know...15-30 kids in one room and one gets upset causing a chain reaction of crying. You get the picture...
We got to spend more time than usual with him today, but, at the end of our visit we had to say good-bye for the last time. We knew there wouldn't be enough time for a visit on Friday due to the medical review.
Saying good-bye was very, very difficult. We knew that in a few days we'd have to fly home, several thousand miles away and leave him here. We took as long as we could saying good-bye.
Knowing that we were leaving on Saturday, we went back to the flat and packed, eating the stuff we had bought at the store.
He's continuing to bond with us. He comes to us with no problems and enjoys play with both Greg and Mary. We had to wait until he woke from his nap. The caregivers didn't want to wake him up too early because it disrupts their schedule. Disruption of the children's schedule is not desired by the caregivers. I guess I can appreciate that; imagine having I don't know...15-30 kids in one room and one gets upset causing a chain reaction of crying. You get the picture...
We got to spend more time than usual with him today, but, at the end of our visit we had to say good-bye for the last time. We knew there wouldn't be enough time for a visit on Friday due to the medical review.
Saying good-bye was very, very difficult. We knew that in a few days we'd have to fly home, several thousand miles away and leave him here. We took as long as we could saying good-bye.
Knowing that we were leaving on Saturday, we went back to the flat and packed, eating the stuff we had bought at the store.
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