Tuesdays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. And how fitting that today, on a Tuesday, I'll be writing about a Tuesday nearly a month ago. Tuesdays are now my Saturdays and I start my day early by choice. I get to make breakfast for all five of my kids, pack lunches for four of them and my hubby and then spend my day getting things done and playing school with J. I laughed when I told him I used to LOVE to play school when I was a kid...and he was a much better student than my stuffed animals!
But today, on this Tuesday, I'll share about THAT Tuesday...
Embassy interviews for Visas are required for adoptive families...we weren't sure what to expect but our appointment was at 11am and we had seven to get to the Embassy which was a little distance away. Thanks to a friend on Facebook, we'd been given the advice to head to one of the bigger hotels and we would find a minivan kind of taxi. So after being up a little early, getting everyone ready, we headed over to the Radisson Blu in search of a taxi.
We found one straightaway and asked if he could take us to the US Embassy...important to note it had moved since March and we needed to be certain he understood where exactly the new location was. I asked if he spoke English...yes we had J with us but often I wondered if he got tired of being our translator - Moms and Dads are supposed to make these arrangements, you know? He did (he said) and said he understood. I told him we needed to be there at 11am and he said ok ok, I pick you up there. And pointed to the sidewalk. 10:30am came...and 10:35am and I began to get worried maybe he thought I said we needed to LEAVE at 11...so I sent Gary and J off to find him and make sure he understood. No he had not! Thankfully he was willing and able to load us up quickly and shoot off to the Embassy.
We arrived just in time, paid him and asked for his number to have him come back and get us. Daina, our attorney, was waiting for us outside the security entrance. She's like a security blanket..you see her and all is right with the world! This was old hat for Gary and me but the first time for all the kids. As we went in, it's very cool to realize you are entering US Territory...ahhhhhh, home sweet home!
I related the story to the kids when I was in college and went on my study tour to France. I remember we visited the cemetery at Normandy where the French gave the US land to bury our dead there..our professor called out as we pulled into the area "Ladies and gentlemen you are now on US soil!" and one smart aleck student said "Great! Can you run by my house and pick up my socks! I'm cold!!"
So back to Latvia...at security you have to leave cameras, cell phones and anything with software like flash drives etc. Gary had asked me to put his phone in my bag to make sure it didn't get hurt going through the xray. As we got to the other side, I gave them the Latvian phone and my phone and camera...and we passed on through. The grounds there are really pretty. From the outside and on the street, it is a very non-descript building, yellowish in color and not very stately. The streets leading up to it make you feel like you're going somewhere way off the beaten path. But once you get through security, there's lovely plants and sitting areas and the guards are very very nice. J commented as we walked through that a boy in Kemeri had helped with the landscaping there. These kids are taught at an early age the importance of working and of doing a job well.
Passing through one more area of security and metal detection, we were directed to our waiting area where American TV and magazines were prolific. It was a good bit larger than the last Embassy with four windows of interviewers. It's very interesting that there isn't a private room or any place to "step away"...you simply walk up to the window. After a relatively short wait, we were called up. We were expecting a little more questioning and such but the only thing she wanted to be certain we understood was that J could not under any circumstances attend school while on this Visa.
I of course wanted to debate this a bit as it has been a point of contention among many of us. How many people attend school illegally and yet, we are bringing them home legally and they can't go? I also gave full disclosure about E's school to be sure there were no challenges there. Thankfully since his is considered rehabilitative then he is fine. She didn't appreciate the debating too much and simply continued smiling kindly and said, you understand about J right? We waited and waited and then she said we were approved and we could pick everything up the next day.
As we headed out to security to pick up our things, Daina and I lagged behind chatting. Gary and the kids had walked on ahead. We got there and Gary was asking about his phone, insisting I had turned it in for him. It was nowhere to be found...so I looked in my bag and yep, we had broken a pretty big rule and smuggled a cell into the Embassy...oops! The guards were very kind and I promised to behave.
We were pretty excited as we headed out and when we got well outside and headed toward where we would wait for our taxi, I wanted to take a photo...well wouldn't you know a very stern guard came out of nowhere and fussed at me in Latvian and then said "Photo...NO!" I apologized and we quickly moved as far away as we could to wait for our cab.
Daina had asked us to go to see the ladies at the Welfare Ministry...we had met them over the summer when they were in the States but they had also worked very hard and been hoping for a family for little E...so they really wanted to see us while we were there. We had our cab take us over and marched all seven of us up to the very top floor to have tea, coffee and sweets together. We met these three women who are responsible for organizing the referrals for all our kids...three women who make it all happen for families all over the place! What a wonderful time together as we visited, sipped tea, talked about E and J and how things were going, learned about their lives...so very refined ;-) We spent about an hour with them and snapped some quick photos.
We realized as we left that we weren't that far from our apartment so we simply walked back to finally get changed and relax for a bit. But only for a minute! We'd been made aware that J had forgotten to sign one document when we were at Orphan Court the day before. Gary was still fighting a head cold so, realizing we really had no other time to do so, we decided that J and I and anyone else who wanted to go would head out to Dubulti on the train and get that handled and then stop by the little kiosk I had wanted to buy soaps from before heading back.
Typing this now, it sounds like oh so much! We really were busy all the time...our choice of course. A little more of the disease I deal with daily of not being able to just sit around.
So, hop the train we did! Marleigh and Mae wanted to go along and Zach and Dad stayed back with E. We decided we should get off at Majori, rent more bikes and ride them to Dubulti. That's exactly what we did...it was chilly and overcast and starting to mist a bit. But it sure felt nice! Riding bikes that far, at least a mile or more to the court house, it felt like something we'd been doing our whole lives. We all waited outside while J ran in to sign his papers and then we took off and headed back to Majori.
We found our soap lady and bought one of each flavor! The challenge is going to be deciding what to give away and what to keep! I had planned that we would be back there before Christmas so this was meant to be just one part of our Christmas presents for friends and family...now it might be all they get!
After our soaps, we continued down the cobblestones, stopping and shopping at a few more places along the way. I wanted to see the sea one more time so we rode up there and just sat for a little while. On the way back, we stopped in a Russian antique shop...wish I'd bought something there! We had a train to catch though, so we hurried back and checked our bikes back in. There was still a bit of time, so we went into the coffee shop located inside the train station there.
This was our spot when we were there in March...Gary really liked the coffee from the Russian lady there. J wanted to buy some sweets and a pastry or two and the girls wanted an ice cream. I got a coffee and a Honey Cake and again, it just felt so natural...like we were there just yesterday. I remembered how when we were there in March, it was so bitterly cold and now, chilly but not so cold...and yet, warmed the soul just the same. I remembered sitting there and chatting with J about hurrying home and now, here we were just two days away from going home...all of us together!
Finally the train came and we boarded and headed back. It had been so chilly and it felt so good to get settled in and just enjoy the ride. Funny, this was one excursion they convinced me not to take my camera with me and I told them there was definitely going to be a moment where we wished we had it. Thankfully I did have my iPhone so I snapped a few with that, including a beautiful shot of the sun breaking through the low hanging clouds.
Once we got back to the apartment, we ate what was there, and got ready for bed. It had been a long day and we were realizing we had a lot to accomplish in our last full day of Latvia.
Another glimpse as to how crazy our lives are now...not crazy in a bad way, but busy! I started this entry about three weeks ago and now here I am on a Friday night at 11:20pm finishing it. And the sad part is that there is SOOO much I could and should have shared on all that has transpired over the past 1 1/2 months home.
As I posted a few weeks ago, it just gets better every day. I love the talks, the learning, the growing by ALL of us...melding us into a family. I can't wait to get all the rest of the paperwork done and REALLY settle in...but for now, it's nice to try and simply live. Every day, getting more and more settled.
Last day in Latvia...coming soon!
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