Four Days til Takeoff

Our home visit was yesterday.  It felt great to hand over a big chunk of the documents we’d so carefully prepared.  Our case worker says our home study report will be ready for us when we return from Ukraine.  We’re getting our I-600A ready to send off and having Laura at URC review our dossier docs to make sure everything is in order.  We are finally starting to see how the paperwork timeline will work.  We are still hopeful that we can make our second trip to Ukraine this fall, but we don’t have room for any more major delays.

Meanwhile, our dining room table is serving as staging grounds for what to bring to Ukraine.  We won’t have much room for clothes!  Victor tells us we will be visiting a second orphanage in Zaporizhya.  I know nothing about this region.  How will we get there?  Dunno.  Where will we stay?  Dunno.  Which orphanage are we visiting?  Dunno.  I am sure that Victor will take good care of us, though!  As I am always the one planning every step we take on our family trips, it feels strange to let someone else be in charge.  In this case, though, I am happy to hand over the reigns. 

So what does our dining room table look like?  It is piled high with:

Puzzles

Memory games

Multiple sets of Uno (we plan to leave these games and puzzles at the orphanages)

5 pound tub of peanut butter.  It’s hard to come by in Ukraine, and they love it.

Epi-Pens.  I understand that food allergies are rare, but I feel better knowing we have them.

Small gifts for the orphanage directors

Small toys/pencils/hair clips for the kids

Math workbooks

Notebooks with blank paper

Crayons (to leave there)

Photo album with pics of our extended family, church, school, friends, etc

Jolly Ranchers

A roll of toilet paper (I’ve been told have it with you at all times!)

Plastic cups and knives for the peanut butter.  Disposable items are rare in Ukraine and will be way cool for the kids.

I don’t have them yet, but our dentist is donating a large haul of toothbrushes for us to bring.

Needless to say, this is not my typical packing list for a family vacation.  It will be so much fun to watch Cassie and Clay interact with the Ukrainian kids.  I understand that American children visit these orphanages very rarely, so the Ukrainian kids will be VERY curious!  I hope Cassie and Clay will enjoy the attention.