Meanwhile Back at the Orphanage

Lunch eaten, battery charged, back to the orphanage!

Kids, meet your new sister, Maria Christine!

You are going to have so much fun with her!

We walked back into the visit room and she immediately went straight to the stroller and got in and just as quickly grabbed my hand to play a quick game of "Pat my shoe and knee". I did a round or two of pats, but when I stopped, she grabbed my hand and pulled it to her knee to start the game again. I waited. I had showed her earlier today to put her hand gently on my arm and that would signify that she wanted to play again. Stubborn! She has met her match! She wouldn't meet my eyes, but she just kept tugging at my arm to get me to start it again. She would glance sideways at me, but not turn her head. I waited. Finally I moved her hand up to my arm and showed her what to do and she snatched her hand away and went back to tugging on my hand. And still I waited. Finally with a big sigh, she rubbed my arm very quickly and just as quickly pulled it away as if to say "Ok you win this time, but I don't like it!"

Tracy, then we played with your "Touched By Adoption" Bracelot. She found it on my arm and I took it off and put it on her arm. Then she took it off hers and put it back on mine. Then I put it on her shoe and she giggled!

Then I saw what seals that she is a true Duncan....I took out a little cardboard book and handed it to her. She studied that book and the turned the pages for about 20 minutes. Looking over and over at the pictures. It was an Elmo "Humptey Dumptey" book and luckily I knew the poem by heart and I started reciting it while she turned the pages and she would go through the whole book and then go back to the front. Then she started babbling like she was telling the story! No words, but lots of wonderful babbling.

Then I took out a set of flashcards with Disney Characters and colored shapes on them and started handing them to her one by one. With each one I would tell her the color. And she would look carefully at it and then set it down, then next one and set it down carefully on top of the other one. When one would not sit quite right on the stack she would fix the card until it was right. (maybe she'll keep her room straight?) We went through 34 cards twice and a few times she tried to immitate the word I was saying.

This child has amazing focus and concentration. She sat in the stroller virtually for two whole visits and focused on what we were doing longer than I would have ever guessed. I did take her out for the last few minutes and she wanted to get back in. Tomorrow I'm going to try to put the stroller out in the hall so she'll have to choose something else to do.

She let me carry her up to the where the caretaker was and she wanted to stay with me. This time I think it was wanting to stay with me and not disappointment about not going outside. The hard part is going to be Friday knowing that after she's had this fun week she won't have that again for 4-5 months. That is heartbreaking. Ok - going to try to add some more pictures.

I found it! This post was lost and so there will be duplicate pictures, but I'm so grateful to my RR /Dream Bulgaria friends who helped me find it again! So this was yesterday (Monday)afternoons visit.