Once in our orphanage city we went to apply for Misha's and Anna's names to be changed. We were told to wait in the car. I slept. Then we went to get their new birth certificates. I'm still dozing. Then we went to the orphanage to give them the proper paper work and drop off gifts. Of course most of these were still in Rome. We didn't get to see the kids yet.
We had about an hour to wait for our next document to be ready so we found a children's clothing store and bought long sleeve shirts for the kids. With a cold train ride ahead, just sweaters didn't seem like enough warmth. There were so many cute clothes, but I managed to limit myself to just 1 each. This is easier to do when you have to pay cash. We also grabbed a quick lunch, picked up the documents, shopped for food for the train ride (dinner, snacks, breakfast), then headed back to the orphanage. I finally woke up enough after lunch to reply in full sentences.
At the orphanage, it was a quick trip to get the kids. Misha and Anna changed, we took a few pictures, gave hugs to adults who were around, and left. Somehow, I expected this to be a bit more mellow and drawn out. A quick side note: That morning Misha was told he had to go to school as usual which he didn't like since we were coming that day to get him. William joked that he couldn't come if he hadn't finished his homework. We thought it was hilarious that he was so bent out of shape about going to school. :0)
From the orphanage, we drove back to Donyetsk. Misha, William, and me were squished in the backseat with Anna on our laps. Good thing she's small and it was only 2 hours (we did stop for drinks on the way.)
When we reached Donyetsk, we needed to get new passports for the children with their new names. We were told to wait while our coordinator went to do this. This turned out to not be a quick errand and entertaining a very energetic 5 year old for an hour in a parking lot took lots of imagination. After this exciting adventure, we had some time before the train was to leave. We asked Misha if he preferred eating dinner at a cafe or McDonalds. Anyone want to guess which word made his face light up? Anna seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the hustle and bustle and didn't always want to cooperate. I've never had to pull a child into McDonalds. Once we got outside, she had no problem or fear of exploring the small playland structure.
On the train, we had 2 compartments. Each slept 4. Misha quickly claimed one as the "boys" cabin. He and William had a great (smelly) time bonding over chips and X-men (watched on my laptop). Our coordinator joined Anna and myself in the "girls" cabin. We were greatly entertained by Anna playing Hide-n-seek with the stacking dolls. I didn't think we would ever tire her out! We were very pleased to see that sheets and blankets were provided for this train trip! YEA!!!! (I hate being cold.) A quick note about the bathrooms on the train...GROSS. I had seat covers for our use, but it still didn't seem adequate. Hand sanitizer is a must... and that's all I'm going to say about that. Finally, Anna conked out and I tossed and turned all night as we rolled into the next day.
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