Family Videos from Russia 2012

After we played with Kolya for quite a while, they told us that it was time for his "massage." We thought that meant that it was time to go, but instead, we got to follow the lady up to a room with machines and a mask to put over his face.

The lady held it up on there for a while, and then put his mother to work. She set a little glass timer to say how long he had to stay under there.

I wanted to make the joke that this would be good practice for when he grows up a big fat American, and has to use a sleep apnea mask at night, but I didn't know how to say any of that in Russian, and it felt like one of those that only I would have found funny.

This starts out as just a cute family video, but things get weirder and weirder so quickly, I almost wonder if we're in a hidden camera show being put on.

In this video, we finish our apple foam (for the brain!) while sitting at a baby table. We are startled by an accordion player who only plays one note.

Then, a bunch of older orphans appear, and we're run out. Many of them appear to be wearing Mardi Gras gear. And they aren't bundled up for the arctic tundra like the babies always are when we visit.

Then, just off camera, Heather runs over a poor little orphan, sending him sprawling on the ground. (She was carrying the baby and didn't see him down there.)

Recorded 12/13/2011

On the first Sunday during the long down period between our court date and gotcha day, we went to the Yaroslavl zoo. We were along with our translator Lena, and her son Vova.

At some point while walking through the zoo, Lena mentioned making snowballs to Vanya. He was clueless. I don't think he was even familiar with the term.

The snow that day was dry and powdery. It was hard to do a snowball, but he loved trying. And he loved throwing them even more.

There's a lot of time that passes between when the judge says you're good to go and when you can actually go. They do allow for some visits. This is the first, and it's from the first time that the two brothers meet.

In the lobby of the Ibis Hotel in Yaroslavl, Russia, we take advantage of some free time for Vanya to try to catch up on his school work. Vanya still has on his dressy duds from the morning's court session.

This is Kolya, on our second meeting, one day after the first.

This is Kolya, on the day and time of our first meeting.