Saying goodbye...for now, but we'll be back!

Thursday was our last day with Little D.  But first, we did some sightseeing around town, taking pics of beautiful St. Petersburg with our son Hayden's traveling bear. I highly recommend visiting, it is rich with history, architecture, art, and it has 2 IKEA stores! Then we did some Russian souvenir and gift shopping in the shadow of the Temple of the Savior of Spilled Blood.  A great place to do souvenir shopping in the winter, we bartered down the prices, a "game" the shopkeepers enjoy.  Mel had a traditional Russian lunch, Borscht and Russian style raviolis (sorry not sure of the Russian name).  But our interpeter told us that the ravioli meal was popular with families, they would make the dough, the meat, another layer of dough and cut, pinch, boil and viola dinner for several days.  Plus, her brother would always make one with peppercorn and they would enjoy seeing who was the unlucky one to have that ravioli.

Finally, our last ride, for now, to the orphanage to visit with Little D. We were back in the room that started it all.  Today she had star pants and a top with beaded birds. She enjoyed showing off to us as soon as she walked in with a cute pony tail on top of her head.  So cute!  This time we let her choose which toy she wanted to play with first.  Her choice, the Disney Princess puzzle cubes, which she enjoys building towers of two.  She did build a large tower with them all, and this time she knocked them all down, we enjoyed a good laugh.  Her favorite part of the toy, the clear plastic piece, which she used as a mirror to look at herself, so we quickly dubbed her a Princess.

While she played a little more of that, Michael took out the new toy we bought for her (and Hayden) at the market...a wooden pink bird whistle (Hay's is a blue bird whistle).  Her first attempt succeeded in a clear whisper and we were presented with one of her classic cute "aha" looks.  Soon she was a one woman band, blowing on the whistle and playing the xylophone.

Her next choice from our "toy" bag, was her baby doll.  The "moment of the day" occurred, shortly after Michael helped blow her nose, she took a kleenex to blow her baby doll's nose and then deposited the tissue into her pants pockets, such an observant little girl.  Then she wanted a new kleenex to do it all over again, Mel and I tried tricking her by pretending to give her a new one, when in fact we gave her the same one...but no fooling her, she knew we were sneaking it behind her back.  Her imagination showed with that single piece of kleenex, it was then used as a towel to bathe her doll, then a blanket for sleeping, and lastly a bib for eating.

And before we knew it our visit was over.  We did get to walk her up to her playroom, we were allowed to let her keep her baby doll.  As soon as she entered the room, all the kids ran up to her to see her new toy.  All the girls wanted her doll, one girl "stole" the potty, and Little D showed some spunk and took it right back.  The caretakers were quick to let the kids know this doll was Little D's.  We also asked them to go through the picture book with mom, dad, Hayden, and the kitties, which they said they would.  All the kids once again were oohing and aahing over the kitties.  Lastly, we left the donated clothes that some friends gave to us to donate to the orphanage.

The look in her eyes as we left...set our hearts aching,
But have no fear Little D,
We will return.

Michael and Melissa

Posted by Mel at 8:06 PM