Day 2 with Georgi

Good morning! Today we went downstairs for some breakfast and they brought in quite a feast!

 

Plum jam, local honey, and nesquik chocolate cereal. 

 

Quite a spread!

 

So these are basically the same as my mom's scones that she makes on Christmas morning. They were amazing! We topped them with butter and honey. So good. 

Maggie came to join us and we left to pick up Georgi. We tried to get some visa photos taken, but the shop was closed - which seems odd to have shops closed on Saturday, but this is Bulgaria...

We came back to the hotel and Maggie kept Georgi downstairs in the lobby whilst Tyler and I put together a surprise birthday party for him - to celebrate all the birthdays that we have missed with him. We blew up balloons and had little cakes with some candles on them. He came inside the room and started to become a bit emotional. 

We sang Happy Birthday and then he pretended to blow out the candles - as we couldn't light candles in our room. Then we gave him a gift: a camouflage watch. Maggie asked him if he had ever had such a birthday party before. He said that he had never had any of his birthdays celebrated. So sad. And it explains why his eyes were tearing up when he saw that the balloons and cake for him. 

After we had some cake, we used the balloons for target practice with the nerf guns. We all had a blast! Next we had Maggie translate our family rules for dating and what is appropriate at what age. It's so nice to have Maggie with us! She is wonderful. 

We went to the hotel restaurant for lunch. Once our food arrived, Georgi reminded us that we needed to pray. Maggie asked him if he wanted to pray. Georgi replied that he didn't know the order of what to say. So we mentioned that we open by saying Heavenly Father. Then we thank Him for our blessings. We ask Him for those things that we need. And we close in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Georgi said that he could try. During his prayer, he thanked Heavenly Father for bringing him a mama and a daddy. I felt like I was on sacred ground and couldn't help but become emotional. Georgi is one special boy. 

Georgi ordered chicken nuggets (again) and some cheesecake. He ate until he was completely stuffed. We played uno for a bit and then went to the bowling alley. He bowled for the first time in his life. Maggie said that we will get to experience a lot of first's with him. We played air hockey and then some pool. 

We had purchased some snacks for him to eat during our time with him. One of the cookies, he said, was a favorite of a little boy at the orphanage. This little boy has mental retardation and some of the kids make fun of him. Georgi asked if he could take some of the cookies back to him. He has such a kind heart. 

We learned the reason why Georgi is so skinny. The menu at the orphanage is awful. Every morning he gets ONE piece of bread with either cheese or jam. For lunch he gets boiled cabbage or boiled wheat with two pieces of bread. For dinner, they usually have a broth-based soup. He said that everyone goes to bed hungry. Sometimes they get some fruit as a snack, but the last time that happened, the apples were rotten. 

As for toiletries, he gets a tablespoon of shampoo to clean himself when he showers. No soap. No toothbrush. No deodorant. We took him to the store and bought him some soap, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. They didn't sell any deodorant there. I am eager to bring him home and exceed his expectations in providing better food and toiletries for him. 

Tomorrow is our last full day with Georgi. We will have to say goodbye on Monday. I imagine that will be hard, also. 

There is a sibling set of three kids who are being adopted by a family in Idaho. Georgi is very good friends with them. Some of the other orphans are mean to the sibling set and to Georgi, because they have families committed to adopting them. It is nice that Georgi has some close friends there. One of the kids, named Sasha, has been encouraging Georgi to share things with us and to "not mess this up" with us. So much pressure on these kids, but Sasha truly wants to the best for Georgi. Every day that we have come to the orphanage in Razliv, Sasha has been waiting to get a hug from Maggie and to practice his English with us. 

We have been able to call Temenuzhka everyday since we left Lesichovo. It is wonderful to hear her voice. I miss her more than words can say. I am so blessed to have such incredible children. I love being a mama.