We get Camille today. Today will be a day of firsts for our girl. First car ride.
Ganesha - wisdom to drive without getting in a wreck
First meal outside her four walls, first plane ride, first washing with mom & dad, first sleep in a huge bed. Can you say sensory overload. Oh and let's not forget her first time away from her house /room mother and all her sleep mates. Uprooted from all she has known for the last 2 ½ years and thrown into strange and new environment.
I am glad that we had a couples of hours to visit yesterday. She was more receptive to us this morning. climbed on up to our laps and snuggled in for a spell. We got off to a late start this morning so Camille's day was slightly askew and she knew something was up. She knew anyway as for the past few months she has been shown our photos and prepped with momma and dada. Today we went to her classroom and RN spent about an hour getting and giving geography lessons on where Miss C is going to and where RN and JE came from – different states.
In the meantime our adoption rep and I were taking photos of the children for the parents across the world of their children. Sometimes it was a challenge to get the children to smile. When a camera comes out the general face that is put on is one of seriousness. When you can get a smile the eyes sparkle and you get big grins. I think the problem in these photos is that they are single photos much like you take in primary school. Too staged and not natural. Getting the children's photos in a natural play getting would mean that other children would be in the photo. No easy way to do this.
After this we went to see the room where Camille used to sleep. Her room mother and a few friends were there to paint up everyone's nails in a style of a wedding ceremony. Camille, RN and JE nails were all painted the same. Sorry no photos of my bright red nails, although there are remnants that will be around for the next 6 months.
RN commented that orphanage is very much like Charlotte in the book “Charlotte's Web” by e.b. White. It is a stretch in my opinion but there are similarities. She nested all these babies for a short time but when they are hatched they take flight to the wind and go to new homes wherever the wind blows them to. A couple don't leave. So it is with these children. Their parents live throughout the world and at the appointed time they will take flight on the wind to destinations far and wide.
Earlier I was lamenting that I didn't fill out our paperwork for 2 children. It was nagging me that I was sure Miss C had a special friend. She was actually part of a Gang of Four. One has gone off to Australia, one to Hong Kong and her last friend is still here. She is 6 months older and a cute as a bug. When we got home I inquired about her as my sister has a friend who is adopting from the same adoption organization and the distance is only 400 miles rather than thousands and the couple, once they saw the photo, was willing! Unfortunately this child is either not yet eligible for adoption or she is being placed with another adoption organization. Breaks my heart and just like the previous paragraph the spiders are blown across the globe. Sorry can't post the pics due to international conventions/agreements. How about a Gecko/lizard instead?
We took our lunch separate from Camille. Afterwards we had a short meeting with the director of the home. She was not feeling well as she had been visiting another home that is further inland and has a lot of mosquitoes. She was suffering a bit of malaria and was really feeling the effects. Our being there was just something that she really didn't need. Our meeting was probably an unneeded interruption for her. We had brought a duffle bag and a half of stuff for 2 orphanages this one and one in Nepal. I was down to one duffle bag. Woo-hoo now it was empty. Boo-hoo now the wife would try to fill it back up. After the formalaties we were released to take Camille.
By this time Miss C was getting the drift of what was about to happen and went full on ballistic. Crying a watershed of tears, kicking and hollering for her room mother. I don't know how her room mother does this but she pushed Camille into RN's arms and told Miss C it was time to go to her new home. We got into the car and drove out the gates. She quickly quieted down and was looking out the windows as this was probably the first time she had been outside the gates in over 2 years. This is also where I a bonding issue started but was not realized until we got home.
Once back at the hotel it was go into clean mode. First up was extra traveller excise – lice treatment. I didn't think she would have much as most of the children's hair was oiled (toddlers that is). We had 3 types of treatment, homoeopathic, strong and industrial strength. RN opted for homoeo. Pretty simple work into dry hair, let sit for 10 minutes and comb out starting at scalp. I was dreading doing out hair as both of us sport long hair one more course than the other. On the first path I got one new bugger and one bugger that looked like he was already dead. Bummer. At that point I decided to comb through again and be more diligent in the pattern and comb. Only found one more bug. I am glad her hair was somewhat short. I had been contemplating buying a pair of scissors before we went to pick her up to make this process a bit easier.
We were staying at The Ginger. This is a chain of hotels that is very similar to a college dorm. One bed, a tv, a small refrige that may or may not be working a couple bottles of water, an air-conditioner, a sink, loo and stand up shower. Just the basics but very workable. We showered her down and then lotioned her up. Although the clothes were clean they went into a gallon plastic bag.
Then it was our turn. Although the extra travellers tend to be at the intersection of your scalp and hair shaft to get then out you need to comb through the full length of each hair strand. As tempting as it was to pull through just the first few inches of hair, I knew that would leave them in the neighbourhood and allow them to build their little community. My head itches now as I write this.
This particular Ginger has a SquareMeal which is a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very reasonable and good. Better than the dorm food you got back in college 20 plus years ago.
Tomorrow is a travel day back to Delhi and get ready for the US Embassy.
je
