Saturday, May 13, 2006 (part 1)

We visited the Iceberg Mall this morning to purchase some clothes for Rinat. Shopping is quick when you only have about four items to choose from! He is now the very proud owner of a pair of jeans, two shirts and a jogging suit. To avoid hurt feelings we got a Care Bear hat for Zarina and some shoes for Sholpan. Then we headed to a different shop for tennis shoes for him and hair clips for the girls. Our goal was to actually see Sholpan’s face today without the bangs. It was decided to skip lunch in anticipation of afternoon tea. The original plan for the afternoon was to drive out, try on the clothes, and then play outside. However, the gale force winds kicking up dirt everywhere made it an inside day. Zarina was out in the hall waiting for us and showed us where the others were. We were put into a small office with a table. Everyday they find a new place to have our visit. No more relaxation room! It seemed like a perfect set up for a game of cards. Out came the children’s version of Hearts. Keith began shuffling and the translator started telling him to stop doing it so well. She said, “The caretaker must not think you are a card dealer!” The kids loved the game, but we were limited to one round due to intense scrutiny. Perhaps another day when the chief leaves the room! Next came the novelty of the day, colorful pipe cleaners. We spent the next hour making creations and laughing at them. It was also a nice way to start teaching them the colors and shapes in English. They each took a turn repeating the English words and did a nice job with it. Rinat seems to know the English words for numbers just not in order. He took the opportunity to share that this is the fourth orphanage he has been in. Rinat had a great time playing handheld Connect Four. He is wearing his new clothes in the photos. In case any of you have not noticed the girls always wear the same outfit. They have a school uniform for wearing to classes, an outfit for wearing while relaxing and an outfit for wearing when they are playing. They are responsible for taking care of their clothes and washing their underwear and socks and doing their own ironing. Today’s treat for the children was Choco Pie, something similar to a Moon Pie. They took such small bites that they still were not done when the director came to get them. Sholpan was so nervous that she would get in trouble for eating at a non-designated time. The children were led away and we were taken to the tearoom.