mr. putin

Having Lydia, from birth, makes me think a lot about the time we missed with Oliver.  Well not really the time WE missed but rather the care and love HE missed out on.  Was someone there to snuggle him, nurse him, and respond to his every whimper?  Probably not.

Yesterday evening Oliver, Lydia. and I were playing monster trucks on the couch...

Oliver - "I'm happy baby Lydia came to live in our house."
Me- "She is fun to have.  We didn't have you when you were a tiny baby.  Do you remember where you lived?"

get ready for heartbreak...

Oliver- "In a crib"
No one can know what he remembers from 20 months old, but I'm sure that he did spend a large portion of those months in a crib, in an orphanage with 149 other kids and 6 caregivers. 

Me-"You still lived in Russia, but then mommy and daddy came to get you. so we could be a family together."
Oliver- "That makes sense."
Me- "It does make sense!"

You see, Mr. Putin, even my 3 year old knows a family is better than a crib in an orphanage.

However, Mr. Putin, I do agree with you.  Russian children should be raised in Russia.  Not in orphanages, but in loving Russian families.  That just doesn't seem to be working for all your kids.  See Russians just seem too fussy about children (in my opinion).  They don't want to adopt boys, or kids with brown eyes, or tan skin, or Asian features, or red hair, or crossed eyes, or a cleft lip, or down syndrome, or.... See Mr. Putin we aren't taking Russian children away from Russians, we are taking Russian orphans, that were overlooked by Russians, and giving them a loving family. 

You're mad that some Americans were abusive toward Russian adopted children.  That makes me mad too.  I despise that I'm grouped in with them, and that all Americans and a bunch of little Russians will be punished because of their actions.  Let's not even discuss the statics regarding orphans who age out of your system.  Let's just say the number of orphans that die 1-2 years after leaving the system is much much larger than the number of orphans killed by the misdoings of Americans....not that there is ever an excuse to the abusive of or killing of a child, I'm just saying.

When we were in the process to adopt Oliver Russian adoptions were put on hold since some bozo in TN sent her kid back to Russian on a plane alone.  But it was just a hold, Russia came around, things were worked out, and we were able to finish the process.  Mr. Putin, I pray that you let the families that are currently in-process, finish the process...especially families who have been to Russia and met THEIR babies, that heartbreak is just too much, for both parties.  I also pray that if  this shut down is indeed long term or forever you fix the culture of children in your country so the number of total yearly adoptions doesn't drop even with the loss of US adoptions. 

I went to pick Oliver up by myself and I'll never forget what the orphanage director told me on my way out.  "Thank you for adopting him, now we have room for the next child on the list."  Can you imagine, as a child, being on a waiting list to get INTO an orphanage? blah