Tea Time

Everyday during our visit to this new orphanage, the caregiver invites us into the kitchen for tea, juice and snacks. It’s been really nice to have this time to visit with her and hear stories about Ry. She loves to cook and always has a new thing for us to try. Yesterday she had this delicious torte and today she made these Kazakh pancake –like things. We’re being spoiled! Today she was telling us that all of the kids in the house call her “mama” except for Ryland. He told her that he already has a mama, but he will call her aunt. He tells the other children that he has finally found his mama & papa!


For the first time today, he called this Tea Time that we have everyday “Chai Sotka”. (Chai =tea & Sotka=cell phone). The first day when he was finished with his snack, he decided to drive his car around the kitchen, but he was making too much noise, so I traded him for the cell phone game. He now knows that after he is done eating and the adults are still talking, he asks to play with the cell phone so he is still at the table with us. Too cute! He absorbs things so quickly.

As we’re getting closer and closer to the 30th, the calendar seems to be helping more and making a little more sense to him. Today he was so excited that there are only 3 days left.