Day 3 & 4: The First of the Firsts

Try this: pick only 8 phrases and write them down. Go through your entire day ONLY speaking those phrases. Everything else you have to mime. Here's our choices of Magyar phrases that we know, with phonetic pronunciation, that we have to go through the entire day with.

1. Yes! "Ee gen"
2. No! "Nem"
3. Hello & goodbye "See ya"
4. Do you like? "Tet seek"
5. Pretty. "Chee nosh"
6. Please "Key air lek"
7. Thank you "Koo sih nem"
8. Good! "Yo"

Try to ask how much something costs, to tell someone to 'come back here!', or tell them 'pick only one', and to tell them you had a great day with them using only these words. Yes, we have a little Hungarian translation book, but when you are in the instant of needing to say something there is no time to sit and flip through a book. I do have a piece of paper with a list of other phrases for quick reference, these are just the ones we have memorized. Thank goodness soon we can start teaching English instead. She already knows 'stop', 'go', 'yes', 'no', 'left' and 'right'...and a little 'mommy' and 'daddy', and can say 'cookie' (which is the most important kid word, of course).
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On Day 3 & 4 we got to take her away from her foster home for a day trip. We took her to the mall (which I think was her first time - because the hand dryers and the escalators were REALLY fun for her) and Tesco the first day.

Look really close at this picture. This is the really adorable thing that is happening here...see the kids holding hands? The boy is just smitten with our new little girl, and tells me over his shoulder "I really like her" and "Isn't she great?" and "mommy, I think I love my new sister. she's sweet".  Awww! He gives her hugs and pats her head, and leads her around by the hand whenever we are out. She likes him a lot too, and copies whatever he does.

We had our first family shopping trip at Tesco (I always want to follow that with "where the pets go!"...thinking Petco.) This place is awesome - it has little strip mall including thrift stores inside the store! I got a used pair of pants for $7 (since I mistakenly packed for summer and only brought shorts), exchanged cash, bought minutes on our T-Mobile phone, bought a capuccino from a machine (80 cents, and it was pretty good! Check out the "Automatikus Kave" machine below), bought groceries, toys, and some pastries all in one store. Love it!  Little girl loved to push the cart and help out...and try to put WAY too many toys in the cart. We used "nem" a lot on this trip.

Today we took her to the zoo. Today was different though. She wasn't quite as eager to come with us...and cried when we finally just had to carry her to the car. :(  I could see it in her eyes that she finally 'got it' that we were going to be her forever family for the first time, and it scared her a little to think of such a big change. Our translator explained to her that we want to love her forever, that we have a room at home just for her, new clothes just for her, and we wanted so much to have fun with her that day....and she just stared off without saying anything with little tears coming down her cheeks. 

We shamelessly bribed her with her favorite treat, and promised to buy her 2 "Turorudi" candies if she came with us. Everyone in the car got a few, except me since one gave me a migraine the first day. They are refrigerated chocolate covered lemon cream cheese....mmm.

 

Once we got to the zoo, we were all a happy family for the day. The kids were so adorable getting along so well. Besides a serious case of the "gimmies", she is a very polite and well behaved little girl. My heart is full, and God is good! AND I got to feed a llama, could this day get any better!? 

OH....yes it can! After we dropped her off for the evening we stopped the car (yes, I made them stop the car so I could get out) because I saw a little boy walking his goats. On a leash. Down the sidewalk. We all went and asked if we could take pictures, and made the little boy feel like a celebrity for a day. He said the little ones were 3 week old babies, so soft!! I'm sure he thought we were all crazy.

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I'm so impressed with the plan they have orchestrated for us during these visits. It's all in the best interest of the child...to 'ween' her onto us as parents, and I really see how everyone cares so much for the kids in the system here. First just a one hour meeting, then a 4 hour meeting at her foster home, then a series of day trips. This weekend we are going to bring her back to our apartment for a visit, then take her back to the foster home. We take an empty suitcase for her tomorrow, and pick it up Sunday full of clothes and toys that she gets to take with her (good thing, cuz guess what? I only packed shorts!) On Monday we all meet at the Guardianship office for one last goodbye from the foster parents, and to sign the paperwork to officially be her guardians...and Monday night she comes to live with us! 30 days later, we go to Budapest and make her a Harrington officially.

Thank you for praying...this is a challenge beyond what we've ever undertaken before, and a delicate situation for one little heart, as well as all the people who have cared for her. We need God's help for wisdom and patience, and for her heart to be excited and filled with hope without any fear.