LIFE with LEXIE

As you can see Alexis is as wonderful as ever. The goats are in front of the dump and as you know the camels are behind it. We had quit the day.

First we are done with the Bonding Period, whoopee!!! Not that it wasn't wonderful but we must complete it to move on to the next step - court. I had to sign my application for the court which was my request to adopt and change her name which is Moldir, hence Alexis. Zina read it to me and it was a very formally written letter verses an application like we would fill out in the states. I will get a copy of it when we leave but I don't think it will be translated back to English for me. They did have my name as Lea Ann in one sentence but they assured me that would not matter. So no LeAnn you can't have her just because of their mistake! Anyway all my other hand carry documents are here and translated so Flora can present everything to court tomorrow with the hopes that the judge will say yes we can have a court date of June 12th to accommodate the new Director of the Baby House. So fingers crossed for one more day please.

I also got all my pictures and journals ready for the court and the Ministry of Education. We've had to take a picture every day of Lexie & myself which had to be dated and then write a paragraph about what we did each day to prove that I was there every day of the required bonding period. My camera has been a day off almost everyday so I had to go to the photo shop where, with Zina's help, we had the correct dates put on each picture. We also have to sign a book every day, along with the child's caregiver, the interpreter and I believe the director. I guess some time ago there was a couple that was adopting a child and the husband had to leave or something but the wife signed his name. They eventually found out about it so now they make us do all this as proof plus we have to submit the plane ticket as proof of when we flew down here. I could even show them my empty bank account if they really want proof. Anyway, now all that is left is to stand in front of the judge and hope she is having a good day. Of course after that we still have the 15 day waiting period, then we have to wait to get the new birth certificate and Kazakh passport, then go to the American Embassy in Almaty to deal with all the American requirements including some blood work for poor miss Lexie and then get her new passport and our visas. But the court is the most important part of it all so I'll feel much better once that is over with.

Lexie was just great as usual. I got her a ball yesterday that she really likes to chew on. Poor thing is trying to break her first tooth so she chews on everything she can get her hands on and slobbers on everything else. She missed our trip to the see the camels though. That's right camels.

This morning we headed out early so we could see the camels walking across the desert but we thought we missed them at first since there were none where they normally are. But our fearless driver ReNot won't give up. He stopped a local goat herder to ask him if he knew where the camels had gotten to. He told ReNot just to head around the back of the local dump and we should find them. OKAY now why didn't we think of that first. Off we go past the Gypsy camp, you must spit on the ground as you pass them (I'm not sure why) and turn right on a dirt road that wasn't fit for a camel (that's probably why they were not on the road but off to the side) around the dump and there they were - about 100 of them. I have to say these were what I'd call wild camels since they where roaming free and only a few of them had some kind of tether around there necks but they weren't attached to anything. Zina said they know where to go when it's time to be milked and then sleep. Yes I said milked. Evidently this was a milking heard (so do you think they are all females then?) I will definitely not be trying any of the local camels milk since they were eating grass and who knows what else at the dump. Anyway, they weren't afraid of us but certainly moved on if we got too close. You'd think we were the ones that stink instead of them. No one got spat on by them and unfortunately I didn't get to ride one or see one milked. But it was fun to see them in their natural habitat (if you call the dump a natural habitat.)

That's if for today. I'll try to get as many pictures loaded as possible but I'd like to get some sleep tonight. Take care and drink some cow's milk for me please.