Back in Kiev

Today was emotionally draining.  It was like knowing a dark secret that was to be sprung on someone, even though the day should have been pure joy.  We knew it would it be sad for Julia, to leave all her friends, and we knew the timing.  It would be right after the pizza party.  So the day unfolded in slow motion.  We packed everything and took it to the lobby to wait until Stas appeared.  We then went by the orphanage to get Julia's medicine, and give presents to the Director and assistant director (neither of them were there), then we went to say goodbye to Cosette and the kids.  Sean was out with Svetlana on his first day pursuing a birth certificate and passport.  Then back to the orphanage at 2:00 to track down Julia, only to be told she was not there.  She had run off (ahhhh . . that's what WE were thinking, too) she had run off to say goodbye to her brother and sister.  So we killed some time and came back closer to 3:00. She had returned, thank goodness, and brought down her belongings, whatever they might be (we did not look in her bag) in a suitcase which is not the one we gave her last year.  I think that is just how things work in the orphanage.  It took a while to round up all the kids who were going, but we eventually wound up with about ten teenagers.  The pizza party was fun, but then the awful surprise.  The kids were returning to the orphanage, but Julia was not.  And the realization hit all the kids at once.  This was it.  And the tears and hugs commenced.  It was a sad ride to Kiev, not to mention fast and very rough.  I was sure a few vertebrae in my lower back would be cracked.  I cannot count the number of times the car bottomed out hard at 80 mph.  But we got settled in to a nice apartment, but only for one night.  We will have to move tomorrow.