Russian orphan appreciating her new life in South Dakota
Posted by: "Karen Holt" karenholt@compuserve.com rhouse77
Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:56 pm (PST)
Russian orphan appreciating her new life in South Dakota

By Russ Keen, Aberdeen American News

ABERDEEN - Lessons in the art of gracefully and gratefully receiving
Christmas gifts might be taken from a 5-year-old Aberdeen girl who, until a
few months ago, lived in an orphanage in Russia.

Other than a few clothes, Natasha Nicole Cleveland's only worldly possession
when she came to Aberdeen was a little cross fastened to a piece of twine to
wear as a necklace, her mother, Nancy Cleveland of Aberdeen, said.

Nancy adopted Natasha in the spring. The two became a family on Easter
Sunday.

"She brought nothing. We started from scratch," Nancy said.

Every little thing Natasha has acquired since astounds her, Nancy said.

Natasha is not the kind of kid who turns up her nose when she gets socks
instead of toys. Nancy recalled her daughter's amazement when she opened the
first gifts from her mother when they first met at the orphanage about a
year ago. They were simple gifts of clothing, including socks.

Natasha examined every item slowly, carefully and lovingly, looked up at her
mother's face and said in Russian, "Are these really all for me?"

"She couldn't believe it," Nancy said.

Natasha gave Nancy a profound gift that day, too.

"That very first day I met her she called me 'Mama,'" Nancy said. "I didn't
expect that. I was taken aback."

Other simple gifts: Natasha is also not the kind of kid to whine when it's
time to jump in the tub. It was like she had entered heaven when she slid
into her first bathtub full of warm water in her Aberdeen home, Betty
Sanders of Aberdeen, Natasha's grandmother and Nancy's mother, said.

"She just relished being in that much water," Sanders said. "She laughed and
giggled, dunked her head and laid back in it."

Nancy said she's not sure how the orphanage kept kids clean.

"They don't tell you a lot. But it was obvious Natasha didn't know about
bathtubs," Nancy said.

Long hair

Natasha is also discovering the simple gift of pretty hair. The 50 kids at
the orphanage near Pskov, Russia, all had butch haircuts - boys and girls,
Nancy said, apparently for hygiene.

"People here thought she was a boy," Nancy said. "So, she has been wanting
long hair."

As Nancy related the story, Natasha jumped on the back of the sofa on which
her mother sat and began to play with her mother's long hair.

"She loves to put pigtails in my hair," Nancy said.

Natasha now has her own. Last week for the first time, her blond hair
reached the length that she could have two pigtails.

"That first day she spent hours flipping them with her fingers," Nancy said.

And Natasha is not the kind of kid to crab while traveling long distances.
When she left the orphanage with her mother, they boarded a train for a
12-hour trip to Moscow. Undoubtedly, it was Natasha's first sustained
glimpse of the world outside of the orphanage, Nancy said.

"She was like a bird let out of a cage that night on that train," Nancy
said. "She kept moving around looking out of the windows. She stayed awake
for hours beyond her bedtime."

Shares what she gets

Natasha is also not the kind of kid to hoard what she gets. Her very first
meal in Aberdeen was a roast-beef dinner prepared by her grandmother.
Natasha filled her plate with all the warm goodies and promptly,
unexpectedly handed it over to her mother. The moment was tender and
touching beyond words, Nancy said.

"She wanted to make sure I ate first."

This is, of course, Natasha's first U.S.-style Christmas. When she tasted
her first candy cane a few days ago, her bright eyes conveyed the delight
her taste buds were experiencing, Nancy said. The girl offered her mother a
lick on the cane.

"She wanted me to try it," Nancy said. "She always wants me to know what she
is feeling."

Mostly, they are good feelings.

"There are so many firsts for her. There is so much for her to absorb. She
goes through most days with excitement and giggles."

Learning English

Natasha is learning English rapidly and has reached the point where she
talks in sentences of a few words each, Nancy said. Natasha shared a few
thoughts in English. She likes her cousins, some of whom live far away.

"Talk to them on the telephone," Natasha said. That's one of her favorite
activities.

She also sang her ABCs, counted to 20 and sang, with her mother, "You better
watch out. You better not pout. You better not cry. I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town."

One of her favorite phrases is "Oh, my gosh," which she utters whenever
something amazes her - which is frequently, Nancy said.

Natasha also likes to do dishes, help clean and cook.

"Whatever you're doing, she wants to do. We wonder how long it will last,"
Sanders said with a laugh.

Fulfillment for Nancy

Not only does Natasha have a mom. Nancy has her first child.

"We wanted to have kids," she said of her and her late husband, Steve
Cleveland.

He died of cancer in 1987 in San Bernardino, Calif., where the couple lived.
Medication he was on during his illness made it unwise to conceive, Nancy
said.

Steve had blond hair and blue eyes, as does Natasha. That would please
Steve, Nancy said.

"And she has his last name," she said.

A sister of Nancy's, who lives in Maryland with her husband, adopted a boy
from Russia two years before Nancy adopted Natasha. That's when Nancy
started thinking about it. She helped her sister and brother-in-law through
their process, and they helped her.

Natasha has filled a void in Nancy's life, Sanders said with tears welling.
Also, Natasha is Sanders' only grandchild who lives close enough for daily
contact.

"It's nice to have a grandchild around to spoil," she said. "It's just a
thrill."

Life has not been perfect for Natasha since finding a mom. Shortly after she
came to Aberdeen, Nancy learned through an interpreter that Natasha missed
her friends at the orphanage.

"She wanted to fly back and bring her friends over here," Nancy said.

But now she has close friends in her neighborhood and at her preschool, Dare
to Dream, Nancy said.

Like most kids, she hopes to get stuff from Santa - "a baby-doll high
chair," she said.

The girl has told her mother, "Santa needs to bring me presents because I
have been good." And she also wonders how Santa will know where she is on
Christmas because the family plans to travel.

Worship, prayer

Natasha loves to attend Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she was
baptized Oct. 14, Nancy's birthday, wearing a beaded dress Natasha selected.
She becomes upset during Mass if she can't see the Rev. Edward Pierce, Nancy
said.

Natasha loves to sing in church, repeating the word "Alleluia" while other
worshippers sing other words, Nancy said.

And Natasha likes to pray before she goes to sleep.

"I always ask her, 'What do you want to pray about tonight?'" Nancy said.
Natasha often chooses other people and recently expressed what could be
called her Christmas wish for each and every child in orphanages.

"One night, she said she wanted to pray for all kids to have a mama or a
papa," Nancy said.

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Copyright C 2006 The Rapid City Journal
Rapid City, SD

Karen H
Mom to A from St Petersburg BH #1, & W from Tula Reg. BH
Family Stories, Funding, Regional Lists & adoption links at my website
http://www.karensadoptionlinks.com

One week ago tonight at this time we were packing our bags and getting ready to come home! We have been home for 6 days and it has been incredible. I haven't had much time to do anything but help Maria become accustomed to our home, but it has been the best 6 days of my life.

I thought that I had gotten to know her when we were in Guatemala together, but I know now that she didn't show us much of her personality while we were there! She has soo much more personality than I could have imagined!

I also now know just how sad she was to leave. I didn't have anything to compare her moods to, but now I do. I can tell now that she was genuinely upset and sad to be away from her foster mother. She has adjusted well over the past few days. She now wakes up happy and goes to sleep happy and is pretty much happy all day!

I think we have begun to bond fairly well. She looks to me for the things she needs and when she wants to be held. She looks to Dave for entertainment and doesn't like it when he leaves the room, but she is getting used to the idea that when he leaves...he always comes back!

It's going to be a busy weekend! We are going to have out of town guests and a few visitors over the weekend. We of course will then be celebrating Christmas Eve with our families on Sunday and will be waking early on Christmas Day to see if Santa came down the chimney.

Speaking of Santa...We went to the mall and got Maria's picture taken with Santa. She was bound and determined not to smile...until we walked away from Santa, then of course there was a smile from ear to ear!!

Click on the link below to see Maria make an Elf of herself!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=4f76e6f4fef90f0ff54671dG06122110

Merry Christmas!!

Oh My Gosh!!

I can't believe the time to say this has actually arrived.

We will be leaving on Sunday, December 10th (albeit very late on the 10th) to go get our sweet Maria!! We won't arrive in Guatemala City until 5:30 am on December 11th. That's OK...who needs sleep when they are doing something this important anyway!!

On Monday, our Foster Mother, Lidia, will bring Maria to the hotel some time that day, we haven't found out when yet, but some time that day. At that time, we will also meet with our attorney's assistant to fill out the remainder of the paperwork. It's simple stuff, like we promise to make sure her vaccinations are up to date within 30 days, that kind of stuff! Nothing to worry about!

Then on Tuesday, we have our appointment at the US Embassy. That is where we swear that we are the people on the documents that have been submitted and Maria becomes a US Citizen!! Yea!! Add one to the rolls Census Takers!! And make sure you change that law about adoptive children being President, because that is what our Maria aspires to be!!

On Wednesday, our attorney's assistant goes to the US Embassy to get our completed paperwork that we have to give to the Immigration Officers when we get to our first stop in the Great Ole U S of A.

We could leave Guatemala anytime after that...about 3:00 pm on Wednesday. The only flight I could get, however, was on Friday. We will arrive in Sioux Falls at 9:11pm on Friday, December 15th. I know most of my and Dave's family plan to meet us at the airport and then come over to our house for coffee and cookies, or beer and pizza...which ever you prefer!! If you are reading this and have been following our story, we would love to have you there to celebrate!! Please don't hesitate to come!!

I have mixed feelings about Maria leaving Guatemala. Although I so desperately want to get her to our home, I also know that she is leaving behind something she will never get back...her connection with her homeland.

In her short 8 months on earth, she will have lost her birth mother, her foster mother, her birth country, her culture, her native language, and her identity. That's a lot to absorb. I don't think as a 39 year old I can completely comprehend what that's like, so I don't think it's possible for anyone younger to even try to ponder. I feel bad about that.

I know that I will work very hard to ensure that she has all of the resources she needs to feel that connection, but I have a feeling that once you leave...it's never the same. Makes me a little sad.

She is however the most loved little girl in the tri-state area and I can't wait to go love on her! Her little cheeks are going to be peppered with soooo many kisses on Monday, she will look like she has a rash!!

Please join us on Friday evening to welcome the newest US Citizen to Sioux Falls. Maria Rene Richter!

We Finally Have PINK!!

That means that we have been issued our appointment with the US Embasy in Guatemala. The appointment is on a pink piece of paper...thus the term "we have pink".

Our appointment at the US Embassy in Guatemala is on Tuesday, December 12th. We pick up our paperwork, showing that Maria is a US citizen on Wednesday afternoon and then we are free to come home.

We will be arriving at the Sioux Falls airport at 9:11pm on Friday, December 15th. I am soooo excited for everyone to meet Maria I can hardly stand it!! We will meet you at the airport and then there will be a party at our house!!

Such a Good Night!!

OK...I'm done with my pity party for the night...although I thought it was a good one.

I would like all of you to please consider giving to a very worthwhile cause. Sharon and her husband have worked in Guatemala for a long time. They have many projects that they need help with. You can copy this link http://www.mayanfamilies.org/ and learn of the great things they are doing in Guatemala to help families, women and children.

Here is an exerpt from thier website. I would encourage anyone that has toys they would like to donate to contact me, I will take them down with me on our next trip, or to contact Sharon dirctly and contribute. My family will be contributing to the Christmas Basket Project. I urge all of you that can, to do so as well. You can click on the link on the right (Mayan Families Projects & Mission) and get to their website.
Stephanie

Hello, we are the volunteers of Mayan Families and we are living in the highlands of the Lake Atitlan area in the small town of Panajachel, Guatemala, Central America. With your assistance we are making small miracles happen each day in peoples lives. One child at a time. One Family at a time. Every dollar donated goes to fund our many worthwhile projects. We all work on a Volunteer basis. We work within the Indigenous Mayan Communities on projects ranging from enrolling and keeping kids, especially girls, in school, helping single parent families deal with HIV/AIDS, Malnutrition, Basic Health Care, Organizing Medical and Dental Clinics, Animal Rescue and so much more.

MayanFamilies.org provides assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters. We do so irrespective of race, creed or religion.

Our projects are varied but because we have lived and been involved with indigenous community life in Guatemala for many years we find ourselves able to respond in a personal way to the immediate and actual needs as they appear.

We need your help, prayers and assistance!
CHRISTMAS PROJECT:

Please send your donations to Dwight Poage 2609 Hartford St. San Diego, CA. 92110-2315 and make checks payable to MAYAN FAMILIES.

Yes – it is coming up fast! We have collected about 600 toys that will be distributed at Christmas time at our party in San Jorge. We are only about half way there. We need a lot more. If you are coming to Guatemala and can bring toys …we would greatly appreciate it. These do not have to be new toys.




Our other Christmas project this year will be sponsoring families for CHRISTMAS BASKETS. We have many families, mostly single, abandoned & widowed mothers, who cannot afford to provide the traditional Christmas celebration for their family. A food basket will cost $30US and will provide a Christmas Tamale celebration meal for a family of 10 or more.

It will include:

The plastic basket that will hold all the food. This will be used by the family to stack dishes, wash dishes, hold food etc.

The food will include:
Oil, 15 lbs of Rice to make the tamales, a block of drinking chocolate (this is traditional to drink at midnight), a loaf of bread with which they eat the tamales at midnight, raisins for the tamales, grapes, apples, sugar, 5lbs of meat, tomatoes, one pound of coffee, leaves to wrap the tamales, cloves, pepper, sesame, pumpkin seeds. These are the requirements to make the Christmas tamales.
If you would like to sponsor a family for a Christmas Basket, we will send you a photo and history of the family and a photo when they receive their basket.

If you are coming down to Guatemala and can bring some toys, please let us know by e-mail at:
mayanfamilies@yahoo.com
Lets all Help these children have a Merry Christmas!