Tutova: Thursday Aug 13

Today was bittersweet. It was both happy and sad because we are down to the wire. Only one more day at the clinic after this. We took all the kids outside right after morning bottles. It was a beautiful day and we spent it taking pictures and videos. The kids were all in a good mood. After Ionela and Trevor were playing in the sand yesterday she tried to reenact it. So I was playing in the sand with her. While I was doing that I was picking some of the weeds from the sand. The next thing I knew, two aides came out with gloves and garbage bags. They started to finish the job I started. I hate to think I added to their already busy day.
After lunch we came back and Mihaela had a special treat for the kids. She brought cookies and juice for the kids to sample. She started with the older kids and then came to the non-mobile room. Ion, "little" Andreea, and Cristi were immediate fans of the cookies (mostly the frosting.) She then gave the boys some of the juice. She started with orange juice and Cristi let her know he didn't like it by turning his back to her. Ion loved it, but when she went to put the apple juice in a bottle for him he wouldn't drink it.
For dinner tonight Mihaela invited us to her apartment. Her mom would cook for us. Before we went though Mihaela arranged for Susan to meet up with a girl who was at the clinic when she first started going. Ioanna is in foster care and Mihaela teaches her foster sister. It was nice to see a good result from the clinic, a happy well adjusted girl.
We arrived to Mihaela's apartment- a true communist era apartment. They are small. We sat in the living room around a table set for 10. Mihaela sat on a lazy boy chair. It was very homey. On the table were the most wonderful plums (tasting just like the ones we had last year) and grapes. We sat and Mihaela brought out the Suica- homemade by her uncle. She had 2 different kinds. One in fruit juices- that was supposed to be sweeter. And the pure Suica. She recommended we add the pure Suica to the fruit juice one if it was too sweet. It was not necessary. It was strong enough without adding the other. Her mom brought out the mamaliguita and Romanian meatballs, with the most wonderful tasting tomatoes. We stuffed ourselves on them. And then she asked if we were ready for the next course. Holy Cow! She brought out two roasted chickens and veggies to go with it. And then a wonderful cake for dessert. We had to roll ourselves out the door. We went back to Tutova and prepared ourselves for the reality of the next morning.