Real Gotcha

Now, I know you're probably just getting up if you're reading this. Technically I should have had something posted long ago, but we were not even remotely prepared for our Gotcha experience. Now, I knew that there was a very good chance that she was going to have a hard time with today. Let's just say I might have underestimated "how" hard of a time she would have. The orphange director literally "pushed" her in the door screaming and she was even trying to run back outside. She screamed for I don't know how long; screamed and cried and shook her head. She had brought a book along from her foster parents with their names and phone numbers in it. All she kept saying to the director is that she wanted to call them and I think she told him she wanted to go home. When he told her we were her mama and papa now she shook her head, cried, screamed, etc. She wouldn't let any of us touch her. Finally, after the director sat and tried to reason with her, she and Harley got to goofing around with the doll we had just bought for her. We picked it up just outside the Wal-Mart in a little shop. It was a soft doll and what happened was that when we tried to give it to her she threw it. Well, Harley picked it up and threw it right back at her! :) Let the games begin. It became this throwing, roughing around match and she actually let us all touch her at least a little bit. You'll see in one shot she's biting the doll's foot and tackling Hayden. Now, it was no easy task to leave and she was not wild about me sitting next to her on the bus. All the way back to the hotel she cried and said she wanted her mama and papa. For those that may not be aware, she was in foster care for four years with the same family. She kept telling the driver and Grace, our guide, that she wanted her mama. Grace and the driver both told her I was her "better" mama (this is how they translated to me) and she told them, "no!". She cried for two hours straight. She was still crying at the hotel room. We all just sat on the floor and she cried, and cried, and cried, and cried. She finally let me console her and hug her, but she kept begging to call her mama and papa. It was very heartbreaking. We tried everything, and I mean EVERYTHING we brought to console her. FINALLY (thank you Diane & Paige) she got interested in the communication book we brought along. Now, she didn't really want to communicate, but she DID want to take all of the cards off and put them on the velcro strips in the back. Then she would take them from there and replace them to their places and then start on another page, etc., etc., etc. I think she did every page in the book. Then on to coloring, poly pockets, leap frog, & beading (she loved that Diane). Then she just kind of skipped from one activity to another. No more crying, at least not for today. Or not now anyway. It's getting close to bathtime, bedtime, etc. and I'm not real sure how it's all going to go but I'll sure let you know tomorrow. Oh, did I mention that by the end of this she had called Kevin "papa" and me "mama" several times quite clearly and specifically? Well, this has been one exhausting day! More posting tomorrow. Oh, by the way, I did not take any pictures of the yucky times, just the good ones. :)