Saschoi is slowly revealing who she really is. Today, we put puzzles together, had tea parties with stuffed animals and her Kukla(doll). We played chase, and watched her go down the indoor play-castle slide. I would tickle her when she met me at the bottom. Anything you could do, to receive a coo :) The caregivers along with our translator, are preparing her for the change a little bit more each day. She freezes up every time something  is spoken of her new journey. I promptly redirect this effect now, and try to be quick witted about doing fun activities together. It helps the mood get more cheerful. The communication barrier started to crack as she responded to my simple spoken phrases in Russian this evening. It ended on a bittersweet note when she felt sad about us leaving.  Tomorrow will mark one week since we have met.

~Sammy