[manatus]

After getting back answers to our questions (all good news) we decided to accept our referral for three beautiful girls. We don't know exactly when we will be traveling yet but we do know it will be COLD (Brrrr). We will be traveling to Wroclaw - and expect it will be in early to mid January. Anyone else traveled to that region and have any advise - where to stay, etc? We have some questions (well lots and lots of questions but will start with these)

• Was there anything you didn't bring with you and wished you had?
• For those whose kids were with Foster Families - did you bring gifts for the other foster kids in their care (in addition to the Foster parents) when you went to meet the kids?
• Did you try to keep the kids on the schedule they were used to (bed time, bath time, meal times, etc) during the bonding period?
• What activities for worked best for older (8-9-10) year old girls?
• Will we need to bring everything for the girls on the first trip - clothes, winter coats, etc?
• What did you bring vs buy in Poland (clothes, toys, etc)?
• When and how much of the kids files (report cards, medical files, etc) will we get?

Any posts or pms would be very much appreciated! We are so nervous and excited neither DH or I can sleep! Early on we were given some good advice about keeping an open mind and heart. Thats such good advice for those still waiting. Something about these girls just spoke to us. The adventure finally begins!

[hanula]

Congratulations!!!!

[hybell]

Congratulations!!! Our son was in an orphanage in Warsaw, so our experience was probably pretty different.

If anything, I wish I had brought LESS and bought more during our first trip in Warsaw. Toys, clothes, food - pretty much everything was up to US standards, but slightly cheaper. The less you have to pack and carry, the better. Definitely ask the foster family what schedule the girls are on, what foods they prefer/ dislike, how much and how often the eat (snacks, meals). Keep as much on that schedule as possible. Even older kids' systems go haywire with all of the excitement and stress.

Our son came with a bag of clothes, but very few toys when we stayed with him on the first trip. We didn't have much as far as written records on the first trip (we received them on the 2nd trip, after court) but his caseworker was happy to share information verbally.

[yusen]

Yeah Congratulations

1..For us,, We spent almost 1 month for Bonding,, we wished we would have brought. Pull-ups, and a stroller.

2..We did not bring any toys for the other Foster Children.

3..After your Girls are with you for a while,, you will know what type of schedule to hold,, Try to make a schedule that will work for them once they are in your Home,, If you change how you are to appease them now,, they may get used to you one way ans then find out you are Different once at home,,

4..Activities to bring would be Uno,Light up Yoyos,,anything that once they can figure what it is out,, and it Lights up or makes any type of Music,, they wil be thrilled. Old Maid, Checkers, Twister is a good idea, and easy to pack,, and play as a family.

5..As far as our first trip ,, we brought something from our Home-town,,sports team. We didnt have to bring too much,, we knew where we were going,, and that it was a good idea to bring Undergarments along with us...

6.. We brought small items, Dolls,, coloring books ( they werent interested),, Puzzles are great, and small Decks of cards,, We travel to the Baltic Sea, and there were many things we needed for the Beach that we bought there. Plus items the Children would notice,,Be careful,, not to buy everything the wish for,,.

7.. We were given all the Medical reports, to carry with us, since we were at Bonding nearly a Month. We were given paperwork of Temporary Custody also.
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Once Again Wonderful News..
Waiting to hear more

[Jasiu]

Congratulations! What wonderful news! Wroclaw is a beautiful city with lots to do, so if you are in the city, there should be plenty to do. LisArno adopted from there so you will surely get lots of information from her on hotels, etc.

• Was there anything you didn't bring with you and wished you had?

Not really, except for Pullups for the 4 yr old, but we eventually found them in Poland as well.

• For those whose kids were with Foster Families - did you bring gifts for the other foster kids in their care (in addition to the Foster parents) when you went to meet the kids?

Our kids were at the orhpanage, but we were always told that the best thing to get is candy for all the kids. This should be easier with kids in a foster home, so just get American candy, they will love it.

• Did you try to keep the kids on the schedule they were used to (bed time, bath time, meal times, etc) during the bonding period?

Not really, but our kids (4 and 8) did have a set bed time schedule that was difficult to overcome, such as getting up at 6a. As far as meals, we did our own thing. We stayed at an apartment so we cooked quite a bit (simple things, such as spaghetti, scrambled eggs, etc.). The 4 yr old loves to bathe so we did that every night (we found out she likes lots of bubbles, toys, etc. in her bath). The 8 yr old was made to have baths every other day at least (but he tried to get out of that!). Our advice, do your own thing, for the kids it will be an adventure and keeping the schedule is not the most important thing.

• What activities for worked best for older (8-9-10) year old girls?

For our 8 yr old (though he is a boy), drawing so get crayons, paper, etc. We enjoyed playing Uno together as well.

• Will we need to bring everything for the girls on the first trip - clothes, winter coats, etc?

We got lots of clothes from the orphanage (but this seems unusual), but on the first trip we brought just a few things, they should have their own for now. Ask about the pick up trip, whether you need to bring everything.

• What did you bring vs buy in Poland (clothes, toys, etc)?

We bought whatever we needed there, including an umbrella stroller. We share the sentiments of hybell.

• When and how much of the kids files (report cards, medical files, etc) will we get?

We got absolutely everything: immunization records, school records, medical books, everything (except for baptismal records, which are either missing or kids have not been baptised which is just fine as it will be easier to have the record in the new name anyway)/

Good luck, and write more about the girls if you can!

[lastpaige]

So excited for you and yours. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. We'll be praying for safe travels, smooth transitions, and open hearts!

[manatus]

I would love to write more about the girls but am afraid to say too much yet. They are ages 5, 6.5, and 9, healthy, and doing well developmentally. And they are absolutely adorable - not that we are biased - lol . You can bet I will be posting pics as soon as we can!

[LisArno]

Congratulations!!!

I'll post my "words of wisdom" this weekend, as well as what we did in Wroclaw. How close to the city are your children (if I remember correctly, they are not in the city itself).

[mschaefer]

Fantastic news!
Can't wait to hear more -- what great news to make the holiday season that much more exciting.

[Jasiu]

I remember that recently we were also uncomfortable to share too much. It is completely understandable. We will wait to hear more later. For now, remember, all the kids from Poland (and other places) are beautiful and it is easy to focus on that. This reminds me that it is really important to ask your facilitator/the foster parents about their personalities and likes/dislikes and quirks. We have learned a lot from the caretakers and it helped us not to be deceived by some behaviors and react appropriately. For example, our daughter can be very difficult to dress as she has clear preferences in this area (which may change daily). She can very skillfully insist on her preference, and her caretakers at the orphanage would eventually let her wear whatever she wanted. We have worked very hard at limiting her choices (part of trying to get her used to rules and parental authority). The information from caretakers was very important in the case of this and other behaviors in both of our children. Ask as much as possible!

Originally Posted by manatus

I would love to write more about the girls but am afraid to say too much yet. They are ages 5, 6.5, and 9, healthy, and doing well developmentally. And they are absolutely adorable - not that we are biased - lol . You can bet I will be posting pics as soon as we can!

[manatus]

So true - as soon as we decided we sent a pretty long list of questions to foster mom about likes and dislikes, favorite activities, fav foods, what their daily routines was, bedtime routine, favorite colors, etc. When ever we have the opportunity for questions we have gone for it asking everything we thought of. We were lucky in getting pretty good answers (more than just yes/no) to our first round of questions (before accepting) and hope to get as much detail from the foster mom. BUT getting dressed wasn't one of them - so add one to the list for the trip!! We also plan to limit choices in the beginning for exactly the reasons stated.

Thanks

[LisArno]

My thoughts:

1. How much you bring depends on where you will be and what you will have access to. We brought almost everything we thought we would need and paid a huge excess baggage fee (allowances w/in Europe is much less than U.S. to Europe), though we still didn't take much! We bought a few more games and toys while there once we found out more of what they liked.
2. If you choose to buy most items (clothes or toys for the girls) there, I suggest bringing enough to get you through the first 4-5 days. We had 4 or 5 outfits for the kids but then didn't need them since we didn't have any overnights with the two youngest and only the last four overnights with our oldest. Yusen had suggested basic "medical supplies", so we brought band-aids, antibiotic ointment, children's pain relief, cough medicine,... We didn't use it, but it was a good idea to have it along. Hand wipes or sanitizer also comes in handy, as does individual wipes for stains.
3. Our ten year old enjoyed: Uno, checkers, games similar to "Sorry", Polly Pocket, cutting/gluing construction paper (she made hearts and family pictures), plain paper and colored pencils (more hearts/family), clay (she made it into the food we ordered from our Polish dictionary and then she played waitress), paint with water books but not coloring books, movies at the theater, indoor playground a few times, arcade games, walking through the Market Square especially when there were street performers (summer!), the zoo twice, taking pictures with my digital camera (we had to "fight" for it), helping at the stores such as when bagging/weighing fruits, listening to books read in English.
4. We brought small gifts for the other children in the foster home and also a few of the chocolate "Children's Eggs" w/ little toys inside. We gave them to the foster mom the last day we were there. On our return trip, we gave a card and cash "thank you" to the foster mom/dad.
5. We bought fruit and fruit juice while there for snacks. Our kids really liked bananas, apples, and plums. We stayed away from candy, though being summer and finding a great "lody" shop, we had ice cream a little too much. We had "travel cups" for our youngest two and took them wherever we went so they had appropriate drinks rather than soda.
6. Our first day at the orphanage we asked about our children's likes/dislikes, bath vs. shower, bedtime routine, and so on. We were told to "Do whatever you want". I agree with Yusen to start getting the girls used to what will happen once they are home. It will be less of a shock for them once they are home with you. For the same reason, I would also introduce some foods they might not eat too much of now, but will get more often once home.
7. Expect the same behavior in Poland what you will expect at home. We started setting limits the first day. Don't be afraid to tell them "no", such as when they ask for things while shopping/restaurants or when they behave inappropriately. Limit their choices - "Do you want this or that?"
8. Before returning our children to their homes each day we read the same book to them ("Hugs"). When we returned to get the children, our oldest said that was one of her favorite things!
9. Remember that the answers you get to your questions will be based on what the orphanage/foster family exposed your girls to. Once they see more of "the world", their likes/dislikes might change.
10. Each child is an individual! I had read a few "what we brought/did" lists before leaving and then realized our kids don't like this and won't eat/drink that.

Best wishes!

[LisArno]

A few more thoughts...

I packed a couple of small plastic storage boxes in each of our suitcases. I used them for medical supplies, scissors/glue/pencils, hair accessories, small personal items,... We didn't have any drawers in our hotel room, so this helped with organization.

I also had a few file folders - one for credit card receipts/adoption expenses, another for other papers I collected while there (maps, brochures, ...), and I ended up keeping some of the kids' artwork in another.

Our girls enjoyed things for their hair, and they also styled each others and tried to do mine (very short).

[momraine]

We used a lot of zip lock bags. I brought a lot of toys, some things for him to play with alone and some for us to play together, he loved uno and some of the little board games, connect four and such. I took them out of boxes and used zip lock bags for easier packing. One small thing that would have been a comfort thing for me would have been some cotton sheets. I brought some clothes, and they gave me some. He didn't have any pajamas that fit. We were able to buy almost anything in Warsaw and even in the small towns we could find a lot of stuff.

[gaudi]

Hi, there,
I've been living in Wroclaw for five months. I adopted a little girl from Kazakhstan three months ago and that's why I'm in the forum.
The weather is cold here but not as cold as other years, I've been told. It hasn't even started snowing yet. It might start any time but we can be in touch and I can tell you what the weather is really like before you travel. It's around 8 degrees Celsius at present. And as far as finding things here, there's everything available. Everything. We missed some things in Kaz but not here. This city is very modern and advanced. We don't miss anything. There are big shopping centers all over town.
Connections are quite easy. You can use the bus or the tram and Wroclaw is quite safe. I also have an 11 year old daughter and we go together everywhere without any problems.
Polish people really love children and treat them quite well. I still don't know much about foster homes here. I was just asking about orphanages last week because I wanted to try and help a bit. I got a list of them yesterday and will ask to visit some and be allowed to help.
Do you have any specific questions about Wroclaw?