May 18, 2006

• It's here!  The June '06 Good Housekeeping story of Dmitry's friends' adoption has finally hit the newstand.  

  That's the good news.

  The bad news is, the cover features Tom Cruise. 

  Nothing like deliberately picking up a copy of a magazine with Tacky Tom on the cover.  Where are brown paper wrappers when you need them?

  However, I steeled myself and made the purchase.  The article's pretty good, being mostly fact spiced with sufficient fiction to irritate the heck out of those who lived through the events, either in the first person (the Waybourns) or the third person (us).  According to the way the story was written, poor Dan sat all alone and lonely until his brothers arrived.

  Hmmmmm.  And here I seem to recall Dan spending a fair chunk of time with us as he and Dmitry hung out and played video games, fed the ducks and squirrels in the park, went swimming at the "Y" and Rivercrest, went to movies, museums and even riding go-karts once, etc.  Wednesday was usually what we called a "Kirill day", so his mother could work undisturbed on her master's degree.

  Dmitry would like to reassure everyone the bit about sometimes there was only three bowls of oatmeal being the food at the orphanage was a complete fabrication.  (Laura said it annoyed her boys, too, as they never claimed that.)  Fair's fair....the kids at the Shumerly children's home (their preferred term, as few of the kids are actually orphans, Dmitry being an exception) hardly lived in the lap of luxury, but they ate better'n that. 

  As Laura said, there were various items in the article that weren't exactly accurate.  An inaccurate magazine article?  Who'd have thought it?

  I loved the photos, but it's amazing to think it took the GH photographer six solid hours of taking pictures to capture them.  I remember when I heard about it, his mother said Dan's smile had shut down about an hour before the end.  And who shall blame him?

  Still, the story provides the flavor of that time, and if it softens someone's heart regarding adopting from Russia (or Ukraine, Khazakstan, etc.) that's all that matters, says the Waybourns.  From their mouths to God's ear!

  • 5:05 pm
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