Friday - Court Day

We called the front desk for a wake up call at 6 but both woke up before then.
We both got dressed in our nice court clothes and were finishing up our speeches when Marina collected us for breakfast.
Andrei went and hung out with the other family and we went to the courthouse.
Court started at ten and the judge was a little late. In the room was us, the translator, the inspector, the orphanage director, the prosecutor, and the court reporter who wrote everything out by hand.
First the judge went over all the rules, saying we had access to the notes later if we wanted, she had everyone introduce ourselves, she looked over our passports, and then we got on with the case.
Brent volunteered to give his speech and Song first, and he did very well.
Then everyone had opportunity to ask him questions. They mostly asked about our unusual housing situation (since we rent from the church) but they also asked about how we’re going to school him, how Brent will make time for him and work, if we can afford to raise him, how we’re going to discipline, and more things I don’t remember.
When he was done I made my speech which was significantly shorter since I didn’t have to repeat everything Brent had said and then I had to do the Song too. Everyone got to ask me questions which mostly was the prosecutor asking me how I was going to manage not to kill him. (she was citing cases in America when the mothers have PPD or something and injure their kids). The judge asked me a lot of questions about if and how I was going to keep his Russian heritage. But my question part was much shorter than Brent’s too, thank heavens.
Then the orphanage director gave her speech and she talked about Andrei’s history and how there was no family to claim him. She also spoke about his trip to visit us and how he enjoyed it and did well in our family. She told us that Andrei was baptized in the Russian Orthodox church. Then she was done.
At noon we had a lunch break and all met Marina at a nearby cafe until 1:30.
When we got back it was the inspectors turn. She gave Andrei’s family history again, and then went on to talk about what she had observed from spending time with us. She said that it was obvious that Andrei had already ‘claimed’ us - especially Brent. She said when we got to the hotel the first time, Andrei was sad because he thought we were going right to America, but when he found out that he got to stay with us, he was okay with it. She then said that Andrei had been waiting a very long time for a family and she thought that we were the family he had dreamed of. It was very affirming, especially after lunch the day before.
After that we had a 15 minute break but the translator said she didn’t know why.
Then the judge came back and the prosecutor spoke. She talked about how Andrei was legally on the database as an orphan and had been for the required amount of time, and all of his family history yet again.
After that we gave our closing statements which for us was the Song again. The inspector and director both recommended us, and the prosecutor said we fulfilled all the legal requirements of becoming adoptive parents, but she did not support waiving the ten days.
Then another break - when the judge could decide her ruling.
The judge came back about an hour later and read a sheet summarizing the entire case, and ended with saying that she granted us legal parental rights, change his name to Andrei Rockwell Homer, change his birth place, but leave his birth date the same, and not waive our ten days wait.
We were done at about 4:30.
We went back to the hotel and ate a quick snack and celebrated some - only once though - I couldn’t handle three times.
Then we packed and were back on the train by 6 PM. Andrei said goodbye to his orphanage director (and mother for the past 4 years) and left Chuvashia forever.