We started this day in eager anticipation.  Natasha had told us to be ready by 9am but plan on leaving around 10am- as that was when we could see the judge.  By 9.15 we were sitting in the lounge...and sitting....and sitting...at 11.41 Pam's phone finally rang.  Alec was coming- please hurry to the courthouse.  So we went- and pulled up outside an official looking building (which was NOT the courthouse)- no Natasha.  After a cigarette, Alec called Natasha- only to be informed we were at the wrong building.  We flashed down the roads to what we had come to recognize as the courthouse.  We didn't even get out of the car before Svetlana and Natasha piled in- a quick instruction in Russian from Svetlana to Alec and we were off again....back to the same building we had stopped at earlier.  Natasha told us to wait in the car- so we waited...and waited...and waited.  About 60 minutes went by, when Natasha came out and told us to come in- we were marched past the waiting lines into the office of the Podil Registrar (Ukraine version of a County Clerk).  Pam had not closed the door when Natasha instructed us to go back out the door and wait...and wait... and wait...(30 minutes) Then we were told to go have lunch as the office was now closed (1.20pm).  We walked down to Double Coffee with Natasha, Svetlana and Alec- and at 2pm, Svetlana promptly jumped up and left.  Natasha said she didn't want to keep the Director waiting- so we hurriedly paid the bill and walked back...to  (yes- you guessed it)  WAIT... probably another 20 minutes when Natasha came out to collect Paul-  (leaving Pam to sit with the aggitated masses waiting in the line for another 40 minutes)....Paul was taken to one of the junior clerks who MANUALLY created the documents requesting the birth certificate to be made.  Then the clerk made a copy of Katya's original birth certificate and created her new one (typing with two fingers in Cyrillic on a Western Keyboard!!), while Paul petioned the Director to actually get the new birth certificate.  After reviewing everything, Paul realized that Katya's birthdate was incorrect on the certificate- so they had to start all over again!  The entire group came out, collected Pam and shot off to the next location (for those of you keeping time its now 3pm).  We pulled up to the next location, which we were informed was the Social Security office.  Svetlana jumped out and instructed the rest of us to stay in the car....(this wait was even more painful because Paul, Pam and Natasha were crammed into the backseat of a small Audi 4).. and wait we did- for another 20 minutes...  Svetlana came out, jumped in the car, and we were off again- as Svetlana and Natasha traded documents.  Our next stop was the Passport Office- HURRAY- as we were eager to get out- we were told NO once again and instructed to remain in the car- only this time Natasha took our passports to prove we were actually sitting out in the car...and sitting... and sitting... at 5:20, Natasha almost dropped Pam out onto the street after having napped against the car door.  Given the windows were completely fogged up, the car was freezing cold and both of us had urgent need for a potty break, we were eager to be on our way.  Natasha stated that we could do no more tonight- and to plan on leaving the apartment around 9 tomorrow morning.

What amazed both of us- was it appeared (and was confirmed by Natasha) that most of the offices we went to today, were not receiving people.  Evidently Svetlana, once again, proved her might- by booking appointments with people who were otherwise unavailable!  I would HATE to consider trying to do this independently or even with a less connected facilitator- it would be a nightmare! 

So tomorrow we (Paul, Pam and Natasha) will be going to the Department of Justice while Svetlana goes to the Department of Immigration.  We are due to meet up at the cafe near the orphanage for lunch and then take Katya to the Passport Office to have her biometrics done.  Her first ride in a car since she was an infant- that should be fun!!!  We have the barf bags ready- as we have been informed that most children get carsick on their first couple of rides!~ Stay tuned!