A new beginning

Oh what a day! It started pretty early with cleaning, buying kitchen lights, putting tables together, directing as the couches were delivered, and so on. Then at 1:00 it was time to go get kids. Bruce and Trian (our sofer...driver...I for some reason only know how to spell that word in Romanian) went to Ludus to get Zoro (11) and Claudiu (12) and to explain to the rest of the kids who are supposed to be coming what is going on and why they can't come now. Nicu and Tina went to get Elis (14) from her house here in town.
Elena (our house administrator), Ella and I (along with 2 american men who are helping with construction right now) went to get the Kalanyos children from their home in a village. We pulled up and they all walked out onto the little dirt road to watch us walk up to the house. It was a fun hour as we waited for Ella and Simona (15 and the oldest sibling in our care) to go find Daniel (8) who was with his older brother tending sheep. We took pictures, and they whole family loved seeing the immediate digital picture. We played and joked and just talked about life. Claudia (7) was attached to me as we are good friends from the preschool program from Ludus. Maria (13) and Cornel (11) seemed ready to go. It was bittersweet when we finally left, waving until they were out of sight.
On our way back into town we stopped at Selgros to buy clothes for these 5 kids. How fun (and expensive) to get everything from underwear to tennis shoes. We just got enough to wear for the next couple days and will go elsewhere tomorrow and this week. After our shopping spree we went to the office to take showers...Ella said she had to scrub the dirt off of Claudia. We arrived "home" at 7:00, greeted by Bruce and all the other kids, as well as all the moms and tutors. We ate pizza, prajitura (dessert) and partied until 8:30. After people started clearing out, we sat down to have a meeting with all the kids and to pray. Kelly and I stayed to help the 2 night moms get kids ready for bed and in bed. I am praying right now that they are staying in bed.
Phew! It's just beginning and I am already tired. School starts Monday and we still have a house to finish and 12 children to bring home sometime soon after that.