Travels with Tigger

A little over four years ago, I purchased Tigger in order to have some kind of stuffed animal to give my baby when I met him.  When we packed our bags and left the US on November 20th, Tigger was stowed safely in my suitcase as one of the gifts for our son.  We took off from Dulles airport and flew to Atlanta and then to Moscow, arriving in Moscow on the morning of the 21st.  We were picked up and taken to the Novatel where we stayed a few hours and got some much needed sleep and then showered and repacked up and left at 6:00 for the Domodedovo airport, where we met Tamara and Bill Holsinger-Robinson (our partners and lifeline to the US for the next few days) and our over night flight to Krasnoyarsk.  We landed in Krasnoyarsk at 5:30 am and were then taken into the city to a rooming house that had no wi fi and our phones didn't work (passports were taken from us too!).  We were told to sleep and then be ready to be picked up around 11:30 or so.

It was now November 22nd and Thanksgiving Day back at home.  We were in Siberia!  We were taken for a pizza lunch at California Pizza and then off to the Ministry of Education to discuss why we wanted to adopt a child from Russia and to find out anything we could about our baby.  Then. . .

off to the Baby Home we went! 

Our son was brought in. .  .he took one look at us. . .and started crying!  : (  I went over to pick him up and the care taker didn't let him go right away, so I handed him Tigger.  Still crying, but now clutching Tigger, my baby finally relented to being held by me.  Although he remained tearful for a while, he allowed me to feed him and even opened up a lot to play with both me and Pat.  We discovered he liked bubbles and that he was very ticklish.  And, best of all, he called Pat Papa.  And Tigger?  He went with Aidan and I presume stayed with him the entire time after that.

Four months later, we brought Aidan out of the Baby Home and Tigger was still there with him.  A little more worn looking, but still there!

And now, four years later, Tigger has the look of a well loved animal.  He sleeps with Aidan every night and Aidan told me the other day he is glad we'll be home for five days later this week because then Tigger won't fee lonely (Tigger no longer goes to school with Aidan.) 

And, so, here is our friend Tigger who came from Target, went to Atlanta, Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Sosnovoborsk, back to Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Atlanta and has now also been to North Carolina, Virginia Beach, Washington, D. C., Nevada and California!  Travelin' Tigger.  He's awesome!

Happy Birthday Tigger!!!  Four years with our baby boy as his constant companion, confidant and friend!!!