Round The World With Us

Life At Maria Theresa

Blog entry created by: Meagan

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One of the things I’ve missed the most since I’ve been gone is my siblings. I (surprisingly) miss watching “the Littles” (my 3 youngest siblings) a few times a week while Mom was at work. I miss the little things, like listening to Lizzie read, helping Boris when he wants new batteries in his toys, playing Sam’s favorite song (Chicken Fried by The Zac Brown Band) for him while we drive home from daycare. I miss the silly things Courtney would say when you asked her to do her chores. I miss sharing a room, clothes, and gossip with my sister Alex. That all being said, I was thrilled to be coming to the Maria Theresa Orphanage in Bulgaria, where I would once again be surrounded by children. I feel right at home when kids are involved, the more the merrier!

Most people consider my house to be pretty chaotic. After all, 6 kids are quite a few! But being at the Maria Theresa Orphanage makes my house look tame. Even with my considerably large family, I couldn’t even fathom living with 60+ other kids. After the initial shock that comes with being bombarded by dozens of children, all speaking excitedly in a language you don’t understand, I’ve begun to feel right at home!

As you can probably imagine, there is a considerable amount of coordination and planning involved in order to keep everything running smoothly. Just like at my own home, there’s a schedule that’s kept in order to prevent too much chaos from ensuing. The schedule goes as following:

6:30am Wake up. Get ready for school.

7:00am Breakfast. Not everyone can fit in the dining room at once, so everyone gets in and out really quickly.

7:30-8:00am Go to school. The older kids take public transportation to school, while the younger ones walk (in groups)

8:00-12:00pm School (if you’re on the morning shift)

12:00pm Lunch. The schools don’t provide lunch, so the kids all come home for lunch.

12:30pm Back to school for some kids. Others stay and play.

2:00-4:00pm Homework/relaxation time. Everyone stays in their rooms for these 2 hours.

4:00pm Snack

4:00-7:00pm Play time! Best part of the day Soccer (futbol) is a popular pastime for everyone, especially the older boys. The younger kids like to swing, play with bubbles, toss and kick balls around, or just chase each other around.

7:00pm Dinner. The younger kids usually eat first, and then the older kids.

8:00pm Unless your name is signed on the “going out” list, it’s time to be inside the home.

9:00pm Be in your room.

10:00pm Bedtime. And time for those who went out to be home.

The schedule varies on the weekend, but this gives you a good overview of day to day life at Maria Theresa. It definitely takes work, but everyone does their share and makes it work extremely well. It really is like any other home, and I loved being there and being a part of it.