Mike 'n Ice..

I've never been a fan of fur, but today, I would have loved one of these!

Hey, wait for me!

Little girl on one of the smaller slides.

Waiting 'til the path is clear.

Racing to the steps of the slide - Harry DID have a bit of a head start.

The maze.
Ice Cubes anyone? Got a pair of them right here.

Harry may look brave, but the big one was a bit scary for him.

The Kings of the Castle...

2009. OUR year!

Tandem...sorta kinda

With Mike leaving in the morning, I’ve tried to do some preparations in the way of making mealtime easy, reducing the need to run out to the corner store for small things (in –30 weather, 2 boys in tow), & keeping the boys occupied with different activities (life in a one-bedroom apartment in a foreign country poses major hurdles). As I had mentioned yesterday, Irina & Vova were nice enough to take me to Bce Byet OK Grocery Store (translated means: Everything is OK) to stock up on things like bottled water (we use a 5-liter bottle water a day, minimum), pasta products (they love mac ‘n cheese, spaghetti, etc.) juices (again, between the two of them they drink a 2-liter carton a day!) dish & laundry products, canned goods, fresh fruit & veggies, and freezable or freezer items like pelmeni, varenike (for the Polish people out there – and I know you’re out there – they are like pierogi), chicken patties/nuggets, and of course, ice cream. We’ve had some delicious meals here – experimenting much more than we ever had, but with just the two boys and myself to worry about – meals will be much simpler. This morning after breakfast I precooked some of the meats I bought and divided them into smaller portions. I’ve got freezer bags with cooked chicken and beef, as well as some pasta sauce with meatballs.

The boys were being brothers this morning, alternating periods where they got along great to arguing over control over the television. Nothing major, and they’re quickly learning it’s better to work it out themselves rather than come to us complaining, since, this will usually result in more than they bargained for J After a quick lunch we bundled up and headed to Lenin Square to let the boys play on the Ice Slides. We didn’t tell then where we were going, just told them we were taking the “Tram-vi” (Trolley). They were happy when they saw where we were going! I loved the It was, however, FREEZING! I loved the "2009" sculpture, and tried to get a picture of the boys poking their heads out, but between the cold, the wind, and the fact that it's impossible to get them BOTH to look at the camera at once, I had to settle for one that isn't great. Oh well! Besides the four or five slides and the 2009, there were things like a castle, Father Frost & the Snowmaiden, and even an ice maze. Just big enough for their age range.

The Square is wide open, and the wind just whips through it. While they were playing the boys didn’t seem to notice the cold, but after Mike & I couldn’t take it anymore, we herded the toward the street so we could find a Café to go warm up. The walk to the Café was even worse, as there was really no sun, and we were walking into the wind, which at times, would blow snow off the roofs, and we’d get pelted with it. It was so fierce Harry started to panic and cry, but once we found the Café and got inside, he was fine. Mike & I had tea and the boys wanted Coke – of course. (Returning home and adjusting to “normal” boundaries (which don’t include Coke every day!) is going to be rough on these two, but for now, they both deserve a little indulgence. About that time I was needing a snack, bu the only thing we recognized behind the counter was Lays Chips. No plain ones of course, but we decided to be brave and try the kind they did have; Bacon. They were actually VERY GOOD! I will definitely buy some in the supermarket! Not an overwhelming flavor – just enough to let you know you’re eating something other than the regular chips. The Café faced a little kiosk with gloves, mittens, leggings, socks, and pajamas. Since Harry’s gloves were soaked, and the spares I brought here with me were rendered useless yesterday when the zipper broke, so I ventured over the kiosk and bought him a very thick pair of knit mittens. 50 rubles – about $1.65! Now warmed up, we decided to return to the Square and let them slide some more. With Mike gone, and Irina back to her normal routine (her full-time job & her family) I won’t get many opportunities to bring them to many “fun” places. The walk back to the square wasn’t bad since the wind was at our backs, and the boys had another 30 minutes or so of fun before the adults started to get cold again. The walk back to the trolley stop was again brutal. Wind & pelting snow most of the way made it impossible to even see more than 5 feet in front of us! We were very happy to be back inside the warm trolley, and made our way back here to the apartment. Harry, who is settling in nicely, sang all the way home, again. He hums to himself, and sometimes sings little songs. Haven’t a clue WHAT he’s singing about, but I can tell you, it’s a happy tune!

We’ve just finished dinner – spaghetti & meatballs, and now Mike is gonna play a game of pool with them. Harry’s first! Skip is learning and is funny enough to watch, so this outta be good! Irina will be stopping by to pick something up and to explain to Harry that Mike will be gone in the morning. Not sure how that will play out in the days that follow, but... Other than that we’re just lying low for the rest of the night.

We waited song long to adopt Harry, and it seems very unfair that Mike can’t stay here with us until Harry is cleared to leave. We’ve often said that the 3 weeks we had with Skip following his adoption was the best bonding time imaginable. Depriving Harry of that same experience is disappointing, but, there simply isn’t any other way. 4 years of dossier revisions, 5 trips here, and the unending legal bills, coupled with more five weeks unpaid leave last fall all add up to the same thing – money – or the lack thereof! But we have come to terms with that, and as is our usual practice, we adapt. We will miss her terribly, but we’ll find ways to make up for it once we are all home.

As for the rest of the night, once the boys get to sleep (Harry again struggled to fall asleep last night, so…)we’ll finish getting Mike packed since his flight leaves very early in the morning. As frustrating as these last two visits here have been, I know Mike is sad to be leaving. The good thing is, he knows next time this family returns, it will be simply to visit our friends, the Balashovas!