The New Normal

October 26, 2011 by Sarah

Life here has been filled with adjustments to our new normal.  Like waiting weeks and weeks for mail to come, and dropping everything to bask in the wonderment of cardboard and letters from friends (thank you!!).  

This was our first mail delivery since we arrived- it happened three weeks into our time here. Granted, there was some kind of backup and at this point the backed-up boxes are more steady in their arrival since then. We’ve decided that we like everything that comes in a box. No, really. If you are thinking about sending something but not sure if we would like it, need it, want it, whatever let me just put your mind at ease. A package makes us silly with happiness. A package from a loved one is like love in a box.

This next picture is to show you just how crazy the walking situation is here. But, like most things that were unimaginable when we first arrived, we have adapted and now feel pretty confident dodging cars (and billboard trucks, and motorcycles) while walking on the sidewalks or walking in the streets, when said sidewalks are so occupied by cars that we just have to walk around them.  Both the truck and the car in this photo are parked on the sidewalk.

Playing with beads! Before leaving the states I bought each of the kids a surprise game or toy and hid it away in the depths of our luggage so they could have something entertaining for the weeks they’d have to wait until our shipments’ arrival.  Thomas got a new lego kit, Helen got one of those punch-down lions like a giant weeble-wobble and Sadie got a big bucket of cool looking, big-girl pop-together beads.

Turns out the beads have been the most stupendous thing of all. All three of them spend hours playing with these colorful pieces of manna from America. They dump them out in the morning and pick them up at night (usually.) They have made trains. They made a string of beads over 18 feet long, hung it from the upstairs banister and then measured it. Here’s Helen sporting some cool shades the big kids made. The beads provide Helen with something to occupy her hands with during diaper changes.   Sometimes we all wear crowns as we go about the business of house-life and homeschooling. Hip hip hooray for beads!

Playing on the playground. I have to say, since the kids’ visits to the playground have become a regular occurrence, their skills are pretty amazing. Balancing on high, round thingamajigs, summersaulting backwards on the swing and scootering down ramps are just a few of the many pleasures the playground brings. Helen mostly watches in a determined fashion or plays with trucks in the sandbox, or hangs from a monkey bar. Cute little monkey, isn’t she?

Trips to AMAZING places. Here is Sadie at St. Basil’s Cathedral. We can walk there. Need I say more?

Posing for pictures like a good Russian. It was new to me to see Russian men and women posing for their pictures everywhere. Well, not at the grocery store, but for sure at all the tourist-y spots. I mean, fashionista-style posing. The men like to wear a tough, I-will-not-smile-no-matter-what-and-you-can’t-make-ME-say-cheese-like-some-cheesy-Americanyetz. The women are more artistic and free; they might throw their scarf into the air above them, or stick their booty out while blowing a kiss or perhaps they’ll just try their best to look sultry (ok, they are good at that….me, not so much). I’m hoping the kids and I will be master posers by the time we leave here. And as for Travis, well, I hold little hope of him mastering the Russian Stare, but he’s surprised me more than once in this life.

Thomas practicing his peek from behind the tree pose.

Singing again!

October 1, 2011 by Sarah

Most of you know that I attended and graduated from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, or HSPVA, and that my art area was vocal. I loved my friends there, I loved singing there, and the quality of the instruction was superb. But after high school I got married, moved around the world, then came back to Houston and settled down for a bit. In all that time I mostly only sang at church, and we only did a few productions.

Anyway, here at the embassy I noticed a flyer on one of the bulletin boards announcing that the Moscow Oratorio Society was wanting more singers to join them. I could hardly contain my excitement and emailed the woman about the whole deal. They will be performing Handel’s Messiah (or most of it) for their Christmas concert, so yay! a work I know. And Helen is finally old enough that I can be gone for long enough to attend rehearsals. Yes, she is still breastfed (you’re not surprised, are you?) and likes mama’s milk before beddy-by. And during the day, all day….

Anyway.

The stars are all in alignment and I get to sing again! With some volunteers and some professionals! With an orchestra! I am giddy, y’all!

Ha-le-lu-jah!
Ha-le-lu-jah!
etc.

This big city is really starting to click as “home” for us. Thomas and Sadie are both now taking ballet from the professional Russians that come to the embassy for classes. Hopefully Thomas and Travis will be able to find a coach for fencing soon. I’m figuring out the grocery shopping thing. We got our UAB.  That’s Unaccompanied Air Baggage, which sounds like it takes a plane without us, but for all the time it took to get here, it could have gone by boat, for all I know.

I know, WE GOT OUR UAB!!!! You’re right, that does deserve its own bloggie post, but it will have to wait. The highlights are: we have more than 6 plates and 6 bowls, we can cook stuff in the oven now that a couple of bakeware pieces are here, Helen gets to wear a disposable diaper at night, and the kids have some toys. Oh, also our school stuff that we need for right now is here, which means we might get into some kind of routine.That would be GOOD.

Back to things that are clicking.

I can go work out in the mornings. (Can, not that I always do).  I get to see Travis for a coffee break most afternoons. And now, I get to sing.

I get to
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Oh, man, I hope I can still do it.

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