Zero energy for a creative title! Time is like on roller skates or something, cuz I am seriously doubting the calendar right now. Almost April?! No way. And my blogging goal has been low on the totem pole…
But yeah, way. Here we are. These two generally-happy-busy babes are just growing way faster than I can say happy spring winter!
In case you were wondering, there is still plenty of snow over here (wish I could send some of it home!!). We’ve had a few teases of lovely warm days where things really started to melt. Then everything turns pretty slushy yucky and you have to convince your three old that dirty gray snow is not okay to eat. (I think she’s already afraid of yellow snow, thank goodness that sunk in. haha.)
We love going on walks around the neighborhood in the afternoons. They (meaning the compound employees) work very hard to keep the sidewalks super clear, which is super nice. I think I’d go crazy shoveling snow and chopping ice all the live-long day!
A few weeks ago we took Hannah snow shoeing for the first time. She was less than thrilled. I think everyone could hear her screaming. Poor thing. I’m still not sure what was so traumatizing! This path is just across the street from our house.
Then another few weeks ago, Jake and I managed to slip away to the slopes. After dusting my snowboard off so to speak, I had a good few runs without falling. Haha! It was great. The mountain here is just 20 minutes from us and not very big. We were home in time for naps.
K, I had to take a picture of this. Who has used or heard of a T-bar lift? Because it was SUPER hard and totally embarrassing. I almost fell over on my face twice and made all the 50 Russians in line behind me mad and ramble some wonderful sounding words. I’m real glad I couldn’t understand and just stared blankly at them. Whaa? Russians like to cut in front of you anyway, so they were happy to leave me behind while I got up my courage to try for the third time and WHEW. I did it. But I’m still having nightsweats at the thought of doing it again! Heh.
Things were really melting for a while it seemed, but we just had a great long snow storm on Tuesday–it didn’t stop snowing or blowing all day. It made for a slow morning for the buses the next day so Jake didn’t have to leave until after the kids woke up! Eli obviously wanted to go with him. He has turned into quite the Daddy’s boy!
Here’s a random picture of how we stay in style and keep our wet, slushy boots from getting the floors all dirty in various public places. Kind of like a shower cap, except for your feet of course. Nice, eh?
Other major, important, big deals that have happened around here is Hannah potty training and starting school!! We hit potty training head on for few weeks and bam bam, she was ready. (What a night and day difference from last summer.) Not entirely accident free but she’s doing awesome.
So, my big girl started attending the International School of Sakhalin Nursery’s class (like preschool). She goes every day and loves it!
How did she get this big? *sob*
The layering was is a bit of an adjustment. Oh snow pants how we love you and the pure frustration and screaming you can cause! Not to mention those stinkin’ mittens when you can’t find your thumb! Waahhhh. School sure does wear her out, though!
I’ve got a carpooling system worked with two other moms & their two sweet kiddos and it is working great so far.
Well, let’s talk about the transportation around here! Driving myself around this part of Russia would send me to an early grave or at least give me an ulcer no doubt, thankfully I don’t have to (it’s not allowed for any of us “expats”). Russian-employees of the company get to do all the driving.
So. If you want to go somewhere, you call “dispatch” and schedule a car, tell them where you want to go, how many are going, how long you will be, etc. I’ve learned it is best to call hours in advance, or even the day before. Also, if you want the driver to wait for you while you run into the store, for example, or leave a car seat in the car, or something, you set all that in place before with dispatch. And then if you are out and about and need to go some place you did not request prior, you gotta call the dispatch folks again and they will tell the driver and hopefully it will work. (Have I lost ya, yet?) I haven’t had too many problems, thankfully. I was super intimidated about the whole thing at first for some reason, but I think we’ve gotten used to it.
I have learned a few things.
Hannah’s car seat is a TANK. I appreciate the safety aspects of Diono car seats, and how compact it can be but it is NOT ideal for lugging in and out and in and out and in and out all.the.time!
Be flexible. Sometimes you can’t always get a car when you need to (but this hasn’t been too bad for me either).
Don’t worry about making small talk with the drivers because oh yeah, I can’t. I don’t speak Russian. And they don’t small talk anyway. I’ve got my few Russian words that are necessary. Hello. Ready. Let’s go! Please wait. Good bye. Thank you! (Though I am trying to learn more.)
Sorry I’m lazy and will fix the size/placing of pics later. That’s I have energy for right now, peeps. Stayed tuned though, I promise I will post again soon.. I have oodles of pictures y’all are dying to see I’m sure.
Peace out!
cactus in bloom 