Cheaper by the Dozen

We had grand plans for today! We were going to hit the Iceberg and buy some more groceries. Water, Milk, perhaps even score some more Coke Light! (Even though I still have the 10 I bought on Friday.) Then we were going to venture the other direction and go to a restaurant that has menus in both English and Russian so we might be able to do it by ourselves! We were prepped, we were ready. We did not go.

I got an email from Masha with a ‘warning’. She said it was very windy (which we could tell by listening to the howling outside and watching the big trees bending in the wind!) What clinched it for us though was when she said SHE was staying inside today and not going anywhere, even though that makes her a little stir crazy not to get out. If she wasn’t going to brave the wind and cold enough and was going to stay put, we were too! We are wimps and not about to brave something a local didn’t want to. J So, we will go to the store tomorrow and try the restaurant another time. Maybe spring. I was going to post a picture showing you the weather, but it’s hard to photograph wind…

I don’t think I’ve talked about the markets here. Not the grocery store, that is similar to home in that you shop the isles choosing what you want. But the market is different than what I’ve experienced before. You tell the vendor you want oranges, say. Now, I say I want 4. Or 6. But typically, you would say you want a kilo of oranges. Well not knowing how many that would get me, I prefer to count mine out… but not only do you say that, but they choose them and bag them up for you. We have bought oranges, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, cabbage, bananas, and an immense beet. I should have taken a picture of that! It was huge. No one seems to mind when I order say 4 oranges, it’s just not the local way, typically. I know we do that in a deli, for example, asking for a pound of Ham or a half pound of Provolone cheese, but I’ve never done it with fruits and veggies before. Interesting.

Another interesting thing to me is that they sell eggs in lots of 10. Not a dozen. 10. Also, they sell them, unrefrigerated, in plastic bags… not in cartons. Talk about having to be careful!! It’s not a big deal of course that they are sold here in 10’s and we sell them in 12’s, but it’s interesting (to me!). Why? Why not, I suppose.

Many of you know I love milk. I love lots of milk. Matthew and I drink 3 gallons of milk in a week at home between the two of us. If there is a holiday, or an extra full day at home in a week, it’s even more than that. Now, I am drinking less milk here, but I am drinking some. You should see the cute little cartons of milk that they sell here. I think it is a liter container, and without doing any math using measurements, I’d say Matthew and I would need about 12 of these a week if we drank the same amount here as at home. That’s a lot of containers of milk!

We keep trying to watch some TV but it’s always in Russian… LOL. Actually, there are tidbits on Animal Planet that are in English. Short segments and some promos for upcoming shows. The promos tell you, in English, what show is coming up and when to watch it. Like, Sunday at 9:00. But then, when you watch that show at that time, it is in Russian. I find this interesting. Of course, I know I am in a Russian speaking country, and I know I don’t expect English TV. But, if Russian speaking people are watching it, then they can’t understand the promos telling them to watch it. And for those of us that understand the promos telling us to watch the show, we can’t understand the show. I think that is hilarious.

My bonding period is over!! I get to apply for a court date tomorrow and hope that the process of setting the court date goes quickly. In general terms, court should be some time next week, and assuming a positive outcome in court, there is then another 15 day waiting period. After that waiting period, THE WAIT is then over. The final paperwork is then begun and we start getting the baby a passport and birth certificate, and all the things she will need to come home with us and become a citizen of the US and my legal daughter! So, we’re still looking at returning sometime the end of March – but nothing is more confirmed yet because the court date really sets the ‘tone’ for the rest of the time frame, as far as dates go. While we are awaiting my court date, we will be able to continue visiting the baby every day at the baby house as has been normal. The same will go for after the court date during the 15 day waiting period. So, even in Kazakhstan the waiting continues, but knowing the end is so close (and yet so far!) makes THIS waiting a little easier. The daily visits don’t hurt either…. She is such a cutie. Yup, I’m the proud Mama! Now I'll have two beautiful children!! Here's a sneak peek of younger one...