Early morning today! I slept well until about 4:30am and was mostly awake from then on so about 5pm decided to go to the computer to check emails. Apparently about 5:30am Genya woke to go to the bathroom and was up since then! So we were all up! I got coffee from the lobby and then went to the grocery store this morning (we decided on this rather than the café bakery) and I got a pecan Danish – yummo! I got Brian some donuts and Genya a little fried dough item (as yesterday he took a donut and only ate about two bites). Genya's thing was 17-rubles and he ate it up. He also finally finished the apple he started two days ago – and I think he ate the whole thing…seeds and all!
I stopped at the currency exchange here in the hotel to turn in some of our cash – I know it's not the best exchange rate but it wasn't bad and it was done…now we should have enough rubles to carry us the next few days, even allowing for a meal other than KFC!
Philip called a little after 9am and said his wife was sick so wasn't able to take us on our walking tour today. We were disappointed but that's how things go! Brian signed some papers for the hopeful consulate registration and then we headed outside since we were all up and ready! We headed toward Red Square but then took a turn and found a small children's park. Genya had just his shoes on and one time broke through the thin ice and got it a little wet but didn't seem to affect him any! It was a pleasant half hour or so swinging mostly. We then walked a block off the main Tverskaya Rd and found a short pedestrian street… that took us back to Tverskaya and the McDonalds we were heading toward for lunch! Well, actually we didn't know which one we were heading to, just to McD's as there are three in close proximity to where we were. A little more difficulty getting what we ordered today but it all worked out eventually! Then we walked through the underground mall near the Kremlin/Red Square and at then through the park by the war memorial. Cutting over on another street we found the Rolls-Royce of Moscow car dealership! And then all of a sudden (not too far walking) we found ourselves at Arbat St again! I had read the history on it – it's from the 15th Century I believe! But then it's a long walk back to the hotel. Yes, we probably should figure out the underground (subway) but we're used to walking and we're chickens so we just walk. Genya was a very good walker today (in between getting carried by his dad) so it was fairly pleasant to do it! We were able to take a picture of the US Embassy from across the street today so we have something for the lifebook I'll eventually do for Genya. We had been out and about from about 9:30am-3pm and only stopped really at McDonalds for lunch and the park before that! Genya had a banana break about halfway back to the hotel and then I gave him a small chocolate bar once in the room…. I told him he deserved it!
One thing we are missing from Irkutsk are the café prices! We would always say that each day in Irkutsk was about a 500-ruble day (two café stops or one decent dinner)… Here in Moscow you get lunch at McDonald's for 500-rubles!
Philip stopped by about 4pm and said he was successful in getting us registered at the Russian Consulate. He said he told them our whole story and they couldn't believe it! I guess the time we put in counted for something here anyways! Lol I asked how his wife was and he said that she told him she is pregnant! I had that thought at one point this morning – women's intuition I guess! So now we have everything done here in Moscow and the registration done so just will have the three post placement reports over the coming years – at 6 mo, 12 mo and 36 mo I believe.
Genya and I then went to the 4th floor to hit the balloon around for awhile. I was hoping maybe other adopting families would be there but it was just us and some American men having a post-business meeting discussion. We played until the balloon popped. Genya also did summersaults across the floor. Brian then left to go get our Sabarro Pizza for supper. Genya was bound and determined that I would put on my coat and we'd walk to find Papa (at least I think that was the gist of the conversation) until I finally got him to take a bath while we waited! Brian came back from his walk to tell me an interesting thing that happened to him – he got propositioned while he was carrying the pizza back to the hotel!! Due to the sensitive nature of this I'll make HIM tell YOU the details if you ask. Needless to say he said "no" and we laughed about it!!
The pizza was good – we each ate two slices! So Brian got jipped a little but Genya will sleep well with his full belly, tired legs and the early morning too! I then took a bath also to get the city grime off me and to enjoy the 5-foot long, 2-foot deep tub! Genya's spread out, tummy down, on the bed watching Nickelodeon and zoning…Brian's waiting to get on the computer and I'm typing and then reading. And yes, continuing to watch the TV news shows in English – I'm getting filled in on European/Asian/African news if not the USA's.
Also learned little Emma, who we met yesterday, is sick today…hope she gets better soon! I would not want to be on an airplane for so long with a sick child!
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