Eighth – and final? - Sunday in Siberia

Happy Women's Day! At least here in Russia!!

This morning I was dreaming about packing – of course it being a dream it wasn't exactly this situation but I was dreaming I kept finding more things to pack! We were going to load it into like an older Astro Van and I kept telling Brian we'll have to get a trailer. I kept finding toys and some other things and then I remembered we had to take the freezer along also! So then we got home and in his mom's living room (which looked like a hotel lobby) there was a pretty display of candy – but we were missing the Snickers and Bounty (which are like Mounds) bars! What a jumbled mess of things your mind makes!!

Genya got into a bit of a snit this morning over something – I don't even recall what right now – but when he gets angry he throws things and he threw a pillow at me. I put him on his bed for a few minutes and he proceeded to pull everything off his bed, including the very thin mattress, and toss it over his room. I wasn't going to let him get away with this so I took him onto my lap and held him on the couch. He does not like this and especially does not like it when someone looks at him when he's throwing the fit. He was not happy but I was calm while holding him (which he probably didn't like either). I just kept saying that I love him but we aren't going to allow this behavior. Brian came into the room after his shower and looked at him and this set him off. We got real tears for the first time – down the cheek – and a wobbly chin. But still no apology – that's all I wanted – "izvenite, mama" (sorry or excuse me, mama). JJ called in the middle of this so the holding switched to Brian. Finally he calmed down enough and we let him go and he walked to his bed and put his head down on it. So then I walked in there and again said we love you but just won't allow this behavior – and again asked for "izvenite, mama?" And he said it and gave me a big hug and kiss and then went and did the same thing to Brian. This was about an hour altogether to get to this point but he was an (almost) perfect little boy for the rest of the day! Brian and I remained calm, kept saying we love him but won't allow that behavior (yes, all in English other than some I love yous in Russian) but just kept him under a firm grasp. Not that I think we'll never have a problem again but we're happy with how this went.

Elena, I also made one of the animals you sent us pictures for – the octopus. Genya helped with some but I did the most and probably had more fun doing it also!

I made oven pancake mid morning but just Brian and I ate that, then lunch was hot dogs, kiwi and pickles for Genya; leftover pizza for Brian; and leftover meat pierskie for me. We then headed out for a walk. We had said we were doing a long one during the midst of discipline this morning – and we did! We were gone for almost 4-hours! We headed toward the "eternal flame" (maybe also a WWII monument?) but took a very roundabout way through some very run down areas. See pictures… Genya did get carried for awhile as he had walked for a LONG time. But he also had found a plastic stick and turned it into a gun – we gotta get him out of this "gun" mode! Then we stopped at the Sunshine Café for a little snack and warm drink. I did tell Claudia that we were leaving for America this week and this might be our last visit and thanked her for her assistance to us. I'm not sure if she totally understood tho. They had a guy there handing out chocolates due to Women's Day so I got one and then he talked to Genya awhile and Genya earned three chocolates! He was answering some type of questions correctly – he was so proud. We told him one "po tom" (later), one "zaftra" (tomorrow) and then one would be day after tomorrow but I didn't know how to say that! We continued on our walk to the people's market to pick up a few supplies and while I was in shopping he ate his chocolate.

At the market I went to what I am SURE was the place we bought pork a few weeks ago and said "pork" (in Russian), she said "No, beef" (in Russian) but directed me across the aisle. They had some nice looking pork chops so I got some of those for dinner tonight. The Jacksons gave us some potatoes, onions and carrots yesterday also so we are set for dinner! Then I stopped and picked up some peppers and cucumbers to sauté for a few meals yet, or maybe make Judy's dish one more time, and then got some bananas and apples. The price of bananas has gone up 20rubles/kilo since last time I bought! We'll be trying to eat up what we have here the next few days so I didn't want to buy too much. Brian and Genya headed to the apartment as I had to stop at the supermarket for just a few items.

Once I got back to the apt also Brian said Genya was pouting because Brian wouldn't let him eat a second chocolate. I went in and said to Genya only "adin, shockolate" (one chocolate) – "adin, zaftra" (one tomorrow!) Then I asked him if he wanted yogurt – he said "no, banana". So that was the end of the pout! He ate a banana and yogurt and then he and Brian went in to play some DS. He, unprovoked, said "izvenite, papa" and kissed him. Maybe he's figuring this out! They had such fun playing DS – Genya laughed and laughed and learned the words "keep going!" So cute!

At the supermarket they had some very green bananas so I bought a few smaller ones – figure by the end of the week those will be ready to eat and good size for airplane and hotel until we can find others.

Did some loads of laundry today and also washed Genya's coat and snow pants. The yellow on the coat was quite brown so I figured that in the next few days he can't get as dirty as he did the last three weeks! And now that we have a tentative leaving date I have to get serious on some reading! I'm soon to finish the book Judy loaned me which I'll leave here and then I have one more I want to read and leave here… then I have one more for the plane rides. It's all worked out!

After a later dinner we gave Genya his bath, watched DVD and then to bed for him – and probably soon for us too. That walk tired us all out and since tomorrow's a holiday here it's another lazy day!