FRUSTRATION!!

I'm really about at the end of my rope…these Russian Holidays are the excuse for so many things not happening! Yes, the passport was processed on March 3^rd but now no one can seem to tell where it is!

I'm not sure if I posted but Alex had told me yesterday on the phone that he would have Andrew go to the passport office today with Genya's birth certificate to find status. Brian called Andrew mid afternoon (as we hadn't heard from anyone) to ask what he found out. We were VERY surprised to find out that Andrew hadn't gone to the passport office! He kept saying "it will be ready the 17^th!" and "that's what I (Andrew) had told Alex". Well that's not what Alex had told me and it set Brian off -- he said a few things to Andrew (nothing improper, just relaying our frustrations!) and Andrew said he would call Alex right away. Soon Alex called and said he would go to the passport office himself to find out what he could. Brian went for a walk to the supermarket, needed soda and some "alone time". I had gone to the deli for some lunch items earlier for the same reason!

Meanwhile, before Brian left Genya had a fit because I wouldn't let him answer the phone when Alex called. He had completely unreasonable behavior toward that so got a "sitting session" on me. Well he wore me out so Brian took over and within minutes had him calmed down. Then Brian and I could calmly discuss with Genya (yes, I know he understood at least some of it) that we always love him but we don't like certain things he does and our job as parents is to help him grow up into a responsible person so we would continue to correct him as needed! Soon Genya came to me and apologized in English and gave me a hug and kiss. Then he was his usual nice, respectful, silly self again!

So while Brian was gone to the store Alex called. The passport is NOT ready yet – "maybe tomorrow", "maybe the next day" "probably the March 8^th Holiday made things delayed"… UGH!! And COME-ON! I told him we're getting very frustrated with this and that we have an 8-yo son back home who hasn't had his parents with him for TWO MONTHS! What can Alex say but I wanted him to realize we're not going to just roll over any more; we want some action or at least communication! He kept saying things like "I know" and "soon you'll go to Moscow and then be on your way home". So I made sure I understood the plan for the next two days… Tomorrow Alex himself will go to the passport office and check if it came in or not – I repeated to him twice that he needs to call us either way – if it's in or if it's not! If it's not in tomorrow then on Friday Andrew and I will personally go to the passport office to check status. {I'm posting this so I remember what was said and so years from now I can look back on this and show Genya this drama and why he should be glad we got him out of that! LOL He'll probably turn into a total type A personality like his mother!} So my posting last Sunday – it's good I put a "?" behind the word final…as of right now who knows if we'll be here or not! L

I just get so mad, mainly at myself, that I allow my expectations to get up when I'm told something like "two weeks" and forget that Russian two weeks is NOT the same as American two weeks! Good thing I didn't pack the suitcases!

Brian just got back from the store (he bought me a beer! How sweet {picked the one he did because two cute girls were buying that kind} and bought himself a Diet Coke and will pretend it's a beer!). Have I mentioned that a ½ litre of beer is just about $1.00 here?

It's -20c outside today and that's without the wind! It is very cold here again!

So back to our story, he and I both agree that Alex should just have told us three weeks for passport preparation to begin and then if it would come in early that would be a bonus…we can't make our travel arrangements anyway until we have the passport so what's the difference??? W would not have been happy but would have had a realistic expectation of what was to come. BUT I will continue to look for the bright side (it is getting harder tho)… We will hope the passport comes in Friday, then we can leave Saturday or even Sunday for Moscow – get our business done and get home by end of week. Then we can get the non-stop flight to Chicago from Moscow also (it doesn't fly a few days a week). IF the passport doesn't come in by Friday then I need to plan some meals, get some groceries and resign myself for another weekend here and know that we WILL get home before March is done… right?!?

I said to Brian this morning that I think we're becoming real Russians when we keep our bedroom window at night and we enjoy the cold! We never know what's going to happen during the night tho – last week some equipment came by with a loudspeaker saying something – I said they could have been telling us we needed to evacuate and we'd never know! It didn't last long tho so we didn't worry. Then last night someone was blaring loud music for awhile! It's always an adventure…

For dinner we went across the street for salad and pizza… if you remember last time Genya pouted because we didn't get him a Greek Salad – this time we got him one. He ate it all, other than the most delicious, creamy fresh mozzarella cheese which he gave to me! Yeah! He ate two slices of pizza, I ate two and Brian the rest. Then back at the apt he had his bath and ate yogurt and an apple. We watched "The Bee Movie" in English which we had purchased the other day (Russian/English). Might have to go look for some more yet!

And then, no matter how much the day hadn't gone as we wished it had, we go to bed and will (God Willing) wake up again tomorrow! Onward, one day at a time…