I got some smiles outside today:)

 
The kids still didn't really enjoy the snow yet thought we did venture outside again, today was pretty icy and everytime I looked at the three of them at least one of them was on the ground:)!! I was constantly picking them up and brushing them off:) But they did have fun out there today when they weren't on the ground. Huddy tripped on a vodka bottle and hit his head on the sandbox but other than that he enjoyed roaming around:) Josiah loves just poking around with sticks/branches and Emma is usually standing around where other kids are, today it was only a couple of younger kids but Emma was right there with them. It was nice and sunny though and just moderately cold -7C. Maybe next time it won't be so icy, though maybe they should just learn to walk better on the ice....and the vodka bottles:) 

A Lullaby

Emma is always singing these days (if she isn't listening to her Narnia Tapes). Mom- She loves her doll and takes very good care of her:) I think these videos on youtube play faster than on google?, though the picture quality isn't as good...trying out all the free ways to put videos on.. What do you guys think? What is the best free video player?

Big Brother

Still Snowing!

 
 
 
 
It did snow all night so now it is starting to really pile up. The kids loved watching it snow through the window so I figured they'd love it outside. So I bundled them up, got out the sled and we went out. They did not enjoy it. Emma sort of did but the boys thought I was torturing them:) It was the kind of snow that falls in your face in big clumps like someone is throwing snow at you... So we didn't last long:) I got clobbered in the back of the head by a big chunk of snow that fell off a tree too. So we are back inside enjoying the snow through the window again. Maybe we will head out when it is less dangerous... 

First Snow!!!!

 
It finally came.... Too bad the kids are asleep cause they would be so excited to see the beautiful flakes that are sprinkling down outside. The snow doesn't seem to be lasting on the ground but it is starting to cover the cars and trees. It is 10pm and it says it will lightly slow all through the night so hopefully when the kids wake up in the morning there will be a wonderful suprise out their window. I was just telling my mom on the phone (1/2 an hour ago) that we should be getting snow soon... well that was much quicker than I thought!

side note- I finally figured out how to capture snow falling on camera (I kept taking pictures and then when I'd look at the picture the snowflakes weren't there!), so I just kept trying all the different settings on the camera- the one with the guy's head and the moon works great!!! (you have to hold the camera really still though or it looks like you are drunk at a disco dance kinda thing) But what about in the day?- oh! maybe the guy's head without the moon- good thinking erin....I need to take some kind of photography class... 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is not only my mom's birthday but it is also her twin sister's birthday. I so much wish I could be there with them on their birthday as I love them both sooo much and really enjoy their company. Maybe we would go shopping on Bay Street and then have lunch at the Scan or the Hoito or the Mad House. (is that what it is called ? the place with the big picture of Bob Dylan and the yummy coconut shrimp...) Anyway, this video reminded me of you mom, not that you are in anyway like Ivanka (except that you are a good shopper) but just seeing Bay Street and remembering when you took me to see Ivanka made me miss you a lot. She was very funny. There is also another video of her if you click here. It is much longer though, but I think you'd like it mom... (tour of the Finlandia/Hoito!) The longer video brings back many memories of all the fashion shows/finnish teas we went to with Grandma Inga and even Robin and Carla's wedding...
I hope you have a great day today. Tell Auntie Evelyn "Happy Birthday" from us too. You are wonderful and I appreciate you more and more every year.

Josiah on the Slide

  

emma joy

 
I haven't had a picture of my precious little Emma on in a while so here one is. Today we had some fun times together, she wanted it to just be her and I for awhile so that us girls could just talk. She has some wisdom for sure, she has often explained things to me in a way that made me understand it better than before. She has a great memory. Sometimes when we are memorizing verses or even historical events I think to myself "she'll never remember this" but she does. She knows a lot for her age and she isn't afraid to correct you or tell you what you should do, what is right and what is not right. I think she will be a good leader, or maybe boss would be the right term. 

Daddy and Jo

 
David and Josiah were taking a nap today and they just looked so sweet that I had to take a picture. I didn't want to wake them up so I didn't use the flash- explains why the picture is so dark and fuzzy (i added more blur to make it look like it should be like that:). Kinda looks like how it really is at night, they look so peaceful... if you can see them:) 

Making Bread with Daddy

While I was at class a few days ago, David was busy teaching the kids how to make bread. I came home to yummy cinnamon bread. What a great daddy/husband! Huddy seems to really like kneading bread. He has the weight to put into it. Maybe he'll be a baker...


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Beautiful Reflections

 
 
The mornings are pretty dark now, I took these while the kids were having their breakfast. Josiah kept saying "it dark outside". Yep. The window needs cleaning everyday because Huddy is the sort of little guy that likes to really enjoy the window. There are always handprints or lipprints... 

Enjoying the warmer weather

 
 
 
 
Just some pics I took today, we spent the whole morning outside. We thought it might rain on us but it didn't and it was nice and warm (for this time of year:). David just got home from class, he has a pretty bad cold. We all had it a few weeks ago (except for him) so now it is just his turn I hope. 

Tuvan Throat Singing

One more for you, this is a good one because it also shows the Tuvan people and the countryside. Our friend Christy linked to the right has one of the tuvinian hats, she looks pretty good in it...

Music from Tuva

Huun Huur Tu at Philadelphia Folk Festival, August 2006

This is a great example of the tuvinian throat-singing. There are other songs available to watch too, some songs even use instruments! click on the video after it is done to listen/watch more. (the 6? min one has instruments) Once it has loaded once it plays easy the second time if you have a slow connection like I do:) Pretty amazing eh? Think I could learn how to do it when we live in Tuva????

The Children's Room

 
 
For the first time since we've been here, our russian teacher Viola is sick so we were both home this morning which meant David could help me put together Huddy's real bed and move things around. They actually have a little bit of playspace now in their room. We had to move the landlady's blue and yellow couch out into our entrance way to fit the bed in. (He was just in a playpen before so the couch fit). Hopefully she won't mind but we are going to get rid of her couch as we just don't have anywhere to store it for her. I wish we could replace the rug as it smells and just the colour of it makes their room look way to busy, and when there are toys all over it looks especially messy in their room. I'd take out the rug but underneath it is just hundreds of little pieces of loose wood. I'd also like to take the painted peach wallpaper down but we don't have that kind of money right now. But we will only be here another 8? months so we can handle it how it is:) It looks so much better than it used to, so I'm pretty happy with it... 

The boys

 
 
 
 
It hasn't really snowed yet, a couple of times there has been some white stuff in the sky but it always lands on the ground as rain. It has been pretty warm, today it will get to 12C I think. But it is raining and soooo gray out. So we are playing inside. The boys have been enjoying playing together today. They always love tackling on the bed (especially with Daddy). Whenever they hurt eachother they kiss eachother better, very sweet. And they take rests during the tackling. They always make sure the other one has a similar toy. Huddy is good at imitating everything so he seems pretty smart for a one year old:) They are pretty fun to watch, the way they sort of talk and their expressions when they are communicating. Sometimes they don't understand eachother and just get louder and louder trying to get their point across, as if the volume is the problem. Sometimes we adults do that:) 

1st day of Homegroup

 
We had our first young married group meeting tonight at our house. It is the same kind of thing we did last year. There should be 5 couples next time but this week it was just 3 couples. We had a lot of fun and hope that it will be a great time getting to know eachother, improving our marriages and for us, improving our russian. Out of the four tonight, one was from Colombia, one was from Uzbekistan, one is Russian and the other is from Kazakhstan. 

..

 
 
  I took these pictures off David's site (linked to the right) to give you a better idea what Tuva looks like. (for more pictures of Tuva look in our archives- October 2005) We are so glad that he was able to go and can't wait to hear all about what he learned and what he saw. We will be able to spend some time with David and Christy next month. I like the look of Tuva, so different from Moscow. 

A Date!

 
Thanks to our friend Kathy (who babysat our kids and even gave us some $ to go out!- those are the best babysitters:) David and I had our first time out together since being back here. We had such a good time, we only went to Ikea but it was sooooo pleasant to be just by ourselves and have some really yummy food... We looked at things that we hope to someday buy and just enjoyed not having to worry about the noises and who might need what etc. I took this picture because as we were on our way on our date I realized that this is not normal. Riding on the buses and metro and trolleybuses and marshrutkas everyday doesn't seem strange to me anymore but tonight it felt weird. When you think of going on a date it doesn't normally involve waiting for a bus and then going on the metro and then finally waiting in a long cold line for a marshrutka. Times like these we think about how a car might be nice. Being packed on a bus with 50 others isn't necessarily romantic. Though I kind of thought it was. And we were lucky to get the front seat of the marshrutka, so we had it to ourselves- if you don't count the driver:) A marshrutka is basically a little bit bigger than average mini van, it runs the same route as the buses but only carries 15 people. Well we weren't so lucky really to get the front seat this time as he had some interesting decorations as you can see:) ( i tried to move the magazine to cover up the girl but it wouldn't stay- so I cut most of her out for you all). That is something you could always think about for David, Russia is not an easy place for men. SOme would disagree, though they have different motives. There are non-stop ads everywhere of naked girls. Not what you want right in front of you when you are out on a date with your wife.
Anyway, Thanks Kathy! We had a great time, with just the two of us (if you don't count the driver and the other passengers:) If any of you ever want to experience what it is like for us here, take the bus on your next date:)!!! 

Gifts from our Babushka

 
Everytime we go over to visit our babushka with Emma along (usually to pay her the utilities) she will give us something. She gives her a new doll or some box of candies or something pretty nice. It is very nice of her but it makes me feel uneasy because I know she doesn't have much money and I don't want her to think that we bring Emma to get things, we just want Emma to get to know her and use her russian etc. But there is something in this culture about always giving and then giving back which I'm sure we will study more later. Anya suggested only bringing Emma over once a month or even every two months. Anya told me that this giving thing is a huge part of the Armenian culture- so much that she always felt guilty because she always owed someone back. (It is a great thing when they understand that He gave it to us for free and we don't need to give anything back...) We have told her not to give anything, or at least hinted at it as best as our russian can do. We also gave her a small book about Canada...We'll see. It is sweet and she just loves Emma so much, really a blessing. When Emma went over in her pink princess dress our babushka said she needs to get one too so they can both be princesses! Now that would be a good picture for sure!!
Anyway, the last gift was the Orange Haired boy which Emma gladly gave to Josiah. He calls it Banya:) -rhymes with Anya and Vanya- and also the banya! The little doll is from our babushka too- we'll call her Tanya! David thinks the boy doll is Chuckie!!! Scary! The little russian doll is kinda scary too cause when she lies down only one eye closes:) 

Me and my huddy buddy

 
Let me tell you, this new camera is not the easiest for self portraits. It took soooo long to get this picture. Most of the pictures only had one of us in it, some of them had neither of us and the rest were close-ups of our ears or a nose or just his big white face. I do not have very long arms it seems:) Anyway, now huddy has a least one picture of himself with his mommy:) Now I need to get one with the other two. But not today...
I was just noticing the other day that it has been two years since we started this blog. And Emma is still wearing the same winter jacket!!! (Look in the archives to see) 3 winters- you got your money's worth Charlotte! She is growing I think!? But it still fits great. Huddy has definetly grown, as he wasn't even born yet when we started this blog. Actually all three kids pretty much weigh the same now-they are just different heights, they can wear the same size shirts,socks, boots, and even pull-ups (only huddy needs them during the day- though he has gone on the potty a couple of times!!!) Makes shopping pretty easy. Today we got a real bed for huddy from our friends. We will have to get rid of some furniture in their room to fit it in though, it isn't easy fitting all three in one tiny room. We will either have to get rid of the landlady's couch or her shkaff (big shelving unit) Maybe in Tuva we'll see if Emma can have her own room. Or they could have a sleeping room and a playroom or something like that as they do like to be in the same room. Or a bigger room, but i don't know if they exist here. Anyway, I'm off to do some re-arranging. No snow yet.... 

Changing seasons....

 
 
 
 
Soon we will have snow, though it keeps being delayed. It was scheduled to arrive last week but it hasn't showed up yet. There was a little and I mean a little on Monday but in order to see it you would have to stare really hard and every once in a while you would see a little white thing. Most people don't know it snowed so I don't think we will count it. I am kinda looking forward to it, but not the getting the kids out the door thing. Yikes. Though this year will be a little easier than last year. We are already wearing lots of clothes when we go outside (see Josiah's tights!) and it hasn't been too bad yet. They sure get muddy though. yuck.
The days are getting shorter too, it is dark when we get up now and it is dark long before the kids go to bed. Sunrise is at 8am and sunset at 6:15ish. It will get much shorter by christmas. Better go, I've got biscuits in the oven... 

Toddler Friendly Hotdogs

 
 
We got some really good hotdogs while we were at red square. They are a solid bun with a hole down the center from the top, like a cup, closed at the bottom and on all sides. They put in the ketchup and mustard and then slide in the hotdog. It sticks out of the bun quite a bit at the top, almost like in Germany... They are perfect for the little ones cause they don't drip or ooze. Wonderful! I didn't take a picture of Huddy when he was done but he really wasn't messy at all which is a miracle. They tasted great too.