trying to cool off

Our bathtub has become very popular these days. We all use it to cool off- it is 33C today and sooo sticky. We don't have a fan and there is no breeze coming into our apartment. The boys have heat rash under their undies but they have to wear something! I hear it will cool off on Friday? looking forward to it...

Weather Update

hot. very hot. it is the first May since 1879 that Moscow has seen a five-day spell of temperatures over 30 C. I think we should invest in a fan. We picked Russia because it is supposed to be cold.

Pretending to be tourists...

Today we went on a little boat trip. We took a little tour of Moscow via the river. We didn't tell Emma where we were going today...she was pretty excited to see the boat and was even more excited once it got going. Vanya came with us to which made it even more exciting for the kids. It was a little cooler on the boat which was very nice...33C today or something hot and sticky like that. I don't know if the kids have ever been on a boat- have they? Strange that they haven't. They loved it.

For Amy and all the other mullet lovers.....

Maybe it is a mullet, maybe we've been in Russia too long but both David and I think that this is one of the best hairstyles there is...We see it very often here in Moscow, and almost all of the major male singers (like Dima Bilan) in russia seem to have it. So many little boys have the long hair sticking out their hats in the back and it definetely is calling out to me:) When I put this picture on Josiah said "Yay, Banya!" Vanya does have a belt like that. Amy, maybe especially for you...next time we come home for a visit we will all have mullets:)

Sunday Morning Pics

Put these into the sunday morning post:) Blogger didn't want to so you have to...

more pictures of our picnic

Sunday Morning

This morning David and I (though mostly David) took the kid's sunday class. It was for the russian service so David prepared a little story in russian and I got together some colouring sheets for the kids to do. All the ages are in one class so we were worried about our level of russian and keeping all the kids entertained. Well, it turned out that the only kid in the class other than our own 3 was this one little russian boy named Nikita. He was such a talker and not at all shy so we got to learn from him. Poor David tried reading his little story but only Emma was slightly interested. So we just played:) I had to get some pics of Nikita's russian style hair cause I want to cut Huddy's like that but am never quite sure what the right lengths are for the sides- now I have some pics to use as a guide.
Really it is too hot here. Not nice. Sticky. Haven't had a tea or coffee for days- too hot to even consider it. And it is just going to get hotter and hotter. Wednesday is supposed to be 36?! C - not good. We had the new couple and vanya over again for dinner and settlers. Our little kitchen gets pretty toasty with all of us crammed into it. And just one more complaint- there is a mosquito flying around my right ear at this very moment. What is the saying... If you ever think you are too small to make a difference in the world, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room. Something like that.
Anyway. I'm sure these pics won't show up. Not sure what the problem is lately with me and blogger. If it does work I'll put on some of the other pics that are waiting to get on here.

Alberta's Wild Rose in Moscow!

I could be wrong but is this not an alberta wild rose? A taste of home right at our neighbouring park. Nice. there are also lots of lilac trees which remind me of Thunder Bay- especially my dad's backyard.

A Picnic Supper

Still are enjoying the beautiful weather here- well sometimes I complain about it being too hot:) We got a chicken and some drinks from the kiosk and sat in the park and ate our supper again. It is too nice to go inside. The boys got so dirty, eating greasy chicken legs, playing in the sand and blowing bubbles all add up to horribly sticky and dirty hands. We came home and had a cool bath and went straight to bed. The days are getting really long, the kids have a hard time believing us that it is bedtime as it looks like the middle of the afternoon when they go to bed. Did you notice the big juice boxes you can get here?:)
I'll put some more pics on too. I have had troubles putting pictures on- you may have noticed. Not sure why it is but sometimes they show up on the blog after I post as normal but then hours later the pictures won't show up anymore. Not fun but I'll keep trying anyway:)

The Market

We are sooo glad to have a new couple here in Moscow with us. It brings back memories of when we first came. You can see little baby Steven in the 2nd picture- such a cutie. He is almost 6 months old. I can hardly remember what it was like to have such a little guy but when we came huddy was 4 days away from being 4 months old. Now he is a little boy! I left the kids home with David yesterday and took two ladies for a tour of the market. Funny thing is that I haven't been there since we went for our cultural excursions when we first arrived 2 years ago. It was so good to go back. Encouraging in a way as I could understand what the people were saying for the most part. When we asked how much something was I knew right away, I could name all the fruits, veggies, herbs and most of the meats and things. I understood the descriptions and where the food was from etc. I could also understand what all the people were saying about us as they walked by. Things like "what are you thinking bringing a baby here?", "look at you poor poor little baby, so uncomfortable" (talking to Steven about it is a much nicer way to scold the mother) but there also was a lot of smiles at baby Steven and even some nice words:) He was the only child at the market- there were hundreds of people there- well I should say hundreds of old women (babushkas). The only men at the market for the most part are the ones selling the goods and there were very very few younger women. I only took pictures in the aisles where there were next to no people as it was way to crowded and hectic and unsafe to pull out a camera and stand out as an american. We were asked many many times if we were americans- and the ones who didn't ask just knew I bet:). Though one time I was asked if I was french, his second guess was german:) Maybe I am becoming more European....just not quite russian yet:)
We never shop at the market- I guess mostly because it is furthur to go and I'd say 90% of our neighbours (even our babushkas) shop at the supermarkets now too. But it was great to go and until we leave we will go more often as I'm pretty sure where we are heading this will be the way to shop. We had a really fun time and I can't wait to go back again. It is encouraging to have new blood on the team so to speak, they are motivated and excited and wanting to learn and it is rubbing off on me. ( I even came home and studied a little bit!!!) She used the language she already knows, she tried new things and just got in there with the people - I think they are going to do great here in Moscow learning Russian. I just wish I had more time here with them as I am realizing that I learn best when I am in a group:( Oh well. And as I teach things to them, things finally click in my mind. I am a teacher but really not a learner. Maybe I should start teaching Emma russian so I can learn it:)
Anyway, I really am going to miss Moscow. It usually isn't till we are leaving someplace that I realize how much I like it. I want to use these last 5 weeks? wisely....
Oh- and we learned that if you just don't give them quite enough rubles they usually don't complain. If the pears cost 75 rubles but you give them only 70- seems to be ok... Not quite bargaining but you end up with a bargain after a whole day of not having quite enough change:)
Still soooo hot. It was only supposed to be 22C yesterday but I'm sure it was much higher. We have some days with 34C etc. coming up this week still. but after hearing about snowflakes in Chestermere, I will not complain:)

Fun Day for Emma

Today David and Emma went to see the third Shrek movie (in russian of course). I haven't heard all about it yet but I'm sure Emma will tell me the story later. It is soooo hot that doing too much outside isn't very fun- though Emma loved riding her bike around. As long as you are in the shade it is bearable but in the sun it is so hot. Tonight Vanya is coming over for some more Settling Fun. I am just making supper so I better go check on it...

Summer Days

Sure is hot. Only 28 C I guess but with the humidity and especially in our apartment we are really hot! I think I may have to give the kids some haircuts- when you take off their hats their hair is completely soaked. We aren't complaining though- sure is nice weather for May (in Russia!).

Jungle Pics:)

The Russian Jungle

So hard to capture on film, you just can't see from the pictures how beautiful it is out our windows. It really is like a jungle around our building. Because we don't have much grass and no little trees/shrubs the ground is this big empty space with a canopy of leaves on top. From out of our windows you can barely see any ground- I used to be able to see the kids playing at the playground, now it is just leaves:) I really would need to video it to get the whole experience as then you could hear the birds chirping etc. There are many flowery trees too like lilacs and whatever the tree is in the last picture (with little white flowers). It smells really good outside for a change- almost smells as good as England!!!
Anyway, besides enjoying the wonderful weather (even in the 30's now), we have been enjoying spending time with our new co-workers and doing a bit of packing again. It is so hot now that I'm tempted to pack away all long sleeves and pants but I am sure that isn't a good idea:) We also went to a little marriage seminar to improve our russian and fellowship with others on Saturday. The strange thing was that even though the whole seminar was in russian and involved not just your basic russian vocabulary- they all thought it was strange that David was studying russian as "He already speaks Russian". But when David and I stopped to buy gum at the little Kiosk and David asked how much the gum costs- the Kazakstan worker replied in English "twelve". strange. Maybe the simple things are showing our canadian accents more now- not sure. Pretty discouraging sometimes when you think you sound just right saying simple things like hello or thankyou, and they answer you back in English. It could be just by the way we look too and not really our words that give us away.
Anyway, time to get some things done. If you ever want to visit Moscow I suggest the middle of May, though this is not a normal May I guess.

another warm day...

We are having such great weather- 27? C today (maybe higher) It is 26 C right now and it is 6pm. We didn't want to come inside today so I brought out some lunch again. Emma was with her friend Karina for the afternoon so it was just me and the three men:) The boys got so dirty playing outside- and hot. i wasn't sure if it would be culturally ok to send them down in tshirts in May so I kept them in long sleeves which they definitely did not need. (they really need some new summer haircuts too). The last picture is just to give you a taste of what it is like at the parks (not that you haven't noticed all the bottles scattered around the park). I'm afraid our kids don't even notice anymore but there are usually a few drunks stumbling around the playground. The guy in the last picture was passed out there all day. I took a close-up of him but it ain't too pretty.
David and Vanya have just left to go meet a new american couple (and their little baby boy) who are coming here to work with us. We are so excited as we have been the only ones here in Moscow in the language program- too bad we have to leave in a month or so but we are glad to have a bit of time with them anyway. I am excited to show them around Moscow a bit and help them get settled in to life in Russia. It is nice and warm for them like when we first arrived. Kinda funny if it is too hot for them in their apartment like it was for us at first. Not what you expect moving to Russia:)

our babushka across the hall gave us these tulips on Mother's Day- she didn't know it was mother's day:) They have lasted a long time- well a long time compared to my roses:( I kind of like the tulips better once they open up- these ones are really big.