Sweet Dreams...

Moscow, February 21, 6:37 PM: Today has been another memorable day starting with getting our selves and three bewildered kids up before sunrise. Last night was predictably rough as everyone was on sensory overload. Today was no different with firsts (as far as we know) in an elevator, bus from the terminal to the plane, airplane, sprinter van, traffic jams, tall buildings, and car sickness. Add a bit more vomiting, crying, exhaustion, wide-eyed curiosity, exhilaration, and the fact that the day is ending calmly and peacefully after an in-room picnic dinner and mama/papa bath-time seems almost hard to imagine.

Moscow was sunny today and notably warmer than Kemerovo – it actually felt like spring was not far away – not that we plan on being here that long. It was a great day to sit in the doctor’s office which is a required step towards getting American citizenship (the physical is required not just the wait) for the kids. After that adventure we were at least able to salvage the afternoon by finding a park where they could climb on jungle gym equipment, swing and slide onto a patch of ice at the bottom and go bump, bump, bump – all a real laugh to the kids. Tomorrow we hope to have our interview at the American embassy which will be the last step in the process. Our agency really worked hard to get us from the airport to the children’s hospital where the exams are done and then the paperwork to the embassy to start this process. Moscow is a huge city with New York style traffic jams with cars, trucks, busses and forklifts, backhoes etc. bringing everything to a crawl. So the fact that we got so much done today is amazing.

As for the four hour flight this morning… It went surprisingly well. We’re learning how to manage the kids’ energy which makes life more enjoyable for everyone. We beat the ear aches at takeoff and landing and barely managed to keep them entertained for four hours – crayons and magnadoodle can only entertain for so long. Of course simply moving on and off the plane and around the airports with snowsuits, large bags and hands to be held has presented challenges but so far we can report that all are present and accounted for.

So, it is a happy night and we are both exhausted and relieved to have survived our first 24 hours as parents to three energetic kids under 8 that don’t yet speak much English (they already are repeating a few words). We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and they continue to make a difference.

Sweet dreams to all! Kevin and Nancy