Spring!

Mommy... don't you think me with all these flowers is a bit girly?!?!

That's all right... I'll just pick some for the ladies. ;) 

            Oh, my sweet boy. You're not really sitting yet. But you do an okay job balancing for the camera!! :) I couldn't resist. Spring here is so pretty. We live on Blossomwood Drive... and in this our first spring here, we really see how aptly named it is. White, tiny blooms on the trees lining the whole street. And then I found this patch of purple wild flowers in our neighbors back yard. (Shh, don't tell them we snuck in through their open gate in the back and shot some photos!) Quite a contrast to the days of spongy mud and brave dandelions in Russia. Somehow not as effortlessly gorgeous as the tulips in Istanbul either, but that may be my itchy feet talking. In those days I didn't have this adorable boy with those chunky cheeks, so I'll take this for now!

  Together we will weather these snotty noses, sore throats, and drool for days that somehow became more than allergies and turned into your first full-fledged cold. Right?! 

another visa run

Yep,

it's visa run time again.

Even though it's the last one for the foreseeable future, I still was not looking forward to being forced into exile again.

However, now that I'm here and my paperwork is turned in (and out of my hands)...

I'm enjoying the sunshine, the bread, the Starbucks, the new scarves, and the cleanliness here!!

Check out the view that I saw early this morning.

Hanging out on a window ledge five floors up to clean your windows inside and out is commitment to clean!

Living with a three year old...

Sometimes... living a three year old is just too fun not to share.

Sometimes it's fun... like when you have "ribbit"- "ква!" verbal 'wars' with him yelling at the top of his lungs, because he loves frogs. Or... when he's watching "Cars" for the millionth time and he crows, "Makqveen!!!" when Lighting McQueen comes on screen.

Sometimes it hurts... like when he's throwing toy cars at you and thinking it's super fun... and you're just frustrated you can't make him understand in his language that it HURTS and he needs to stop!

Sometimes it's hilarious... like when his mom forgets that she's filling up the tub and walks off to do something in another part of the apartment... and you both come into the bathroom to find water and bubbles all over. And he's happily playing away (he doesn't have a bathtub at home- so it's a new nightly treat).

Sometimes it's frustrating... like when you can't find something you're looking for... but there are toys all over the living room floor that you don't have time to pick up right then.

Sometimes it is amazing.... like hearing "Kkris-chtina!!!!" as the first thing he says when he walks in the door. Every day! :)

He and his mom have been living with me for a few weeks because currently their apartment is getting some remodeling/redecorating work done... and from the pictures that the dad has shown me... their place is quite uninhabitable at the moment (let alone for a three year old). I'm so grateful for the opportunity. I'm getting lots of joy from living with this little man!

Suprise?

This is a simple post. But I'm filled with surprise.
Mostly by the people in my current home.

I know I've complained about how unfriendly they are. How cold they are in public. And I know I've felt oppressed by rude language and the lack of smiling in general.

But...

On Sunday, while I was in line to pay for my lunch at IKEA, the cashier told me that since I didn't have an IKEA family card I would have to pay for my hot tea. I told her, "Yeah, I know"... and that "Yes, I still want it." Well, then suprise of all suprises... the man behind me said, "Oh, please. Use my card!" And, then, when I looked up at him in complete suprise... HE SMILED AT ME! A small smile. Nevertheless... a smile and a kind gesture.

Blew me away.

And when I was at the Edelweiss in my new neighborhood (small chain grocery store), I asked the cashier for some baking powder. In English it's an easy word combo. Not so here. So I had to ask for разрыхлитель теста (razlichlitel testa) several times before she understood me. I KNOW I have trouble saying at least two of the letters in that word anyway (It's hard for me to even hear why I'm saying them wrong since English and Spanish don't have the sounds)... but she understood me after three repetitions.

Okay, so the fact that she had patience to listen to me, and to understand was very gracious and suprising in and of itself. BUT, that was not the truly suprising part. She explained that she didn't have it behind the counter (they had it that way in my old neighborhood), so she GOT UP TO SHOW ME where it was!!!!

And, when I thanked her profusely... she told me it was nothing, and continued to ring up my purchases. To top it all off? She didn't give me grief about not having exact change. (They do that here. A lot. You know, wanting exact change.)

Two complete strangers. Blew. me. away.

Suprisingly? Call me suprised :D

A new campaign...

That's right.

In this season of voting- with everyone posting yesterday about how they voted, etc... I have started a new campaign.

It is my "Smile at children when their parents aren't watching" campaign!

:D

So far- I have had quite a lot of successes.

My favorite was this morning. I was on the bus when I noticed a little 5 yr old girl with a pink hat and purple snow suit (properly all bedazzled and mummy wrapped with a scarf, of course) staring at me. She was adorable... and her mom was looking away from me.
So I flashed her a tiny smile.
SHE SMILED BACK!
Then. Well, then my friends, I quickly looked all around me and noted that my fellow passengers were either a) paying their bus fare b)staring blankly out at the grey sky or c)looking at the muddy bus floor.
So I gave her a full, crazy-person, smile with teeth and everything.

And she GAVE ME A FULL SMILE WITH TEETH AND EVERYTHING back!!!!

So- vote for me and my subversive campaign, my friends...

Maybe, in about 10 years, that little girl will become a young woman who will also smile at a child on a bus... and so pass the cycle of smiling on. Cause goodness knows, this city needs some smiles!! Vote for change!