Day two of our 10 day wait!

Day two started out with four text messages from Alex all saying “I love you mama”. That was great! Usually when I send him a text he just sends the same text back to me but this one he had to type all on his own.
Then he called at ten (when I was suppose to be there) and said “Let’s go Mama!”
Constantine picked me up and insisted on “showing me his town”. We went and got Alex and he happily jumped in the car and off we went. Mostly we viewed factories and the beach of the river strewn with garbage and broken beer bottles and I was concentrating so hard on trying to figure out what Const was saying in his Russglish (Russian/English) and videoing (yes, he supplied me a video camera to document this sight seeing tour) that I was relieved when he said “to school?” Yes, please. Alex was anxious too as his Spider Man computer game was waiting.
Spiderman wouldn’t work. It needs some 3-D card. I had packed a lunch again but only had peanut butter and jam which apparently is disgusting to Alex. Never fear, he just put some of his tomato juice on his bread, sliced cucumbers and topped it off with crunched up sour cream and onion potato chips.
We did another 10 minutes of English which is about all I can get out of Alex right now. But I do quiz him all the time about things. He’s doing a little better each day-it helps when it’s just him and I and I’m all he’s got to talk to. I think being home he’ll do even better!
Julia did not accompany us on our sight seeing tour and was not around for lunch either. We went out to throw the tennis balls later and there she was and she hung with us the rest of the day. They were throwing the tennis ball and Julia was facing the sun so she tied her sweater around her head to make a sort of hat to help shade her eyes. I wish I had my camera. It was hilarious! One thing these children are is creative!
Then it was decided we’d walk to the store and return the video game. (Remember the mile walk yesterday?) Oh well, nothing better to do. On the way we stopped again for those donut/scone things. This time I got cabbage even though I asked for apple. (No apple apparently so Lex got me his favorite!) It was actually very good. Who would have guessed? A cabbage donut?
We returned the game with no problem. The problem arose when the kids just assumed we’d do a little junk food shopping while we were there and I was tired and sick of all the junk we’d already consumed. (Please note that as part of our sight seeing tour we stopped at a new shopping center with a grocery store and bought chips, soda pop, juice and chocolate bars!) So as Alex and Julia are filling up their basket with ice cream treats and heading over to the dried fish section I hand them each 4 grynva’s and tell them that’s all. Oh, the look of disappointment! What only 4 grynva’s? Yep. I proceeded to buy flour and toilet paper and waited at the door for them. It took them an awful long time to decide what they would buy now that the funds are limited.
Then we had the long up hill walk home with me clutching my small bag of flour and TP. (I forgot to indicate I’d like a bag to the checker-which they charge you for!)
No one is talking much-well English that is. And Lex stops and buys yet another cabbage donut thing with the remaining grynva’s he has left. I told them “Mahazing (store) Mama” “Money Mama” and repeated it . I think they got the drift. It’s not that it’s expensive it’s just that it’s crap and it’s sort of expected now and I’m just tired of it. Besides I hate shopping on Sunday, and I spent 8 hours at the school yesterday and had nine today and I just want to take Alex and go home! Yep, grumpy was what I was. It will be better when the Rast get here-it’s hard having no one to talk to all day long and trying to figure out how to entertain on your own.
When we got back video game #2 didn’t work either. Perhaps if they were in English I could figure them out better? The video game was my plan for the day with me reading and crocheting. Grr..what is that saying about the best laid plans?
At one point I sent the kids outside to throw the tennis ball instead of bouncing it off the walls while I tried to load the video game. It was taking forever so, I lay down on the couch and fell a sleep. Alex woke me up when he walked in and for a minute I thought I was in my apartment but I couldn’t figure out how Alex got there!
I called home and listened with green eyes of envy as James told me how comfortable our king size bed is and how the roads are so smooth without potholes and how pleasant people are and that he can understand everything they’re saying! Not to mention, it’s Conference Sunday and we always play Conference Bingo and make a big breakfast and I was just a little homesick.
Alex spoke with James and then he’d keep coming up and saying “I love Kambree”or “I love Papa” or “Austin, Devree, Rylee I love you” into the phone. What a cute boy we have.
Seven finally rolled around and Alex wanted me to stay at the school, he just hung on me and kissed me and hugged and hugged. Someone (I think Oxana) remarked about how affectionate Alex is. I have to attribute this to Alex having a brother and sister in law that showed him love. He really is very loving. He holds my hand when we walk, (during the minutes he’s not pretending to be Super Man or playing soccer with a rock or something) at least 10 times a day he’ll come and lay his head against me and sigh and often times climbs in my lap and lets me play with his hair or rub his back and unlike some children that tolerate Mom snuggles, he eats it up!
Lots of love & tickles today, despite him being filthy. He looks like an orphan and he’s not anymore! I so want to take him home and scrub him up and put him in clean pajamas and read him stories and tuck him in.
Only eight more days! I keep humming that country song “You’re going to miss this” in my head and remind myself that someday I’ll look back and these 10 days will seem like a blink but right now they feel like forever…