Podarok from Utah

We couldn't open our front door on Wednesday because there was a huge box on the porch!!! Babulya sent something for everyone. Pretty hand made blankets for the baby are here just on time! Sonia got two bears, a wooden building log set and an adorable sun umbrella.We had to take it with us to church this week. Plus the box itself turned into a great fun! Jeremy's suit pants arrived all fixed and we also got a box of delicious Russian chocolates. Thank you so much!

On Sunday night we drove to DC temple for a concert with Mormon orchestra and Jenny Oaks... a family friendly event! Sonia loved looking at all the instruments, a harp was new to her. She sat through the whole concert and was very attentive.

Happy Birthday Mischa!

Mischa turned one year old today... our big wrinkly puppy ;-)He is Sonia's boddy and they chase each other around the house. He also takes Jeremy on early morning walks and late night bike rides. He helps me get up in the morning and go for a jog. He is a good boy. Sonia and I made a birthday hat for him; it kept falling down. We decorated his big farmer's market bone with a candle and sang him Happy Birthday song. He was not so sure about putting fire on his bone but then he licked it like a lolly pop and ate it like ice cream.

George Washington's Grist Mill

I left my camera home on Saturday morning when we went biking to the Huntley Meadows. After conquering a huge hill and riding for about six miles, we all felt pretty good about myself ;-) The best part was walking through the wilderness, enjoying fields of yellow and purple flowers and watching Mischa run wild. Sonia found two good mushrooms; she picked them up and carried them most of the way back. We picked some wild flowers and put them in our hair.

I did bring camera to the Grist Mill where a miller talked about how everything works. We looked at a huge water wheel spinning and causing the action.

Corn goes in and gets milled by two huge stones.

Then it comes out and goes through a lengthy process of sorting fine, medium and rough one. A new mill that required only two people to operate cut costs and was huge money maker... the whole process was automated.

We also watched how whiskey was made and on the way back Sonia told papa that we are going to the store to buy some whiskey ;-) I asked her what are we going to do with it. She thought for a minute and said we are going to try it! Oh, Dear! Good heavens... I've got to watch where we take her ;-)

On Sunday Sonia wore her new dress to church. I made it from very pretty corduroy that was 40 percent off at Hancock's Fabrics. It is a first piece of clothing I have ever made and it turned out pretty well. I even got a few compliments in church. It has two pieces for now: a dress and pants. I will also make a matching hair piece. Sonia asked for it Monday morning; it is one of her new favorites ;-) I just might make another one for her and a matching one for myself!

Learning as we go

At the Sherwood library yesterday Sonia used scissors for the first time.She held them to the end and didn't want to give them back to the teacher... so we had to stop at Walmart on the way back ;-) After story time we also went into a children's reading room and Sonia ran circles on the alphabet carpet for about forty minutes. Hopping like a frog around,She would stop, name letters on the carpet and words.At the end she could name them all in the very silly song ;-) She couldn't figure out what Yo yo was so we've got to find one. Another mom came in with a three-year-old and Sonia told her about all the letters and words in the reverse order... Sonia sort of read them right of the carpet ;-) I have to say as much as I wanted to get going... I did feel just a little proud. All this running, hopping like a frog and singing turned rather educational ;-)

Today we hosted our weekly play group with Alyssa and Clair so we put our new art supplies to good use. The theme of the day was colors: we read books, did rhymes and sang songs then I let girls choose two colors of paper. Sonia wanted pink and yellow, Clair chose black and white and Alyssa just wanted purple so I added light pink to hers.

Then all chose their little animals to glue in the middle of the page and the work began. Cutting with scissors, squeezing glue, pealing off stickers might seem easy but for the girls it was hard work ;-) and lots of fun. Sonia said her pink flamingo is eating a crab ;-)

Sonia actually cut out all little pieces by herself, placed them on with lots and lots of glue then added some stickers. I can't believe she can do it all! Children grow rather slow, at times they seem not (unlike puppies; Mischa was potty trained at an age of four months) but they surely grow in most amazing ways. What a joy it was watching these little girls today!

Joys of the week

Just under an hour drive and we were at the temple. Thank you, Valerie, for watching Sonia. We had a good time there and ran into some friends from LA. It was even more special because it might be awhile before we make it back... with our new baby almost here.

Sonia and her little friend Alyssa in the kitchen while we were making peach pies last week. They are such silly girls! Sonia showed Alyssa around the house and they had all the fun you can have... climbing into papa's bed and jumping into mama's pillows, running around and chasing a dog, getting wet in lala pool and giggling in the kitchen chair.

I finally discovered an affordable sand at Home Depot that is also kid friendly. Last night papa cleaned out lala pool and made it into a sand box to Sonia's pure delight. Jeremy got into it and they built a castle.

They dug and dug and dug until and past dinner time.

Sonia can't wait until Thursday when her little girlfriends come to play.

A Guest on the patio

As we walked in the house after story time today I heard Sonia yell: "Baboo (her word for Russian butterfly) is eating my peach!! Get it back! It is mine!"

I looked out the window and she was right. A beautiful creature came to visit and enjoy tree ripened peach from the farmer's market. I actually bought a whole bushel of peaches last Tuesday for $15 so there is still plenty for Sonia. But she tells me baboo can have them all; Sonia needs that one.

I was not in a hurry ;-) After all we were about to eat some broccoli and shells for lunch. Sonia changed her mind in a few minutes after observing a beau with words "Baboo doesn't eat shells, baboo likes peaches. When baboo is finished, Sonia'll get it back."

My wise little girl ;-)

Labor Day Weekend

Going out and exploring a new city brings joy to all of us. After blowing bubbles and eating cereal we were ready for a day.
The heat of the summer is gone; at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery we went to see "The Tsars and the East" and diplomatic gifts, presented to the Russian tsars by emissaries of the Ottoman sultans of Turkey and the Persian shahs of Iran.Few itmens have been seen outside Russia. And if you ever get to visit Moscow Kremlin, you probably won't find it there because 95 percent is in storage. We all discovered something we liked best: Sonia loved a pocket watch adorned with jewels, Jeremy fine arms, swords, armor and horse trappings sparkling with gemstones, my faves were two axes made of gold.
It is pricey to ride an old carousel on the Mall walk. The sign reads: this carousel was manufactured by the Allen Hershel Co. circa 1940s and erected here 1967. Every time we came near it last summer I would tell Sonia that we'll ride it when papa is with us. The day was here and she was brave. First, they both rode, then Sonia got a little worried,
then big worries came and papa had to hold her tied. On the way out she was asking and wailing to go again.
Watching papa and Sonia walk and skip around a fountain in the Sculpture Garden brought treasured memories of my own growing up in the city. That is what city kids love and with some luck you might even get to jump in ;-) Unforgettable. My mom used to hold my hand when I was little and here they go... hand in hand about three times around.
I am getting as big as a house... about five weeks left or maybe a bit less...
My Imperial knight of Spain clad in armor next to the battle field at the National Gallery of Art ;-) Imagine him on a huge horse. I would be scared to come close to... good thing Jeremy didn't have this stuff on when we met at BYU.

On the way to church

Saturdays and Sundays are best days of the week because we get to be with papa. Plus we go to church on Sunday. Today Sonia and I hang out on the back seat because the front was occupied by Maxwell. He is from Ghana and is interested in our church so we pick him up.

Sun glasses on.

Glasses on the head.

I love Sonia and want another girl. Today after church Valerie told me that she will gladly take a boy if I have one. She has two girls already. Hooray!!! Then we will just try again for a little girl.

Then back home Sonia and papa were walking Mischa and I was supposedly making dinner but actually snapping pictures of the two in their Sunday best.

Peaches and pies

Eastern market in DC is the biggest farmer's market in the area with a neighborhood resembling up and coming Park Slope. Close to the capitol young white people are settling down; a few blocks away I would be a bit scared driving after the sun goes down.

At the market there is as much art and crafts as food. Prices are not friendly, not as much variety as I am used to having in New York and there are just not so many good deals.
We found some good Honeycrisp apples, basil, green beans, corn, okra, huge bones for Mischa and sausages for Jeremy.

Best of all was getting free peaches ;-) I asked for some soft peaches I could use for making a pie and a farmer told me "if you dare to pick out those under there, they are free." Yes, I bent over and picked them out of the box!!!!

We made a scrumptious pie for dinner.

Instead of making a nutritious dinner, we had ice cream and pie because it took some time and effort.

It was our first time buying ice cream since we lived in New York. We make our own ice cream in Vita Mix with frozen strawberries and bananas. Sonia couldn't believe the sequence of events. Jeremy was in seventh heaven or surely close to it! I have to add this morning there was nothing left of the peach pie ;-) I should make another one!