"What's a typical day like?"

Our typical day starts really early, like 4:30 because we’re still not completely used to the 11 hour time difference. Mostly its Isabelle who wakes the rest of us. We take our time getting ready and then go for a walk. We’re in the center of town so there are parks, fountains, lots of people, trolley cars. At 9:45 am Sveta, our translator, and Edor, our driver, pick us up.

Takes about 10 minutes to get to the Baby House. We cross over a lovely river to get there. When we arrive we walk into the Baby House, a large baby-blue colored building. It usually smells like whatever is being served for lunch that day. Sometimes it smells like minestrone; others, it’s more like onions. We go up to the third floor, to the “locker” room, a sunny room with little light blue lockers on all sides.

Usually Nicholas Peter is waiting for us in there with a caretaker and Elena, a little girl that is also being visited right now by a couple from California. We get hugs and kisses. Then Nicholas quickly changes into his outdoor clothes and outdoor shoes and puts his indoor stuff away in his locker. He is fast and totally independent. All the kids are so compliant. From an early age they are taught to do things for themselves. The BH is so well organized. I got to peak into the bathroom the other day and saw that each child has a long, narrow cubby. Each cubby is numbered and has a cup with a toothbrush in it, a hand towel hanging on a hook, and a comb. Nicholas is number 10.

We usually take a ball or some other play thing that we bring for him outside to one of several play areas. We swing, play ball, tickle, cuddle, look at books, try to teach him a few words in English, learn a few words in Russian…sometimes we take a little walk around the whole outside of the BH. Elena and her parents are outside too, so we talk with them too. Each of us has an interpreter and driver, so its quite a spectacle. We see the groups of other kids come out to play or the little ones, just to stroll. Today we saw 15 two year olds with two caregivers venture out of the gates of the Baby House and walk around the outside of the fence, where there’s lots of green grass. They hold hands and walk two-by-two and its just the cutest thing you ever did see!

At 11:30 am visiting time is over. We have hugs all around and say “Paka” (bye-bye) to Nicholas and tell him if Mama or Papa will be back in the afternoon. We then go to lunch, so far we’ve had excellent Chinese, to be expected I guess since we’re so close to China! And we’ve had great pizza at the Pizza Blues which also has an indoor ball pit & play area with babysitters! We take our time, after all we have nowhere to be! Then we get dropped off back at the apartment, bolt our 2 doors, talk about safe! And usually try to do a little laundry. I say a little because the washing machines is about the size of a toaster. Ok, a microwave. It’s great for undies, but two pairs of jeans fill the whole thing. Then we check to see if anything is dry on the balcony. Katrina does some school work and Isabelle usually goes to sleep. We try to update the blog, email, etc.


Then at 3:45 Sveta and driver are back to take either me or Justin to visit Nicholas again. The second visit is from 4-5:30 and is pretty much the same routine but much more one-on-one time. We’ll bring photos of home, or markers and paper, that kinda thing. Nicholas is really a happy kid so he get a thrill out of a piggy back ride or playing in the dirt with a lollypop stick. I’m starting to see that God’s plan is for us to learn a lot more from him than he from us!


Back at the apt, whichever one of us stayed watches a movie or reads, or today, for example, Justin took the girls to a small zoo nearby. Really small, like 8 animals! And Justin always has his Blackberry to keep him busy. It seems to buzz periodically. I’ve now learned that if I make a buzzing noise before speaking, I’m much more likely to be heard. Ha!

After the second visit, it's dinner time. It takes a bit longer to cook & clean up after dinner. We have one knife, two bowls, a sink the size of a typical "bar" sink, but in many ways I'm finding less really is more. I better save those insights for another post or I'll run out of time on the internet card!