On Saturday Pam, Zach, Gusanna, and I went to the Eurasia (no idea if I am spelling that correctly) mall. It is a massive indoor mall with 3 levels. Most of the shops are little - maybe 20x20. On the bottom floor is a huge market. Similar to our farmers markets. Wouldn't you know it as you walk down the ramp to that market the first row you hit is the meat. Hanging dead meat. Can't escape the meat. JEZ...The opposite direction has all of the produce vendors and bakeries. Did I mention that everything here is organic? The produce are absolutely delicious. They just go bad quickly without all of those pesticides. Pam is into cookies and they are yummy. Then there is the bread...oh I just looooovvvvve the bread. The 2 upper levels are store upon store of either kids clothes or furs with some furniture and jewlery mixed in every now and then. Great prices. Pam and I both bought a bunch of baby clothes. So cute! A sign of being a real Mother, I didn't buy anything for myself. Zach was a dream. He sat in his stroller and checked everyone out and played with his toy. Couldn't have been better. Funny - everyone kept staring at Pam and Zach - as if to say, "tsk, tsk look at the American taking yet ANOTHER one of OUR children." But interesting that with Zach, people actually did the unheard of! They moved out of the way, held doors open, didn't just charge past her. Amazing! We also had lunch at the mall. The Kazak beer is sooooo good and cheap! $2-$3!
Oh, speaking of Pam and Zach.....so about a week ago at the baby house I walked in on something I found horrific. In the room where the babies eat and play, there is a large playpen with wooden spindles. The inside perimeter is lined with little plastic toilets. Maya and the other children are sitting on the potties and tied to the spindles with some cloth. Now I had heard about this but thought in such a Metropolitan city, surely they wouldn't do it here! Well it took everything I had not to go take her out of there. The kids didn't seem unhappy and it is all they know. Besides it would be disrespectful to show my horror. I haven't seen it since, thankfully. So here is where Pam and Zach enter the story. On the first day they are here, Pam is unpacking and I am liking her more and more. She is funny and easy going. She has a great haircut - short (like McBane's for those who know her) but long in the front and spikey on top. Really very cool. Her style is, to use her word, - kicky. So all of a sudden out comes this little plastic potty!! I couldn't believe it! She says, "Isn't this great? I'm so happy I found one!" All smiles. I tell her, "I CANNOT believe you bought that! How awful!" She tells me Zach was always laughing and having a great time whenever she saw him on it. I guess in a way it makes sense - men love being on the toilet. Anyway, she puts it on the floor and brings Zach over to the hot pink, no less, potty. Places him on it and ties him with her leopard print scarf. He screams bloody murder. Hot pink potty was left behind.
On Sunday, Pam and Zach took off for Almaty for the final formalities before going home to Schaumberg (outside of Chicago). It was great having them here. I'll miss them.
I went to the morning session today instead of my normal schedule of going in the afternoon. There are 4 families in that session. All about a week ahead of me. 2 couples from Boston, a single woman from San Diego, and another single woman from Washington D.C. I was told today there is another single woman coming on Thursday from New Jersey. They are all so nice and most are about my age. I'll have lunch with them tomorrow. A 5th family arrived today from Dallas. The room is packed with babies all about the same age. Maya of course is fascinated with all of the new people and has to check everyone out - preferably upside down. What is with the upside down? I talked with Maya's Dr today after her check up. I really like her Dr. She smiles a lot and is caring. She says Maya still has a cold but ear infection is cleared up.
On Saturday at the morning session all 4 families were allowed to feed our babies. First time I've fed her and it was a complete disaster. Way too much going on to look at and I missed her mouth 8 out of 10 times. Then another first - poopie diaper. Maybe this post should have been labeled "All about Poop."? Anyway, the final first of the day - she fell asleep in my arms about half way through playing. Today, as you can see, she did again but this was the last 10 minutes. Sweet, huh? She looks like a frog. Just love that kid.
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