Saturday

I'll move this picture later, it really should be on yesterday's post. This is Amanda, dressed up and ready to go to the Embassy.

I always read your posted comments (thanks!) and thought I'd reply to niece Meagan's question. I don't plan to learn more Russian - she's going to have to close the gap by learning English! And thank you, I'm glad you've enjoyed the blog. I can tell you what I told Mom - this is the reason I don't keep a diary! I feel the compulsion to record every moment and it's too time consuming! But typing makes it easier, so (yes, Mother) hopefully I will be able to keep some sort of journal going for Amanda to have later. =)

Yesterday when we turned on the TV, Blazing Saddles was just ending. Excellent! A movie I can watch even in Russian as I know it pretty much by heart! Today, I was treated to a nice crooner singing "White Christmas", but with the video showing a naked woman's back in bed, getting out of bed, and her and the guy dressed up and going out. Hmm, do they not know what that song is about? Amanda wasn't paying attention, so I wasn't corrupting her mind too much.

Earlier, I was awake at 3:30am and couldn't sleep again, so I thought I'd call Mom and Dad. Well, mistake as the talking woke Amanda and there we were, both up early. Oh well. She wanted soup, so I thought why not, it's nutritious. She didn't eat much, but had the rest later. At 7, I decided we were going to nap, so slept until 10am. I had a nutri-grain bar and she shared it with me and enjoyed it, so her earlier shunning was just situational. About 1pm we headed out for a walk. (I had asked some parents at the Embassy the previous day about McDonald's and it's at the end of Old Arbat - I shouldn't have turned when I did.) Rob & Dede from Texas, the couple I'd met the day earlier outside the apartment, were in the elevator taking their son Liam on an outing. We headed across the street together and Rob showed me the entrance to a market just across the street, which was great knowledge. They also showed me a shorter way to Old Arbat (it angles off New Arbat, and I didn't have to go down to the start (which I recognized from trip one) but can go down a closer street which intercepts Old Arbat. I was thinking of trying that route and was glad to know it was viable. They headed off to shop and we headed to McDonald's, after agreeing that Amanda & I should visit their apartment tonight between 6 and 7.

We found McDonald's no problem, and the lines weren't bad, although there is no clear "line" for any cash register, so you have to be vigilant or you will never get your chance, which is nerve-wracking for me. I just want to wait in line and take my turn, not fight off any latecomers who just push ahead. No problem ordering as they use the words cheeseburger, fries and coke, and understood Happy Meal. I asked for no onion on my cheeseburger (nyet look) and that somehow got translated to two cheeseburgers, one with onion and one without. Not a big deal, I can eat some onion. The adult fries were HUGE! We found a table and proceeded to enjoy Amanda's first McDonald's lunch. She enjoyed dipping the fries into the ketchup, but really wanted to just lick out the container. Ketchup costs extra in Russia, otherwise I would have gotten more for her. The lunch cost me way more than I was expecting - it was just over $10. Sbarro was a bit less even when I had two pieces of pizza. I examined the receipt and figured out what everything was except the last item. I finally flagged down a passing employee and asked her what it was and she pointed to the happy meal toy. I paid $1 for the stupid toy! Good grief, that doesn't make me very happy. My two cheeseburgers were the same cost as her 4 chicken nuggets, and the ketchup was almost 50 cents. Oh well, it was good.

The employee who helped me understand the receipt said something else to me, and I just looked at her and said, sorry, I don't speak Russian. She nodded, ok, but then heard Amanda talking, and with a puzzled look on her face asked if Amanda spoke Russian, or was Russian. I said dah, and she said Amanda's papa must be Russian, dah? I gestured and said that Amanda was all Russian, and I was adopting her! No Russian boyfriend for me! Since Amanda looks like me, I guess it made sense. I just feel like we have a sign over our heads - American lady adopting Russian child with whom she can't communicate! - so I was surprised and amused that she thought differently.

I also thought it was quite amusing that on the wall instead of a strikethrough circle with a cigarette indicating no smoking, they had the symbols of a (vodka?) bottle and shot glass. They actually have to say, no vodka in McDonald's, please! There was another circle with the profile of a dog's face. None for smoking, although I didn't sense any smoking being done.

We went through the grocery store which right by McDonald's (as reported by the adoptive parents at the Embassy) and I got some pasta and soup mix that hopefully I can use with the chicken and make something edible. Why did I think I should try to cook? Tough without all the supplies, and we're not going to be here long enough to stock up on much. Amanda was a terror in the grocery store (unfortunately she didn't fit in the child seat in the cart, so she was stuck in the stroller). After I struggled through checkout, trying to keep her in her seat and not grabbing much, I found an empty doorway and we had a little timeout. I got some strange looks, but it did the trick. Everything is such a game for her that the only time she seems to really get that I am upset with her is when I put her in a corner, facing away from me. I hold her and stay very close so she doesn't feel too rejected, or think I'm going away, so hopefully it's not a negative to her psyche but just standard discipline.

I attempted to do a bit of souvenir shopping, but Amanda had to peeseet (that girl can't go more than 5 minutes, I swear!). The lady in the shop gave me directions to what was probably a public toilet, speaking solid Russian the whole time as if I could understand that she was maybe saying, "Go down this street and then hang a left and it's on the right side." I just thanked her and when she went back in her shop, we headed for Sbarro's which was just down the street.

Then back toward the apartment, with Amanda pushing the stroller some. She played the "I'm running away, I'm coming back, praise me" game, but once she ran toward the street and wasn't coming back even though I yelled, so we had another time out in a dirty garage doorway. I put her back in her stroller, even though she struggled, and headed back. I did stop in the market that Rob had pointed out, and found it to be a really great grocery store/market. I had forgotten to get myself some coke at the first store (although we did get apple juice!!), so I got that and a banana at this store. Amanda was crying but wouldn't say "I'm sorry" (I think she knows the basic meaning of what she's saying when I have her say it after a timeout). We went a bit further in the store but she was still so sad, so I tried again and this time she said she was sorry and I kissed her and said it was ok, that I love her. She was very good and didn't try to grab anything, even in checkout, so I bought her some M&Ms (for me, too, truth be told). She was very good about holding it without trying to open it until we got back to the apartment. It was about 4pm when we got back, and we had the M&Ms and played, had a bath, and then Amanda finished the chicken nuggets which she hadn't eaten at the restaurant.

This is just silly Amanda trying on my long johns/cuddleduds. They came in handy in Kemerovo but weren't needed so much in Moscow. I wore them to the Embassy under my jeans and was VERY HOT - definitely didn't need the extra layer under my jeans since we were mostly indoors on that outing.

About 6:30 we went up to the 22nd floor (we're on the 16th) and found the O'Daniel's apartment. You can imagine how shy Amanda was - NOT! She latched on to the beachball (I hadn't been able to find one to bring along myself) and had a grand time, throwing it, kicking it, and balancing on top of it, only falling off once. Liam stood there much of the time, just laughing at the crazy girl, although he did do some impromptu somersaults right on the wood floor and didn't seem to hurt his head doing it. We were very surprised and somewhat impressed! There was also a smaller bouncing ball that had flashing lights when it bounced and Amanda thought that was great, although I had to mimic the difference between full-force, at the face, scare the adults throws and easy, aim for the floor or wall throws. She has quite an arm on her, although the aim could use some work. She did a pretty good job of listening to me with that and also when I told her not to mess with anything on their desk, and after a bit she decided it was time to clean up, so she put all the toys into the shoebox, even the ones Liam was playing with. We had to convince her it was ok, she didn't need to clean up, keep playing. After some granola bar and cheerios, we waved goodbye to our apartment building friends. Then to bed as Mama was ooh-stalla (tired).

I'm trying to transition her to "Amanda" but it's a lower priority than discipline right now, so I call her Leila 80% of the time, 15% Leilamanda and 5% Amanda. I say that so when I quote her, you'll know that she totally refers to herself as Leila. It's cute, I'll say, "Mama ooh-stalla" and she will say "Mama ooh-stalla, Leila nyet." She does go to bed with no struggle (of course, I go with her so I'm right there) and falls asleep quite easily. She is a noisy sleeper, though! I wonder how much of that has to do with the inflamed tonsils, etc.

They are certainly taught orderliness in the orphanage. Amanda is constantly picking things up to throw away, or put back in their place, even though Mama is not maybe done with it. The question is, will this rub off on me or will she eventually give up at our house?!?

I did find a wireless network, unsecured, to connect to, but it is not a strong signal and I must have the laptop on the window seat/shelf. I think of you, Mom, having to sit by the window to use your cell phone as I sit here tied to the window with my computer! But I am pleased to have the connection. They said their internet person worked today 10-6, but no call this morning so I finally called about 4:30 and the guy said something like someone was looking at the connection and couldn't figure out the problem and they would do something about it Monday. Yeah, right, we'll see. Last time I reconnected to the "window" network, it said I didn't have the right configuration or something, but I refreshed and it came back as a viable connection. *Whew!* I thought I had lost the one connection that was working! I just hate not being about to have the internet! Spoiled, I know.