Happy Valentine's Day from Moscow

I have never been that into Valentine's Day.  To be honest with you, after four years at Loyola of New Orleans and our many years in Thibodaux, Valentine's Day became exciting to me only because it usually meant that Mardi Gras was right around the corner.  (How I miss Mardi Gras, but that's a blog for another time.)  Of course the kids love any holiday, so it's become a bit more of a fun day now that the four kiddos are in my life.
Yesterday I took Amalie and Kathleen for a snack in the school cafeteria after school.  Amalie was telling us all of the plans for Valentine's Day in her class.  I mentioned to the girls that I did not have a Valentine this year (Jesy is in the States).  Kathleen told me that she would be my Valentine.  She said she would call me "sweetie" all day long and we would give each other kisses.  How I adore that child.  She tests my ability as a mother almost every day, but she also is just a little sweet piece of candy.  Of course this morning she refused to eat breakfast, refused to get her hair done, and sat in the entranceway and cried the entire time I was gone to take Amalie and Colin to school.  But I still do adore my little girl.
I found it quite amusing that Amalie stayed stilent during the whole "I'll be your Valentine, Mommy" episode.  Amalie is already interested in boys and I could tell what was going on in that little head of hers-  if I tell mommy that I will be her Valentine, then I won't be able to pick a boy at school to be Valentines with and that will be a huge bummer.  Poor Jesy- he will really be in for it when Amalie is a teenager.
Colin has been really cracking me up lately.  He is quite enamored by a girl in his class, but he refuses to admit it.  Last night while I was bathing John Colin joined me and went on and on about this little girl for about 20 minutes.  She is so cute, so nice, she behaves so well in class.  If anyone ever does anything to this girl, he will defend her.  I have no idea what they are planning on doing, but Colin is prepared.  "Don't worry, though, Mommy.  I like her, but I am not in love with her".  Colin is truly something else.
For your Tuesday enjoyment, I thought I would ask the kids what they love.  Here are their responses:
Kathleen:  I love to make pictures,pizza, chicken nuggets, Mommy (did not tell her to say that), and Daddy, and everyone in my family.

Colin:  I love toys, legos, books, and everybody in the family.

Amalie:  I love our house, Toby (her good friend here), Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa, Daddy, making letters and stars, drawing books, making pictures with white paper, my baby brother and my whole family, Miss Olesea (our nanny), going swimming, going to the library, and going to music class, and I love Valentine's Day!  Is anyone reading this surprised that my little chatterbox Amalie listed the most items?

John:  John cannot talk, but I KNOW he would say that he loves his mommy and daddy, his brother and two sisters, and that he is going to Turkey next week and will be allowed outside!

And what do I love?  I love that my very sweet husband sent me flowers even though he is in the US.  He gave our driver money before he left and asked him to pick up a bouquet for me today.  I also love that Jesy got Amalie and Kathleen flowers also.  They were so happy, and it's so important to know that your daddy loves you.  I love that I am 36 years old and my own father still sends me a Valentine's Day card every year.  I love my 4 beautiful children and my 3 wonderful siblings.  And their own beautiful children.  I love that I am going to Turkey next week, to Stockholm in March, and to Rome in April.  And that my parents are meeting us in Rome and they get to see John for the very first time! 

Black Ice and Ashan

While living in Iowa, there were two words that could put the fear of God in me- Black Ice.  If you are a midwesterner or northeasterner, you know what I mean.  Black ice is terrifying and it made me such a nervous wreck.  In Russia I do not worry about black ice.  I do not drive here and they keep our neighborhood up so well that I have never encountered any.  But if you want to scare me in Russia, say the word "Ashan".  Is that some type of Russian word for ice or snow storm?  Sadly, no.  Ashan is the name of the grocery store I go to, and it is the sadistic torture I put myself through once a week.
Now, to be fair, I choose to go shopping at Ashan.  There is another store, Allie Parusa, which is much closer to my house and never crowded.  But, it is very expensive, and with a family of six I have to be smart about my shopping choices.  So I head to Ashan every week.  The kids and I live a pretty sheltered life here in Moscow, but when I want to really go experience the culture, I go shopping.  You really get to know the country you are living in when you buy their products and mingle with the people.  I also have to admit that I am quite lucky- my driver almost always comes in with me to Ashan.  He pushes the cart and if I have questions about a product, he can help.  And if I bring Kathleen with me, he amuses her.
First of all- the carts.  I have no idea what is going on in this country, but the shopping carts are the worst I have ever experienced in my life.  The wheels are ridiculous and once you put alot of stuff in the cart it always leans to one side.  When I was pregnant with John and I had to push the cart by myself I always finished the trip redfaced with exertion.
The easiest way to describe Ashan is to compare it to a Super Walmart.  It has all kinds of stuff for the house, your non-perishables, and groceries.  Basically, you can buy everything you need for the week there.  Oh, and toiletries also.  The beginning of my trip is always pretty pleasant.  The household aisles are never that crowded and it's interesting to see the different products.  I love to go to the book section and pick out Russian coloring books for my kids.
It's always after you leave the alcohol section and move onto perishables that things start to get dicey.  Workers are always stocking the shelves at Ashan.  Always.  Why the feel the need to do this at 10am, I will never know.  And it's not like in the US when one worker has some boxes that they are unloading.  No, the whole middle of the aisle is taken over by boxes and crates and someone is always on a ladder putting products on the top shelves.  I am always hopping over boxes and knocking into people with my big diaper bag. 
I have to say I love going to the snack/candy aisles.  They have the most interesting and different snacks here and the kids love to try new ones.  And they taste pretty darn good.  It is also good that I go to the snack aisle first because that prepares me for the fruit and veggies section.  Also known as my version of hell on earth in Moscow.
Why fruits and veggies is always so crowded I will never know.  And this also seems to be the area of the store where it's ok to ram others with your cart.  Hello bruises!  The produce section is quite different than in the US.  You put your fruit in a bag just like at home, but then you have to go weigh it on a machine by yourself and put a sticker on it.  All of the fruit and veggies have their names and a number above them, and you have to match up the numbers with the fruit and then put that number into the weighing machine.  Which is not always easy to do when you don't know what the word for carrots is.  And you had better not be too slow at the machine, because everyone behind you will start pushing up against you.  I don't know about you, but I really do not like being pushed up against.  It is most annoying.
When fruits and veggies are finished I skip the fish aisle.  I just cannot do it.  The smell is so hard to take. (I have never been one for that smell.  You should have seen me walk past that aisle when I was pregnant).  And not all of the products are dead, and stuff is flipping around.  I know I should buy some salmon for the family, but I just cannot do it.  We will fill up on seafood this summer in South Carolina.
The dairy aisles used to be intimidating, but I now know what we like and I try to get out of there as quickly as possible.  They are always stocking the dairy section and there is yogurt, milk, and cheese everywhere.
The frozen section is never that bad.  Except for the fact that there is always water on the floor and I'm afraid I am going to slip.  And if I bring Kathleen with me you know she is going to splash around in the water.  I would rather not talk about the bread aisle- it's the end of my trip and the crowds are just too upsetting.
So, my cart is full and it's time to checkout.  You know how in the US when you get up to the checkout and start unloading your groceries the cashier starts scanning items right away?  Not here.  You have to unload EVERYTHING and put it on the belt before the cashier will start scanning.  Can you imagine how many groceries a family of six has?  It's actually quite comical- I start piling food and just pray it does not fall down.  The cashier will bag some stuff for you, but anything they deem breakable- glass bottles, eggs, fruit, bread, etc- you have to bag yourself.  They do not want to accept responsibility for breaking any of your items.
If you happen to be in Hilton Head this summer and are shopping at Walmart, or Target, or Publix, and you see me getting misty eyed in the produce section, do not be alarmed.  I am just savoring the peace, and the fact that someone else will weigh my fruit!
And, on a lighter note, I really do enjoy bringing Kathleen with me because she always wears the most interesting outfits.  Since she is not in school on a day we go shopping, I let her choose her own clothes.  And I am never disappointed.  One day she wore her bunny costume (here we go again with the Russians and rabbits).  Another time she wore her purple princess skirt with pants underneath and she spun around and danced through most of the store.  My favorite day was when she wore pink sweatpants, a pink sweatshirt, and a yellow sundress with pineapples over that.  The looks we got were priceless!