Coffee in Russia

I love a good cup of coffee in the morning.  Just one is fine, but it has to be made very specifically.  I prefer iced coffee, with one Splenda (shout out to you Tara) and some of that flavored coffee milk.  Like Coffeemate.  Once I have that coffee I am good to go for the day and usually in a better mood for having it.
When me moved to Moscow it became clear to me that coffee was going to be a problem.  It is very hard to find any type of Coffeemate product here and to be honest with you I just do not like the coffee very much.  Russians are more of a tea drinking people.  And they do tea very well.
After we had been here for a couple of months, my very lovely husband found some flavored coffee syrup at Metro Cash and Carry.  (Moscow's version of Sam's Club).  It was great timing because John had just been born and after a night of being up with a newborn and then waking up at 5:30 or 6am to feed the other three kids I really needed my coffee.  Problem solved and I have been happy ever since.
Last weekend we ran out of our coffee syrup and we asked our driver to pick up some for us while we were at mass.  When we got back in the car after mass our bottles of syrup were waiting and we thanked and paid our driver, Valeri.  Valeri then said to Jesy and I, "You know the coffee syrup is not near the juice aisle, like you told me.  It's near the wine section."  Well, that was good to know, because next time it will probably be Jesy buying it.  "You also know that the syrup you buy contains alcohol," he said to Jesy and I.  WHAT????????????????   I have been spiking my coffee every morning!   The syrup contains a bit less alcohol than a beer, but of course I only use about a tablespoon every morning.  Still, I have been laughing about this all week.  Only I would drink spiked coffee every morning in Russia.  No wonder why I feel so relaxed after a cup.

And you know what- I am going to continue drinking it.  Life is not always that easy in Moscow, and there is still snow on the ground for goodness sakes.  What an adjustment I will have to make this summer in the US.
John always keeps me company while I write.  Last night he did some great giggles and his siblings were quite amused.  This morning they kept on asking me to make John laugh.  He is not laughing in these pictures, but trust me, this kid can let off some very high pitched squeals.