Dosvidanya School Year One in Moscow

Wow- this past Friday Colin and Amalie finished their first year of school in Moscow.  And I give this year a big 'ol A.  The Yeates family had a baby, traveled to 3 different countries together, played lots of sports, explored some of Moscow, and had a great school year.  On Thursday we will be traveling back to the United States to spend a week in Connecticut and then six weeks in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  I like to end things on a positive note, so I thought I would share some things I really liked about this year and some random occurences in our host country.

1.  Best part of our time here in Moscow- the arrival of John Thomas Yeates in October.  I had an excellent experience at the hospital and John is a delightful baby.  I love to be working in the kitchen or getting ready in the morning and look down at him playing on the floor.  He always sees me looking and gives me a big, big smile.  He is the sweetest baby and I just know everyone is going to love meeting him this summer.

2.  The Anglo American School is one of my favorite things about Moscow.  This school is amazing and perhaps next year I will devote an entire blog to it.  Colin has made so much progress academically and socially and has matured a great deal.  I am really proud of his focus this year and they way he put his best effort in to his work.  So much of this move to Russia was for Colin since he is the oldest.  The experience of living in a foreign country, this amazing school, the travel.  And I have to say that Jesy and I are quite pleased that this seems to have worked out for him.  It's nice when you make a difficult decision and it turns out to be a good one.  My sweet Amalie did great in Pre-K.  She arrived in her class in February and she fit in by the afternoon of the first day.  Amalie is so well liked by every kid she meets and is always making new friends.  She is such a curious girl and loves to learn new things.  I cannot wait to see what she does in kindergarten, though it makes me sad that she is not with me as much during the day.  Like I said, this school is amazing.  The academics, the sports on the weekend, the after school activities (chess club, lego club, and more), and the specials during the day- Russian language class, art class, music class, swimming lessons, PE, and ice skating in the winter.  The children are so blessed that they attend this school.

3.  I cannot forget to mention Kathleen's Montessori preschool here in Pokrovsky Hills.  It is half Russian and half English speakers, which is perfect for a 3/4 year old.  Kathleen has had a great time during her first year of pre-k.  Not only has she done well academically, but she has made lots of friends and participates a lot more than at the beginning of the year.  This was important for Kathleen because she always relied on big sister Amalie to make the friends and do the talking at school.  The last "show" of the year was a hoot- Kathleen was singing and dancing with all the kids and looking super cute while she did it.

4.  We do not eat a lot of Russian food here- I have basically kept us on a Western/American diet.  But I have found a few Russian dishes here that I adore.  Pelmini- I call it Russian ravioli.  I buy the kind filled with meat (you can buy ones filled with cheese and ones filled with cherries and they are delicious, but the kids do not like them), mix them with a tiny amount of butter, and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.  Russians like to eat pelmini with sour cream (smetana) mixed in, which is also qutie tasty.  Potato pancakes.  I had some this morning and it is also a dish I love here in Moscow.  Again, Russians use sour cream on top and I have to say it is a nice combination.  Kasha- a Russian version of hot oatmeal cereal.  I buy the instant and eat it for breakfast, but if you can get someone to make you the real stuff (like I had in the hospital), then watch out.  It is really good.

5.  We have lived in Moscow for ten months, and Wednesday was the first day I went into a gas station convenience store.  It was exactly like the US (a BP store) except for all of the Russian writing and I got quite nostalgic for the United States.

6.  Grocery stores in Moscow sell wine, beer, and liquor (the selection is breathtaking), but they only open the aisles after 11am.  I happened to be in the store at that time last week and I needed to buy vodka.  I felt like I was in the midst of a Russian fraternity party.  All of these young men swarming to buy alcohol.  It just felt like a very Russian moment to me.  Russians love their vodka and I have to say they do it quite well.  Jesy and I try to buy only Russian brands while we are here.

7.  Our neighborhood here in Moscow is one of the saving grace's of this experience. Pokrovsky Hills is a gated ex-pat community on the outskirts of Moscow.  A gate connects us to the Anglo American School, which is quite convenient.  Because it is a gated community and the security has a really strong presence, it is extremely safe for the children.  Colin has enjoyed quite a lot of freedom while living here.  He is always riding his bike with friends in the warm months or going sledding in the winter months.  The girls and John are of course with me when they are outside, but they enjoy the freedom of riding their bikes up and down the street.  We walk to the park/playground all of the time and there are always plenty of kids to play with.  Every child that lives in our neighborhood either attends the pre-k or the Anglo American school, so my kids have so many playmates.  And I love the sense of community in the neighborhood.  Everyone is in the same boat.  Almost all of us are foreigners living away from family and friends.  Our husbands (and some wives too) work long hours and many travel alot.  If I ever need help or someone to talk to, I just have to step outside my house and ask.

8. I have been a stay-at-home mom for over eight years and this is the first time I have had outside help.  Having a nanny is a true blessing.  Everything is Moscow takes twice as long as in the US, and having Olesea's help is invaluable.  I think what I love the most is that because she does so much of the housework, I really get to spend fun time with my kids.  I just get to enjoy them more, instead of always doing laundry and cleaning up.  And having a babysitter for a night on the town whenever we want if fabulous.  Jesy works so hard, and I love that we are able to go out, relax, and enjoy each others company whenever we can.

9. Before we left for Russia my very wonderful brother-in-law Josh (married to Suzanne) predicted that Jesy was going to "kill" it in Russia.  You know what Josh- I believe you are correct.  Jesy is amazing at his job and I am so proud of what he has accomplished during the short time here.  Jesy works harder than anyone I know and he is such a wonderful example to our children.  It is not easy to work here- the traffic, the hours, dealing with an entirely different culture- but Jesy does it so well.  Good thing he has an amazing wife that supports him in all that he does and keeps the family life going smoothly.

10.  What a difference a year makes.  The first time Jesy and I came to Moscow I was so overwhelmed.  The language, the alphabet, the culture.  And I was in my first trimester with John.  What a mess.  Last night Jesy and I went for dinner near the Kremlin and then walked around a bit.  I am not intimidated anymore.  I know the Russian alphabet and can make my needs known in a store or restaurant.  I have a long way to go, but I am proud of us.  Last night we went into a store and I was able to ask for a plastic bag.  In Russian.  Baby steps Eileen, baby steps.  I have also been so proud of how the kids have adjusted.  It's not easy to leave your home, your country, and everything you know.  Colin, Amalie, and Kathleen are real troopers.  They have embraced life in Russia and I think this is such an amazing experience for them.  No matter what they do in life they will always carry this experience with them, and not many American children have such a full passport.  And we have many more countries to visit!

What does being an ex-pat do?  It makes you really appreciate your home country.  I have loved this year so far, but I miss, miss, miss the USA.  Get ready America- we are coming home!

Keeping the Faith in Mocow

After the fall of communism, the Russian Orthodox Church, which had not been allowed under the Soviets, made a comeback.  I was told that 98% of Russia is Orthodox.  I do not know much about their religion, but I am learning.  Our nanny is Orthodox, so she has filled me in a bit.  There are no pews at their churches- the stand during the entire service!  Women have to cover their heads during the service.  They do not celebrate Christmas on December 25; they celebrate it on January 6th.  And actually it's not a very big holiday.  During communist times the people were not allowed to celebrate Christmas, but the Soviets decided to still give the people a holiday, so they made the big holiday New Year's Day.  They have a New Year's Day tree and exchange presents this day.  They also celebrate Easter about a week after us Catholics.
It has been very interesting learning about this religion, and it's also quite different to be in the minority.  This past Christmas we were one of the few families celebrating in Moscow on December 25.
You may be wondering what our family does for mass as Catholics in Moscow.  We are very fortunate in that we started going to church this fall at the American Embassy. And you know what- I LOVE it.  I have not enjoyed going to church this much since I was a member of the Faith Community at Covenant House.  I loved mass at CH because it was small- sometimes on 6 or 7 of us attending mass in our own house.  Mass at the Embassy is a bit bigger, but not by alot.  There are maybe 75 people there on any given Sunday.  And we know so many of the families there because they attend the same school as Colin and Amalie.
The priest is a wonderful man from England.  He has his own parish in Moscow, but he also performs mass at the Embassy, which is easier for many ex-pats to get to.  It's quite interesting- most of his parishioners in Moscow are from Kenya.  It is not an easy life for the Kenyans in Moscow, but Father Michael is truly a compassionate and caring man who really tries to make their spiritual life in Moscow positive.  He also works very nicely with the children and I truly enjoy his sermons.
On a typical Sunday we arrive at mass and it is about an hour long.  After mass is over we all move to a common room.  There are snacks and coffee, which makes my kids very happy.  All three of my older children are able to go to Sunday school classes (which they love) and Jesy and I sit with other parents and John and socialize.  It's just very peaceful and pleasant.  In Iowa Colin completed his first year of First Communion prep.  I was concerned when we moved to Moscow that Colin would not be able to make the sacraments, but he was able to pick up right where he left off.  Colin made his First Reconciliation in April, and would have been eligible to make his First Communion in May.  Jesy and I decided to wait until this summer, though.  In August John is going to be baptized at my parents church in South Carolina and Colin will make his Communion on the same day.  The deacon and the director of religious education at my parents church have been so wonderful.  I really wanted our families to be present for John's baptism and Colin's First Communion, and they have made this possible.  Colin is the first grandchild on both sides of the family to make his First Communion, so it will be a very special day.  And, Colin and my mother are John's godparents, so it is truly a blessing that they will be able to share this day with John.  And the plan is to celebrate both of these sacraments on our 12th wedding anniversary, so as you can imagine I am very excited for this day.
I wish I could post some pictures of our Catholic experience here in Moscow, but because we are at the US Embassy we have to check our cell phones and any other electronics in when we arrive.  Security is tight!  But if you ever come to visit us in Russia, I will take you to mass.  Not only is it a lovely experience, but it makes me so happy to be on "US soil" for a few hours every week!