We have made it to Russia!
Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. Our life has been a bit crazy, but I feel we are finally
settling down into a routine.
The trip over went well. We were able to bring our cat Abby, which I was really
worried about. When we arrived in Moscow, we were living in Matt’s one bedroom apartment.
Megan had her crib in the bedroom with us and Riley slept on the sofa. It was a nice apartment but
it had its quirks. The TV didn’t work and every time we turned on the air conditioning and something
else at the same time it would blow a fuse. The temperature was in the 90’s and the apartment was
always so hot. Finally after the heat wave was over, the landlord sent someone to fix the fuse.
Eta Rossiya- That’s Russia.
After about 2 ½ weeks in Matt’s apartment we moved into our new apartment. It is just across the Moscow River from Matt’s apartment. We are pretty happy with what we found. The apartment is in a beautiful building
that was built in 1952. My landlord said that our apartment was for people high up in the communist party. It
is just across the street from Evropensky shopping center which has the metro, grocery store and lots of shopping!! Very convenient.
We have views of the Moscow River and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building (one of the seven sisters) out the front and views of the city and the Ukraine Hotel (another of the seven sisters) out the back. Behind the building is a park with a playground
and basketball/soccer court. The apartment has hardwood/tile floors with no window or floor coverings so
it can get pretty loud. As soon as we get curtains and carpets I think it will help. We are having a little
trouble with our landlords providing what they had promised. We have been living here since the 4th
and I just got a microwave two days ago! It is the end of the month so hopefully they will get things done before the rent
is due.
Riley is in 3rd
grade this year at the Anglo American School. There is a van that picks him up from in front of our building and takes him the hour to and from school.
His teacher this year is Ms. Favilli. She is really wonderful! She is a combination
of tough but loving. She is really getting Riley whipped into shape. Riley has made
a few good friends already. One is Russian and the other is Korean. What better way
to learn about other cultures than from your friends. Riley is playing soccer on the weekends in the Moscow
Youth Soccer League. He has been playing goalie a lot (like his dad) and is really enjoying it.
He has been such a trooper through all of this. He has not complained at al. However
he has been missing his friends back home.
Megan is doing great. She has been cutting 6 or 8 teeth since we have been here and so
she has been a bit cranky. However, if I was not feeling well and was away from home I think I’d
be cranky too. When we first got here she would not eat. But now she is eating constantly. I think she
is feeling better and more settled. We went to a new baby music group yesterday. She
absolutely loved it! She was so excited to see other babies. I think she is missing
her friends. One thing that has taken a little to get used to is that this city is not baby friendly AT
ALL! There are no ramps or changing tables anywhere! There are stairs everywhere, going
in and out of buildings, under the street and the metro. Something that surprised me about people here
is how nice they are about offering to help. There are more times than not when I am pulling Megan up the
stairs or pushing her down the stairs that someone will stop and help me lift her the rest of the way. The
people here have such a tough outer shell but they really do have big hearts underneath.
Matt’s job is doing well.
He really likes what he is doing. He is working hard and long hours. He has already
been on a trip to Krasnodar! He is also playing golf on the weekends at the Moscow Country Club. Since we have been here he has won another tournament. I think that is four this year!
As for me,
I have not found a nanny yet (I haven’t really tried very hard) so I haven’t done much. I did
join the International Women’s Club and the American Women’s Organization. At some point I
hope to join some of their interest groups so I can meet new people. I was looking forward to getting involved
with Riley’s school again but we live so far away that it is difficult to get there.
So far, things are
going very well. For me it is a little strange to be back in Moscow. Some things are
exactly the same but many things are completely different. Starbucks knew I was coming and opened their first store in Russia two weeks after we arrived. It just happens to
be in the Mega Mall that Matt worked on when we were here last time. I have only been able to go twice to buy my almost $10
Carmel Macchiato but it was well worth it.
This is running long so I
will stop and post this. I will try not to go so long before updating. We miss you all!
