Burrrr, Bullies, and Birds...

So... again for the long version call Mark ;) for the short version here goes:

Got up this morning and headed to meet G. to go to the US Embassy. IT WAS BURRRR COLD. Snow on ground stuck from last nights flurries and it was icey as all get out walking down the hill to the Embassy. Passing through the gate there was quite nice, being able to read, hear, and speak my own language was really cool for a while... by now even reading the forms I was filling out was cool... ;)

Leaving the Embassy I was quickly jerked back from my short break to America as a guard bellowed at me in Russian as if to remind me I am not home yet that I was going the wrong way which he punctuated by calling me a stupid American... I'm sure he didn't think I knew what he said other than the American part but with 4 kids I have no problem with curse words here, and in my book, stupid + the nasty way he said it to certainly qualified... who pays his check? I will clean up for our younger audience and the sake of not losing my religion the thought which ran through my mind which was, "Welcome back to "paradise" " you may feel free to interpret...

Leaving there G, the kids and I headed back to what we thought was going to be Kreshatyk and what ended up being Vksona again. So now I have two kids making smart comments about how they missed out on the Fat House and how they want to go by train to Zaph. We had lunch at a place across from the train station it was good, but Max who is now a connoisseur of "buffets" found it not to be as palatable as the fat house and let G. know it later. What a butt head.

On the Marchutka out to 21 we went a totally different way than we had ever been before on 719 the route has changed and for a min. I was freaking out did I get on the right bus or not, I was not the only one with this question as the man next to me was also quite anxious. He asked me in his most impolite angry Russian if I knew where we were, I told him no. He asked me if I knew if the stop he was looking for was on this route and I did not know so I told him I don't know, he looked at me totally ticked off at my apparent incompetence Anna behind me telling me his tone and what he was saying are "shocking Mama" and Max in front of me telling me he is "Abusive Mama" meaning he is cussing at me... So as the Bully kept up his business, we pulled to a new stop, someone got off freeing a space for me to sit else where, and I called him a "Cranky Old Goat." which while I am sure was not my best line or moment cracked me and the kids up, later they asked me what "abusive" words I said, and they rolled laughing to find out it was "prostly" "simply or Just" calling him a goat... well... we fixed him...

We got out to 21 early found John and was told that Kevin was inside "someplace" we hung out in the yard, Suzette Davies, her daughter and V. came to visit Victor @ 21 and it was nice to see her smiling face. Suzette is always very positive about her experiences here and game to share things that she is learning from spending time with V. They took pictures of John, Anna an Max having a snow ball (yep... snow ball) fight with Alexandra before they headed home for the day.

And... as for the birds... well that snow ball fight I was talking about...got going again after the Davies family left and, got a little, pardon my pun, "out of hand" for Max today when he got reamed by some of the older boys, his brothers included. One whom I adore, and he because I do, does not, named Vova, really nailed him. There were double barrel birds a flyin and Mama happened to look at the right time, which was the wrong time, for my buddy Max. We had another chat about keeping them in the cages and he was really miffed when I asked him to tell Vova he was sorry, cause he sure wasn't...

Tomorrow we work on finding the place in town that helps get you ids for delta :) since we love to fly and it shows... I figured it would be a fitting way to spend the day...

Ya gotta laugh people... you just gotta laugh...

Ya'll take care... Williams Clan... please take a real shower and do not use your socks as a wash cloth act like the civilized folk from MS that you are... and when some one sees Ronny Brock do tell him someday I need his definition of "aketa mu handa" because I am trying it the next time I sit next to a goat like the one I was stuck with today!

Lovin from,

Jenn Smith, John, Anna, Kevin and my future "Ornithologists" Max...