Friday, October 31, 2008
Tricks, No Treats
Someone must have told the begger women that today was Halloween, because they took their abilities to a whole new level. There are now 4 adults and 3 kids - a girl around 12 or 13, the 6/7 year old who Suzannah wants to play with, and a toddler who was sleeping in her mother's arms. Plus, of course, the mysteriously still and silent bundle that's supposed to be a baby. I would like to do something for the little girl, like maybe give her a doll or some candy on my last day, but the adults are so obnoxious that it becomes difficult to consider. Today they were very loud and insistent, approaching people in the parking lot as soon as they got out of cars, blocking paths, poking arms, etc. I think some police officers finally got after them: after we finally got away I saw 2 or 3 police headed in their direction, followed by some raised voices that I recognized, and I haven't seen them since. But I have no doubt they'll be back tomorrow.
There were jack-o-lanterns on the breakfast buffet today! Okay, the pumpkins were small and green, and the faces were all cookie-cutter identical, but it was such an unexpected treat that I got all ferklempt as soon as I saw them. Suzannah stared at the glowing faces, but Mommy thought they were the best thing she'd seen in days.
We went for another long walk this morning. There's not much else to do, really. We spent about an hour dodging the beggers, wandering the sidewalks, getting yelled at by guards when I let her slide down the highly polished ramp at the oil company building. After an hour her legs were tired (mine too!), so we came back to the hotel, buckled Suzannah into the Demon Stroller, and set out for part 2. My arms got the workout then, as I steered the stroller around holes, lowered her down the cut-less curbs & then dragged her back up the next side, lifted the stroller over rain gutters, hauled it over piles of bricks & sticks, etc. I would hate to be in a wheelchair in this town. It would be almost impossible to be independent. I asked Vala about that this afternoon and she said it's very very difficult for folks with mobility issues.
You know how you can go all day with nothing happening, and then everything happens at once? It was like that here from 2:40 to 3:00. Larry & Miriam called to discuss Halloween costumes - then Lena the interpreter called with some paperwork questions - then Suzannah decided it was time to poop - then she peed all over her tights as I was changing her. meanwhile, we were getting picked up at 3, and all I could do was wonder why this excitement couldn't have been spread out a bit more evenly!
We made our ride on time (it helped that they were late) and went for visa pics. I was sure Suzannah would scamper down off the stool the minute the photog let go, but no! She sat very intently and tried her best to do everything he asked. Of course, we ended up with pictures in which she looks like she's about to spit food onto the floor, but the visa folks don't care about that. I hope.
While we waited for the pics to be ready we strolled over to a nearby park which was full of wedding parties. Oh, what an attraction that was! Suzannah couldn't stop staring at all these people dressed in their fancy clothes. One group noticed her and stopped popping champagne bottles to giggle and wave. Then either the groom or one of his attendants came over and knelt before her - thanked her for something - and gave her a chocolate. Oh, was she enthralled! Vala and I, however, were quite jealous, as it was a very fancy chocolate. We considered sending her back for more, and maybe some champagne, but decided that would probably be tacky.
After a quick trip to a different grocery store (one where they don't all know how pathetic I am at counting out the right money), we came back to the hotel. It was still a bit light out so I took her down to the riverwalk. She wasn't interested in walking, but we did have fun sitting on a bench, eating goldfish and singing songs. She's singing a lot these days. I think they placed her with the right family :-)
After dinner (translation: peanut butter sandwiches)and bath we watched an episode of Australian Animal Rescue on Animal Planet. (I don't know how to tell Suzannah that we don;t have cable at home. However will she survive without her daily dose of dog shoes?) She was SOOOO into the show tonight, pointing at all the animals and chattering to the TV non-stop. Of course, the minute I grabbed the camera, she stopped. I managed to get a couple of words out of her, but it was nothing like the way she'd been talking before.
We had a long and laugh-filled tickle fest on the bed, which ended only when someone went from tickling to jumping. Oops. Then we went exploring in the halls and lobby, hoping to see people dressed in costumes (there was some kind of Halloween event taking place here). but someone who shall remain nameless took off into the emergency exit three times in a row. Back to the room for us!
She's started crying when I put her down for naps or bed. It's quite pitiful to hear her wailing as she throws herself back and forth in her crib. Tonight I tucked her in as always, gave her a kiss, and then couldn't stand the howls. I ended up picking her up for another hug & kiss, then handing over her favorite toy cell phone to hold while she fell asleep. It stopped the tears, though not the rocking. That's okay. We'll get there.
Tomorrow's plan: make it through another day with no appointments.
And let me just say that you've never experienced Halloween until you've spent it listening to Russin Elvis karaoke from the bar across the street.
There were jack-o-lanterns on the breakfast buffet today! Okay, the pumpkins were small and green, and the faces were all cookie-cutter identical, but it was such an unexpected treat that I got all ferklempt as soon as I saw them. Suzannah stared at the glowing faces, but Mommy thought they were the best thing she'd seen in days.
We went for another long walk this morning. There's not much else to do, really. We spent about an hour dodging the beggers, wandering the sidewalks, getting yelled at by guards when I let her slide down the highly polished ramp at the oil company building. After an hour her legs were tired (mine too!), so we came back to the hotel, buckled Suzannah into the Demon Stroller, and set out for part 2. My arms got the workout then, as I steered the stroller around holes, lowered her down the cut-less curbs & then dragged her back up the next side, lifted the stroller over rain gutters, hauled it over piles of bricks & sticks, etc. I would hate to be in a wheelchair in this town. It would be almost impossible to be independent. I asked Vala about that this afternoon and she said it's very very difficult for folks with mobility issues.
You know how you can go all day with nothing happening, and then everything happens at once? It was like that here from 2:40 to 3:00. Larry & Miriam called to discuss Halloween costumes - then Lena the interpreter called with some paperwork questions - then Suzannah decided it was time to poop - then she peed all over her tights as I was changing her. meanwhile, we were getting picked up at 3, and all I could do was wonder why this excitement couldn't have been spread out a bit more evenly!
We made our ride on time (it helped that they were late) and went for visa pics. I was sure Suzannah would scamper down off the stool the minute the photog let go, but no! She sat very intently and tried her best to do everything he asked. Of course, we ended up with pictures in which she looks like she's about to spit food onto the floor, but the visa folks don't care about that. I hope.
While we waited for the pics to be ready we strolled over to a nearby park which was full of wedding parties. Oh, what an attraction that was! Suzannah couldn't stop staring at all these people dressed in their fancy clothes. One group noticed her and stopped popping champagne bottles to giggle and wave. Then either the groom or one of his attendants came over and knelt before her - thanked her for something - and gave her a chocolate. Oh, was she enthralled! Vala and I, however, were quite jealous, as it was a very fancy chocolate. We considered sending her back for more, and maybe some champagne, but decided that would probably be tacky.
After a quick trip to a different grocery store (one where they don't all know how pathetic I am at counting out the right money), we came back to the hotel. It was still a bit light out so I took her down to the riverwalk. She wasn't interested in walking, but we did have fun sitting on a bench, eating goldfish and singing songs. She's singing a lot these days. I think they placed her with the right family :-)
After dinner (translation: peanut butter sandwiches)and bath we watched an episode of Australian Animal Rescue on Animal Planet. (I don't know how to tell Suzannah that we don;t have cable at home. However will she survive without her daily dose of dog shoes?) She was SOOOO into the show tonight, pointing at all the animals and chattering to the TV non-stop. Of course, the minute I grabbed the camera, she stopped. I managed to get a couple of words out of her, but it was nothing like the way she'd been talking before.
We had a long and laugh-filled tickle fest on the bed, which ended only when someone went from tickling to jumping. Oops. Then we went exploring in the halls and lobby, hoping to see people dressed in costumes (there was some kind of Halloween event taking place here). but someone who shall remain nameless took off into the emergency exit three times in a row. Back to the room for us!
She's started crying when I put her down for naps or bed. It's quite pitiful to hear her wailing as she throws herself back and forth in her crib. Tonight I tucked her in as always, gave her a kiss, and then couldn't stand the howls. I ended up picking her up for another hug & kiss, then handing over her favorite toy cell phone to hold while she fell asleep. It stopped the tears, though not the rocking. That's okay. We'll get there.
Tomorrow's plan: make it through another day with no appointments.
And let me just say that you've never experienced Halloween until you've spent it listening to Russin Elvis karaoke from the bar across the street.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
"Astrakhan" Is Russian For "Land of No Curb Cuts "
Let me tell you, walking in this town is a challenge in itself, given the incredibly uneven streets, gouged-up sidewalks, and lack of street lights. But when you try to navigate it with a stroller - yeesh!
(And let me warn you right now that this is a loooooong post. If you don't have a lot of time, skip this & go down to the one called We're Talking Family. It's a far better investment of your minutes.)
However, despite the challenges, we ended up having a really good day today. I was a bit (okay, a LOT) worried, since this was our first day with no activity planned. It was wide, wide open. But it came together better than I anticipated, hooray!
I overslept this morning (thank you, 4:30 a.m.car alarms), so when I woke a few minutes before 7, Suzannah was already awake in her crib. I brought her into my bed to cuddle while I checked email & waited for Larry to call & tell me he'd made it home. She decided it would be more fun to wander the rooms and tug at everything that wasn;t nailed down. Oh well. I grabbed her clothes and set them on the sofa, then got distracted (Look! A bunny!) and walked into the bedroom. When I came back she had pulled the zipper down on her jammies and pulled them off her arms, so she was standing there in nothing but a diaper and ankle-warming jammies, proud as could be. Lucky for her, that was about when Daddy called. Otherwise there would have been a picture for sure.
I had to put her back into her crib while I had a shower. She was NOT pleased. the thumb went in the mouth and she immediately started the frantic rocking that she uses to put herself to sleep. Even though I'd popped Barney into the computer and had it playing where she could watch, the minute she goes into that crib, she starts rocking. Actually it's more like throwing herself back and forth. To watch her, you wouldn't think there was anything soothing or comforting about it. I'm really looking forward to the day when she realizes that a back rub and a kiss on the cheek are a much more peaceful way to fall asleep.
After breakfast, I had thought I would pop her in the stroller, walk to the Kremlin, and then let her run around in there. But she shook her head when I reached for the stroller and grabbed her koala harness. Okay, fine by me. I got her strapped in and off we went.
Well, what a morning we had! We spent two HOURS wandering the streets around the hotel. There's a lovely landscaped area not far from here, with grass and flowers and brick paths for walking on, and we ended up exploring around there. We meowed at kittens and stared at gulls and climbed steps and carried a stick and looked at flowers and pointed to water and gazed longingly at other kids :-( She tried to talk to one little girl, whose mom seemed very friendly, but the girl was shy and I wasn't able to facilitate a meeting. (Side note: when you've just said "I don't understand Russian" in Russian to someone, in an accent that makes it obvious you're telling the truth, why do they keep on talking? As in, FAST? I could understand it if they reverted to one-word phrases ("You ... are .... so .... North ... American"), but to nod and then burst forth with a long and convoluted sentence .... well, I don't get it.)
There was a break to sit on a park bench and eat animal crackers, but mostly, she walked and trotted and ran. She loved the grass. I tried to do the Good Citizen thing and keep her on the paths. Then I remembered the barren playground at the baby home and said, "You go, girl." I did hold firm on the water sprinklers, though. Even I have my limits.
Today;s lunch featured tomato cup-a-soup with goldfish crackers. Nothing but classic cuisine around here, I tell you.
After all that fresh air and walking I anticipated a long nap, but she woke up after just a little more than an hour. I barely had time to get through my emails! So I decided to make good use of the extra afternoon time & take her back to the playground. Interesting: remember last night, she got freaked out when I put the doll in the stroller? Well, when I pulled out the stroller this afternoon, she ran away and hid behind a chair. And she wasn't being coy or teasing: she was SCARED. Those little eyes were so full of fear and tears ... I have no idea what turned her. But I knew she had to readjust to the stroller or I'll never make it through the airports, so even though she was crying furiously, I had to put her in it. She screamed and arched and did everything she could to get out of there. I felt like Scum Mom 2008. But after about 5 minutes she spotted a cat, and she started to settle. But the whole thing was very odd.
The playground, however, was a HUGE hit. First she surprised me by pointing to our grocery store when we strolled past it. I didn't think she would recognize it after just 3 days stopping there, but apparently she did!
She also remembered the slide. As soon as we got to the playground she was out of the stroller and parking her butt on the bottom of the slide so I could lift her up and glide her down. We did that over and over and over. Then I made a tactical error. I thought she might be ready to try it on her own - not the whole way, just from part way up. But the answer was NO, as I found out a second later when she ended up doing a face plant onto the sand. Poor little thing. She cried as if her heart had been broken.
Sigh. Scum Mom strikes again.
She was finally distracted by a group of boys playing soccer beside the playground. She watched the game very intently. I had fun watching, too. Dan & Noah, one thing I noticed is that when a ball went out of bounds, they never did throw-ins - they always kicked the ball back into play. It was also very funny to hear the coach yell "Out" (in English) when the ball crossed the lines. And there were no parents watching. None. The only adult on the field was the coach.
Anyway, the game kept Suzannah very happy and intrigued, and then, much to my surprise, she started pushing the stroller. Yep, exactly what I tried to get her to do last night. She wasn't afraid at all this time. Maybe the doll I put in the stroller last night was, like, daughter of Chuckie? Anyway, she pushed it up and down, back and forth past the soccer game, stopping ever so often to check the brakes the way she must have seen her caregivers doing in the baby home. Then - oh, this was so cool - she took her koala backpack, gave the bear a kiss, and put that in the stroller. She fussed over it and kissed the nose and lifted it in and out of the seat, chattering away to it and showing me, plain as day, the kind of caring she'd seen in the baby home. I loved it. And then, to make things even more interesting, she pushed the stroller back over to the demon slide, lifted the koala out, and gave it rides on the slide just like I'd been doing with her! (Of course, she was a far better mommy and never let her bear do a face plant. But still.) I caught lots and lots of video of her fussing over her koala.
We finally had to leave so we could stop at the store and still amke it back before it got too dark. I messed up the money at the cash register once again, sigh. Maybe someday I'll learn ...
I picked up a jar of baby food fruit tonight, just to have something different, and it was a smashing success. It also became a game. She would run around the corner & hide. I would say, "Where's Suzannah Negina?" She would peer around the corner, I would say "peekaboo!" and she would run for a bit of fruit. We got through the whole jar that way!
We made it through bath without needing to be pulled out for drinking infractions. By the time I got her into her jammies, the day was catching up with her big time. I popped Sesame Street into the computer and we both vegged until 8:30, when I put her to bed. She barely had time to get into a full rock before she fell asleep.
Tomorrow we have an adventure. We need to have pictures taken for her visa. So we have a schedule of sorts, yippee!
(Yes, I am soooooo pathetic!)
(And let me warn you right now that this is a loooooong post. If you don't have a lot of time, skip this & go down to the one called We're Talking Family. It's a far better investment of your minutes.)
However, despite the challenges, we ended up having a really good day today. I was a bit (okay, a LOT) worried, since this was our first day with no activity planned. It was wide, wide open. But it came together better than I anticipated, hooray!
I overslept this morning (thank you, 4:30 a.m.car alarms), so when I woke a few minutes before 7, Suzannah was already awake in her crib. I brought her into my bed to cuddle while I checked email & waited for Larry to call & tell me he'd made it home. She decided it would be more fun to wander the rooms and tug at everything that wasn;t nailed down. Oh well. I grabbed her clothes and set them on the sofa, then got distracted (Look! A bunny!) and walked into the bedroom. When I came back she had pulled the zipper down on her jammies and pulled them off her arms, so she was standing there in nothing but a diaper and ankle-warming jammies, proud as could be. Lucky for her, that was about when Daddy called. Otherwise there would have been a picture for sure.
I had to put her back into her crib while I had a shower. She was NOT pleased. the thumb went in the mouth and she immediately started the frantic rocking that she uses to put herself to sleep. Even though I'd popped Barney into the computer and had it playing where she could watch, the minute she goes into that crib, she starts rocking. Actually it's more like throwing herself back and forth. To watch her, you wouldn't think there was anything soothing or comforting about it. I'm really looking forward to the day when she realizes that a back rub and a kiss on the cheek are a much more peaceful way to fall asleep.
After breakfast, I had thought I would pop her in the stroller, walk to the Kremlin, and then let her run around in there. But she shook her head when I reached for the stroller and grabbed her koala harness. Okay, fine by me. I got her strapped in and off we went.
Well, what a morning we had! We spent two HOURS wandering the streets around the hotel. There's a lovely landscaped area not far from here, with grass and flowers and brick paths for walking on, and we ended up exploring around there. We meowed at kittens and stared at gulls and climbed steps and carried a stick and looked at flowers and pointed to water and gazed longingly at other kids :-( She tried to talk to one little girl, whose mom seemed very friendly, but the girl was shy and I wasn't able to facilitate a meeting. (Side note: when you've just said "I don't understand Russian" in Russian to someone, in an accent that makes it obvious you're telling the truth, why do they keep on talking? As in, FAST? I could understand it if they reverted to one-word phrases ("You ... are .... so .... North ... American"), but to nod and then burst forth with a long and convoluted sentence .... well, I don't get it.)
There was a break to sit on a park bench and eat animal crackers, but mostly, she walked and trotted and ran. She loved the grass. I tried to do the Good Citizen thing and keep her on the paths. Then I remembered the barren playground at the baby home and said, "You go, girl." I did hold firm on the water sprinklers, though. Even I have my limits.
Today;s lunch featured tomato cup-a-soup with goldfish crackers. Nothing but classic cuisine around here, I tell you.
After all that fresh air and walking I anticipated a long nap, but she woke up after just a little more than an hour. I barely had time to get through my emails! So I decided to make good use of the extra afternoon time & take her back to the playground. Interesting: remember last night, she got freaked out when I put the doll in the stroller? Well, when I pulled out the stroller this afternoon, she ran away and hid behind a chair. And she wasn't being coy or teasing: she was SCARED. Those little eyes were so full of fear and tears ... I have no idea what turned her. But I knew she had to readjust to the stroller or I'll never make it through the airports, so even though she was crying furiously, I had to put her in it. She screamed and arched and did everything she could to get out of there. I felt like Scum Mom 2008. But after about 5 minutes she spotted a cat, and she started to settle. But the whole thing was very odd.
The playground, however, was a HUGE hit. First she surprised me by pointing to our grocery store when we strolled past it. I didn't think she would recognize it after just 3 days stopping there, but apparently she did!
She also remembered the slide. As soon as we got to the playground she was out of the stroller and parking her butt on the bottom of the slide so I could lift her up and glide her down. We did that over and over and over. Then I made a tactical error. I thought she might be ready to try it on her own - not the whole way, just from part way up. But the answer was NO, as I found out a second later when she ended up doing a face plant onto the sand. Poor little thing. She cried as if her heart had been broken.
Sigh. Scum Mom strikes again.
She was finally distracted by a group of boys playing soccer beside the playground. She watched the game very intently. I had fun watching, too. Dan & Noah, one thing I noticed is that when a ball went out of bounds, they never did throw-ins - they always kicked the ball back into play. It was also very funny to hear the coach yell "Out" (in English) when the ball crossed the lines. And there were no parents watching. None. The only adult on the field was the coach.
Anyway, the game kept Suzannah very happy and intrigued, and then, much to my surprise, she started pushing the stroller. Yep, exactly what I tried to get her to do last night. She wasn't afraid at all this time. Maybe the doll I put in the stroller last night was, like, daughter of Chuckie? Anyway, she pushed it up and down, back and forth past the soccer game, stopping ever so often to check the brakes the way she must have seen her caregivers doing in the baby home. Then - oh, this was so cool - she took her koala backpack, gave the bear a kiss, and put that in the stroller. She fussed over it and kissed the nose and lifted it in and out of the seat, chattering away to it and showing me, plain as day, the kind of caring she'd seen in the baby home. I loved it. And then, to make things even more interesting, she pushed the stroller back over to the demon slide, lifted the koala out, and gave it rides on the slide just like I'd been doing with her! (Of course, she was a far better mommy and never let her bear do a face plant. But still.) I caught lots and lots of video of her fussing over her koala.
We finally had to leave so we could stop at the store and still amke it back before it got too dark. I messed up the money at the cash register once again, sigh. Maybe someday I'll learn ...
I picked up a jar of baby food fruit tonight, just to have something different, and it was a smashing success. It also became a game. She would run around the corner & hide. I would say, "Where's Suzannah Negina?" She would peer around the corner, I would say "peekaboo!" and she would run for a bit of fruit. We got through the whole jar that way!
We made it through bath without needing to be pulled out for drinking infractions. By the time I got her into her jammies, the day was catching up with her big time. I popped Sesame Street into the computer and we both vegged until 8:30, when I put her to bed. She barely had time to get into a full rock before she fell asleep.
Tomorrow we have an adventure. We need to have pictures taken for her visa. So we have a schedule of sorts, yippee!
(Yes, I am soooooo pathetic!)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Testing, One, Two, Three
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Doesn't she look angelic here, so proper and quiet as she looks through her book? Don't let it fool you. Today was the day Suzannah's inner imp started to come out and play :-)
Daddy left very early this morning (and he's still flying, poor guy). At least it looks like all his flights are going as scheduled. I know he'll be soooooo glad to get home!
So Suzannah and I were on our own for the first time. We made it through the morning routines, managed the breakfast buffet solo, all that. Not a bad start to the day. When we came back after breakfast, she brought me her coat. It was time to get out in the fresh air. So we bundled up and went out to the riverwalk, where there are now 4 women hounding people for money. One has a bundle that's supposed to be a baby, but you know, I've never seen a sign of movement or heard the faintest whimper. Another had a young girl with her, around 7 or 8 I'd guess, and that was hard. Suzannah was fascinated by her, and I didn't want to be rude to the child, but dang, these women are persistent. Why they think I'll give them money today when I haven't any other day is beyond me. (Maybe it's the same stubborn idiocy that keeps me sending books to New York :-)
Anyway, we dodged them and had a lovely half hour in the mild air. Suzannah had a great time staring at all the old men lined up casting giant rods and huge long lines to catch fish that were no more than 6 inches long. Mommy thought that was kind of ironic, too.
Vala picked us up at 10 to continue the quest for an umbrella stroller. Success! It was still a bit more elaborate than I needed, and cost a bit more than I would have preferred, but the heck with it. After all the places we looked, I was just glad to have one. Given the way Suzannah tried to climb into it still in the store, I'd say she was pleased, too.
Next we went on our kettle adventure - also a rousing success. It's silly how something as simple as being able to boil water makes me feel more on top of things, but you know, at least now I can pretend I'm cooking.
Back at the hotel, we christened the new kettle by making the aforementioned Quaker Oat cereal, which was a BIG hit. Then we popped into the stroller for its inaugural run. It was a hit! Suzannah grinned up at me every time I checked on her. And I'm feeling a lot more confident about managing the airports solo with a stroller to strap her in.
After a lovely loooong nap, Miss Suzannah woke up full of P&V. (Well, after she cuddled on my lap for a good 20 minutes, that is.) It was time to start testing Mom. She hauled food out of the fridge, emptied out the diaper bag, banged the bathroom door open and closed, pushed every single button on the TV .... in short, she's looking for the limits in this new place. I don't mind giving her some leeway - after a life in the baby home, she needs to discover internal limits as well as external ones - but there are still some rules that must be obeyed. When you pull Mommy's glasses off her face, you get put down from Mommy's knee. When you drink the soapy bathwater after being told NO twice, you get taken out of the tub. And when you slap Mommy's computer, you get put into your crib for a couple of minutes. Them's the breaks, kiddo!
She surprised me tonight by getting almost scared when I put her doll in the stroller. I thought she might like to push it up and down the hall, but she shied away and was really not happy at the prospect. So we walked the halls by ourselves again tonight.
She's definitely repeating names when I say Poppy, Miriam, Josh, Dan, Noah. Of course, then she tried to rip the pictures, so that was the end of that game.
She feels much older than when we first met her in August. It's astonishing to look at her and remember my first impression of a teeny Cindy Lou Who - type of child, all head and stick arms and twig legs. Maybe it's just that she had a growth spurt (physical plus), or maybe it's the revelation of more and more of her true character, but she's ever so much more focused and attentive now than she seemed back then. She's still not doing things I would expect from a child her age, but she doesn;t feel as overwhelmingly young as she did before. Though maybe it's just me getting used to her abilities .... who knows? In any case, it's very encouraging!
Grapes were a huge hit tonight. So was cream of chicken cup-a-soup, oh boy! She tasted my Pepsi but backed away from it, shaking her head. And after turning her nose up at everything but her fruit at dinner, she had a massive bedtime snack of banana, cheese, grapes, and yogurt. Of course, she wouldn't eat it by herself, but had to sit back and let me feed it to her, piece by piece. Like a queen. I can't wait to see how she gets along with Her Royal Highness Princess Miriam. There may be a royal coup in our future!
Oh, and to answer the questions Phyllis posted in the comments - we're staying at the Azumet, here for another week, and there are no other adoptive families here - at least, not North American ones. Which is why I'll be talking to myself by the end of my time here :-)
Bedtime snack is so much fun!
Doesn't she look angelic here, so proper and quiet as she looks through her book? Don't let it fool you. Today was the day Suzannah's inner imp started to come out and play :-)
Daddy left very early this morning (and he's still flying, poor guy). At least it looks like all his flights are going as scheduled. I know he'll be soooooo glad to get home!
So Suzannah and I were on our own for the first time. We made it through the morning routines, managed the breakfast buffet solo, all that. Not a bad start to the day. When we came back after breakfast, she brought me her coat. It was time to get out in the fresh air. So we bundled up and went out to the riverwalk, where there are now 4 women hounding people for money. One has a bundle that's supposed to be a baby, but you know, I've never seen a sign of movement or heard the faintest whimper. Another had a young girl with her, around 7 or 8 I'd guess, and that was hard. Suzannah was fascinated by her, and I didn't want to be rude to the child, but dang, these women are persistent. Why they think I'll give them money today when I haven't any other day is beyond me. (Maybe it's the same stubborn idiocy that keeps me sending books to New York :-)
Anyway, we dodged them and had a lovely half hour in the mild air. Suzannah had a great time staring at all the old men lined up casting giant rods and huge long lines to catch fish that were no more than 6 inches long. Mommy thought that was kind of ironic, too.
Vala picked us up at 10 to continue the quest for an umbrella stroller. Success! It was still a bit more elaborate than I needed, and cost a bit more than I would have preferred, but the heck with it. After all the places we looked, I was just glad to have one. Given the way Suzannah tried to climb into it still in the store, I'd say she was pleased, too.
Next we went on our kettle adventure - also a rousing success. It's silly how something as simple as being able to boil water makes me feel more on top of things, but you know, at least now I can pretend I'm cooking.
Back at the hotel, we christened the new kettle by making the aforementioned Quaker Oat cereal, which was a BIG hit. Then we popped into the stroller for its inaugural run. It was a hit! Suzannah grinned up at me every time I checked on her. And I'm feeling a lot more confident about managing the airports solo with a stroller to strap her in.
After a lovely loooong nap, Miss Suzannah woke up full of P&V. (Well, after she cuddled on my lap for a good 20 minutes, that is.) It was time to start testing Mom. She hauled food out of the fridge, emptied out the diaper bag, banged the bathroom door open and closed, pushed every single button on the TV .... in short, she's looking for the limits in this new place. I don't mind giving her some leeway - after a life in the baby home, she needs to discover internal limits as well as external ones - but there are still some rules that must be obeyed. When you pull Mommy's glasses off her face, you get put down from Mommy's knee. When you drink the soapy bathwater after being told NO twice, you get taken out of the tub. And when you slap Mommy's computer, you get put into your crib for a couple of minutes. Them's the breaks, kiddo!
She surprised me tonight by getting almost scared when I put her doll in the stroller. I thought she might like to push it up and down the hall, but she shied away and was really not happy at the prospect. So we walked the halls by ourselves again tonight.
She's definitely repeating names when I say Poppy, Miriam, Josh, Dan, Noah. Of course, then she tried to rip the pictures, so that was the end of that game.
She feels much older than when we first met her in August. It's astonishing to look at her and remember my first impression of a teeny Cindy Lou Who - type of child, all head and stick arms and twig legs. Maybe it's just that she had a growth spurt (physical plus), or maybe it's the revelation of more and more of her true character, but she's ever so much more focused and attentive now than she seemed back then. She's still not doing things I would expect from a child her age, but she doesn;t feel as overwhelmingly young as she did before. Though maybe it's just me getting used to her abilities .... who knows? In any case, it's very encouraging!
Grapes were a huge hit tonight. So was cream of chicken cup-a-soup, oh boy! She tasted my Pepsi but backed away from it, shaking her head. And after turning her nose up at everything but her fruit at dinner, she had a massive bedtime snack of banana, cheese, grapes, and yogurt. Of course, she wouldn't eat it by herself, but had to sit back and let me feed it to her, piece by piece. Like a queen. I can't wait to see how she gets along with Her Royal Highness Princess Miriam. There may be a royal coup in our future!
Oh, and to answer the questions Phyllis posted in the comments - we're staying at the Azumet, here for another week, and there are no other adoptive families here - at least, not North American ones. Which is why I'll be talking to myself by the end of my time here :-)
Bedtime snack is so much fun!
Chips!
So here's the story: I gave Suzannah a lovely meal. We started with a bowl of instant oatmeal, made with water I boiled in my NEW electric kettle (yay!!). It was Quaker high fiber almond ^ vanilla, something like that, and it was actually pretty decent. She ate the whole bowl. So then I cut up some ham, cheese, apples, bananas. Munch munch munch. She wandered the room, nibbling at her food, turning the TV on and off, etc etc. Then she went into the closet and pulled her hat on all by herself. I made myself a sandwich, set a bag of chips on the sofa, and sat back to watch the show. Next thing I knew she was singing "la la la la la" as she dumped fistfuls of my chips onto the sofa! I'm not sure if she was trying to tell me to eat healthier foods or if she simply wanted to dump stuff, but it sure made for a funny picture!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hello, Experiment 626
(For those who don't understand the reference, get thee to a Netflix queue and watch Lilo and Stitch immediately. Trust me, it's worth the time.)
Well, Larry left this morning. Before he headed out the door, he said, "Keep your eye on experiment 626." Apparently she pulled a fast one on him last night when they went down to the lobby. Larry was at the desk and Little Miss Speedy decided to make a run for it. By the time Daddy caught up with her, she'd made it through the length of the lobby, past the computer desk, through the business center, and into someone's office. Thank heaven she didn't try to run the other way and head outside!
Also last night, as we were doing one of our hallway walks, she spied an open door. Next thing you know, I was retrieving her from a very surprised friendly stranger's room.
I'm thinking it's a VERY good thing I brought her little backpack/harness...
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