meanwhile, i wanted to bloggingly catch up on what has been going on here. the fence painters are out everywhere and i love it! joining them are the curb painters, playground toy painters, bottom three feet of the tree painters, and bottom part of building painters. new trees are being planted, dirt is being raked, snow piles are being chopped apart and spread out so they can melt...
and all these things mean spring. wonderful.
...we had a wonderful easter with 25 great friends here! tim and i are so grateful for the community we are a part of here and we are going to deeply miss them when we are not living day to day with them here in moscow. i know i don't even fully understand that truth.
...tim and i have each gotten some really unique and sweet time with students lately...
...we had a fun/delicious dinner with kevin who has gotten to be a great friend. he came to sub for 5 weeks for another friend who was going back to the USA for the birth of his child. i've blogged about strengths finder before, and kevin is a strengths finder rockstar. seriously, that is part of his job, coaching people on their strengths finder results. so that was a wonderful/revealing/deep/fun time as kevin "coached" us. i'll say it again...i think EVERYONE should take the strengths finder test and learn a little more. did i mention he used to be a professional chef, too? lemon garlic basil chicken with angel hair pasta and cheesy garlic bread...delicious!
i don't usually take pictures of our food, but this meal was definitely picture-worthy!
and today, silas and i headed out to ismaylova, which is a huge outdoor market in the northeast part of moscow. we spent about an hour there, but it took us 1.5 hrs to get there and that much time to get back again. but the journey is the destination, right? today it especially was.
...huge crowds...
...sweet conversation with a sweet old babushka on the train with only two gold front teeth...
...many, many people helping me carrying silas/stroller up and down stairs and escalators...including a man with only one leg and a cane...that was way above and beyond and a really sweet moment...he insisted, as everyone else with two perfectly healthy legs passed by...
not only was it a great workout with the 27 lb boy and 20 lb stroller up and down stairs and escalators and in and out of metro cars, but it was an EXPERIENCE. even in hard moments, i'm very very aware that i'll miss those exact things in a few months. and there is something magical that a kid like silas can do on a train of moscow-metro-goers...he instinctively knows who to pick out of the crowd, and can make them break into a huge smile. i feel like i just get to sit back and watch, and its such a joy.
and i just have to add this...some friends of ours hand make jewelry and this is their website. i think these things are beautiful and so creative! she is also doing a jewelry giveaway that you can read about here - post a comment on her site and be in the drawing! i love art/entrepreneurship like this - i think its so inspiring. happy mother's day all you mothers (and soon-to-be moms...you already are!!!) out there...
last but not least...just added new pics and videos on picasa. seriously, what could possibly be more entertaining than watching silas eat a homemade pudding pop or lick the window? that's what i thought. for your viewing entertainment. enjoy.
