Moscow Update: Days 4 & 5

I was wiped out from all the back and forth on Monday and getting home after 8:30 PM after Tami's English tutoring at Katy'a school that evening.

Tuesday I spent the day with Katya at her school. We started the morning off going to school in our pajamas as Tami showed "The Grinch" to the 3rd and 4th graders and they all came in their pajamas. They are advanced enough in their English lessons and were able to understand the movie and get the true meaning from it. The kids loved it, being able to come to school in pajamas and have hot chocolate and ginger cookies. Chocolate is not allowed in school so that was also a big treat. After that, everyone changed into their regular clothes and school began. They have a full day with all the same subjects as here at home. There are 19 (an unusally large class) and 2 teachers. Students are served a hot breakfast, lunch (starting with soup and then a full meal) and light meal around 5:00. School officially ends mid afternoon but most students stay for school clubs, physical activities, theater, music lessons, etc. The students are given time to do their homework after school too. Most go home around 7:00 after activities. In the US, we drive our kids to sports, private music lessons, dance lessons, akido, theater, ceramics, art, etc. At their school, it's all there after school so it's so convenient for working parents.

After we left last night, we had to stop at the grocery store as we'd run out of bottled water and cat food.

Once we are home, the girls shower, put out clolthes for the next day, have a bite and hopefully are in bed by 9:30. Children here go to bed late as school starts at 9:00 and the school is only a few minutes by car and walkable (but only when with an adult).

I was exhausted and had a hard time staying awake several times during the school day. One of the reasons could be that the school is kept too hot and gets very stuffy.

After the girls were in bed, Tami did grades (due on Wed.) while we watched a DVD.

This morning I stayed home and slept in. I opened my eye at 8:30 (everyone had gone) to check the time and went right back to sleep and only got up at 10:30. Guess my body was making up for my lack of sleep the week I left for Moscow as I had so much to do getting ready to leave. Tami came back for me and we went to Katya's school for her parent/teacher conference (very good) and then did a few errands. She dropped me off and later went back for the girls. They are just getting to bed and I should wrap some Xmas gifts.

We'll only do Santa's gifts on the morning of the 25th as we have to be at school in the afternoon for Katya's class Christmas assembly. We'll do family gifts another day.

Our schedule: Thursday AM I go to school with Natalia for several hours, 4:00 back to school for piano recital for both girls. Friday AM See gifts from Santa and then the girls go to school, late afternoon we adults join the girls at school for Katya's class Christmas performance. Saturday 10 AM Natalia's class Christmas performance and then we go to the country dacha of one of Katya's classmates. I'm told it's QUITE THE DACHA. Katya's entire class (and parents and sibblings) are invited.

Are you tired just reading our schedule? Add to this all the snow that is all over the streets and brown slop. Streets are NOT cleared like in the US and there is no way they can be as there are cars parked everywhere. People even park on sidewalks here. The US police would go nuts.

It has warmed up and felt quite balmy today. I checked weather.com and it was above freezing.

Tami and I went to a charming little Belgium restaurant this afternoon for a late lunch. Outside was a very elderly lady sitting on a piece of cardboard begging. It tore my heart out. Tami bought her a turkey sandwich and put some Russian rubbles in with it. Living in the burbs at home insults us from the very poor. Seeing people with so, so little makes one stop and think how fortunate we are. One had to just look along the sidewalk and see people wearing expensive fur coats and hats to this poor lady with nothing. I would find it hard to see this on a daily basis. This is not unique to Moscow as it's the same in NYC.