Happy New Year

It has been a busy last few days, absolutely frantic here in Uralsk as everyone dash about for last minute presents and all the food for celebrating the New Year. New Year's is the big day, a combination of what we celebrate on Christmas and New Year. Religious Christmas will be celebrated on January 7th.

My visits are still 20 minutes long. It is just begun and it is time to say goodbye. The Baby house has been all decorated for the holidays and on Thursday the children were making playdough Christmas trees with the nanny/nurse (I'm still not sure what the care giver's title actually is). Yesterday when I arrived Denis was getting a massage. To assist in muscle development the children get regular massages. Ever so good.

Yesterday (the 31st) was my last visit for about 3 days. I brought some new blocks for all the children and treats. I brought juice, cookies, yogurts, bananas and mandarin oranges. For the caregivers I brought a box of chocolate. I took Denis downstairs to the music room where they had the fir tree as they call it all decorated. Yulia and I took pictures of Denis all dressed in his rabbit costume from the concert. Then we went upstairs and I got photos of Denis with his favourite Nanny and his group mates. It was nice.

We've been waiting here, my team as I call them (coordinator, translator and driver) for Jody to arrive from Canada. We'd hoped that she would arrive on Thursday, but the flight was fully booked. As we waiting Andre, my driver took the rest of us, Nastya, Yulia and I out for some dinner. We went back to that nice pancake cafe. This time we started with Pelmeni which are little meat dumplings in broth with sour cream and fresh dill and spring onion. It was delicious. Then I had a pancake with sugar milk or sweetened condense milk. The bowl of pelmeni wasn't that big and the pancakes were those thin crepe kind, but I was so stuffed after eating them.

Yesterday, we went to the baby house at 10. Then at 2 the team picked me up again and we went to the airport to meet Jody. Then Jody had to do some formal stuff and then we went to her apartment which is just across the street from my apartment. We got here settled into her apartment, then she had to pack up her stuff for the night as we were going to the Chagala hotel. That's where I am now. I saw the New Year in with Kendra, her daughter, her Mom, her brother and sister-in-law and Jody. We had a lovely meal that Kendra's brother made and we sat in their apartment unit at the hotel laughing and watching the fireworks. There was nearly 3 hours of fireworks all around the town. It was very beautiful and the windows are so good here that you barely heard anything. That was important as I went to bed before the fireworks ended. The bed here is wonderful, I had a great sleep. I'll stay here again when I return to collect Denis.

Happy New Year and Paka paka