International Women's Day

     International Women's Day is a very big deal here.  It's a holiday from work, and women are highly honored!  Men bring home cakes and flowers and toys for all of the women/girls in their lives.  And women give each other cards and gifts, too.  Anneka made this picture of me at her preschool.  They were all on display the week before Women's Day, and I loved seeing all of the moms and especially this one of me!  

     Anneka's class had a special Women's Day program that they'd been practicing for for weeks.  We made each of her teachers a little cake in a mug and Anneka wrote them cards in Russian.

     Ike and Ella fell asleep on the way to the program.  Ike slept longer than Ella inside, so we opened up some of his layers and let him sleep on the sled.

Me with  my little sweetie, waiting for the program to start

The boys came out first and said a little poem to introduce the girls.

We loved seeing all of the little girls in their gowns!

     I had hoped to take Anneka to the neighbor's to get her hair done before the program, but she wasn't home.  I was talking outloud, trying to figure out what to do, and Anneka said, "my teacher said to come to her before the program and she'll do my hair for me".  Perfect.  I love how God works things like that out.  It looked really cute.

     Ella wanted to see better and ended up with the ladies on the row in front of us.  When she realized later that she was cuddled up with strangers, she got embarrassed and shy.  So cute and funny.

Playing a little cymbal

Dancing! I love that they learn to dance at school.

     Even Leif had a role!  He was working construction at the church that day, and the teacher asked me if he could come in an hour before the program.  I called him and we were all able to get there 30 minutes early.  She gave Leif some lines (a little poem) and he and this other dad had to draw faces of their love and dance around with the balloon.  The kids giggled and giggled.  Leif was perfectly dramatic!

It's so great to be a girl!

 Anneka with a couple of her sweet friends.

     On the ride home, Ike fell asleep and Anneka pretended to sleep.  I just bought a double sled today (not pictured), and it works great!  I'm excited to try it out with the crew.

     Leif brought us breakfast in bed on the actual date of Women's Day (March 8th).  Thankfully Ike was still sleeping, so he didn't crawl all over our food!!

      Then Leif went to go and get (and relocate) a bunch of gear for the mountain climbing trip he's preparing for with one of the guys, and the kids and I went to visit a 70 year old lady in our building.  She's diabetic, so we got her a bunch of different types of tea in a decorative mug.  Anneka figured out all on her own how to write her a card after looking at a card she'd made for me at school.  Also, she dismantled (and reassembled) a paper flower the boys had given her to figure out how to make flowers for Baba Masha.

     When we got there, Baba Masha was so happy to see us and so sweet and welcoming!  She gave me a pretty kitchen towel and then had us come in and wait while she sewed the girls little scarves.

     I just love Ella's attempt to smile for the camera here!  Each kid took turns bouncing on Baba Masha's knee while she did something to pump up her sewing machine.  Ike was really tired, but the girls wanted to stay, so Baba Masha told me to take him home and she'd bring the girls later.  She gave them tea and fried bread and I think cabbage and then brought them back to our apartment to get warmer outdoor clothes and then took them for a walk.  The entrance to her apartment is literally 10 seconds away from our entrance, and inside her apartment is hot like ours (80+F or 28C), and I had them in coats and boots and hats to go the 10 seconds outside.  But when she saw them, she said I had great faith to dress them like that!  And she really meant it.  Haha!  

  On Sunday Leif gave the talk at the service and all of the guys sang a song for the ladies and gave us flowers.  Leif made apple pies and pizza for everyone for lunch afterwards.  What an amazing guy!