Another long day....

Drove to Fresno today with Anton, Yulia and Misha... Long drive. We lost 6:5, but it was most definitely a good game. Anton played defence and he worked his little buttocks off. My son was "hooked" several times, and I felt really bad. The team plays rough. We had a nice visit with Vika's and Paul's friends in the evening. A long day... go to work tomorrow and relax!

Busy day

As parents we have to be so extremely organized! Our day today includes the following: grocery shopping, pick up Anton's hockey friend, take both of the to the game in San Jose, bring both of them back, take Anton to soccer, take the friend back to his home, go to a birthday party for Tomar.... it just never ends. Tomorrow is not much better as I have to travel to Fresno with Anton to play hockey and Vadik has to install recess lights at a co-worker's house. When will this weekend end so that I can go to work and relax? Sonik is doing well, she is funny and sweet... My kids me make me so happy, but keep me so busy!

Her father's daughter!

Indian Summer comes to Tenderloin

What an artistically inspiring place Tenderloin is during September? Warm days are luring people out of the century-old and run-down "hotel" rat holes. I wish I could walk around with an invisible camera to capture some of the characters out there... although urine vapor coming up from the sizzling pavement does so burn my eyes. My observations from yesterday. There is no racism in Tenderloin, it is an island in the center of San Francisco separated by barbed wire fence... everybody inside this ghetto are low class outcasts... Three men: white, Hispanic and black were sitting on the stairs and enjoying their alcohol... so drunk that the three of them started impersonating a band (guitar, drums, and a solo). An old man (that got himself out of bed only to get his alcohol fix) was crossing the street wearing no pants, raincoat and two different shoes (both right!)... It took him two red and one green light to actually make it across. A young guy with long thick dreadlocks around his large round bald spot on the top of his head... a heavyset woman in a house robe, a cast on one foot and a sock/flip-flop combo on the other. Lots of middle aged men and women with missing teeth wearing teenage fashion from the 80s. Not Castro, but the thrift stores of Tenderloin must be the best place for Halloween fashion.

Sonik's bath time and random ramblings

Bath time is not the correct term, Sonik only takes showers. Why? I have no idea, but my baby girl will not sit in a bathtub, will not play with bath toys, will not splash around in a tub filled with water. She stands holding her toys and will throw the biggest fit imaginable if you try to sit her down... you really can't even if you tried, she becomes stiff as a board and you can only lay her down. Washing Sonik's beautiful curls is the biggest challenge known to mom, she stretches her little neck as far as it will go outside of the tub boundaries and holds her head above the floor (not anywhere near the tub.) What am I supposed to do with a smart baby like that?!

My son is a little weirdo... We were talking about doing accents. Masha is great at it, her British accent is perfect -- she sounds just like Keira Knightley. My son on the other hand is not that great, but he is great at doing a NY Jewish accent... he rolls his R's and sounds so funny! He kept saying Gr-gr-gr-grubinshtein... (considering that for the most part our family is Jewish, it wasn't in any way politically incorrect, was it?)

My friend is visiting from Los Angeles. She actually just moved to LA with her family so that her son could pursue hockey and play for a better team with a good old-fashioned Russian coach. We had a discussion last night about dream pursuits... my son plays hockey as well, and soccer, and tennis, and piano... however, I pretty much did tell him that when he grew up he was probably not going to be an athlete, so it was best for him to concentrate on his education and his studies. Inessa called me a "dream crasher", and I suppose I am in a way. I see my job as a parent to raise children that are well adjusted to life challenges. As a mother, I reserve the right to wholeheartedly support some dreams and let others fade into oblivion. When I was a child, my biggest dream was to become a conductor (no, not that kind!... the kind that collects and checks bus fares, writes fines, etc.) I am eternally grateful to my parents for not nourishing this dream of mine. Maybe I am wrong and I shouldn't project my cynicism onto my innocent and naive kids, but I missed that in "mother" training (wait a minute, it appears that I skipped this training entirely.... now that explains everything!)

Removing one shoe and one sock

Sonik is an unusual and unique baby (she sleeps sitting straight up, she crinkles her tiny button nose, shows eight pearl white front teeth and blows air hard to scare you, and does over a dozen other very unusual things...) but what is up with constantly removing one shoe and one sock? Is this an unusual behavior or what? I cannot explain it, but we are constantly searching for her left shoe and her (left) sock. I have examined the foot practically under the microscope to see what could possibly prompt this, was something rubbing or irritating her tiny porcelain foot? Correction: Sonik has peasant feet - olive colored, wide and her soles are no longer baby soft. This is a mystery that I will need to solve soon... I cannot continue to walk around with the baby that has only one shoe.

Rant about self-help books

Why are there so many people reading self-help books? First of all, this is no self-help if one is blindly following the 10, 12, 15 step program to recovery (from obesity, anorexia, divorce, smoking, infidelity.....) or taking another 10, 12, 15 steps towards better sex, finding a soulmate, better job, taking control of your life, etc.... What is going on? There are people in this country that have read nothing by Jack London and haven't even heard of Theodore Dreyser, and yet can quote Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura. That is an "American Tragedy."

Adoration

It is amazing to observe adoration given to your baby by some women. Yesterday I had a friend visiting (Y.) and she couldn't get enough of Sonia. Touching Sonik's feet, her hands, her little body... you could see the longing in her face... longing to have a child... longing to be a mother to a little being. There is never this kind of reaction toward my 10 and 9 year old kids, but the baby is worshiped despite her hemangiomas, despite her unruly hair... or maybe because of that? Her chubbiness, her little fat folding and rolling off of chubby short legs like melting ice-cream on a cone... all of it is adorable, lovable, kissable! I am so excited to know that I am a subject of envy because of this little wonder wobbly walking across the room, like she owns it!

One Million Kisses

Today Masha concluded that Sonik probably received over a million kisses during her life... Well, mathematically, probaby not yet, but she is getting there... kisses from Mommy, Daddy, Masha, Yulia, Natasha (and occasionally Anton and Fima), that is a lot of kisses! She is so loved, everybody's face just lights up when she smiles. Such a sweet girl!

The day was relaxing, but it is 7 pm and I am starting to crave quiet. I love quiet, because I rarely get to enjoy it. In moments like this I wonder what my single friends do; do they enjoy quiet time or is it a burden? Tomorrow is Sunday, lots of stuff to do: shopping, cleaning, playing, cooking.

Eating raw cookie dough (one cookie at a time)

How fun is it staying home with your baby girl and vegging out with her? On a scale of 1 to 10, it is a 12!! It beats going to the office on the best of days, but today especially. I needed to be close to her, hug her, smell her... touch her beautiful curly hair. Sonik gives me more energy than a gallon of Red Bull. I am actually looking forward to the time in the middle of the night when she will wake us up. It is funny how she prepares to be transferred to our bed... Her blanket, her pacifier and her milk are all tightly squeezed in her little hands... Sonik is standing in her crib looking at me, her dark brown eyes are completely absorbed by the darkness, but I can make out the shiny glaring teary demanding daggers. Sonik has no patience and it is all my fault. I have spoiled her rotten and I love it!

Anton and Masha are watching "Monk." They enjoy it so much, and I do too. Monk has destroyed my solid plan and New Year's resolution to watch less TV. Oh well!



I love slow thinking inside my comfort box... try it!