From the US to Kazakhstan and Back

2003-11-23T11:27:00.000-06:00

We're back!!! We got home last night about 10:30 or so (don't quote me, after leaving for the airport in Almaty at 1:00 am their time (that would be 1:00 pm Friday here), traveling for hours and hours and hours and hours, I really wasn't sure of the time when we finally touched down.

Phil, Leatha and Kyra were waiting for us when we came down the hallway. They took care of all the luggage, Phil used his fatherly expertise and finally figured out the carseat and we introduced Jaime (I'm now calling her Jaime-Sasha to help her get used to her new name) to Texas.

The trip was probably the worst I've ever taken. Do not fly Lufthansa. I was treated like so much terroristic dirt by my own government (do I pay these guy's salaries?) and while I've heard people say their children screamed all the way home, I thought they were exaggerating. I'm here to tell you, they're not. Jaime screamed through the trip from Almaty to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Chicago (where we promptly missed our flights because of the bureaucracy - well actually both the flight to Fargo and Austin were cancelled but the bureaucrats would have made us miss them if they had flown). Unfortunately, Baby Benedryl didn't do a thing for my baby so there was really nothing I could do. I kind of felt bad for the other passengers.

I think I cried almost as much as she did. It's very frustrating to not be able to do anything at all, to be treated rudely by the airline personnel and when we got off in Chicago and found the stroller with only three wheels, that was the last straw. The whole idea of the stroller was to not have to lug 22 pounds of child around on my hip, in addition to the carryons. Thank goodness for Grandpa who put up with both us crying children like a trouper! :)

Jaime and Mommy both slept through the trip to Austin. We were both out before we left the ground and didn't wake up until they announced the landing. What a relief (so I cried again, just for good measure ) to be home and then to see my friends waiting, even though we were 5 hours late was even better.

The trip was wonderful, really. The ultimate adventure and we came home with the biggest prize of all. But to be home is almost more than I can stand.

Jaime played with Leatha, Kyra and Phil when we got home (Leatha's daughter cleaned and rearranged my apartment - It's terrific!) and wasn't at all afraid of them. She's such an amazing child. Mommy and baby went to bed about 2 am and slept until about 7am. There are still some things I'm going to have to get but we're pretty much set.

Right now, my beautiful daughter is taking her first nap in her new room. She loves the cats (who incidentally want nothing to do with her.) Bert somehow hung on until we got home but tomorrow we're going to have to take him to the vet, I think. He's moving very slowly and I really don't want him to be in any more pain. He's been a good pet and I don't want to keep him going just for me. Zoe finally came out of the upstairs closet and is currently licking my nose. I think she missed me :) Ernie has already had his fur pulled and is behaving well. Jaime squeals with delight whenever she sees one of the cats. It's hilarious! She takes off after them and they go running away.

I'm sorry I couldn't post from Almaty. Too many things to do and the Internet Cafe was too far to walk to. I don't think Jaime would have let me spend much time on the computer, anyway.

Now, it's off to clear out 188 emails (of which I'm sure at least 180 are spam!) and try to find a high chair somewhere. Also, the bag with the diapers is still somewhere between here and Chicago...*sigh*

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes, prayers, support and just plain goodness while we were on this journey. This will be the end of the Kaz blog (since we made it through the "and Back" part) but I'm planning on another to keep people posted on the new adventures of motherhood.

Hey, I figured out the car seat so I'm not totally incompetent! :)

2003-11-14T02:14:00.000-06:00

Call Me Mommy!!! It's all over but the shouting now. This morning the judge officially declared me Sasha's Mommy, forever.

I, of course, wrote a wonderful blog which then disappeared in a severe IE GPF but I wanted to share the good news with everyone.

We'll go to the babyhouse to pick up Sasha this afternoon, then off to the apartments to pick up the luggage, then onto a plane to Almaty and the final week in Kazakhstan. I think I'm going to miss Uralsk but I'm going to be really happy to see my dryer again :)

A few things I've learned in Uralsk:

No matter how we dress or act, everyone knows we're Americans.
You can buy CDs at the bakery, playing cards (though only half a deck) at the shoe store, and groceries at the travel agent.
It's okay to drive down the dotted white line. Everyone will get out of your way.
AT&T makes the best phone cards. Sam's has the cheapest rates.
Smiles are universal. Even if you don't speak the language, a smile is always understood.
and last, Don't ask what kind of meat you're eating unless you're prepared for an answer you didn't expect :)

I was going to post a picture but I think this computer has a defective floppy drive and it's corrupted my diskette. I don't want to chance anything else going wrong with my precious pictures so you'll just have to picture that beautiful little face in your mind as I introduce my new daughter, Jaime Kristine Schultz.

I wish I could express how great this feels.

Stand by for future blogs from Almaty (if Jaime/Sasha will allow it.)

2003-11-12T02:31:00.000-06:00

How many Americans does it take to change a Kazakh lightbulb? Obviously, two :) It took both Dad and I standing on the bed with the flashlight to finally get the lightbulb in my bedroom changed. We had to borrow one from Robin because it seems lightbulbs are difficult to come by. But I have light again.

News from the Babyhouse front. Sasha is really taking to us. She's full of laughs and smiles and little jokes. Today she was talking to Grandpa but since neither of us understands Russian, we're not really sure what she was saying. It was very clear, though. That's a good sign, for sure!

We finally figured out the phone card! WooHoo! The Nursat card was next to useless. The charges were 95 cents a minute and it didn't like some of the area codes. But, with the help of the former residents of Robin's apartment, the Peace Corps volunteers, and Grandpa's Sam's Club AT&T card, we're now able to communicate with the rest of the world...at a much reduced rate from the Nursat card!

To James' friend at work. Yes, we were really talking on the phone from Kazakhstan last night (this morning to me.) Just wanted to make that official :)

We had a new interpreter today. Her name's Masha and she was out for a while due to the chicken pox. Assia took the day off and Masha filled in for the morning. Grandpa and I will be braving the babyhouse alone this afternoon. I think we can fend off the ankle-biters :) BTW, Masha says 'hello' to Susan and all the other folks she knows in the US.

Last night I finally got a picture of the Kapoake Bap. It cracked me up everytime we went by. Of course, the letter p in Russian is pronounced like an r but it will always be the Kapoake Bap to me.

Really not that much to post today. It'll be a busy day. We're supposed to go shopping at the Big Market today, then a babyhouse visit, then the ice show from St. Petersburg (Russia, not Florida). I'm sure there'll be more info tomorrow.

Until then, is this not the most beautiful, little face you've ever seen?!? Not that I'm partial or anything :)

Paka-Paka

2003-11-11T02:38:00.000-06:00

Lights on - Lights off We've had the power go out a few times since we got here. Usually not for long but enough to be a little annoying. This morning they went off and on twice. Seemed to be just enough to burn out the lightbulb in my bedroom. The big question is, where do you get a lightbulb in Uralsk? I think Assia and Vladimir are tracking one down for us. Funny how those little things that we never think about in the US end up being projects over here.

If you can believe it, there are only 5 more visits to the babyhouse. One this afternoon, two tomorrow, two on Thursday then court on Friday, grab the kiddos, get on the plane and we're off to Almaty again. Although this isn't the most convenient place in the world to visit, we've really enjoyed it so far and the time has really flown.

The big questions now are how Sasha will react to being out of the babyhouse, how she'll react on the airplane and what she's going to think of the week in Almaty.

For anyone thinking of coming to Kazakhstan to adopt but are hesitant because of the time in country, please reconsider. The babyhouse visits are very beneficial to the children and the parents. I can't imagine what it would have been like if we'd walked in, taken that screaming, sullen, little girl and walked away from everything she'd ever known. Now she loves us and, while it might be stressful when we leave, at least she knows who we are and that she can trust us.

In case you're wondering, Tenge is the monetary unit in Kazakhstan. 100 case you're wonderingTenge is about 67 or 68 cents American. Every time I convert money, I feel like a bootlegger! Thousands and thousands of Tenge...if only it were worth a little more :) But, it's worth a lot here. The little sheepskin mittens I got for Sasha were 600 tenge. That's about $4.

But buying anything is like buying a new car or at least a used car. Robin and I will show off our treasures and ask, "How much was it?" The answer is usually something like, "I paid 6000 for all of it!" It's pretty funny when you think about it.

We had a very fun visit this morning. Sasha loves to tease us and her new trick is to go out the door and go running down the hall, laughing all the way and watching to see if Mommy is chasing her. I don't think this is really something the babyhouse wants us to do so I try to discourage it but every once in a while she slips away anyway.
I doubt we disturb anyone but it's disconcerting, anyway.

She also likes to wear Grandpa's shoes. Today we had her wearing Mommy's shoes, just for a change. As you can see, she's got some growing to do. No comments on the size of Mommy's feet are necessary :)

Grandpa has also started the "Hup-I-Doodle" thing with Sasha. I don't know if he's really aware of what he's started because Sasha will go to him and just climb on his foot and wait for the ride :) For those of you who are not part of the family, "Hup-I-Doodle" was a game that my grandfather used to play with us. We'd sit on his foot and he'd swing it up and down, hanging on to our hands. This may not sound all that exciting to you but it's sure a blast for a two year old! :)

Grandpa seems to enjoy it, too :)

Here she is waiting for the "Tickle Machine", Grandpa's a good photographer, isn't he? Yes, her teeth are really that crooked but at least they're baby teeth. She sucks her fingers when she goes to sleep so that might be part of it.

Beautiful smile, no? :)

The I-cafe is closing for lunch. Have to run. Paka-paka for now.

2003-11-10T01:47:00.000-06:00

Surprise, surprise, surprise.... Turns out that not only do we have court on the 14th but we had something called "pre-court" today. I was ready for "pre-court" because I thought it was like a practice court with Olga. It wasn't. It was a preliminary court appearance with the judge. Ack!

In preparing us for the pre-court, Olga gave us information on the judge who we were told was old (in his 50s! Dad said they must think he's ancient!) and quite stern. This was definitely the case! Pre-court involved some questions that I figured would come up in regular court so it wasn't all that bad. I got a glowing recommendation from the MOE (Minister of Education) and Irena (Babyhouse director) so I think I passed.

I'm so glad that's over! One more court date on the 14th at 10:00 am then it's back to Almaty for a week, then home. Although it's not bad here, I'm still ready to come home and sleep on a bed that doesn't feel like a cement block and call out for pizza :)

The tour was interesting if a bit sparse. We saw the WWII memorial which is referred to here as the Great Patriotic War. Unfortunately, the day was a bit uncooperative. Assia said it's much prettier when it's not covered with slush and snow :) We also went to the "Old Cathedral" which is not the "Golden Church" but a much older cathedral in the old part of town. The interior was absolutely beautiful. Paintings all the way to and on the ceiling, pressed metal floors, relics of saints and two priests (I don't know if that's what they're called in the Russian Orthodox faith but that's as close as I can get) with long hair and beards. We weren't allowed to take pictures but I don't think I'll soon forget it.

I asked Assia why we didn't go to the "Golden Church" but she said there were too many beggars there on Sundays.

We also went to the Environmental Museum which has displays of animals, fish and fowl that are common to the area. It looks very much like northern Minnesota. Moose, deer, fox, wolves, prairie dogs, owls. The fish were really gnarly looking, though. Assia said they came from the Ural River. They were huge and very ugly. Unfortunately, pictures at the museum cost 20 tenge each so I passed on that, too :)

I'm amazed at what a different child Sasha is from the child who cried herself to sleep the first day we met her. She looks forward to our visits every day (I can't tell you how guilty I feel that we had to miss today's morning visit for court!) and runs to Mommy when they bring her into the room. She loves the "Go, Momma" game and we have another where I tip her unside down, then lift her up and give her kisses. Anything to get attention.

Saturday's afternoon visit they let her come in with her snack. It was a huge roll and chocolate candy! And they gave me a hard time for giving her fruit snacks! Here's a picture of her after she finished that snack.

Little Miss Chocolate Face!

Fortunately, she was very agreeable to Mommy cleaning her face.

She actually likes this toy. I think it's because she likes to take things apart and these come apart in a lot of places.

Big News!

Sasha actually said "Momma!" Okay, Dad said she said something and Assia didn't hear it but no one will convince me it was anything but "Momma". She said it once yesterday morning and twice yesterday afternoon. Hopefully she sees how exciting it is for me.

Also, she's starting to understand English and knows who Grandpa is. We were playing with the beach ball yesterday and I told her to throw the ball to Grandpa and she did! That means she understood "throw", "ball", and "Grandpa" which is no small feat! She understands "Momma do it", too. She's catching on fast.

Yesterday's visits were so much fun. Sasha was an absolute tease. She's start to give me one of her Cheerios then pull it away just before it got to my mouth. She plays all sorts of little games with us that just amaze me.

Also, yesterday afternoon, she discovered that Grandpa is a world class tickler! He had her laughing and giggling. She's lay down and then roll over within striking distance of Grandpa and just wait for him to tickle her. She let Mommy tickle her feet, but Grandpa is a better tickler by far :)

So yesterday we had a word, a smile, a laugh and playfulness that we didn't see the first few days. I think she likes us :) The doctor has commented on how quickly she's taken to both of us and that that's very unlike Sasha. Little did she know the power of the Schultz's! :)

We didn't get any pictures of her laughing because, well, we were too busy making her laugh and didn't have anyone to take the pictures. It was a great day, though!

I hope she's not mad at us for missing the morning visit!

Paka Paka from Mommy, Grandpa and Sasha of the beautiful brown eyes.

2003-11-08T03:45:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... Yes, this morning while we were waiting for Vladimir to drive us to our morning visit, the snow started and it's been snowing ever since. Funny how everyone slows down when it starts snowing like this. We saw our first real fender benders. Dad says they're the same here as they are in Minnesota, first snowfall and you have to retrain all the drivers :)

Yesterday on our way home from the I-Cafe, I took a header on the sidewalk. Thankfully, no permanent damage but I did have visions of some Kazakh doctor trying to reset my wrist! Not a pretty sight :)

Today when we went for the morning visit, Sasha was waiting for us and holding her little "Koshka" pillow. I still insist it's a cat. Asia calls it a mouse. The other kids think it's a pig. Oh well, it'll always be "Koshka" to me and Sasha. It's obviously been carried around a lot, it's a bit dirty but that's good. It means she likes it.

Also, one of the doctors came by today and said that she was very surprised that Sasha had taken to us so quickly, that she was usually very leery of new people. Guess we showed her :) I think Sasha knows that I'm her Mommy and Grandpa is her Grandpa and she's trying to make a good impression :)

She got her passport photo taken today, that sound promising, doesn't it? :) They said she was a good girl for it.

I got the pictures for the judge (mad rush to get them by pre-court on Monday) but they forgot to crop me and Grandpa out of the pictures. Oh well, if they're not good enough we'll have to have more done. They're very cheap.

Went shopping today. Sasha needs a new coat for next Friday when she leaves the babyhouse (can you believe it's less than a week away?!?) We went to the "big market" which is a kind of shopping mall but not what you'd expect in the US. After much searching (and some severely ugly coats and jackets!) we found a cute, little coat with a detachable hood. It's made of goatskin (sorry, Kyra!) with the furry side inside and a pair of sheepskin mittens. They're so cute!

Since I only need them long enough to get her to Texas and again to Minnesota where it's rumored Grandma has bought her a new jacket in Grandpa's least favorite color, I didn't want to spend too much. And believe me, I didn't. Amazing how cheap it was!

There's a performance of an ice show from St. Petersburg (no, not the one in Florida!) next week so Olga's going to get us tickets. It's all in Russian but it should be interesting and something fun to do.

Also, tomorrow we have our pre-pre-court followed by the "excursion" as they keep calling it. It'll be fun to tour the city with someone who knows what they're talking about :)

We met up with two more Peace Corps volunteers today. It seems they run this Internet Cafe, among other things. Nice people. The girl was from Fargo :) but I can't remember her name.

Sorry, no pictures today. Battery problems and no blog tomorrow because the I-Cafe is closed. More on Monday after pre-court, though. Wish us luck!

Paka-paka!

2003-11-07T02:34:00.000-06:00

The Internet Cafe is open from 9.00 do 18.00 Bbixodhou-60ckpecehbe whatever that means. Since it's Friday it may or may not be open tomorrow so I may or may not be able to blog.

Yesterday afternoon was a great time. Sasha came barrelling around the corner and her caregiver told us that she waits every day for us to come - she won't even play with her friends because she's waiting. What a warm, fuzzy feeling that gives me!

Lest you think I was lying about the accordian, here's proof.

I believe she's saying, "What do you mean no accordian lessons? Grandpa says I can..."

And here she is, teaching Grandpa and Mommy the basics of electricity...

"You see, the lamp goes together like this and this little button is the switch..."

"And when it all goes together, you get light. Want to argue about it?!?"

And this is one of her favorite toys in the "little" room. We call it the rainmaker because it sounds like rain falling. Next to the accordian, this is probably the one she'd like to take home.

Yesterday, she got a little crankous, I think the food doesn't quite agree with her. She then promptly shoveled in about a zillion goldfish crackers so today I was chastised for giving her too much to eat because she threw up. I was appropriately humbled :) and am bringing less treats for each visit.

Today I got to speak with the babyhouse doctor. There isn't much information on Sasha's "birth" parents except the mother's age and that she was from Russian, not Kazakhstan. I didn't expect much but I thought I'd ask, anyway.

Sasha has no chronic medical issues, ear infections, rashes, etc. and no allergies or sensitivities that they know of. She doesn't speak much (not at all to us, yet) but she's otherwise mentally and physically healthy and on track. That's good to hear!

Not to brag, or anything, but I think she's a pretty sharp little girl. She figures things out very quickly and she's always taking things apart and putting them back together. We're still working on M.I.T. - unless they have a program at Julliard for the accordian :)

Today we got to go to the "big" room for a change. We have a new game. Sasha gets into something she's not supposed to, Mommy puts her on her shoulders and flips her over to get on the ground. The word is "Go, Momma" (I'm hoping to get her to repeat it.) Here's a little demonstration of the "Go, Momma" game :)

It kind of wears mommy out, though :)

Mom, glad to know you're okay and having a good time. At least we don't have to worry about you :)

Greg, no Yaks that we've seen, yet.

We haven't done much but go to the babyhouse and watch Murder, She Wrote in Russian (what a crackup!) We're still a bit jet lagged and there's not much to do in the evenings without someone to drive or guide us around.

Tomorrow we'll be going to the "Big Market" and Sunday we're supposed to go on a tour of the city. That will at least be a change!

7 down, 7 to go! WooHoo! :)

Paka-paka (I think they're about to close the I-Cafe for lunch.)

2003-11-06T02:53:00.000-06:00

In Uralsk, No One Can Hear You Scream! Yesterday afternoon we had a bit of a screaming fest but more about that later.

Sorry we missed a day yesterday. Dad and I hung out at the Internet Cafe for quite a while but no computers ever opened up :(

So, what did you miss? Another day of visits. They bring Sasha down for the afternoon visit right after she eats so I think they'd go a lot better if I could change her diaper once :)

She's loving Mommy and Grandpa. Yesterday she discovered an accordian on the shelf behind Grandpa and is already insisting on accordian lessons. Mommy said "No way" but I think she's working on learning to say "Lawrence Welk" :)

This is what basically caused the scream fest. The room we meet sometimes (if the music room is busy) is very small and appears to be a storage room for toys. Sasha is becoming more comfortable with us so, being two, she's going to see just how far she can push us. There were toys everywhere, hitting the floor at an astounding rate.

Unfortunately some of the toys aren't really two year old material so Mommy had to put her foot down (in addition to the accordian thing) and that upset Sasha something fierce. She kind of acted like she might have a bit of a tummy ache, too. And, of course, she was wearing a not very clean diaper.

But today she was back to her old, cheerful self. She's so sweet and loving it's almost unbelievable. She now shares her treats with Grandpa as well as with Mommy. Guess she wants to make sure Mommy's not going to starve to death...must be wasting away :)

To everybody who's been sending me email, I really do read it when I can but I can't answer everything personally. Sorry :(

As to the talking question, no, not yet. Not a word. She was babbling something when she was crying yesterday but I'm not sure what it was. They tell me she does talk when prompted but so far she hasn't said a word to Mommy or Grandpa. We're working on it, though. I have the feeling once she's started talking, we're not going to be able to get her to stop!

And now for something really interesting....

Well, if you like sappy pictures ;)

Here she is, having her first taste of animal crackers. Yes, she did share them with Mommy. What a sweetheart!

Here's Sasha telling Asia (pronounced I-See-A) that, no, she can not have her new toy. Asia keeps trying to take the best toys for herself :)

Here Sasha is explaining the fine points of how the toy flute works. "You see, Grandpa, if you take out one of these pieces, it makes a different sound..." She's one smart, little cookie! :)

Mommy finally figured out how her phone card works. Unfortunately, it appears that she's got the wrong phone number for Susan and that's why she was having trouble. What a dufus!

Sorry to call you so late, Phil. I haven't gotten the time figured out yet. Thanks to you and Steve for taking such good care of my other babies.

Mom, where are you?

Paka-paka!

2003-11-04T03:03:00.000-06:00

I remembered the pictures today! Yeah!

But first, an update. Sasha is just improving by leaps and bounds. It's hard to believe that the little girl that cried herself to sleep only 4 days ago now comes to her visits crying until she sees me! Yesterday's afternoon visit, she didn't even cry at all. Her caregiver brought her in and she just about ran to me. Sure makes me feel good :)

We had to lay off the snacks and juice yesterday because of her tummy but she's okay again today. I think it must have been the apple juice.

They've asked me to bring clothes for her to wear but all I had was one outfit that was supposed to be part of my donations. She's worn that same outfit ever since. Today I bought another. We have to wash sometime :)

Speaking of washing. We figured out the German made washer in the apartment. Unfortunately, the clothes hang out in a sort of porch and the weather here isn't very conducive to drying clothes. I'm glad I washed before I was out of clothes! Everyone here seems to do the same thing, everywhere you see clothes hanging in porches or off decks.

I have never seen so many apartments. There are huge apartment buildings everywhere. Very few single family dwellings. It's interesting because it's so different from the US. Everyone I've asked said they live in an apartment. Also, there are no grassy areas, pools or playgrounds around these buildings. Just utilitarian buildings several stories tall, one right after the other.

Dad noticed that there are no women driving cars. While that may be good for all you who tell "women driver" jokes, we just thought it was interesting. Our driver's wife has a license, he said, but she doesn't drive. Just a tradition, apparently.

We had Sasha giggling yesterday!! We were playing with the Elmo See 'N Say and when Elmo would giggle, Mommy tickled Sasha's tummy. She sure liked that.

Here's a picture with Mommy from yesterday

Here she is explaining the workings of a battery operated watch to Mommy. Still working on saying "M.I.T."

And here, she decided to take a picture of Grandpa! She's gonna be a geek, just like her Mommy.

Yesterday she also decided to play a game of putting her fingers in my mouth. It started with one and pretty soon she was putting her whole fist in there! We all laughed at that, including Sasha.

The big news today is....

Guess who's an okay guy now....

Yes, she sat on Grandpa's lap this morning! Like I said, major progress on this side of the world. I think Grandpa was pretty happy, I know Mommy was :)

And, she also decided to share her treats with Mommy

She'd take a bite of a Cheerio, then give Mommy the other half. While that doesn't sound all that exciting to some people, figure this little girl has probably never had enough to eat and she's sharing it. That's a big step!

Today, after our afternoon visit, we have our meeting with the MOE (Minister of Education.) Grandpa has been invited to join us so I guess it's not going to be too bad :)

That should be enough for the day. Until tomorrow....

Paka paka
(that's bye-bye)

2003-11-03T03:33:00.000-06:00

Missed a day...sorry. Turns out the Internet Cafe is not open on Sundays so I couldn't get in, then the system appeared to be down earlier today so we're just getting online. The time here is 1:41 in the afternoon, just so you can see the time difference. Basically, here in Uralsk it's 10 hours later than at home (central time).

Update on Sasha. She's starting to warm up to us, already. She's actually doing better than I expected. By the second visit on day 1, she was at least tolerating us. Yesterday morning she waved "bye-bye" (or as they say here "paka paka") to me! Ah, the joys of motherhood! :)

Yesterday afternoon she figured out where the treats were and was helping herself to them. I brought cereal and fruit snacks but am trying to limit the fruit snacks. She'd eat everything I have, given the chance.

And, yesterday afternoon's visit involved a very wet let on my jeans :) She's marked me now, I have to take her, I guess. Not that I could ever leave her behind! :)

Unfortunately, it appears the watered down apple juice I gave her wasn't kind on her system so no more of that for a couple of days. We'll let her get used to it slowly.

I forgot to bring the pictures along today. But this little girl is absolutely beautiful (I'm not partial or anything)! Huge brown eyes, cute little face. She's not dating until she's 30.

She loves to take things apart and put them back together. She's also very good at it. Mommy's teaching her to say "M.I.T." :)

The babyhouse is asking for clothes for her to wear. I'm not sure why but I'm going with the flow. I bought a couple of things at a store that was really cheap but unfortunately, they're too big. Going to have to go for the size 18 months, I guess. She is wearing a little 12 month outfit but it's too short and a bit snug (cute, though.)

She's starting to figure out that Grandpa is a permanent fixture. She'll glance at him every once in a while and I think she's warming up. Today she crawled under the table and untied his shoes :)

Oh...and the biggest thing on the bonding front....she's now crying when she has to leave me! WooHoo! I think she likes her new mommy, at least a little :)

No complaints on the accommodations. The apartments are better than some hotels I've stayed in in the US. The locks are very interesting. Our travel companion, Robin, can't seem to get her door locked and I can't manage to unlock mine. Grandpa's figured out our door, though and Robin's figured out it helps to use the right key :)

My only complaint about Uralsk is that the time with Sasha is just too short. I wish I could spend all day with her. I'm always ready a long time before the driver comes to pick us up and I'm never ready to leave.

The president was here! The president of Kazakhstan was here yesterday and I guess the first lady is supposed to be here today. Big time security! They wouldn't let Vladimir park on the side of the road and wait for Aisia.

I gave Olga my best "Dobre Utre" (good morning) and Nik if you're reading this she said I had a great Russian teacher.

I must do okay because I managed to get Dad and I to the little market and buy two bottles of water, find the Nursat office, find out that the internet cafe sells Nursat cards (argh!) so I didn't have to wait and that the computers were down and we had lunch at the bakery. Okay, the only thing I really did was get the water but at least we're surviving without an interpreter being around all the time :)

As for the lunch, pigs in a blanket kind of things. They didn't whinny but we'll see what happens tomorrow :) Didn't have the consistency of pork or beef but it still could have been.

Hopefully more tomorrow....complete with pictures...if I remember :)

2003-11-01T02:11:00.000-06:00

We made it! I can tell where we are now, we're in the city of Uralsk, Kazakhstan. Uralsk is located in the northwest corner of Kazakhstan, surprisingly close to Siberia (?) I looked at the map and sure enough, within reading distance, at least, is Siberia.

We were supposed to leave Almaty on an 8am flight via Air Kazakhstan but we somehow ended up on Air Astana on a 4pm flight. Unfortunately, Kazakstan, like much of Europe and Asia, run on a different time schedule than we do. The flight actually left about 6pm.

It was the strangest 737 configuration I've ever seen. Instead of the normal 2 seats on one side and 3 seats on the other, there were two rows of 3 seats and the rows were very close together. No room for knees or even the tray table when the gentleman (and I use the term loosely) in front of me put his seat all the way back :) But, I'm going with the flow. Really.

We had to pay for 69kg over weight on the luggage. At 2.2 pounds per kg, that means we had about 150 pounds over the 88 pound limit for two people. Yikes!!

We arrived okay, though. It's much colder here in Uralsk than in Almaty but it felt very good. We were met at the airport by Aisia (prounounced I-see-a), Olga (who we can tell immediately is wonderful!), and drivers Phillipage and Vladimir (our driver). They grabbed all our luggage, loaded us up and took us to the apartment.

The apartment is very nice. Yes, Susan, there is a shower :) Our travel companion is across the hall and we spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to unlock the door! We still don't have it down but we're working on it.

It has two bedrooms, what I guess would be called a water closet (just a toilet) and another room with the bathtub/shower and sink (I suppose the bathroom.) Also a large living room, a kitchen and a foyer. It's very comfortable and we'll be just fine there.

We were then taken to the market to pick up some necessities. Got two 5 liter bottles of water, a loaf of some sort of rye or graham bread, what Aisia told us was cream cheese but is more like cheez-whiz, and about a half pound of butter for a bit under $4. Wow!

Unfortunately, because we were so late, we didn't get to go see the children last night.

Everyone is right, the bread is excellent. We had bread and coffee (thank goodness the coffee maker with the converter works!) and Little Debbies for breakfast. Mmmmm!

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for......

Say "hello" to "Mommy" and Sasha!

Peaceful sight, isn't it? I've got to admit that this is not how the whole first meeting went :)

We arrived at the babyhouse at about 9:00 and were brought to the music room. I could hear Sasha crying while we were going through.

The caregiver (Zoya) brought her in and the poor thing was terrified! She has never been away from her group and there were these strange people with cameras and me, of course, with tears in my eyes. Little by little, she finally decided that the toy and the treats I bought were worth the risk of getting close to me just long enough to grab what she wanted, then she'd run back to the caregiver.

Finally, everyone left except Grandpa and Mommy and she was left with just us. She cried some, grabbed some treats, watched Mommy make a fool of herself making popping noises with her fingers in her mouth, playing the marachas and the triangle (all that training in high school finally paid off!) and basically just trying to put her at ease. She kept her distance but seemed a little interested. Suddenly, she started crying again, threw herself on the floor and fell asleep. Mommy picked her up and held her the rest of the time. She did stir a little but I'm sure she never knew I had her. At least I got to hold her!

I think Grandpa caught the entire scene on tape for posterity! :) Someday, I'll get to show it to her.

This afternoon, I'll be taking the little CD player because she really seems interested in music and I'll take more treats (two little bags of fruit snacks ran out too soon!) and the "Koshka" pillow. Wish me luck! At least we have the first meeting under our belts :)

Oh, as for the chicken pox issue. Sasha is not in the babyhouse that I reported had the chicken pox epidemic. All along I thought she was in BH #2 but she's in BH#1. However, they told us last night that BH #1 now has the chicken pox, too. They believe Sasha's already had it so we might be okay. Fingers crossed!

2003-10-29T22:58:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Almaty! Dad and I made it Almaty after about 20 hours or so of flight time. Tired and more than a little confused we found Kostye and Sasha at the airport. The two drivers took Dad, me and the other adoptive parent to our respective apartments. Kostye is our driver and he's fantastic! Not much English but a heart of gold and a ready smile.

Six hours in Frankfurt was a bit too much. Both Dad and I were ready to just get on a plane and go somewhere by the time the first couple of hours were up. We learned not to buy coffee at the Frankfurt airport (unless you're really desperate) and there's a casino there where I won 62.50 Euros. Not sure how much that is in dollars but it's more than I started with :)

We're still trying to figure out the time zone. It seems I was an hour off and it's only 12 hours different than Central Time. Maybe it's because we went back to Standard Time.

I think Dad and I got the Almaty Ritz for our apartment.

This is the view from the living room.

We do have some kind of noisy neighbors, though. There's some construction going on outside the window.
This is our view :)

Not sure what this thing is but people are going inside it!

And this is the early morning construction crew.

I have my meeting with Gulbanu this afternoon then tomorrow it's off to find my little girl! WooHoo!

2003-10-27T16:21:00.000-06:00

By this time tomorrow, I'll be on my way to Frankfurt. With a name like Schultz, you'd think I'd have been to Germany but no such luck. This will be my first time there. Not that I'll get to go out and do anything. We'll be at the airport for 6 hours. Can you say, "Zzzzzz"? :) Hopefully, Dad and I will get some sleep on the plane.

I can't think of anything except what this trip will be like. How will my little girl react the first time she sees me? I'm guessing she'll be pretty scared and confused. Thank goodness for Goldfish (I bought the colored ones), Cheerios and Fruit Snacks! I'm sure by the time I get there the Goldfish and the Cheerios will be nothing but crushed powder and the fruit snacks will be little lumps of whatever they're made out of but she probably has no idea what Goldfish are supposed to look like or even who Elmo is.

I've got lots of toys for our two weeks together, too. Books, puzzles, flash cards, and a pillow that's supposed to be a cat (pronounced "koshka" in Russian) but to me it looks like a rat. Pointy nose, whiskers and all white. It's soft, though, and I hope it makes her think of Mommy when she takes it to bed at night.

I also got some travel "See 'N Says" they should be good for language skills. While looking for the Web site I found this on "How Stuff Works", just in case you were wondering.

And, the cutest toys at, of course, MacFrugal's. Of course, she's going to have to be a Disney fan like me, so I got a "Musical TV" and a kind of talking alphabet book that I can't find anywhere on the Internet. Go figure that. It's cool, though.

So, I think we'll be ready for the two week "bonding" period, then a week with Mommy and Grandpa, then home. I'm going to miss my cats. I hope Bert fares okay. I've got a call in to the vet, just in case.

Unless I get up really early tomorrow (because I can't sleep), you won't hear from me again here until I'm in Kazakhstan. We arrive around 11:00 pm their time on Wednesday night. I can't believe I'm almost there!

2003-10-27T08:24:00.000-06:00

Flight Confirmation. Checked in with the wonderful folks at United today and we're all confirmed. I just hope I don't get lost in O'Hare. That's such a big, winding airport with 5 terminals and more than one concourse per terminal. Whoever laid this thing out wasn't in their right minds.

Interestingly enough, it seems I fly Air Wisconsin from Austin, TX to Chicago. Who wants to bet me they serve cheese for the snack on the flight? And what, pray tell, is a Canadair jet? Puddle jumper or "real" jet? Mesaba (Northwest Airlink) has cute, little RJ85 jets. I booked a flight on them once, just to say I'd done it. Very nice and quite posh for a 69 passenger jet - they even have a first class section.

So, time to check out Canadair. A bit smaller than the RJ85 with only a 50 seat capacity but none of those 3 seat rows (which I hate because I always get stuck in the middle seat!) Low wing, engines on the tail, at least it should be fairly quiet. First time I hear the pilot say, "Uffda", though, I might get a little nervous :)

Oh, I have to make one more call to United, just to make sure we all get to sit together. Oops.

2003-10-26T19:10:00.000-06:00

I've resigned myself to the fact that everything I want to get done is not going to get done in the next 36 hours. My new battle cry is I'll do what I can and just live with the rest.

Seems every time I start to do something, my mind starts racing and I realize that I will meet my daughter face to face for the first time on Friday. Years of saving and waiting are about to come to a head. I just can't seem to hold a thought of anything else in my head.

I don't know if this is how people feel who have children the "regular" way but it's exciting, scary, unnerving and happy all at the same time. The only way I can think to describe it is this is probably the happiest and most scared (afraid isn't the word, it's plain out scared!) I've ever felt. To think that I'm about to take a child away from everything she's ever known and build a family with her is an awesome feeling. It's a good thing children are flexible because I'm sure I'm going to make a lot of mistakes.

I guess the only thing a parent can hope for is that they do more things right than wrong :)

Everything is packed. For those of you who are reading this, are adopting and haven't gotten to this point yet, I will warn you that those little money belt things are not big enough for all your cash. Not even close. Either find one that's bigger or get about three of them. I finally rigged together a sort of zippered (not metal - won't make it through the scanner at the airport) leather wallet with a strap made of bias tape. It should work fine. I'm going to sling it over my shoulder so it's worn like a purse. Not that it won't be obvious I'm carrying something under there but at least it won't be easy to get to.

Autumn in Texas. It's unseasonably cold here today. I had to finally turn the heat on. Yesterday, the air conditioner was on all day. It's been raining most of the day and I can smell the wood smoke from the apartments that have made a fire in their fireplaces. Makes me think of winter in Minnesota and the big wood stove my dad had in the basement of the house in town. It could be -20 degrees outside but the basement was like Texas in summer and it always smelled so good.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. Last minute everything. In a scant 36 hours I will be at the airport waiting to leave to a place that before all this started, I had never heard of. Sometimes life takes some odd turns.

2003-10-26T14:32:00.000-06:00

I find it interesting that as I was cleaning out my spam filter, there was an email in there that suggested they had a product that would get rid of spam for me. Someone sent me spam to tell me how to get rid of spam. I'm betting it doesn't work.

Spam is kind of an interesting phenomena, anyway. Kind of like online telemarketers. Do people actually buy this stuff? Do they go to these Web sites and purchase photos of cheerleaders and find out how to fire their boss? And if they do it once (which is understandable) do they do it a second time? How many pieces of spam does it take to make one sale?

Which brings me to the telemarketers and the Do Not Call List. Another interesting debate. Over 50 million people signed up for the Do Not Call List. The telemarketers got all up in arms. How could they make sales if they couldn't call these numbers? Oh, the inhumanity!

To me, the Do Not Call List should be a boon for telemarketers. It contains over 50,000,000 phone numbers of people who are not going to buy anything from telemarketers. 50,000,000 numbers that would be a waste of time to call leaving however many other numbers that seem to be open to telemarketing calls. They might even buy something.

Yes, I signed up for the list. It came down to one night when I was sound asleep (because I get up so early, I go to bed quite early.) and the phone rang. Without looking at the caller ID, I picked it up. Telemarketer. When I explained to this woman on the other line that I had been asleep, she said, "Well, as long as you're awake now...." I was dumbfounded and again explained I had been asleep and would like to return to that state. She then got quite rude and wanted to know when she could call. I told her never and hung up.

People like me are naturals for the DNCL. I will never buy anything from a telemarketer. Please don't call me. Yes, I can politely say "No thanks" and hang up but that doesn't seem to deter them. I can request to be taken off their list, that doesn't deter them either. Only the threat of massive fines seems to work.

Many telemarketers say the DNCL will leave them jobless. Fine. Get a real job and stop annoying people.

Update on the readiness. I'm blaming the weather for it now. It's just cold outside today. How can I work when it's something like 60 degrees outside? I even had to turn on the furnace.

The pictures are done and in their albums. I'm quite proud of myself for getting that done. Of course, the laundry is about done and I am cleaning or organizing or whatever you want to call it.

The suitcases are packed. Everything I need is in them, I believe, and probably a lot of things I'm not going to need. The only thing left is cleaning and that isn't my favorite thing to do.

Ernie, however, has worn himself out. He's pictured here after a hard day of, well, sleeping and eating and sleeping again. Poor thing. He works so hard :)

2003-10-26T12:38:00.000-06:00

A short commercial for Canon printers. These folks make the finest printers I've ever had the pleasure to use. I've just succeeded in printing out 56 photos (well, actually 60 since I cropped off two sets of two and had to reprint them) with never a glitch. When I ran out of ink, it stopped and told me. Kodak may make the easiest to use photo printing software (even though they don't make Picture Easy anymore which is a shame) but for hardware, you just can't beat Canon.

End of commercial, back to work.

2003-10-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Multitasking Day. Jane Fonda has nothing on my printer. It's getting a major workout printing all the photos for the judge's photo albums. I need pictures of my apartment, bedroom, family and cats. Two each. Since the apartment has been such a disaster with packing and rearranging and everything else, I didn't really want to show the judge that. So, it's the last minute for me again.

I guess I could have taken them to Walgreens and had them printed out but the geek in me said, "Why do that when you have a perfectly good printer here?" I always listen to the geek in me. So, 28 pictures x 2 = a whole lot of paper, ink and time. Guess some of you didn't know you'd be immortalized in a Kazakhstan court. I just hope they don't steal the plans for the Boo Ray :)

After taking pictures of the bedroom, minus the suitcases, I had to track down pictures of the family. Why do I have almost no pictures of Jeff? It's a good thing Dad's been emailing me pictures for a long time or I'd have been up a creek. Thanks, Dad!

I'm also finishing the packing (couldn't pack the camera until I had the pictures), doing my laundry, blogging and trying to keep the cleaning going. I keep telling myself it will get done, don't get overwhelmed but that's pretty hard when you're looking at two days to go and a mountain of work. I'm trying to do a little at a time. Focus on one area, finish that and move on. Come Tuesday morning, whatever is done is done, whatever is packed is packed and I won't be able to do anything about it. Just so I remember the important stuff, the rest will be fine.

Thinking that I'll be spending two mornings in Almaty and probably won't want to unpack the coffee pot (assuming it's still in one piece!), I found some coffee tea bag things. Boil the water, pop in the bag and voila! Coffee! It may sound like I'm obsessed with the coffee but after traveling for 26 hours or so, sleeping in a strange country and having to wake up early, coffee's going to be very important. The last thing I need is a caffeine withdrawal headache. And, after all, I am from Minnesota where coffee is king -and no, I'm not taking Lutefisk - the smell would make them run me out of the country before I even got off the plane. Talk about hazardous materials! I'm not that Minnesotan :)

The desk moving took its toll. I slept until about 9:00 not realizing the time change and it was really 10:00! I would never survive as a mover. Thanks again, Leatha, for giving up your Saturday afternoon to help. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm a little sore, though. That'll work itself out soon, I hope.

Back to the printing, laundry and cleaning. Send me some positive energy so I can get this all done.

2003-10-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hectic day! I suppose it's supposed to be that way. I'm down to the wire now so anything new is a big pain.

Got the biggest, baddest suitcase MacFrugal's (aka Big!Lots) carries. It's the same size as the one Zoe clawed through but it's expandable so it actually holds more. Not that I needed more. Hopefully we don't have to worry about the Spam exploding :)

Found out that there are degrees of voltage adapters. Most of my electronics (battery charger for my camera, CD player charger, etc) don't need voltage adapters but I don't think the little travel coffee pot I bought would handle the 240 volts well. I can't imagine much worse than having my coffee pot go up in smoke and flames the first day.

So off to the travel store I went. Except the travel store isn't anymore. In its place is "The Halloween Store." This seemed a little strange to me. An entire, quite large building devoted to Halloween. This time of year I'm sure they do a booming business but come November, it'll probably slack off. I expect them to be gone before Christmas.

Next stop, Best Buy. Of course, Best Buy will have voltage adapters. I asked the two guys in blue shirts hanging out at the front door if they carry voltage adapters. I made it clear I was not looking for a converter but an adapter, for travel outside the US. Each guy pointed a different direction. One toward the computer department and the other off into some dark corner of the store. I went first to the computer department where I found a "converter kit" with every possible electrical plug and phone plug. Didn't need that and it would do my coffee pot no good.

So, I tried to find a blue shirt to help me. Two of them even walked by me to another (male) customer while I tried to ask them. Frustrated, I went to the nether regions where I got the same treatment and not even a converter kit. Best Buy may have these things but you can't prove it by me.

Next stop, CompUSA. They were very honest and told me they only had the converter kits. Did they know where I could find adapters? The helpful red shirt told me that they probably had them at Radio Shack and even gave me directions to the store. This is why I prefer to shop at CompUSA.

Radio Shack. You've got questions, they've got answers. My question was, which of these 562 voltage adapters do I need? Turns out if you're using it for "something that heats" (yes, this is really the criteria) such as coffee pots, curling irons, hair dryers, etc., you need the 1600 Watt converter. Otherwise, if it doesn't heat, for instance battery chargers, electric razors, etc., you need the 500 Watt converter. They had handy ones that include the plugs. I bought one of each. Just in case.

Then to Ross. For those of you unfamiliar with Ross, it's the kind of place where you can find anything at a discount. Pictures, they have them. Clothes, they have them. Wallets, yes. Shoes, yes. Christmas ornaments, of course. No voltage adapters but that was okay because I already had those. The suitcases they had were not what I was looking for but I did find a bunch of CDs of kids music. I'll probably need that. How many times can you listen to "The Wheels on the Bus?"

But, trusty MacFrugal's had just what I needed and then to the grocery store for cat food and coffee. Then home for the hard part of the day.

Leatha is the best. Not only did this woman throw me a shower (and a great one!) but she came to my apartment today and helped me rearrange the computer/second bedroom to make room for my little one. We spent several hours moving the desk (it's a beast) and the computers and figuring out where to put what and how. Anyone who has a friend like Leatha is a lucky person, indeed.

So, as partial repayment, I bought her dinner at The Outback. I figured this was probably my last chance to eat beef for a while and what better than a good steak.

Change in plans. Well, not a change but a miscommunication on my part. I was under the assumption that it was a two day trip back from Kazakhstan and told everyone I'd be back the 24th when in actuality, I will be back on the 22nd. While the travel time is the same, we're chasing the sun coming back so we get back about 13 hours after we leave. Of course, since there's a 13 hour time difference it's actually a little over a 24 hour day of traveling. Don't try to figure this out. It gave me a headache :)

Now, it's off to bed. I will sleep well tonight and hope my suitcase is still intact tomorrow.

2003-10-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning to find that Zoe, pictured here with the "Who Me?" look,

had clawed a hole about the size of a baseball in my largest, already packed, suitcase.

This had to happen sometime last night because I put the book in there yesterday. Maybe she doesn't want me to go or maybe she's concerned about not being the only other female in the family (besides me, of course) :) I guess this means that in addition to picking up last minute necessities, I'll have to make a trip to MacFrugal's (aka Big!Lots) and find a new one. None of my other suitcases are big enough. *sigh*

So, after some more coffee and maybe some breakfast, I'll be off shopping again. I can't wait to get on that plane, meet up with Dad and relax for about 10 hours while we fly to Frankfurt.

2003-10-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

One of the girls at work came in today and mentioned that the internationally adopted children are "very lucky." I told her that I'm the lucky one.

She said they're "like Cinderella." But I explained, no, I'm the one who feels like Cinderella.

Maybe if I didn't come to get this little beauty, she'd have to grow up in the babyhouse but if she did, she'd never know the difference. She'd think that's how everybody lives and grows up. But me, I'd know what I'm missing.

So I really am the Cinderella in this story. I'm the lucky one. I get to have this beautiful child in my life and she'll call me Mommy, then Mom, then when she's a teenager, probably some names I don't want to think about.

Ask me again in about 10 years if I still feel like Cinderella, okay?

2003-10-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hey! I'm figuring this thing out. Slowly but surely.

If you want to look at earlier blogs, just click on the appropriate date on the right hand side of the page.

TTFN - Back to packing.

2003-10-24T16:24:00.000-05:00

**Panic!**

The Fed Ex Web site said my passport had arrived from the consulate and was happily awaiting my return from work. Got home, no envelope, no passport, no little note that said they left it at the rental office. I'm guessing it's near impossible to get a passport and visa in 3 days (2 of which are weekend days.)

Called the office, yes! They did have a delivery from Fed Ex for me! Yea! So, off I go to the office. It's a bit of a walk but I had the adrenaline. She walks up with a large package that's obviously not a Fed Ex envelope with a passport in it (Denise and Jim, I got the book.) She dug for another package for me. Nothing.

Okay, I'm emotional but the tears welled up and off I went to search every apartment back to mine, just in case it was on the wrong door. Nothing.

Then I looked down and peeking out from under the welcome mat, I see the corner of a piece of paper. This isn't odd. There are several feral cats out there who bring me gifts in return for food.

But today, it was a gift from the Fed Ex man...my passport, complete with visa.

Guess it's a good thing that happened. If not, I wouldn't have known the book had arrived and that would have been sad.

A Rose By Any Other Name

Several people have asked me if I'm going to change my little girl's name. The answer to that is yes. Superstition keeps me from actually revealing the name until the judge says she's really and forever my daughter. Yes, her name right now is beautiful. But I want her to have the name her mommy gave to her. And we kind of want to avoid Grandma's nickname of "Salsa" :)

Last day at work until mid-January. Wow! I felt a bit emotional but I made it through without crying. It's not like I'm going to war or anything. At least I hope not. Felt kind of good to clear out the queue, though. Many thanks to the good, old US Government for understanding that sometimes people just have to take time off to straighten out their real lives and instituting the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and thanks to the folks at Pervasive for understanding and supporting me in this.

2003-10-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who's wished us a safe journey! I'd love to answer all the emails but it would be impossible. My travel date would come and go and I'd still be writing. I do appreciate it, though. Have a burger for us while we're there eating horse meat and lamb :P

They tell me the bread is excellent there but I'll have to try the horse at least once. How do I know I don't like it if I don't try it? We have plenty of other food to tide us over, including Spam, unless the airlines see that as hazardous material and confiscate it. Don't groan, I like Spam. There must be a lot of people that like it, they just don't admit it. I think Mom's sending some peanut butter, too. We're not going to starve, for sure :)

2003-10-23T17:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, I tried to blog and then post a picture but I guess that's wrong. Good thing I'm practicing! Hopefully this will turn out better.

This is my little Bert. As you can see, he is a close relative to the snow leopard.

Another interesting thing I found out today is that when you go to the bank to get your cash for the trip, when they ask you your occupation, "Drug Dealer" or "Money Launderer" are definitely not the correct answer. Good thing it was Frost Bank and they have a sense of humor. Good people at Frost bank.

2003-10-23T07:03:00.000-05:00

Five days to go!

The good news is, I found out that we can get our digital photos printed and transferred to CDs while we're over in Kazakhstan. That was something I was kind of worried about but we'd figure it out no matter what. Got to keep in mind that the goal is to get my little girl and get her home. If we have some fun along the way, that's gravy.

Where?
When people ask me where I'm going and I say "Kazakhstan", I get a lot of nods, a lot of blank looks and a lot of "Where?" responses. Don't worry, I did the same thing. Although Kazakhstan is the largest of the former Soviet Union countries, we don't hear much about it over here.

Kazakhstan did build the Russian versions of the Space Shuttle, though, and when that US astronaut came home with the Russian cosmonauts a few months ago, they made their bumpy landing in Kazakhstan. I notice more now when Kazakhstan is mentioned in the news. Guess it's like driving a Volkswagen. You don't notice how many of them are on the road until you start driving one yourself. You're just more aware of them and I'm more aware of Kazakhstan now.

But, if you're still wondering, I did find a good map of the Asian continent that helps figure out the location in relation to other countries of which we're more aware. Click here to go to the map.

I do have a map in my "Stranded on the Silk Road: The What Next?! Guide to Almaty" which shows snow leopards (!) are native to the mountains near Almaty. While they're rarely seen anymore, it would be very cool if I actually got a glimpse of one. At 150 pounds, they're not huge cats but if I do catch a glimpse of one, I hope it's while we're in the car.

Everybody knows I'm a cat lover and the "big cats" are fascinating but my favorites have always been the snow leopards. There was a pair of them at the Como Zoo and when I lived there I used to go check them out every once in a while. No trip to the Como Zoo was complete without seeing the snow leopards. It's nice to know they're still there. Cute kitties!

I think this guy might be one of Bert's distant relatives.

Here I am with only 5 days to go and I'm rambling on about snow leopards. Must be because I'm getting nervous and excited. What a trip this will be!

2003-10-22T16:29:00.000-05:00

Got my tickets! One more step in the right direction. I can never quite figure out how Fed Ex does it but I guess they've got their methods.

Found out today that the babyhouse where my daughter is has had an outbreak of chickenpox. I've had them. I hope Dad has, too. I don't know how long it goes wandering around those orphanages but maybe we'll get lucky and by the time we get there the kids will just have those little scabs.

I have a million and one things to do and almost all of them are more important than this but none of them are more fun than this. Guess I'd better get to work, though.

2003-10-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

Here I am, 6 days away from traveling so, of course, I have to finally start my little blogger to keep everyone posted on the progress. Now, I have to learn it! :)

On Tuesday, October 28th, Dad will leave from Fargo, I will leave from Austin, we will meet in Chicago and start that long trip to Frankfurt, then on to Almaty. As yet, I'm not posting city names, child's name or photos (unless someone really wants to see my hideous visa photo!) in order to maintain the integrity of my adoption, my agency and their future adoptions.

Tune in on Thursday, October 30th, for a possible update. If not, then by November 1st. I don't know how the connections may be from the Internet Cafe's in Kazakhstan but I'm betting they're nothing like my Road Runner at home.

While you're waiting, feel free to check out some information on Kazakhstan which I feel is one of the most unique and least understood countries in Eastern Europe/Asia. I'd start with the CIA World Fact Book for the particulars then check out Lonely Planet followed by a stop at Kazakhstan's official Web site and finally at the Expat site (I saved the best for last). And, just for fun, try out Air Kazakhstan's Web site. If it doesn't load the first time, keep trying. You'll get there eventually and it's worth the trip, if only to check out their fleet. Some of the pages load quite slowly, too, but don't give up. I really want to fly on one of those Russian planes, just so I can say I've done it, but we'll see.

Hey! I think I just wrote my first blog!