Time Warp

We feel like we are in some strange time warp. Somewhere between the time we left Cedar Falls until now, we got lost in time. We wake up at 1 am. We sleep at 4 pm. 5 am seems like the right time to head to bed. Somehow, coming back in this direction is always much harder than returning to the U.S. A couple more days before school starts. I hope we all get adjusted before then.

Have the holidays really come and gone already? We spent so much time looking forward to our trip home and then it seems it went by in a flash. Although busy, we enjoyed every minute of being back. We got to spend time with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Our friend Janie even travelled all the way to Iowa just to hang out. Nevermind that she injured herself while there and went home on crutches. You never know what will happen! It was just so good to see everyone. Now, we are looking forward to the summer when we'll get to spend more time with everyone.

Every time we go home, I vow to drive less, but this time we just admitted that we'd be driving a lot and rented a minivan. It was well worth it since we had so much stuff. I really felt like I'd taken a step forward in my life that could never be reversed when we were out with friends for New Years. There were some people we had just met and we were giving them a ride. They all piled into our miniva, saw the car seat, and then asked, "Do you have a baby?" Yep, there's no going back. It's so true. I felt pretty old at that moment.

Sophia had a blast in Iowa. She learned how to vocalize better, at the top of her lungs. She learned how to stay sitting up all on her own. She learned that she has lots of friends in Iowa. She's going to miss having so many people around to look at and play with.

As usual, Joe and I found ourselves in a room filled with stuff and the impossibility of stuffing it all into four suitcases. We mangaged to cram it all into five and a small suitcase for Sophia. All I can say is, that girl has way too many clothes. I wouldn't doubt it if she uses them all up in no time, though. What does one bring across the seas? What are the necessities? Spices, baking powder, peanut butter (so expensive here), shortening, drill bits, 3M sticky things, deoderant, baby clothes, baby toys, picture frames, MP3 players, a camera, razor blades, contact solution, vegetable bouillion, seasoning packets, etc. It's weird the things that you see as a priority. Decaffeinated tea, hot chocolate, and flavored creamer may not seem important to some, but they are special treats when you just can't get them here. It's like we land in an oasis where we have to stock up on all the little things we miss.

Highlights of our trip home - seeing everyone (first and foremost), and then the consumer items - Veggie Whoppers at Burger King (thank you America for realizing not everyone likes to eat meat), Target, brewed coffee, fake meat products, Christmas music, movies in English, American style clothing, changing tables in restrooms. The list goes on. It is interesting what consumers we become when we are at home.

The trip this time was a bit grueling. After Sophia was so good on the way to America, we were hopeful that she would be as good on the way back. We shouldn't have been. She fussed a lot! Her cold wasn't making her too happy, and there was a baby in the seat next to us who was oh, so distracting. They kept the seatbelt sign on for nearly the whole trip, so the flight attendant kept making me take her out of the bassinet. No sleep for her, no sleep for me. When we finally got back to Kazakhstan, our big box with our car seat and winter jackets did not come out on the belt. We waited and waited. Finally, we gave up and left. I felt pretty stupid since it was freezing out and all I had was a sweater. Our driver had to give me his coat to wear. (Note to self, don't pack anything you have to have when you get there. A lesson I had to relearn the hard way.) It's been so nice in Iowa, I forgot how freezing cold it was in Kazakhstan. There's a ton of snow too. It is a shock to our system.

Since we've been back I haven't gotten out of my pajamas. We've just been unpacking and unpacking. We haven't even gotten around to getting any groceries. Our nanny was nice and made us some borscht (cabbage soup) for when we got back, but now we are having to get creative. Today, we will finally venture out into the world.

That's about it. I'll post some of the pictures from our visit. You'll notice who's the main star.