December 3

Hello from jet lag hell.  It's the middle of the seventh night and I want to jump out the window.  When is this going to end?

This morning we roused the girls and decided to take a long walk after breakfast to get that natural light that is supposed to be so good for resetting our clocks.  Of course, Moscow winters are gray, gray, gray, and there was no sun to be seen today.  Instead, drab apartment blocks on the New Arbat.

Though our walk was brightened by Christmas lights, which, thankfully, Moscow does well.

We also ran into the beloved Russian cartoon character Cheburashka.  Having cut her teeth on Chuck E. Cheese during our trip to the U.S,, Natasha was intrigued by Cheburashka and kept running over to him, only to turn tail and run, horrified, if he took a step towards her.   

We took a stroll down the Stariy Arbat, where Natasha wanted to ride the Cafe Moo-Moo cow.  He's not very rideable, unfortunately.

We decided to get some sushi for lunch after Z passed out in the stroller (I guess there wasn't enough sun for her).  N enjoyed dipping the kappa maki into the soy sauce but not so much eating the actual roll.

Then we ran into a singing band of Hare Krishnas - a rare site for Moscow, to be sure.

We stopped at the Sedmoi Kontinent grocery store on our way home.  The girls have only recently discovered the candy in the check-out aisle.

Back home, they played on the balcony while Papa strung some Christmas lights - pictures of that to come.

Please go to sleep.  Please please please.