Day 10 – Tuesday, 15 August, 2006

Tuesday morning’s alarm blared entirely too early, and we all staggered downstairs to make tea and coffee, and to scarf down the new breakfast of choice–Fruity Cheerios! Once the bowl emptied out, Masha joined me to make her own sandwich for lunch. She also filled up the Pringle Keeper, holding one perfect single serving of pringles, and she added an apple, an orange, AND a banana to the lunch bag.

Masha and I went to camp, where I set up camp in a hallway of the church and took a couple of conference calls, sticking my nose into the classroom between calls. In class, the kids each traced their hands and feet, and attached them to a paper doll of themselves. The teachers then worked with the kids to learn the English words for the body parts, calling out “Arm” and watching all the kids point out the arm on their doll. Masha’s doll is the one with the big feet!!!!!

For the afternoon, Masha went over to Khrystyna’s house to hang out. They played in the spa, watched videos, played the piano and sang all afternoon. Two exhausted girls were pulled out of the hot tub at 5:30 when Mark got there to pick Masha up!

Mark threw some salmon on the grill, and I made a salad and sugar snap peas. The salmon and salad were hits, the sugar snap peas…not so much! But today, dinner was just a quick break on the road to tonight’s much-awaited Ear Piercing Extravaganza. Masha and I picked up Rachel, and the three girls hit the road!

Claire’s was not busy at all, and Masha quickly chose starter earrings with a pretty pink flower. They started with the left ear, but the earring only shot halfway through her earlobe. She was such a trooper as the woman pulled the earring out, re-positioned the marks for the piercings, and tried again! Masha winced a bit when they went through, but she held up great!

We were in and out in a flash, and the girls decided that some exercise (mall-walking) was in order….all the way to Cold Stone Creamery! Rachel ordered Cake Batter with Kit Kat crumbles, and Masha got Strawberry with Gummi Bears, both in waffle cones. I watched and swiped a taste from each of them!!