Day 1 with Sergei

Hello All -

Day #1 with Sergei went very well. It was a day of firsts; first trip with us in a van (beep beep), first professional photo (for passport), first dining experience in a restaurant, first nap, first play date in the square, first bath and currently first bed time. So far so good. He is a very good little boy. Because the rooms are so small, (especially with a crib) we have taken over the sitting area on floor #6 and turned it into a play area. We spent the afternoon playing blocks with Sergei's newest friend Maksim. We also tired doing laundry for the first time in the sink, which was a real treat. The sink is about 3 inches deep. Oh, did I mention we woke up this morning to no cold water? Hot water, yes; cold water, no. This makes taking a shower a very quick adventure. The water gets very hot, very fast. Another thing you can't get in Siberia, cold water and ice. Go figure. Hope everyone is well, we are off to bed as a family. Good Night (spock-oy-noy no-chee)

Love, Rick, Marcie and Sergei

ps - I will post pictures of the happy family tomorrow. I was unable to get the photos downloaded today (I was a busy dad!) Attached are a couple photos of Kras, one of the clock tower they call "big ben" and one of our hotel.