So we set out on an epic car trip - it is 490 km to Odesa, around 300 miles. We chose this trip as the highway is one of the best, if not the best, in the whole country. So we were able to drive at the unheard of speed of aroun 90 miles an hour, and make it there in about 5 hours. Even though this was a "short" trip, we gave S a special treat. She was allowed to watch her DVD player on the way. With little G sleeping and S zoned out, it was almost like we had no kids in the car!
We stayed in a nice apartment about 3 blocks from the main walking street. When we arrived, mid-afternoon, we walked down to the center of the city. Behind us is the Odesa Opera house - beautiful, isn't it? And in the foreground, the object of much curiousity by Ukrainians, the "foreigners double-stroller." Thankfully there were lots of tourists, so we didn't stand out too much more than anyone else. And below Dady and his girls in the city park, enjoying the realtively warm weather.
S is standing on the
"Potemkin Steps" which, for Russophiles, are well-known from Eisenstein's silent movie "The Balltelship Potemkin" in which a baby carriage rolls down them in horrifying slow motion. They were built to create an optical illusion of being grander than they are, and are much wider at the bottom than at the top. They were renamed in 1955 to commemorate the 50th aniversary of the Battleship Potemkin crew's uprising agains the Czar. You can see S is contemplating all of this as she walks up the 192 stairs...
OK, so having a little girl you don't notice the gradual change from baby to full-blown diva. Here she is at an outdoor restaurant on Deribasovskaya Street, where one is "seen." Purple star wand in hand, Cinderalla rose-colored glasses, and being fed by her assistant. She's going to be trouble, this one is...
She has the sweetest temperament I have ever seen in a baby, and that includes her sister. Laughing, smiling, sleeping well, happy to play with you. What a cutie!!
We also decided to try little G out in an old Exersaucer I bought from someone for about $10. She is still little so can only stand for a minute or two, but apparently it's long enough to be tormented by big sister. I like the big wide eyes as S tells her there is a phone call for her. 
And here is perhaps not my best look, but I wanted to show that my big girl is now happy to wear barettes, and get dressed up. She finally has enough hair and patience! She doesn't like posing for photos, but she is a ham when the camera is turned off. We've also started doing Saturday swim lessons, but I don't have enough hands to take photos. I'll try to get Aaron to, since babies as young as 3 months can come along, but first both he and the baby need to get their "spravki" - certificates that state they don't have some communicable flesh-eating disease... I'll save that for another post, though.