This is what I found when I heard snoring in the living room. Greg fell asleep after finishing his yoga. I thought it was hilarious.

This is my weekly grocery shop. The groceries don't all fit in the stroller, so I hook bags to the hand rail/bar and I'm simply overflowing with groceries. I also have more than 50 lbs of kids sitting inside. The walk is 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back. Maybe 20 minutes walking around, getting my food. People stare at us enough because we have a massive stroller and two kids inside. People always think they're twins, which is really unusual here. Oh yes, and I'm severely pregnant. So I feel like a huge neon sign walking round the market here.

 Shopping at the market. Sigh. It was really fun at first. I like food. I like seeing piles of it, I like picking it out myself. But it's different here. When I buy beautiful green onions and cilantro, instead of them being gently put into a bag by themselves, they are crammed to fit and piled on top with tomatoes. WHY DO THEY DO THIS!!!! Sometimes things are really hard to find. And you end up buying something in desperation, thinking you won't find better. You buy a lime that's sort of going bad because it's the only one you've seen. Then 2 seconds later you pass someone's stand and there are beautiful limes, but you already bought yours. ARGH!!!! So frustrating! Everyone sells the same thing. So it's not like you go to the pepper pile and pick out the good ones. There are 50 different pepper piles scattered all across the square, and the paths leading to it. It is so frustrating sometimes! It is starting to get better though. It seems I have my fruit guy and pepper gal- and they bring out the goods for me and my fruit guy always tells me which fruit to buy. He'll say, "No, buy these apples! They're the good ones. They're from Turkey." So funny. But he hasn't led me astray, so I trust him. And then the few things that are random I go to other stands, but it's made things easier. And both of these vendors speak english fairly well! So that is great too. And they're actually nice and smile and me and are very helpful and friendly. They also always have change. So many vendors only have a few bills of 20com, which is 50 cents. I don't understand it! They're selling food all day! Why don't they have change?!! It's the worst. Other vendors are such grumps. People call at you as you walk by. I never know what they're saying because it's all in russian but these kind of harsh voices just call out for you to buy their produce. I just pretend not to notice. But sometimes I catch people's eyes and they smile really big at me hoping to get business and I feel so bad walking by. It's just the worst. Sometimes it's hard just to know how much to pay them! Most vendors have a calculator and just type it in and show me, but some don't have one! So I've started bringing a pen and paper and have them write it down for me. It works. The other thing that's strange, is because everyone sells the same things, before I had my "regulars" I felt really awkward walking by, or refusing to buying someone's tomatoes versus someone else's. It feels so personal. People will even get in your face about it. "Why didn't you buy my apples! Why are theirs better?!" And they get MAD and in your face and I just think, "You really think you're gaining my business by yelling at me? Are you an idiot? Do you want to make money?" I got in a full on yelling match with a woman about tomatoes a month ago. I was so mad. I was so pissed because I didn't even want her stupid tomatoes, I was just buying hers because it was convenient. She had a small pile of tomatoes and I needed a LOT. So I start picking through this ONE pile. Next thing I know she's getting upset, speaking russian- I have NO idea what she's saying. Somehow, with the help of someone else, I figure out ONE SIDE of the pile was one price and the OTHER SIDE was another price. And I was picking from both sides of the pile. There was no sign of a price anywhere. There was no distinction between the sides of the pile. Anyway, I'd already picked a bunch and wasn't finished. She kept getting mad and yelling at me in russian to the point where I was just yelling back, "Do you want me to buy your tomatoes?! Do you want my business! I can buy from someone else! I want more tomatoes! I'm not finished!" We're literally both yelling in the market, having no idea what the other person is saying. I was so mad. I bought her tomatoes and left her station knowing I would never buy from her again. I even was mad and wanted to purposefully buy from her neighbor, right in front of her face just to rub it in that she burned a bridge. I know I'm a big spender at the market. When Pavel sees my groceries he asks if I'm throwing a party. When I buy fruit from my fruit guy, I spend more in that one purchase than I do on Pavel's who 8 hour wage. I know I'm buying a lot. I used to feel uncomfortable doing it, but now my vendors are totally used to it and expect it so it doesn't feel weird anymore. So after this tomato experience I wanted to spend a TON right in front of her, each week, ON PURPOSE and walk past her with my overflowing stroller and look at her like, "Yeah, this could've been yours." But I suppose that's not a very Christ like attitude.

I'm so glad to be getting a break and just driving to a grocery store and walking leisurely with a cart that my kids sit inside.

We've gotten into this wonderful saturday habit where Greg and the kids make pancakes and bacon and all I have to do is eat it. It's wonderful.

Greg and I went on our last little morning date. This is me at Sierra Coffee. I always get blueberry waffles and hash browns and it's usually pretty tasty!!! I used to get hot chocolate but I'm thinking it's making my eczema worse, so I'm taking a break :(  so sad.

I've been feeling so huge and uncomfortable and then I cam across this old picture (days before Brighton was born) and thought- "THIS is what's coming to me!!!! I'm going to get THIS BIG?!?!?!?!?!" It was not a good feeling. I am big enough. I'm done being big and uncomfortable. That looks so much worse. I'm almost never comfortable now. Sitting, laying down- it doesn't matter! I still feel uncomfortable. It's simply the worst.

Next week I'll be in the states. I just can't believe in a WEEK I'll be sitting on my parents couch. This is unreal to me! So strange! I won't see Greg for a month. No more sleeping in while Greg gets the kids smoothies. No help with bedtime. That actually doesn't frighten me too much. Bedtime seems so strangely easy now. But the MORNINGS. Oh man. 

I just walked down the street (mid post) to buy some bread and I was thinking to myself, "What will I miss here?" And I honestly couldn't think of a single thing. I'll miss Greg, but that's not so much of a Kyrgyzstan thing. I would miss the mountains, but I'll be busy enjoying other missed beauties of home! I would miss my ONE SINGLE FRIEND here, but I'll be around family 24/7. I think all will be good when in the states. Well, let's hope so, anyway.

It's just so weird, because I've been doing all these "lasts" the last couple days. This is the last grocery list/shop here for 3 months. This week is the last time we'll see our babysitter Rakia (whom the kids adore) in 3 months- or possibly forever! Same with our driver. Weird, weird, weird. 

I have let the kids watch soooo much tv today. Oh man. 2 watchings of Brother Bear and we're on our second round of Pingu too! I'm not fighting it today. I am tired.