Moscow- day 25

It is Saturday here and was a beautiful day for most of the day. We went to the zoo this morning. The boys rode in strollers and did well. It was really nice that Vladmir Ок (our driver/translator) was willing to take us as he told the boys what the animals were in Russian while we told them the English words. The boys are now saying "soap" and "please" on a regular basis. Pasha said his favorite animal was the elephant. The animals kind of looked like they were sickly but the zoo grounds were nice. Vladimir said the zoo had been in operation since the early 20th century but the new addition had been a hospital in World War II. He also told us interesting facts about his education and upcoming college graduation. He is fortunate in that he has made some good connections in the city government and has a job waiting for him. He is very excited to have the government benefits of two months' vacation. He filled us in on the draft as well. It occurs every spring and fall. Apparently many families pay bribes to get the card that says the male is unfit for military duty due to some kind of physical ailment. The current cost for such a bribe is $5,000 USD. He said life in the Russian military is difficult as new recruits are hazed by the other soldiers. He had a friend that was drafted and after three months of service became disabled. I didn't ask the details as I did not want to pry. The boys continue to do well. We ate out at a restaurant and they looked at their hamburgers very suspiciously. After smelling it, Pasha did have a few bites while Ruslan preferred his fries, tomatoes and lettuce from the hamburger. They had a late nap so it will probably be a later bedtime but we don't have to get up early so that is probably okay. Tomorrow we are going to the Moscow Circus with Vladmir; we hope it is good as it was kind of expensive but will be a once in a lifetime experience for the boys. We will also visit some monuments too. We are counting the days to see everyone back home. I am proud that I have blogged daily as I think it will be nice for the boys to read when they get older. I hope to continue once we get home as things will continue to be interesting for them. Samantha made the cheerleading squad; I am very proud of her accomplishment. Now the fun begins of driving her to multiple practices and such that happen once kids enter junior high. She does not have a cell phone but we may be nearing that discussion soon. I saw pictures of Callie's pre-K graduation; she definitely looked cute in her dress and crown. See you in four days!