Final blog from Almaty, we hope

Our bags are packed, we're ready to go. Aida took us and Marie and Tamas and Ben up to Kokytube, a hill that has great views of the city and the mountains. I was hoping to get closer the the actual mountains. There was a great playground and Sultan had a great fun until it was time to leave and then through a fit. That was his fourth for the day and he just had a fifth at the apartment. Now I know how it feels to be at the supermarket and have your child kicking and screaming on the floor. He's set a record today and I hope it stands for a while.
Aida will pick us up at 4:30 am for our 7:15 flight. We've been strategizing about food, toys, toilet, all the important stuff. We hope he won't get motion sick again and we have crackers and ginger ale if he does.
This morning we went to the nearest church for something to do and they were having Mass which was interesting. Not many chairs and not much kneeling. There are always needy older people outside with cups and we had Sultan give them coins and they blessed him. It was sweet.
We've got some new toys to entertain him on the flights. A plastic slinky, a tape measure, a game that I hope isn't too loud, some stickers, a couple of books. On the other flight he played with the tray table and was happy as a clam. I remember flying back in the stone age when I was a child and going into the cockpit and looking at all the dials and lights and controls. Too bad those days are over.