and the next journey begins to take shape

So today I booked my flights to go back to Kazakhstan and pick up Mr.Baby and start the journey home.....today also therefore started the quest to obtain not one but two visas in my passport before I leave again on the 12th.  Let me backtrack a bit...
 
When I asked when I could come back and pick up Mr. Baby to come home I was told all the paperwork including her visa to enter Canada would be ready on the 25th...of December, I was so disappointed I cried, my expectations had been set to have her home for Christmas.  So I asked, why so long?  The answer, her local paperwork would be ready by the 15th but the sending of her passport to Moscow, embassy processing and sending it back would take 10 days.  Ok, so what if I took her and her passport to Moscow as I did with Ciera....oh then you can come on the 15th.  Well that took about 4.2 seconds for me to say "ok I will!".
 
So a few (ok alot) of emails later, it was agreed upon that I would arrive in Karaganda for the 15th, fly to Moscow on the 16th, do her embassy processing and fly home on the 17th.  Yup that's alot of flying for me, but this meant we'd all be home for Christmas...a crazy one but we'd be home!  
 
Today the universe aligned and somehow against all odds I managed to get flights on the dates I wanted using my hard earned Aeroplan points, SCORE!!!  Actaully the first guy could not get me home from anywhere in central Europe on the day I wanted, so I asked 2 travel agents to try and find flights for me for the whole jounrey.  Then I thought hmmm maybe I could find a cheap flight from Frankfurt, so I called Aeroplan back to find out what time the flight from Moscow arrived in Frankfurt and this guy was able to route me home through Munich.  He asked me if I cared if it was through Frankfurt.....um no, I don't care as long as you can get me home on the 17th, so presto he did it!  I then went online and booked my flight from Karaganda to Moscow.  Allright step one done...flights booked.
 
Next step...now I need visas to enter both Kazakhstan and Russia, as I need a confirmed hotel reservation for Russia, I do the Kazakhstan one first, so off went my visa application and a letter in FedEx to the Kazakhstan Embassy in Ottawa.  I am hoping that one comes back next week and then I will use a visa service to get my Russia visa.  It's a wee bit expensive but it avoids me having to drive downtown, take a number, wait for 3 hours to drop off my visa application and then do the same 3 days later to pick it up, I'm fine with paying someone to do that for me.  I will pay for the 3 day expedite for the Russia visa, it's worth it for the peace of mind to have it all done in time to leave.  Now tomorrow I will fill out the form to book my one night hotel room in Moscow and get the info I need from them to finish filling out my Russia visa application.
 
Ciera is asking to come with me, she started yesterday, then today when we did the Fed Ex dropoff and she asked what I was sending "but I want to go with you, I miss my sister" "yes honey I know, so do I but she will be home a few days after I leave" "but I like Kazakhstan, I want to see my firend Irina" "I know honey but it won't be any fun , I am just going and leaving, I'm not staying".   She started etting a bit whiny then about it, so I told her we'd be going back in a few years and that got her going on a new track "so when my sister is this big (hand up in the air) and I am this big (hand up way higher)" "yep that's right"....phew bullet almost dodged  "but I want to go" "you can't you need to stay home and go so school and dnace and swimming and you will have lots of fun with Auntie Dada" and then I changed the subject!
 
So step one down....2 to go!!
 
Egads, I need to get on it and finish her room, finish my Christmas shopping, decorate the house, get the lights up outside.....