Just a little game....

[Sarushka]

"Forgive me for not writing sooner, but the entire household has been wild with anticipation. Around 3:00am, the Empress began having strong pain. Exactly at 6:00am, a daughter was born -- Maria!"

[Margarita Markovna]

Not Maria!

It's either Anastasia or Alexei but I can't be positive.

[Sarushka]

Let me know when you're positive!  

[Margarita Markovna]

Oh quiet. Let my official guess be Anastasia.

[Sarushka]

You win! (Officially )

[Margarita Markovna]

*does a little dance around laptop* I'll write one tomorrow, I'm about to turn in and I want to come up with a good one.

[Margarita Markovna]

"My apologies for not writing for so long. So much has been happening here lately, what with the Tricentennial celebrations and everyone having official portraits. They came out lovely and Tatiana's hair is just long enough that she doesn't wear a wig anymore.
"The family took a boat ride for the celebrations, and there was also a ball. Maria and Anastasia did not get dressed up in Court attire but Olga and Tatiana did and were in attendance."

[Sarushka]

Nuh-uh!! Tatiana wore the wig for the 1913 formals!

[Margarita Markovna]

Right on! Your turn!  

[Sarushka]

My dear old tutor,

Forgive me for not returning your kind letter promptly, but the household has been very busy preparing for Easter. Their Imperial Highnesses are much distressed by the absence of thier parents & sister Maria, but carry on admirably. For Easter, they made a lovely altar, all decorated with lillies and early spring flowers, as is the custom here. The little tsesarevich is still not well enough to travel, but is bearing up well under the strain. We all do out best to cheer him, and his sisters take turns coaxing him to eat. He still enjoys pulling faces for the camera, even from his bed. With God's help, we all hope he shall be walking soon.

[Margarita Markovna]

My dear old tutor,

Forgive me for not returning your kind letter promptly, but the household has been very busy preparing for Easter. Their Imperial Highnesses are much distressed by the absence of thier parents & sister Maria, but carry on admirably. For Easter, they made a lovely altar, all decorated with lillies and early spring flowers, as is the custom here. The little tsesarevich is still not well enough to travel, but is bearing up well under the strain. We all do out best to cheer him, and his sisters take turns coaxing him to eat. He still enjoys pulling faces for the camera, even from his bed. With God's help, we all hope he shall be walking soon.

I'm not sure if it's a mistake because I'm sure people still referred to them by their titles, but by then they weren't Imperial Highnesses were they?

And I've never ever heard the altar story. Was that the mistake or am I just ignorant?

[Sarushka]

I'm not sure if it's a mistake because I'm sure people still referred to them by their titles, but by then they weren't Imperial Highnesses were they?

That's certainly true, but it's not my intended mistake...

[Margarita Markovna]

It wasn't lilies, right?

[Sarushka]

You got it! It was done in pine & flowers. Anastasia took a photo, but I suppose it was part of the film that was confiscated and destroyed in Ekaterinburg.

[Margarita Markovna]

Sorry for letting it go so long, guys, completely forgot to check!

"So sorry for not writing in a long time. This week was White Flower Day, where the girls wore white dresses and all five children went out to collect money for leukemia. They had quite a good time as did the people around them. It was almost possible to believe that they were regular children, rather than grand duchesses and a tsarevich."