Hey we made it! The flight was long but Luke handled it well, I wish I could say the same for miss Lily. She was just in one of those moods and there was no way to please her. She finally fell asleep about 20 mins before landing. Luke really enjoyed watching out the window and we had a wonderful view of the mountains. Two hours into the flight we were still over mountains, they just go on and on and on.
We are very happy to be in Guangzhou. Everything is lush and green, the beds are softer. Our room looks out over the Pearl river and we can watch the boats traveling up and down. Last night the whole group ate at a Thai restaurant which was very good. Lily and Luke had fancy drinks that came with orchids in them. Lily spotted Chinese barbie dolls right away and just had to have one. Luke got a pair of shorts as the weather is quite warm here. Everywhere you turn there are Caucasian parents with Chinese children, many families with more than one (like us) Luke is doing very well, this morning he kissed my cheek for the first time. He is a sweet and happy boy, very shy around adults he does not know. He runs to me and hugs me and loves his Ba Ba. This morning there is more paperwork and then Luke has a physical (very superficial). We have many activities planned while here: trip to the zoo, river dinner cruise, pearl shopping! Our computer is still not working but the good news is the memory is still there we just can't see the screen well so at least our photos are in tact. Meanwhile I am having to use the business office computer at 40RMB for 15 mins ($5.00) but I want to keep everyone posted. Of course I am hoping Aunt Sue turns all these posts into a wonderful book for Luke like she did for Miss Lily three years ago. A couple we traveled with three years ago is here getting their second daughter. We finally caught up with Sherry and Roger and Reagan here at the White Swan. There little girl has been sick all week but sounds like she is getting better each day. What a small world it really is.
Well, the kids are playing in the White Swan play room with Daddy so I'd better go catch up. Hope things are going well at home Steven and Yue Jia. We are anxious to get back and show the house to Luke. I think he is going to love all our pets, he seems to be attracted to animals.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Last night in Urumqi
Today we left the hotel at 10 (8am Urumqi time) and headed for Heavenly Lake. It was a 2 hour bus ride and slow going once we got into the mountains. It appeared that every bridge was being rebuilt and the bus had to go around on rocky terrain. The motion of the bus put Lily sound asleep. The countryside was very barren right up until the park and then suddenly the environment turned into beautiful snow capped mountains with tall fir trees and winding rivers with crystal clear water. Made me think of Colorado. Heavenly Lake was frozen over but it was a clear sunny day and we didn't even need a coat. The kids had a great time hiking all over the rocky ground and we took many photos (just wish I could post them). Afterwards we had a great meal in the park's restaurant. The only bad part was when Lily announced that she had to go to the bathroom. Seems this restaurant does not have a bathroom but our guide told us to follow one of the servers. She lead us outside and down about 50 steps and then pointed to a building. The building however was not a bathroom as she indicated that Lily should go on the ground behind the building. There was plenty of evidence to show we were not the only ones who had passed this way. Lily thought it was an adventure and did just fine.
We didn't get back to the hotel until after 5. It was a holiday in Urumqi and tomorrow there is a small festival going on, celebrating the ancestors. The park across the street was filled with people and they had special children's rides in place. Luke and Lily went on the inflatables and had a great time.
We are packed and ready to go, suitcases to be picked up at 6:45am and then our flight leaves for South China at 9:30. It is a 5 hour flight and a true test for Luke. He is such a sweet boy and lights up like a Christmas tree when Ba Ba comes in the room. He does get a bit upset when we correct him but we are sticking to our guns so he will understand what we expect. Most of the time he is very happy. Ok, time for some sleep in anticipation of that early morning wake up call.
We didn't get back to the hotel until after 5. It was a holiday in Urumqi and tomorrow there is a small festival going on, celebrating the ancestors. The park across the street was filled with people and they had special children's rides in place. Luke and Lily went on the inflatables and had a great time.
We are packed and ready to go, suitcases to be picked up at 6:45am and then our flight leaves for South China at 9:30. It is a 5 hour flight and a true test for Luke. He is such a sweet boy and lights up like a Christmas tree when Ba Ba comes in the room. He does get a bit upset when we correct him but we are sticking to our guns so he will understand what we expect. Most of the time he is very happy. Ok, time for some sleep in anticipation of that early morning wake up call.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
April 2/April 3
Well, the computer is trying to dry out, it comes on but we can't see the screen very well so no pictures for the time being.
Yesterday we toured the Museum in Urumqi. Not real exciting stuff for the 3-4 year olds but very interesting to the adults. There was one room that the kids were both excited and scared about, the mummy room. There are four mummies on display and the oldest dates back 4000 years. Because of the arid climate these bodies were dried out and very well preserved, you could even make out the painting on the faces.
We had free time in the evening and all the families chose to eat at pizza hut. Our vegetarian pizza had corn,mushrooms, pineapple and red peppers. Sounds like a strange combination but it was really pretty good. Luke enjoyed picking off all the toppings and eating them.
All four kids have been testing their new families out in a variety of ways. Luke continues to dash away from us if given the chance and today he has started hitting. I don't think the kids get much discipline and this will be starting all over again. He had another melt down with sobbing but afterwards settled down and watched a video with the whole family. He is starting to understand things I ask him to do like "put on your shoes." He has said "Lily" quite plainly. Lily has had her moments as well. For awhile she hid in the closet shouting that she needed her space. Luke thought she was playing hide and seek of course and would not leave her alone. I told John we have a 6 year old in a 4 year old body and a 2 year old in a soon to be 4 year old body.
Today all the families met to travel to the international bazaar. What a cool place. There are inside as well as outdoor markets selling a little bit of everything. This is where you are able to barter for what you want and that is half the fun. This is our 3 year family reunion day for Miss Lily so she was allowed to pick out a dress and hat. The dress is a two piece number, kind of an I dream of Genie design and the hat is what the Uigher women wear on their wedding day. Luke got a Uigher style hat, I bought a cashmere scarf for myself (about $6.50), John bought, what else, an instrument (drum). We also bought an assortment to gifts for family and friends. We finally found vendors for the Uigher bread and some freshly squeezed pomagranet juice. Observed some very interesting outdoor food preparation going on, a health inspectors nightmare. We worry so much about sneeze guards and of course here everything is out in the wide open, no protection what so ever and the sand and dust blows all the time. Lots of cooked meat outside, no temperature control. So far our stomachs have remained in great shape, let's hope it continues. We try to be careful about what we eat and stick to the "if you can't peel it don't eat it" rule.
Now it is nap time. Tomorrow we are taking the trip to heavenly lake. I hope it is worth the long drive. Maybe the computer will be working well enough to post photos tomorrow.
Oh a side note....John's Chinese has really come in handy this trip, especially in talking to Luke but also in answering people's questions. We attract a lot of attention and people are curious as to why two Caucasian people have two Chinese children. John is able to explain to them that the children do not have a Chinese mother or father. They seem to be happy to get an answer. We get lots of comments about Lily's beauty and I think they are surprised when they here her English.
Yesterday we toured the Museum in Urumqi. Not real exciting stuff for the 3-4 year olds but very interesting to the adults. There was one room that the kids were both excited and scared about, the mummy room. There are four mummies on display and the oldest dates back 4000 years. Because of the arid climate these bodies were dried out and very well preserved, you could even make out the painting on the faces.
We had free time in the evening and all the families chose to eat at pizza hut. Our vegetarian pizza had corn,mushrooms, pineapple and red peppers. Sounds like a strange combination but it was really pretty good. Luke enjoyed picking off all the toppings and eating them.
All four kids have been testing their new families out in a variety of ways. Luke continues to dash away from us if given the chance and today he has started hitting. I don't think the kids get much discipline and this will be starting all over again. He had another melt down with sobbing but afterwards settled down and watched a video with the whole family. He is starting to understand things I ask him to do like "put on your shoes." He has said "Lily" quite plainly. Lily has had her moments as well. For awhile she hid in the closet shouting that she needed her space. Luke thought she was playing hide and seek of course and would not leave her alone. I told John we have a 6 year old in a 4 year old body and a 2 year old in a soon to be 4 year old body.
Today all the families met to travel to the international bazaar. What a cool place. There are inside as well as outdoor markets selling a little bit of everything. This is where you are able to barter for what you want and that is half the fun. This is our 3 year family reunion day for Miss Lily so she was allowed to pick out a dress and hat. The dress is a two piece number, kind of an I dream of Genie design and the hat is what the Uigher women wear on their wedding day. Luke got a Uigher style hat, I bought a cashmere scarf for myself (about $6.50), John bought, what else, an instrument (drum). We also bought an assortment to gifts for family and friends. We finally found vendors for the Uigher bread and some freshly squeezed pomagranet juice. Observed some very interesting outdoor food preparation going on, a health inspectors nightmare. We worry so much about sneeze guards and of course here everything is out in the wide open, no protection what so ever and the sand and dust blows all the time. Lots of cooked meat outside, no temperature control. So far our stomachs have remained in great shape, let's hope it continues. We try to be careful about what we eat and stick to the "if you can't peel it don't eat it" rule.
Now it is nap time. Tomorrow we are taking the trip to heavenly lake. I hope it is worth the long drive. Maybe the computer will be working well enough to post photos tomorrow.
Oh a side note....John's Chinese has really come in handy this trip, especially in talking to Luke but also in answering people's questions. We attract a lot of attention and people are curious as to why two Caucasian people have two Chinese children. John is able to explain to them that the children do not have a Chinese mother or father. They seem to be happy to get an answer. We get lots of comments about Lily's beauty and I think they are surprised when they here her English.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
computor problems
bad news, Miss Lily ran the water cooler over and water got in our laptop. We are hoping it will dry out but for now have to use the hotel computor. This means we will not be able to download photos as we didn't bring the software. We are hoping it didn't fry the mother board. Hope you got the post from this morning. I was downloading a video and stepped away from the computor when the accident happened. Opps. Hope the university will forgive us as it is their computor.
Day 2 with Luke
Oh my, who's idea was it to have two four year olds at one time? Oh, I guess it was mine! The energy level is running at an all time high (with the four year olds, not the 46 and 49 year old)
Day 2 we went shopping at a large department store. It was not really the Walmart type store we were wanting and prices were as high as home. The exchange rate is not as good this trip about 6.94:1, I think 3 years ago it was over 8:1. We let the kids pick out some toys, Luke chose a truck and car, Miss Lily got a princess set (of course). The rest of the day we just got to spend time together as a family. It was an exhausting time trying to keep the two kids occupied. As John and I watched Luke we were concerned. For one thing he never cried or got upset about anything. I could take his toy away from him when he was trying to hit Lily with it and he just went on his merry way. He also displayed so much hyper activity it was difficult to get him to settle down. When our guides tried to talk to him in Chinese he would not even look at them. Meanwhile the other kids were expressing the desire to return to the orphanage and were drawn to the guides as a resource. The more time we spent together however the better things got. He makes good eye contact and will point at things and look at us and he sings and when we gave him the big picture book we brought he was fascinated, looking at each page and naming the items he saw. When it came time for bed he was not wanting to stay in bed and I had to gently hold him down. Soon the rage turned into full blown wailing with real tears and he went limp. I held him and rocked him as he continued to cry and sob and eventually it turned into a whimper and then he fell asleep in my arms. This morning he is like a different little boy. He hugs us, he sits still longer, he talks non-stop, he laughs, he marches around the rooom. When I leave the room he yells, "MaMa" and comes looking for me. Yesterday Miss Lily got bent out of shape with him when he was pestering her and she yelled out "poopy" (one of her favorite words) Luke yelled "poopy" right back at her.
Although I do think he is developmentally behind about a year, I see real potential for learning. I think both John and I are feeling much better. What a difference a day can make!
Lily has melted into tears a few times when Luke gets aggressive with her or takes her toys but in general she has been very good with him trying to explain things to him in detail. Yesterday at the McDonald's clone restaurant she was trying to explain to him how to go down the slide. I think she will be a wonderful big sister for him.
Last night Luke took a bath first and delighted in the bubbles. When Lily saw how much fun he was having she soon jumped in. They had a great time pouring water over each other and splashing. I feel the beginnings of bonds starting to form.
Today we are going to a museum in Urumqi. It is supposed to be very interesting, I just hope the kids think so too.
I have one video to post of Daddy, Lily and Luke in a tickle fest.
Day 2 we went shopping at a large department store. It was not really the Walmart type store we were wanting and prices were as high as home. The exchange rate is not as good this trip about 6.94:1, I think 3 years ago it was over 8:1. We let the kids pick out some toys, Luke chose a truck and car, Miss Lily got a princess set (of course). The rest of the day we just got to spend time together as a family. It was an exhausting time trying to keep the two kids occupied. As John and I watched Luke we were concerned. For one thing he never cried or got upset about anything. I could take his toy away from him when he was trying to hit Lily with it and he just went on his merry way. He also displayed so much hyper activity it was difficult to get him to settle down. When our guides tried to talk to him in Chinese he would not even look at them. Meanwhile the other kids were expressing the desire to return to the orphanage and were drawn to the guides as a resource. The more time we spent together however the better things got. He makes good eye contact and will point at things and look at us and he sings and when we gave him the big picture book we brought he was fascinated, looking at each page and naming the items he saw. When it came time for bed he was not wanting to stay in bed and I had to gently hold him down. Soon the rage turned into full blown wailing with real tears and he went limp. I held him and rocked him as he continued to cry and sob and eventually it turned into a whimper and then he fell asleep in my arms. This morning he is like a different little boy. He hugs us, he sits still longer, he talks non-stop, he laughs, he marches around the rooom. When I leave the room he yells, "MaMa" and comes looking for me. Yesterday Miss Lily got bent out of shape with him when he was pestering her and she yelled out "poopy" (one of her favorite words) Luke yelled "poopy" right back at her.
Although I do think he is developmentally behind about a year, I see real potential for learning. I think both John and I are feeling much better. What a difference a day can make!
Lily has melted into tears a few times when Luke gets aggressive with her or takes her toys but in general she has been very good with him trying to explain things to him in detail. Yesterday at the McDonald's clone restaurant she was trying to explain to him how to go down the slide. I think she will be a wonderful big sister for him.
Last night Luke took a bath first and delighted in the bubbles. When Lily saw how much fun he was having she soon jumped in. They had a great time pouring water over each other and splashing. I feel the beginnings of bonds starting to form.
Today we are going to a museum in Urumqi. It is supposed to be very interesting, I just hope the kids think so too.
I have one video to post of Daddy, Lily and Luke in a tickle fest.
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