Saturday, July 7, 2012

Home

Hong Kong Airport

Sisters

Getting ready for the long trip home

At least two of us were comfy

Glad to be back home!

Bei Bei is not too sure she likes the seat.

That's better with the music on!
We have been home since July 5th and this is the first chance I have gotten to update the blog.  Adjusting to the time change has been challenging for all of us and I imagine it will continue for some time.  Emily and Sarah are becoming fast friends and close sisters although it is not easy for either of them.  We have all been getting up at 2:00 am and can not get back to sleep for hours.  I end up like Mama duck with my two ducklings wadding behind for our 2:00 am trip to the bathroom followed by, "I'm hungry" from Sarah and I am thinking the same thing but know that if the food comes out at that hour no one is getting anymore sleep.  Emily spends the time amusing herself by pulling at Sarah hair and then mine and giggling.  The bonding is going very well with it's expected ups and downs.  Emily still is not too sure of her Baba but is starting to let him get a little closer.  He has been great through it all helping get the house in order while Emily clings to me for everything.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Last Full Day in Guangzhou

I can not believe we will be traveling home tomorrow.  Time flies when you don't get any time to yourself I guess.  I am hoping the 19 hours of travel goes by quickly.  Tomorrow we start the long trek home at 4:00 am.  First we take a 3 hour van ride to Hong Kong and get a 15 plus hour flight to Newark.
We had a nice day yesterday with much less crying and Emily is letting her Baba do a little for her but no holding or carrying yet.  Both girls love the pool!  I can't get over how much at ease Emily is in the water.  She will have to have swimming lessons asap as she has no fear.  We have been going to the pool once a day and the minute Emily sees the bathing suits come out she goes around getting everyone's and tries to help us all get ready.  I am still trying to learn to juggle caring for two girls who are both active and want my attention.
We ventured out for dinner without a guide and we are getting braver and better at getting around.  I was admonished by a local women for allowing thumb sucking or at least that is what I think the women was saying but most of the people are friendly.  We bought fresh lychee nuts from a women on the street and she gave the girls each a free one.  They don't taste much like the canned ones you get in our Chinese restaurants and now I see why they are enjoyed.  They are quite good fresh.  Emily wouldn't even let me touch hers and proceeded to eat pit and all.  Luckily it was a smaller one.
We found a little local dive to eat in and the food was delicious!  The table clothes looked like they had been through 25 years of use and it was scary to eat there but the food was some of the best we have had.  You do have to try to ignore the fact that the chicken (rooster, to be exact) is served head, beak, wattles, comb, eyes and all.  Their corn pancakes, dumplings and fried lettuce was also very good.  I guess we shouldn't have been surprised by all of the chicken body parts.  We had a chicken foot in our lunch and some things we are not sure of but they tasted good.
For everyone on Facebook, I am unable to get on to answer any questions.  We hope everyone is doing well and look forward to getting home.  It looks like we will be coming home to the same weather we will be leaving behind.  Hope you are all doing okay in the heat.  

 

  


July 2 in GZ

We went to the US consulate today for the last of the paperwork.  They have changed the rules from last time we were here.  We show up in the morning at 8:30 and hand in our paperwork and take the oath and we are done.  Tomorrow our guide will pick up Emily's visa and bring it to us Tuesday afternoon.  There were only 8 families there today unlike for Sarah when there were 25 or so families.  

When we were done we went to the zoo, it is only 10 minutes from the hotel.  The girls had a great time feeding the giraffes.  The girls got in free and it was 20 yuan per person, that's about $3.20 usd per person.  It was a very nice zoo, it did cost 10 yuan to feed the giraffe, and we did that 3 times, so it was a cheap day, $14.40 for the zoo.  We saw a panda, rhinos, monkeys, tigers, the girls had a great time.  Right now they are beating each other up with the balloons they got at the zoo.  Emily is laughing and smiling, they are having a great time.

Emily is becoming more comfortable with me, I can feed her and push her stroller but cannot hold her or lay next to her.  She is in to everything, I can't imagine how much she would get into if she had 2 hands.  She has changed a lot in 1 week already.  She will eat every hour she is awake if we let her.  She doesn't like bitter melon or red peppers but anything else is OK. She will be our sports star, she is very rough and has no fear.  It's hard to not expect more from her as she is so big but we have to remember she will be only 2 next week.  Both of our girls do not let their special needs slow them down at all.       

On Wednesday we need to be in the lobby at 5:15 AM for a 3 hour ride to Hong Kong.  I'm sure I'll have 3 cranky women that morning.  We will update more later.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Guangzhou - Sunday July 1

Today was our day of touring and we were looking forward to being with one of our favorite guides, Helen.  She was our guide in Guangzhou on our last trip and was wonderful.  When we went down to the lobby we were greeted by Lilly who was very nice but harder to understand. Helen is assisting a man and his wife and new child at a hospital.  The man got very sick last week and had to be hospitalized.  He has an infection around his heart and pneumonia.  Please pray for this family as they surely need all of the prayers they can get.  Yesterday we meet them in the lobby.  The man was released temporarily but Helen was taking him back to the hospital.  They are waiting until he is well enough to make the flight home.  His poor wife looked so helpless and scared.  Helen has been staying at the hospital since yesterday and will remain with them until he is able to go home.  We will miss Helen but understand how very much that this family needs her.
We toured a museum of 2000 year old tomb which was interesting for us but not so much for Sarah and Emily although they were both very well behaved.  After the museum we went to the Government store to buy a tea set and jade for Emily the same as we did for Sarah.  For lunch we visited a handmade noodle house.  It was very good food but the trip to the restroom and squatty pot with our little wild lady is quite an experience.  Emily has found that she need to get the toilet tissue for me and she is soooo proud of herself doing this but she sort of over does it.  I now know why they use split pants, too.  Emily is potty trained very well for two years old but in order to squat she needs the diaper and shorts off.......NO FUN...particularly in this heat.  It was near impossible to redress her as she is jumping up and down laughing and grabbing everything.  
Sarah is learning that having a little sister is both fun and not so fun as she is not used to having to share Mommy an it isn't easy for her with how demanding Emily is of me right now.  Sarah is a wonderful little sister and tries to be helpful.  Bedtime has been the hardest for Sarah.  Last night we did get a little time together after Emily fell asleep.
Emily is coming out of her shell and was actually a little wild lady today running all over the hotel room right after she said, "cai zhen Baba".  Guy ran out to finish up paperwork for the Consulate tomorrow and for supplies.   What a handful Emily is going to be!  She is smart like her big sister and already saying things like her favorite, "no, no, no" which is followed by laughter.  "Whoops" and "PU, PU, PU" are her other favorites.  
We went to the pool again yesterday.  We now have two water bugs.  Emily is terrified of the bathtub but LOVES the pool.  
We had eel for dinner last night.  It was very good.  
Time to wake Emily and head out for more interesting food.
The second picture I am adding is a pillow that was in the museum.  And we think their beds are hard!