KCWI revisited

It is harder for me to blog now that we are home.  I work full-time outside the home and evenings are spent playing with the kids, getting school stuff ready for the next day, or helping the boys with something they need.  As a result, I don't have easy access to the pictures we take until the weekends or until I upload them to Shutterfly.  So, I am taking this time to document more of our time in China.  Today, we will revisit KCWI.  Because of KCWI rules, there are no pictures to accompany today's post.

We left our hotel and headed over fairly early.  We stopped on our way there to buy candy for the kids.  We got a few things not far from the hotel, but not as much as I thought we would need.  GW told our guide about a store just outside of KCWI, so we stopped there and bought more candy. 

When we arrived, CP mentioned how nice everything looked - it was not at all what he expected.  This was our first visit to a CWI of any kind.  We did not have the opportunity when we adopted HJ to visit her CWI.   We were met outside by the assistant director and escorted into a meeting/conference room in one of the buildings.  As usual for southern China, the room was COLD.  The director came in shortly after that and talked with all of us for about 15 min.  She then excused herself as she had another official of some sort visiting the CWI that day.  The assistant director answered the list of questions we had.  As we had come to expect from conversations with KCWI parents, there was absolutely no additional information provided other than what was in GWs referral.  Given the fact that GW spent SO MUCH TIME there, it was dissapointing to know that they are unwilling to share any of that information. 

After we had our questions "answered", we walked from that building to another building.  This building is the one you usually see in photos of KCWI.  It looks absolutely gorgeous.  CP was absolutely in awe of the facility.  I just kept telling him to pay attention to what he wasn't seeing.   It was a beautiful sunny warm day with no school (for CNY) and this building was eerily quiet.  We passed a playground that was as up-to-date as the park near our home, but not a soul was on it.  Also, we quickly realized that many parts of the building were open to the outside.  They appeared enclosed, but were actually open to the wind/rain and other elements.  In this other building, we were shown GWs room.  He shared a room with three other kids.  We have no idea who these three other children are.  We also noticed that there was a small shelf on the wall with a few books and an RC car.  These were GW's.  There was also a closet in the corner where he kept his clothes.  We didn't get to see inside of it. 

Next we went to the Baby Room.  This part of the CWI is sponsored by a foreign organization - though not from the US.  In the baby room, there were four ayi's (nannies) who were busy feeding some of the babies.  One baby was sitting in a bouncy chair away from the ayi's and the remaining babies were laying in their cribs.  We did hear a cry or two and one ayi went over to that little one.  The rest of the babies were quiet.  I walked by each one and gave them each a smile and a gentle touch.  Most of them gave me a smile in return.  I would guess that most of the children in this room were under 1 yr old. 

We left from there and met a number of GWs "teachers" in the halls.  We have determined since coming home that the children are told they are "students" and that the caretakers are "teachers".  It caused us some confusion at first but after hearing GW refer to himself and the adults in this manner, this is our conclusion.  GW ended up giving all of the candy we had bought to his teachers.  At first, we thought he had just left them on a table to come back to later, but he told us later that he wanted his teachers to have the candy. 

Next we headed to GW's classroom.  On our way to the classroom, we were joined by about 10 of GW's buddies (all boys).  I asked about the adoption status of all of them.  Four were over the age of 14.  They were indicated to me by a quick slap to the back.  Two were being adopted soon - they looked to be about 8 or so years old. 

We then went to the classroom in the CWI.  It was a brightly lit classroom with only 16 desks (for a CWI with supposedly 100 kids).  We were shown GWs desk and quickly found some books/papers that he had left there.  We asked if we could have them and were told yes.  We put them in our backpack and they are now GW's forever. 

We walked from the classroom out to a courtyard.  As we did, we passed another room that was empty with the exception of a child sitting in a wheelchair.  About 20 min after we stopped in the courtyard, I saw a worker pushing that child from one building to another.  While we were in the courtyard, another of GW's teachers (a male) came to say good-bye.  We asked GW about the candy for his friends and that was when he explained that he wanted his "teachers" to have it.  So, we pulled out the lollipops we had and gave them to GW to hand out.  CP noticed that one of GW's friends was blind and that he seemed to pay special attention to this boy and make sure he didn't get left out.  The boys all then left and went inside a building that we did not visit.  It was about lunch time, so my assumption was that they were headed to the lunch room. 

We headed back to the van and prepared to leave.  I asked GW before we left if he wanted our escort to write in his journal that we had brought for him.  He did NOT want her writing in his book.  He pantomimed some things to us to emphasize that fact, so we did not push it.  One other interesting item of note.  We asked about GW's broken front tooth.  He explained that when the Sichuan earthquake happened, all of the children were moved from one building to another building.  While running to the other building, he fell and broke his tooth on the steps to the second building.  I had never considered the fact that he would have been close enough to the earthquake area to have experienced it.  Fortunately, he won't have to worry about those here in FL.

Other than the babies and GW's friends and the one other child, we saw no other children.  I was dissapointed as I would have liked to have met some of the other kids as well.  I do know that most of the kids in KCWI care are in foster homes in the foster village.  But supposedly there are approximately 100 kids at the CWI itself.  As I said to CP earlier, it was what we weren't seeing (and hearing) that I thought was most interesting.  It was also interesting to compare this visit with our visit to our other Chinese son's CWI the next week.  They were two very different visits.  This visit was more like a business meeting where TJ's visit was more like a homecoming. 

The Minority Village - part 2

Another part of our tour of the Minority Village was JA's horse ride.  He has ridden a horse before - with an adult holding the reins and slowly walking the horse around.  This time, though, it was a full size riding ring.  JA was hoping for a slow, gentle trot, but that isn't what he got!    He saddled up and then the assistant turned the horse around and gave him a nice whack on the rump!  (The horse - not JA - LOL!)  The horse set off at a medium clip with JA bouncing up and down in the saddle.  I got some video, but it's pretty bouncy itself because of the zoom.  I'll try to post it to the shutterfly site soon. 

The horse got about 3/4 of the way around the ring and decided he was hungry.  So, he pulled over to the side and started munching on some vegetation that was hanging over the ring.  Then he decided to turn around and go back the way he came!!! It was pretty funny to watch.  Since JA had no idea how to actually guide the horse, the assistant had to go "rescue" JA and turn the horse around.  He did finally make it back to the mounting area with the biggest smile I've seen on his face in a long time.

We offered to let GW take a ride, but he wanted no part of it.  He said he was afraid he would fall off.  CP did get him to pet one horse some and did get a picture of it. 

Near the end of our time at the Minority Village, we became celebrities.  Two Chinese families wanted their pictures taken with us.  We were more than happy to oblige.  JA was a little disappointed though as we had told him to expect to be a "star" with lots of attention.  Most families who travelled with blond haired kids (and especially curly hair) had talked about everyone wanting their picture taken with their kids.  JA never attracted that much attention.  I'm not sure why, I think he's pretty darn handsome!

While we were walking around the Minority Village, our guide was telling us about all of the different temples.  So, I used the opportunity to ask GW what he knew about Jesus, Confucious and Buddha.  He said he knows about them, but doesn't believe in any of it.  We told him that we believe in Jesus Christ and that we attend church.  He then told us that he has a Stories of the Bible book that was given to him by some foreigners at the CWI!  Wow! 

Near the end of our time at MV, the boys find a set of stairs with a flat slope next to them.  We got some BIG smiles from GW as he slid down the slope with his new brother.  It was great to see. 

Touchdown!!!

On Super Bowl Sunday, we left the United States for our trip to China.  Today (tonight - I'm not sure which is which at this point!) we finally made our Touchdown!!!  We are HOME on US SOIL!  Our friend came to pick us up at the airport and brought our 4th son with him.  He fell asleep on the way there but was wide awake for the ride home with his new brothers. We got home to signs both inside and outside of the house! 

We showed the boys around some first and then woke up their little sisters.  They were tired but happy to see everybody at home.  We then showed them around the house some more and then got everyone a snack.  Since we are all so wired, we have unpacked and the four boys are settling in their room together.  The girls and grandpa have gone to bed and CP and I are trying to tie up some loose ends before we call it a night.

I am uploading all of the new pictures from the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and HOME!!! to our Shutterfly site.  Hopefully, by the time you wake up, they will all be there.

The Great Wall

WOW!!! Today we went to the Great Wall.  The weather did not look promising as the forecast called for snow flurries changing over to rain and a high of about 35.  However, we figured it was our only chance, so even if we didn't stay long, we could say the boys had been there.

On the way there, it was snowing and very overcast, but fortunately, by the time we got to the wall, it had quit snowing and the sun finally peeked out.  When we were here five years ago to adopt HJ, we went to the Badaling section of the Great Wall so we decided to go to the MuTianYu section this time.  I am SO glad we did.  I don't know if it is more beautiful, but I certainly enjoyed it more.

The Badaling section has very uneven steps and is all UP and then down.  I am not in the best of shape and it was a workout for me.  The MuTianYu section has the cable car up and then the walk to the chair lift/toboggan ride is 90% downhill.  Of course, with the snow from yesterday and today, it was still a bit of a challenge to negotiate the steps without falling on your keister!  I did fall once, but that was it.    However, I absolutely LOVED this part of the wall.  I got to enjoy many of the guard towers (I don't think I made it to the first one at Badaling) this time and the mountains with the snow were just gorgeous. 

When we got to the chair lift/toboggan portion, the toboggan was closed due to the snow.  We were very disappointed.  They seemed to be cleaning/drying it and our guide asked when it would open.  They didn't know, but we were willing to wait.  After about 30 min, our guide decided to go down and bring our lunch back up for us.  So, we had jiao ze (dumplings) for lunch on the top of the Great Wall!  How cool is that!?!??!  Just before she got back up with our lunch, they opened the toboggan, so when we finished eating, we were ready to go.  CP went first, then TJ, JA, GW, then me.  I was afraid that TJ would run into CP, so I made sure our guide explained to him NOT to run into Baba.  Apparently he listened very well as JA complained that TJ was going TOO slow on the ride down.  CP loved the ride and couldn't go fast enough.  GW was a little intimidated and I had to slow down for him a number of times.  Overall, everyone enjoyed our ride and I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone.

Tonight, we are going to the Peking Acrobat show.  Funny thing is, I bought tickets to see them perform in our town a few weeks ago, but of course, we couldn't go because we were in China!  But, now we get to see them in Peking!  After our Taxi escapades, our guide decided it would be best to take the van to the show and have him wait for us rather than take two taxis and end up possibly lost.  I was very thankful and I could see CP breathe a sigh of relief!

I would love to share the pictures with you, but you are going to have to wait.  The shutterfly uploader hasn't worked well at the hostel and since we will be home late tomorrow night (did I just write that!?!?!)  I will upload them from there. 

I can't post comments again, but I will when I get home.  Someone commented that GW's apparent boredom might be him processing some of his feelings and I definately agree.  We have seen some evidence of sadness, longing for "home" and other feelings.  I'm sure part of that is playing into his demeanor.  Today, though, he really enjoyed himself.  Also, last night, he and JA watched Bedtime Stories and he really laughed at parts of that. 

TJ has asked about calling his teachers and friends and we have explained that we will definately try to do that with Skype.  Unfortunately, I forgot completely about bringing his journal with us to his CWI that day and with all of the great things that happened, I forgot about asking for phone numbers.  I don't think it will be too hard to get this from our agency or someone else, though.  We will certainly try to stay in touch as much as we can. 

CP got our guide to ask both boys what they want to do when they grow up.  GW said he wants to be a police detective and TJ wants to be a businessman.  I'm sure both will be able to do whatever they want.  TJ would make a good investigator or scientist because he asks LOTS of great questions (like "Do they have mosquitos at home?", "Do they have a phone at home?" "Why is my American first name as long as my entire Chinese name?")  GW is so quiet, it's hard to get a solid read on him.  When we asked  him the other day what he was interested in, he said he didn't know.  We promised to help him figure it out. 

On our way home from the Great Wall, I was crying tears of happiness thinking about my wonderful family of six kids.  I am so blessed by God - and I can't imagine NOT having been obedient in stepping out to bring GW home.  I am so glad for my six treasured pearls.

Bookstores and Beijing!

Yesterday we raided the big bookstore in downtown Guangzhou.  I had been told that lots of books could be had for very cheap - and of course they were right.  I bought a large suitcase just to be able to bring them home.  Good thing, because I filled it up.  When I got back to the room and weighed it, it was 23kg or 50lbs!!! And all for just over $200USD!  What a DEAL!  However, since it was over the 20kg limit, I had to rearrange a number of our suitcases to try and get it under the limit. 

We left the hotel at 2:30 to go to the consulate to get the boys' passports with US Visas!  And the infamous brouwn envelopes. Because of the TB test for GW, not only do I have a chest x-ray to hand carry with me, but his passport is stapled to a 2nd brown envelope and they can NOT be separated.  So much for carrying his passport in my money belt!  We got the the airport in plenty of time and told Rebecca our guide good-bye.  She was WONDERFUL while we were in Guangzhou.  I know now why everyone raves about the Small World/Lifeline Travel. 

We made it to Beijing last night.  We are staying at the Peking Yard Hostel which is an old hutong.  It is quite the change from the last three hotels.  There are 3 bunk beds and barely enough room to walk between them and an attached bath.  No TV in the room (much less access to 3)!  It is kind of nice in a very simplistic way. It's more like what we are used to with camping.  Hopefully, the boys will appreciate home now rather than be disappointed because we don't have 3 flatscreen TVs with a gazillion channels!!!  Fortunately, since our visit to the bookstore, they have lots of books to read rather than watching the screen.

This morning we awoke to about 3 inches of snow on the ground.  It is BEAUTIFUL - and VERY cold.  I was able to climb up to the top of the hostel to the little patio and take some photos.  I'll post them later. I still haven't found my USB cable yet due to the repacking.

Today we went to the Forbidden City.  Since there are 6 of us with our guide, we had to take two taxis.  That was a little scary, but it worked out fine.  Especially since I realized that I forgot to give CP any cash, so the driver had to wait for us to show up to get paid.  We had a GREAT  time walking through the Forbidden City.  When we were there five years ago, it was clear and cold.  Today it was GORGEOUS with all of the snow but also freezing.  After walking through there, we went to a pedestrian street for lunch.  The taxi adventure there was a little more interesting as CP, GW and JA got in the first taxi, but me, our guide and TJ managed to get there first.  It was quite prayer-inducing but they showed up just about two minutes later.  After a wonderful Chinese lunch, we walked the street and purchased a gift for our small group Bible Study.  While we have been gone, they have been checking in on Grandpa and the kids and making sure they don't starve!  I know they have had Valentine's cookies, Beef Stew, Wendy's burgers/fries/shakes and other yummy dishes. 

For our return to the hostel, it was once again two taxis.  This time, I was more comfortable though as I had grabbed the card for the hostel before we left and gave it to CP.  CP, JA, and GW got in the taxi and our guide showed the driver the card and gave it to him.  Just a minute later, we found our taxi and headed off.  When we got to the Hostel, I didn't see CP and the boys, so I just assumed that they had made it there before us and had headed into the room.  When I got to the room, though, it was empty.  I told our guide and we walked back to the street.  Once again, prayer was racing through my head.  You see, I had ventured to a little store before returning to the room, so I knew they would have had plenty of time to get to the room.  When we got back to the main street, there were nowhere to be seen.  We just kept looking and I kept praying.  Finally, about 3 minutes later, we saw them walking down the street.  I knew from the look on CPs face that it had been an adventure. 

Their taxi driver dropped them at the wrong place and they had to walk about 6 blocks to get back to the hostel.  Fortunately, the card for the hostel had a small map on it and they were able to ask directions from 3 different people.  I asked JA if he felt like part of "The Amazing Race" and he said yes.   

Tomorrow, we are hoping to go to the Great Wall Mutianyu section. That is if the weather is good.  Sorry for no pictures.  If I find the cable before bedtime, I will.

A little more about the boys.  GW is getting bored - not a big surprise.  I hope he appreciates this opportunity to visit Beijing- if not now, then when he is older. TJ is just LOVING being in Beijing.  It turns out that he is quite the Chinese history buff.  Our guide says he knows more about the various dynasties than she does - particularly the ancient ones.  She said he named all of the Emporers from at least 5 or 6 dynasties.  He apparently also knows all of the American Presidents (or at least up to Lincoln!!!)  Everyone that talks to him says that he is VERY smart.  From what they are telling me, I would have to agree.  I imagine that GW is just as smart; he just doesn't talk as much. 

It's a ZOO around here

Today we went to the Guangzhou Zoo.  It turned out we were the only family from our group that went so we had a "private" tour.  TJ told us he had been to a zoo before and GW was just generally bored. :-(  We rode a shuttle around the zoo to get an overview and then walked to the places we wanted to see.  The place that TJ was most interested in was the Amusement Park area.  We weren't sure what this was as many of the "amusement parks" are geared for younger kids.  However, when we got there, there was a small roller coaster there.  (Think good for kids 3 and up).  TJ, JA and I rode it and TJ LOVED it!!!! He wanted to ride again, so for the non-budget busting price of $1.75, we said "Yes!"  Then we found a U-shaped ride where two people face each other.  JA and TJ rode that and JA said it was fun but scary.  Then TJ, JA and I rode the bumper cars and another roller coaster (smaller/shorter than the first).  Finally, another roller coaster for TJ and JA.   

Unfortunately, I hardly have any pictures because I forgot to recharge the batteries after our night on the cruise and we forgot to bring JA's camera and the video camera.  We have a few, but I haven't uploaded them yet. 

We spent the afternoon hanging out around the room.  I went and bought another suitcase for the load of book I'm planning on purchasing tomorrow.  Then we ate dinner in our room and packed.  In the morning, we go to the bookstore and then need to be ready to leave for the airport at 2:00pm.  We have to stop by the Consulate on the way to get GW and TJ's passports - complete with Visas.  Then it is off to Beijing for the last leg of our journey. 

So far, we drove

72 miles to get from home to the airport, then flew

935 miles to get from our home airport to Newark, NJ, then flew

6,840 miles to get from Newark to Beijing, then

1,297 miles from Beijing to Kunming, then

1,088 miles from Kunming to Nanjing, then

703 miles from Nanjing to Guangzhou, then tomorrow we fly

1,173 miles from Guangzhou to Beijing.  Then on 2/28 we fly

6,840 miles from Beijing to Newark and the boys become US Citizens!!! Then

935 miles from Newark to our home airport then

72 miles from the airport to home for a total of

19,955 miles round trip!!!!!

Of course, that doesn't include our driving around each city and our trip from Nanjing to Changzhou. 

A Day in the Park - and on the River

After we got back from the Consulate this morning, we went out for lunch and then down to a park another family told us about.  There was a playground for the smaller kids, but they also had paddle boats for bigger kids.  GW didn't want to go and I needed to be at our room at 2:00 to get our red books from our Guide, so only JA, TJ and CP went on the boat ride.  From the looks of the pictures, they had a fun time!

Then this evening, we went on the Pearl River Dinner Cruise.  As many had said, the food was OK (and spicy!) but the views were spectacular.  Unfortunately, the pictures don't do the views justice as it was so dark that the shutter speed was slow and we didn't have a tripod.  Some of the photos are pretty neat anyways, even with the fuzziness.

Visa Paperwork is Done!

We are already back from the Consulate.  From our end, the process wasn't any different than I remembered.  (Except that the room we went in was much smaller than I remembered) and we had to take GW's fingerprints because he is over 14.  Otherwise, paperwork was filled out and then we had our oath.  We got to meet the director who administered the oath to us and I was able to thank them for all they did to help us get everything we needed for GW.  Then, since the boys could, they had them sign the DS-230 forms!  That was interesting and somewhat unexpected.  Both boys did so with no issues and the director commented on how good TJ's handwriting is.  I told her that he had received an award at school for his writing. 

Then GW needed to have his fingerprints taken since he is over 14.  He has really long fingers and I had to keep asking him to slide his fingers down so the ends of his fingers could be printed.  They had a problem getting his left fingers to register, but they finally did.  Then we were done!  Since our guide needed to stay and finish up the paperwork for the other families, we took a taxi back to the hotel. 

Botanical Garden

Yesterday we went to the Botanical Gardens.  Not the most fun place for pre-teen/teen boys, but interesting enough for them to stay engaged for the hour we were there.  We ended up climbing to the top of the mountain (prep for the Great Wall!)  and then back down again.  It reminded me a lot of Disney. 

That afternoon, we played Uno with another family that adopted an 11yr old girl.   She has been very quiet and shy and they were hoping that our boys would help bring her out of her shell.  They did!  It took about 15 min for the kids to start talking, but by the time we had to leave for dinner, they were chatting up a storm, sharing an ipad game and reading each others books.

This morning we leave bright and early for the Consulate.  They want to use us as Guinea Pigs for the new process they announced last week.  I said "Sure, why not!!!"  So we get a "private" meeting to go through the process.  No cameras allowed for security reasons, so no pictures to post. 

There are pictures from the Botanical Garden over at http://journeytoourboys.shutterfly.com/

A little of this and a little of that

Our son at home got to go to Scout camp this past weekend.  He had a great time and earned his Fireman's chit! When he got home, he had to pitch his tent because the laast person who used it put it away wet and it needed to air out.  Grandpa said he did it all by himself and did it in about 10 minutes. 

Our girls are having fun playing with friends around the neighborhood.  SG hurt her knee the other day, but Grandpa put a bandaid on it for her and she is now better!  HJ is just our cheerful little one bouncing around with a smile.  Grandpa seems to be getting along just fine. 

JA is adjusting wonderfully to his new brothers.  He is learning how to play ping pong and helping them with some of the adjustments. 

A couple of people asked about The Book.  It is a special Book that is used mainly on Sun and Wed and hopefully every other day.  If you would like to know more about it or where I got it, please leave a comment with your e-mail.  I won't publish the comment, but that way I can let you know where to get it. 

He said it!!!

Tonight we were playing Uno.  When I would drop a "fun" card (you know, Draw Two, Reverse, Draw Four, Skip) on one of the boys, I would lean over to them and say "Wo ai ni".  Most of the time, the would respond in kind or GW would say "Me, too."   It was sweet to hear and a great way to get them used to saying it. 

After we were tired of playing Uno, the two older boys went to their room to watch TV and TJ stayed in our room and was playing on his Nintendo.  I went over and sat down beside him and put my arm "around" him (more like over his head as he was slouched down pretty low on the couch.  After a few minutes, I leaned my head down on his head and shortly after, unprompted, he said to me "Wo ai ni".  It took all I had not to kiss him on the spot then jump up to come type it out so I wouldn't forget it.  (Believe me after nearly three weeks in country - everything is starting to run together!!!)

He's not heavy...

he's my brother! 

When I saw these pictures that CP took of the boys while I was shopping on Shamian Island, this was the first thing that entered my mind.  These boys are just the best of friends.  I can't wait until we get home and all FOUR boys can play together. 

We went to the Island this morning to have the TB results checked. As I had noticed, both boys' reactions were large.  Fortunately, TJ's just missed the cut-off for needing an X-ray.  GW's, however, was slightly larger and he needed an x-ray.  I was nervous for a brief moment, but one of the mom's prayed for us right there in the Medical office.  That made all my fears disappear.  We waited only a minute before GW went in for his x-ray.  I was standing in the office and could see the x-ray image on the computer screen.  Not that I'm a radiologist (nor do I play one on TV!), but it looked pretty clear to me.  Sure enough, a minute later, they said we were clear to go!!! 

We spent the morning shopping - just what 3 boys want to do!  But they did great.  There was plenty of space for them to run and jump and bounce and hop while I was in the stores.  I got something nice for each of the four boys and some outfits for the girls (yes, HJ, I FINALLY bought your Chinese clothes for you!!!)  I also got two very special Books that I had been told I could find on the island for a very good price.  We then had lunch at Lucy's before we loaded up the bus and returned to our hotel. 

Tomorrow we visit the Botanical Garden.

Another Day in "Pair - o' - boys"

This morning, we took our group photo.  I had explained to the boys on the translator what we were doing.  When it came time to go downstairs, GW said "No".  I quickly typed on the translator that he did not have to be in the picture, but that he had to at least go downstairs with us.  (He has gotten tired of all of the pictures).  He said OK and went with us no problem.  When we got downstairs, I explained to our guide what had happened.  She told GW that this was a special picture and asked him if he would be in it.  He agreed.  So, you won't be seeing many more pictures of GW.  I will respect his wishes and not take a lot more of him.

Afterwards, JA and I went shopping while CP and the boys stayed at the hotel.  We needed a suitcase and a few other things.  Then we came back and headed out for lunch.  We were planning on going to another Chinese restaurant, but ended up visiting a Brazilian restaurant on the recommendation of another adoptive parent.  It was certainly an adventure.  They bring meat to you on large skewers and cut it off of the skewer.  Waiter after waiter after waiter.  There was steak, pork, lamb, chicken wings, sausage, and roast beef.  Then it was corn on the cob, green pepper, a green chili pepper (that wasn't spicy) and then some kind of fish ball.  It was all really good.  There was also a buffet as well.  It was great food and a lot of food, but a little more expensive that we normally prefer.  We did discover, however, that both boys do know how to use a knife.  They seem to move seamlessly between western utensils and eastern utensils. 

After our lunch adventure, we stopped at a Chinese tea shop to buy some tea as a gift.  That was interesting.  They invited us in, sat us down and actually made some tea for us.  The neat thing was a frog (not real) that changed color when hot water was poured over it.  You should have seen TJ's eyes when she first poured the water over the frog.  They were nearly as big as the frog itself.

Later, the boys (all 3) and I went to play ping pong.  It is evident that GW has played before - a lot.  He is VERY good.  I enjoyed watching him play TJ and then JA and then me.  He adjusted his level of play for each of his opponents.  TJ has obviously played before, but JA had never played before yesterday.  Also, when we were playing doubles, TJ and I were playing together.  One time, he hit my hand with his paddle.  He immediately said "I'm sorry" 

After our ping pong tournament, the boys and I ventured over to the grocery store to get something for dinner (CP wasn't hungry).  We had a fun time walking over there and figuring out what we wanted for dinner.  I got peanut butter, jelly and min bao (bread), JA also had PB&J, TJ asked for pineapple and bread, and GW wanted bread.  We got back to the room and I made my PB&J.  Surprisingly, TJ wanted one too.  I made it for him and he ate it - no problem.  He seems to eat almost anything.  That's a good thing! 

Tomorrow, we go back to the island to get the boys' TB tests checked.  TJ's looks fine (from what I can tell), GW's is still a little raised.  I'll check it again before bed.  Please pray that it is down before tomorrow.  I really do not want to have to worry about x-rays, sputum and other such things. 

Comments!!

Yeah!  I am finally able to get to the comments page to publish them!  Please keep them coming!  I love reading them and I'm sure the boys will appreciate them when they are older.

Our Boys Continue to Amaze Me

When we got back from the medical, we decided to venture out for lunch.  We tried to find the Good Noodle restaurant, but couldn't. So, we went for the next best thing - McDonalds.   The boys ordered - you guessed it - Chicken!  They did get french fries also.  TJ prefers orange juice to soda - that's a good thing!  After the long hunt for a table, we sat down and enjoyed our meal.  The boys wolfed down the french fries without a second thought.  We also enjoyed the hot pineapple pies.  We then went to 7-11 to get some drinks to have in our room.  GW insisted on carrying the bag back to our room.  I'm never sure if this is a good thing or not.  I usually at least ask to carry the bag, but I allow him to do so after several refusals on his part to hand it over. 

This afternoon while I was finishing up paperwork, the boys and CP played ping pong.  Yes, we found a ping pong table at The Garden.  CP quickly discovered that GW is pretty good at ping pong.  They played doubles, singles, and anyway they could mix it all up.  Since it was a small room with just the ping pong table in it, the boys could also practice just bouncing the ball off of the wall.  I guess we might just have to find room at our house for a ping pong table. 

This evening, we played Uno.  The boys are continuing to use more and more English.  From colors, to numbers, to phrases ("Oh my gosh", "Thank You", "Uh Oh") they are learning and saying more.  As GW opens up, he is using more English.  I realized early on that he understood some of our English, but now I realize he really understands a LOT.  He is wonderful at translating for TJ for us.  He still doesn't say much in English, but I think that is because he is unsure of his pronunciation. 

I love playing Uno with them, because it gives me a chance to say "Wo ai ni" when GW drops a "Draw Two" or "Draw Four" on me.  He looks at me and grins when he does this.  I love BOTH of their smiles - they are beautiful and bring me such joy.  TJ also has a sly smile when he is playing a "fun" card. 

Also, JA was drinking some soda this evening and CP made him laugh.  Well, you can imagine what happened.  After he got cleaned up and came back to play cards, TJ asked him (in Chinese) how he was doing.  Since we didn't have a clue what he was saying, GW translated for us!  I was impressed on both accounts - the fact that TJ cared enough to ask and that GW knew how to say it in English. 

The boys are enjoying having TWO TVs in each room.  That means everybody has a screen for themselves (I get the computer!)  I just hope they don't get too used to this as the screen time will be limited once we get them home. 

I know that we will face rough spots in the future, but I am SO thankful for the wonderful transition we have had so far. 

Medical Exams and more about TJ

This morning we went to the medical exam with all FIVE families in our group.  It has been great to finally connect with some other adopting families.  TJ was very excited to find out how tall he is. We also discovered that he will probably need glasses (like two of his brothers) when we get home.  Both boys got their TB test and GW had to have two shots.  Apparently, even with the new law which no longer requires all the shots for Hague cases, kids who are over 10 must have some shots.  GW got a Chicken Pox shot and the Flu Shot.  We also got the visa photos done as well.  We saw a LOT of other families there at the medical office.  A couple of families recognized us and spoke to us.  I was glad to talk to them. 

I thought I would also tell you a little more about TJ.  He calls me Ma or Mama regularly - especially when he wants me to charge his Nintendo DSi :-)  He also easily shares with me - particularly his chewing gum.  He calls Baba's name some and says JA's name also.  Just like a little brother, he likes to annoy GW. GW tolerates it some and tells him to buzz off at times.  He talks a LOT and will talk to anyone.  Not indiscrimanately, but rather easily talks to the people around us such as our guides.  He tries to talk to me, but there is so much I still don't understand.  He did tell me right after we got back from the medical exams that he was hungry - and I understood him.  That and the time is about all I understand from him other than our evening "Wan An" and morning "Mama Zhou".

As always, pictures will be on shutterfly

On to Guangzhou

We are now in Guangzhou.  Yesterday, we just relaxed in our hotel room.  We had to be there at noon to get some documents and then needed to be ready to leave at 2.  So rather than venture all around, we too, time to pack and just rest.  We were at the airport extra early and had over an hour to wait for our flight.  When we finally got on our flight, we sat on the tarmac for nearly two hours before takeoff.  Fortunately, they went ahead and served us dinner, but unfortunately, the TJ had depleted his DS battery playing with GW and JA while waiting in the terminal. 

Our flight was good, just a small amount of turbulence - a better first ride for TJ than for GW.  TJ enjoyed looking out the window once we finally got going, but since it was dark there wasn't much to see.  The best part of our flight was when GW wanted to take a nap.  He had laid his head down on the tray table, but the person in front leaned back hard and pushed his head.  I patted my shoulder and motioned for him to lay his head on my shoulder - he did!!!!  He rested his head there for a few minutes, picked it back up - and laid it back down again!!!! So he didn't do it just to be obedient - he actually wanted to rest his head on my shoulder!  We arrived and our guide was waiting for us and off we went to The Garden.

O-M-W!  Opulence is the word that comes to mind.  Each hotel has gotten nicer and nicer.  The boys are going to be sorely disappointed when we finally get home to our house.  Maybe our brief stay in Beijing in a hostel will get them more accustomed to our house - LOL! 

We have a pretty busy schedule here in GZ.  It was nice to be handed an itenarary for the week as well as a map of the area around the hotel. 

More pictures (I know, you probably think we have already taken too many!!!)  to come.  We got in very late and haven't unpacked everything yet, so I can't download the pics from my camera.

Lantern Festival

Last night was the Lantern Festival here in Nanjing.  WOW!!! It was nearly continuous fireworks from about 7:00pm onward.  We stayed in our room as our guide told us there would be nearly 500,000 people in the Confucious Temple area.  She wanted to make sure we didn't get separated.  JA and I ventured out early (about 5:30) to grab something for dinner and bring it back to the hotel.  We had a great seat for the show - especially since our rooms are on different sides of the hotel.  We could see nearly ALL the fireworks from our 11th floor windows. 

It was also interesting to watch the police doing crowd control.  The entrance to the Confucious Temple area is next to our hotel.  The police were there in force and lined up elbow-to-elbow to direct the crowd.  They had also put up some police tape to cordon off some areas.  Every now and then, someome would attempt to duck under the tape and run, but the police would quickly grab them and bring them back. 

We took some video of all of the fireworks, but unfortunately, I can't offload it from my camera.  I thought for sure I had done this before we left home, but apparently I hadn't.  I need the camera software to do it properly, so you'll just have to wait until we get home to see our videos! 

Later today, we leave for Guangzhou. It is the last official leg of our journey where we complete the American side of the adoption.  The biggest concern here, of course, is the TB test for GW.  I have no reason to believe that it will be an issue, but I will feel much better after the results are read. 

Today will be an easy day packing and hanging out around the hotel.  We need to be here at noon to get some paperwork and then we leave for the airport at 2:00pm.  I'll be glad to get to GZ where I will "know" some cyberfriends that we can hang out with.  There have been a few families here in Nanjing, but other than seeing them at breakfast and the Civil Affairs office, we haven't interacted with them at all.  Of course, since they are adopting babies, there isn't much for us to share/experience together anyway. 

A visit to Changzhou CWI

Today was a day of mixed blessings.  We got up early to go to the Changzhou CWI.  The trip was about 2 hours on the interstate.  When we arrived, the CWI had a big sign outside lit up welcoming us and TJ back to the CWI.  We were met by the director and Mr. Wu who were both happy to see TJ.  He wasn't wearing his big heavy coat, so of course, everyone wanted to know if he was cold.  We offered it to him numerous times, but he didn't want to wear it.  We had it in the van just in case.  I think he just wanted to show off his new clothes! 

We went into the CWI and were shown the Half-the-Sky Big Sister's room and the Little Sister's room.  They were very nice and brightly decorated.  Then we went by the baby room and saw a number of babies in their cribs.  Next was the toddler room.  There were lots of little ones standing in their cribs. 

Then we got to go up to visit with TJ's foster family.  We didn't know that he even had a foster family until the day we met him.  It was SO nice to meet his foster mom and foster dad.  They are an older couple that live in the CWI and take care of four kids.  TJ was the oldest, they also take care of two four year olds (a boy and a girl) and a littler one.  TJ said that he wanted us to adopt the four year old little girl!!!  Break a mama's heart.  I asked about her, but she is not on the shared list at this time.  The little boy is on the shared list.  His SN is a repaired cleft lip.  I was unsure if he has a cleft palate or not, but it sounded like he did not.  We got to see TJ's room which he shared with the 4 yr old boy and his study room.

After that, we went to a private dining room and had lunch with the director, Mr. Wu, TJ's foster mom and a couple of TJ's teachers.  There was a LOT of food and we ate to our heart's content.  It was a wonderful lunch with time spent sharing about our family and asking questions.  GW mentioned that the food at his CWI was "horrible"  and that the food at Changzhou CWI was really good.  Before we left the CWI, we took a picture of him on the playground equipment where his referral photo was taken.  I've uploaded (or tried) both pictures (the red coat is referral, the blue coat was today).  What a difference!!!

From there, we got to go to TJ's elementary school.  They knew we were coming, so the teacher kept the children in the classroom during their normal break time so they could see TJ and wish him well.  We walked upstairs to the second floor where TJ was in the first class of the second grade.  We met his regular teacher and his math teacher.  All of the children had bought a gift for him to wish him well.  Both teachers also gave him gifts.  And finally, his classmates had all written well-wishes on paper and they were in a little gift box for him.  We were also told that his CWI threw a party for him before he left and they took pictures.  His caregiver showed me some of the pictures they had taken.  They will be e-mailing the pictures to us so we can print them out for him.  Finally, we had bought candy for all of TJ's friends and he was able to hand it out to all of his schoolmates before we left.  You should have heard the shout for joy when their teacher told them what we had!!!

While this was absolutely wonderful for TJ, it was heartbreaking for me and GW.  GW was not able to have any of this before he left his CWI.  They wouldn't let us take pictures of him and his friends and his school was out for Chinese New Year.  In the middle of all of the festivities at TJ's school, I stepped out with our guide and asked her to tell GW that I was so sorry that he wasn't able to visit his teacher and friends at his school.  All three of us were crying within moments.  I was able to stand next to GW with my hand on his shoulder and cry with him.  A little bit later Baba came up and just hugged him from the side.  He did not pull away, but let Baba stand next to him and hug him.  I certainly hope that he understands how much it hurts us when he is hurting.  On our ride back to Nanjing, I sat next to him for a while, just to let him know that I was there for him.  I also had our guide tell him that we would send a book and camera to his school so his friends could write well-wishes for him and they can take pictures for him to have.  I hope that will at least make up for some of the loss that he has experienced. 

After we left the school, we went by the Train Station where TJ was found.  He was more than willing to get out and walk around with us there.  It is a huge area and certainly an easy place to become separated from the people you know.  There were lots of people around so a good place to be lost and found. 

It was a very emotional day today for me.  I am so glad we did this for TJ.  I just wish we could have done the same for GW. 

Clean Boy!

Wow!  I told the boys that they had to be in bed by 9 since we have to get up early to go to TJ's orphanage in the morning.  TJ went over and got his new clothes and asked me to take the tags off.  He then went to the bathroom to take his bath all on his own!!! He couldn't figure out how to stop up the tub, so GW came looking for  "Ma" to help.  I couldn't get it stopped up either, so TJ and I decided on a shower for him.  He called me "Mama" to ask me to help with his shower.

I am SO blessed by these two boys.  They make a perfect addition to the two wonderful boys that have been a part of our family for the last 12 and 10 years.  I can't wait for them to meet their other brother and their two little sisters!