Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Still Here
We haven't been ignoring you. Unbelievably, since we got to Guangzhou, we have been unable to get on the internet AT ALL. It has been making me crazy! The adapter we brought was not the correct one. The hotel staff brought us several adapters that were either only power strips or promptly blew up when we tried to use them. We tried to find one to buy at the local Walmart, Shaiman Island, and gift stores but couldn't find one. We tried to use my phone, but the hotel staff wouldn't give us the code to get on-line. We finally bothered them to the point that the hotel computer guy sent housekeeping to buy a converter for our room. Apparently, their good ones were being used by other guests. I find it crazy that the nicest hotel we have ever stayed in has been the only one at which we were unable to get online.
Things are going well and everyone is fine. The airline lost MY suitcase on the way here, but they sent it over to the hotel the next day. It was a rough night for me between the internet issues and being unsure if I was stuck with no make-up and the clothes on my back, but everything turned out okay. The power cord is still overheating quickly, but we hope to get the computer charged over small segments of time.
The final paperwork went smoothly and we are only waiting on the visas. We leave tomorrow afternoon for Shanghai where we will stay the night before making the big leap to home. It will be a long trip, but we are ready to come home!
Reagan and Declan are doing great. They are playing and eating and sleeping well. They do pretty well with strollers now, however, it is time to get them home and in a more predictable routine. Declan is doing much better with his daddy, but he does get nervous out in public if I don't stick close to him. Reagan is still a little hot and cold with me. He will let me hold him and love on him, but I am definitely not in his top 4 favorite people in this group. I only beat out Declan and I think if he could do more for Reagan, I would bottom out at number 6.
Yesterday we went to the Safari Park and Zoo. We had a great time. We went during the week and the place was nearly empty. It was so much nicer than last time! The boys loved seeing the animals. Reagan was hilarious feeding the giraffe. He is such a tiny little guy. He would hold up this small branch for the giraffe and as its big head would come down towards him to get the food, Reagan's eyes would get huge and his mouth would go in a circle, and he would yell, "Oooh, Ohhhh!", and drop the branch and run. Then he would laugh like it was great fun and he wasn't scared. Such a boy!
We saw the White Tiger show and some of us rode an elephant! However, the biggest highlight for my two new boys was......ice cream! It was a good thing we waited until we were mostly done looking at the animals before we bought any. They did not notice anything after we handed them their first cones. Declan, who had been a bit of a pill that morning, kept looking up at me with his mouth full of strawberry goodness and giving me the sweetest smiles. He loved me then! They both ate every bit save the inevitable drippy mess that Reagan made.
So that pretty much catches you up on all the happenings in Guangzhou. We've been busy, but not overly so. We have done a little shopping and mostly obsessed over how to get back on-line. I need to talk to my girls! Hopefully, I will get to do that in a couple of hours.
I will now close so that Billy can get working on adding some pictures before the converter overheats. We can't wait to get home!
Things are going well and everyone is fine. The airline lost MY suitcase on the way here, but they sent it over to the hotel the next day. It was a rough night for me between the internet issues and being unsure if I was stuck with no make-up and the clothes on my back, but everything turned out okay. The power cord is still overheating quickly, but we hope to get the computer charged over small segments of time.
The final paperwork went smoothly and we are only waiting on the visas. We leave tomorrow afternoon for Shanghai where we will stay the night before making the big leap to home. It will be a long trip, but we are ready to come home!
Reagan and Declan are doing great. They are playing and eating and sleeping well. They do pretty well with strollers now, however, it is time to get them home and in a more predictable routine. Declan is doing much better with his daddy, but he does get nervous out in public if I don't stick close to him. Reagan is still a little hot and cold with me. He will let me hold him and love on him, but I am definitely not in his top 4 favorite people in this group. I only beat out Declan and I think if he could do more for Reagan, I would bottom out at number 6.
Yesterday we went to the Safari Park and Zoo. We had a great time. We went during the week and the place was nearly empty. It was so much nicer than last time! The boys loved seeing the animals. Reagan was hilarious feeding the giraffe. He is such a tiny little guy. He would hold up this small branch for the giraffe and as its big head would come down towards him to get the food, Reagan's eyes would get huge and his mouth would go in a circle, and he would yell, "Oooh, Ohhhh!", and drop the branch and run. Then he would laugh like it was great fun and he wasn't scared. Such a boy!
We saw the White Tiger show and some of us rode an elephant! However, the biggest highlight for my two new boys was......ice cream! It was a good thing we waited until we were mostly done looking at the animals before we bought any. They did not notice anything after we handed them their first cones. Declan, who had been a bit of a pill that morning, kept looking up at me with his mouth full of strawberry goodness and giving me the sweetest smiles. He loved me then! They both ate every bit save the inevitable drippy mess that Reagan made.
So that pretty much catches you up on all the happenings in Guangzhou. We've been busy, but not overly so. We have done a little shopping and mostly obsessed over how to get back on-line. I need to talk to my girls! Hopefully, I will get to do that in a couple of hours.
I will now close so that Billy can get working on adding some pictures before the converter overheats. We can't wait to get home!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Orphanage visit
Today, Billy and I took Reagan and visited his orphanage. He really didn't spend much time there. For the most part, he lived with a foster family in a village 4 hours away. Visits there are forbidden, so we went to the orphanage.
They are widely known for their secretiveness. We learned nothing new about Reagan and his past. The facility is very nice by anyone's standards. It is the cleanest place I have ever seen. We saw a few children, perhaps 20 in all, and several workers. Everyone was very nice and welcoming, but we were not allowed to photograph the inside of the building.
Reagan didn't act like he knew anyone. If someone came to talk to him his eyes slid away from them and he gave no indication he heard. However, I did notice his little arm snake up higher around Billy's neck. He hung on tight to his daddy the whole time.
Declan and Reagan played together today. Reagan is a little mimic and will try to say all kinds of words. Declan is not going to be outdone by him and has started saying words also. His first word was, "No-no", of course.
The first time we heard that one was at Reagan's adoption ceremony. We had just gotten Reagan, the Spanish families were all in the same room with their new kids, and my guide was shoving paperwork at me in a well-meaning attempt to get us out of there. Over all the noise I heard Declan's gleeful, "No-no, no-no, no-no!" "Did you hear him?", Jarrett shouted over the din. "I taught him how to say no-no!" Perfect. My guide chose that moment to ask me, "Do you wish to adopt this child (Reagan)?" "Yes!", I said, "Fast!". This was my fifth adoption and I tell you, it was fast!
We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow afternoon. It will be late by the time we get to the hotel, so I doubt we will be able to post. Hopefully, we will have nothing to really post about. We are praying the boys do well on the airplane tomorrow.
Be back as soon as we can!
They are widely known for their secretiveness. We learned nothing new about Reagan and his past. The facility is very nice by anyone's standards. It is the cleanest place I have ever seen. We saw a few children, perhaps 20 in all, and several workers. Everyone was very nice and welcoming, but we were not allowed to photograph the inside of the building.
Reagan didn't act like he knew anyone. If someone came to talk to him his eyes slid away from them and he gave no indication he heard. However, I did notice his little arm snake up higher around Billy's neck. He hung on tight to his daddy the whole time.
Declan and Reagan played together today. Reagan is a little mimic and will try to say all kinds of words. Declan is not going to be outdone by him and has started saying words also. His first word was, "No-no", of course.
The first time we heard that one was at Reagan's adoption ceremony. We had just gotten Reagan, the Spanish families were all in the same room with their new kids, and my guide was shoving paperwork at me in a well-meaning attempt to get us out of there. Over all the noise I heard Declan's gleeful, "No-no, no-no, no-no!" "Did you hear him?", Jarrett shouted over the din. "I taught him how to say no-no!" Perfect. My guide chose that moment to ask me, "Do you wish to adopt this child (Reagan)?" "Yes!", I said, "Fast!". This was my fifth adoption and I tell you, it was fast!
We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow afternoon. It will be late by the time we get to the hotel, so I doubt we will be able to post. Hopefully, we will have nothing to really post about. We are praying the boys do well on the airplane tomorrow.
Be back as soon as we can!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Bird and Flower Market
Today we went to the Bird and Flower Market near our hotel. The actual market is being rebuilt so we walked through a bunch of scattered groupings of stalls. You could buy flowers and birds, of course, as well as bunnies, puppies, turtles, squirrels, and kittens. There were some handcrafts and art for sale. Actually, you could really find a little bit of everything, but small pets seemed to be the main theme. We bartered for a few items and walked to McDonalds for lunch. I can't wait to be back in the states and go to Panda Express for lunch instead.
All of this was done in a drizzly rain that bothered the locals much more than it did us. The slightest mist around here makes people bust out umbrellas like torrential rains are pouring from the sky. I tried to tell our guide, who was conscientiously holding an umbrella over me, that the drizzle didn't bother me. However, not covering the baby with an umbrella was not an option. He continued to follow me around with an umbrella flung in my face. Since he is shorter that I am, I had to duck to see where I was going. This would have been fine except people on scooters share the sidewalks with us. It is hard to dodge a scooter while hunched over and pushing a stroller at the same time. I am sure it was quite a sight and I regret I have no pictures to share of this event. On the positive side, I couldn't see anyone staring at us, though I'm sure we got more stares than ever.
Declan is turning into quite the older brother. He gets toys for Reagan, even keeping track of where Reagan has thrown them and retrieves them for him. He is wanting to be held by Billy now and even let Grandma take him in her lap for a little while. Declan is a big cuddler first thing in the morning. He isn't talking much, but is understanding a few English words now. He is also starting to want to please us and we are making a big deal of this!
We ordered our dinner in the hotel room tonight. The boys have a hard time being out so much and the room service here is pretty good and comparable to restaurant prices. We had already noticed that Reagan has a pretty advanced sense of humor for a child that is not yet 2 years old. Still, tonight he surprised us. Cameron, who was enjoying his meal and Sprite, let a huge burp fly. Reagan burst into giggles. You know how small children laugh half through their noses when they are really tickled about something? Well, he laughed and laughed like that. Next, he started mimicking the burp. "Braaap!" giggle, giggle, "Braaap!" more giggles. Cameron managed to produce a small encore for Reagan and he laughed all over again and then gave Cameron a look of complete and utter adoration. So there you have it, Folks! We're bonding over belches in Kunming. It ain't pretty, but it's getting the job done.
All of this was done in a drizzly rain that bothered the locals much more than it did us. The slightest mist around here makes people bust out umbrellas like torrential rains are pouring from the sky. I tried to tell our guide, who was conscientiously holding an umbrella over me, that the drizzle didn't bother me. However, not covering the baby with an umbrella was not an option. He continued to follow me around with an umbrella flung in my face. Since he is shorter that I am, I had to duck to see where I was going. This would have been fine except people on scooters share the sidewalks with us. It is hard to dodge a scooter while hunched over and pushing a stroller at the same time. I am sure it was quite a sight and I regret I have no pictures to share of this event. On the positive side, I couldn't see anyone staring at us, though I'm sure we got more stares than ever.
Declan is turning into quite the older brother. He gets toys for Reagan, even keeping track of where Reagan has thrown them and retrieves them for him. He is wanting to be held by Billy now and even let Grandma take him in her lap for a little while. Declan is a big cuddler first thing in the morning. He isn't talking much, but is understanding a few English words now. He is also starting to want to please us and we are making a big deal of this!
We ordered our dinner in the hotel room tonight. The boys have a hard time being out so much and the room service here is pretty good and comparable to restaurant prices. We had already noticed that Reagan has a pretty advanced sense of humor for a child that is not yet 2 years old. Still, tonight he surprised us. Cameron, who was enjoying his meal and Sprite, let a huge burp fly. Reagan burst into giggles. You know how small children laugh half through their noses when they are really tickled about something? Well, he laughed and laughed like that. Next, he started mimicking the burp. "Braaap!" giggle, giggle, "Braaap!" more giggles. Cameron managed to produce a small encore for Reagan and he laughed all over again and then gave Cameron a look of complete and utter adoration. So there you have it, Folks! We're bonding over belches in Kunming. It ain't pretty, but it's getting the job done.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Stone Forest
Yesterday we braved the walk to the Walmart about 10 minutes away. We needed water and snacks and shoes for Declan. After searching 3 stores in Xi'an for a stroller I almost didn't dare to hope to find one in the smaller city of Kunming. Everything is fairly well-organized in the Walmart, so we headed to the baby floor to get shoes and a few other odds and ends. Then, at the end of the aisle, I saw it. The heavens opened, angels sang and my right arm throbbed with gratitude. We had finally found a stroller. Hallelujah!
Today we got up early and went to the Stone Forest. It is a two hour drive outside the city. The boys slept most of the way (all 4 of them). I would have liked to have more time to explore this park. It truly was beautiful. It is an area of tall limestone formations. Some are knocked over and restacked due to a huge earthquake some time ago. Stone paths, some ponds, and grassy areas were added which make a huge park worth going to see.
Of course, there were stairs. Lots of them. Our guide told me that the stroller could be used for 70% of the park. This turned out to be true. Sometimes we could just grab the front of the stroller (which Declan sat in fairly well thank you and Amen!) and lift it down to the bottom of the steps. The rest of the time I picked up my favorite lead-bottomed koala bear and hauled him up the uneven steps. There was one point where you went straight up in order to get to a crow's nest of sorts so you could get a "panoramic view" of the forest. Gorgeous! Really! However, I realized about half way up that there were not great safety measures taken for small children. I posed for exactly 2 pictures and got out of there.
Reagan rode like an angel in the pack on daddy's back. He even managed to play a little bit with his brothers from the safety of his nest. Pictures really don't show how cute he is. His hair sticks straight up and makes me laugh out loud. He has a tiny mouth and a husky voice and babbles all the time. I got to hold him three times while helping Billy get him in and out of the pack. He barely tolerated it, but I was satisfied for now. I really find it unfair that Billy got the light one by the way.
Lunch was at the Stone Forest. It wasn't the best one we've had, but a few of us managed to get full.
Since the little boys were still doing great, we went to a tea house on our way back to the hotel. There you are served different types of tea by a lovely lady who hopes you will buy lots of tea from her. I really liked our gal, she was so sweet. She told Jarrett she would serve him tea so good he would like it better than Coca Cola. Unfortunately, she failed. She tried to get Cameron to try some too, but ended trying to talk him into buying some that could be aged by the time he was old enough to like to drink it. No go there either.
Many of the tours we are doing are "freebies". They are free in the hopes that you will buy lots of things from the helpful guides once you see how they are made. We have been a bit of a disappointment in that regard, but I have enjoyed them all. It has been especially nice because we cut out a lot of the touring in hopes of saving money. I haven't noticed the lack. We have been busy, but not so much that we feel unrested.
It is difficult to post from here. Our connection is slow and disconnects all the time. It took hours to get the pictures posted last night. We have watched others blogs before so we knew many would be waiting to see the pictures of Reagan. There was no way we wanted to disappoint you all. The connection has been even worse today but we will try to keep the blog updated as well as we can from here.
We love you and you're welcome :-)
Today we got up early and went to the Stone Forest. It is a two hour drive outside the city. The boys slept most of the way (all 4 of them). I would have liked to have more time to explore this park. It truly was beautiful. It is an area of tall limestone formations. Some are knocked over and restacked due to a huge earthquake some time ago. Stone paths, some ponds, and grassy areas were added which make a huge park worth going to see.
Of course, there were stairs. Lots of them. Our guide told me that the stroller could be used for 70% of the park. This turned out to be true. Sometimes we could just grab the front of the stroller (which Declan sat in fairly well thank you and Amen!) and lift it down to the bottom of the steps. The rest of the time I picked up my favorite lead-bottomed koala bear and hauled him up the uneven steps. There was one point where you went straight up in order to get to a crow's nest of sorts so you could get a "panoramic view" of the forest. Gorgeous! Really! However, I realized about half way up that there were not great safety measures taken for small children. I posed for exactly 2 pictures and got out of there.
Reagan rode like an angel in the pack on daddy's back. He even managed to play a little bit with his brothers from the safety of his nest. Pictures really don't show how cute he is. His hair sticks straight up and makes me laugh out loud. He has a tiny mouth and a husky voice and babbles all the time. I got to hold him three times while helping Billy get him in and out of the pack. He barely tolerated it, but I was satisfied for now. I really find it unfair that Billy got the light one by the way.
Lunch was at the Stone Forest. It wasn't the best one we've had, but a few of us managed to get full.
Since the little boys were still doing great, we went to a tea house on our way back to the hotel. There you are served different types of tea by a lovely lady who hopes you will buy lots of tea from her. I really liked our gal, she was so sweet. She told Jarrett she would serve him tea so good he would like it better than Coca Cola. Unfortunately, she failed. She tried to get Cameron to try some too, but ended trying to talk him into buying some that could be aged by the time he was old enough to like to drink it. No go there either.
Many of the tours we are doing are "freebies". They are free in the hopes that you will buy lots of things from the helpful guides once you see how they are made. We have been a bit of a disappointment in that regard, but I have enjoyed them all. It has been especially nice because we cut out a lot of the touring in hopes of saving money. I haven't noticed the lack. We have been busy, but not so much that we feel unrested.
It is difficult to post from here. Our connection is slow and disconnects all the time. It took hours to get the pictures posted last night. We have watched others blogs before so we knew many would be waiting to see the pictures of Reagan. There was no way we wanted to disappoint you all. The connection has been even worse today but we will try to keep the blog updated as well as we can from here.
We love you and you're welcome :-)
Monday, October 17, 2011
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