You know, I can't resist a cute little tush in split pants.  They seem to be far less common than when we were here six years ago, but you still see one toddle by now and then.  

This morning, we headed to the Panjiayuan Market.  This is an open air market, with row after row of vendors, similar to our flea markets.  They have beads, art, jade, silver, carved wood, clothing, and lots of "antiques" that our guide said are often made the night before.  Each of the kids found something to buy with their money, and I had to get a mah jongg set.  Luckily for our wallets, we had very limited time, so we headed for the bus.  Jesse: people would look at Kinsey and then look at the person who was holding her hand.. me. So they would stare and then do a double take. We were also in shorts and t-shirts. Everyone kept touching us and asking if we were cold. They just couldn't believe that that weather was perfect. Also, as we were walking down the aisles, I would say "breath" and Kinsey would know to hold her breath. That was because all the smokers there. It was awful. So then I would say "clear" and she knew she could breathe. Right as we were leaving, we saw a huge sign that said, NO SMOKING. So much for that sign.

Our next stop was the Temple of Heaven.  The building was impressive, but the park around it was definitely the most fun.  There are groups of people all over the place engaged in lots of activities.  A bunch of people were ballroom dancing in one area; women were dancing with ribbons in another; there was tai chi, the Chinese version of hacky sack, and a paddle game.  Then there was a long covered porch we had to wind through for about 8 minutes on our way into the palace.  All along here were people singing, playing erhu, playing cards, playing something that looked like dominoes with dice, on and on and on.  It was very cool to experience, even though one woman's singing sounded just like me when my epidural wore off during labor.

From there, we visited the Forbidden City.  Just like 6 years ago, Jesse kept being drawn into photos.  The boys were asked to  be in a few, and some of the adults were asked to join in photos, but Jesse is still the reining queen.  I wonder if any of the people are the same ones who posed with her last time. Jesse: today I got up to 11 times of being asked to be in pictures, I believe. They just kept saying.. "beautiful girl". And once in the market, as I was walking past, a man goes, "ooh la la" Dad said, "keep walking!" haha :)

Tonight's dinner was Peking duck.  I will say the whole thing was quite delicious, with a few exceptions.  The kids are really hitting it off with each other, so 9 of them sat at a table without adults.  I will let Jesse describe the dinner from their perspective.

Well.. we only had 11 spills :) 7 of them drinks and 4 of them food. They brought out a rolling cart with two ducks on them and a man just started hacking away. Another waiter had put covers over the chairs that were closest to him, because it might splash. We had soup and as I was stirring it around, I found a lump. IT WAS A FISH TAIL! Eww. We were all disgusted and then continued to take pictures holding the fish tail over our open mouth, to look like we were eating it. Fortunately there was sticky rice. I'm not starving but I want to go to one of the 5 KFC's we saw today.

As you can see, Griffin couldn't stay awake long enough to enjoy his first meal in China. In fairness, it's been a long day.

We arrived in two shifts at the airport, between 4:25 and 4:40. Thanks to Jamie and Rebecca, we were able to get everything to the airport without having to leave a vehicle there. Thanks, Ladies! We had to do a little talking to convince the desk manager that 6 pediatric wheelchairs, 10 bags for the belly, and 8 carryons really was approved. We even heard him speaking to the pilot about possibly putting the plane over weight restrictions. . . a personal best for us. Everyone snoozed to Newark, downed one last bit of beef, then got on a well-eauipped, big plane for Beijing. Apparently the amenities were too inviting, because there wasn't much sleeping done over the next 14 hours.

Baggage and customs went great, no stops. All the hassle was worthwhile when we saw Robin's face as our wheelchair parade came around the corner. So, Rebecca, thanks to your hard work, and United Cerebral Palsy, thanks to your generosity, New Hope Foundation had a very good day.

Everyone except Kinsey and Chris hit the pillow for a couple of hours before our orientation dinner, and Griffin never recovered. One of the funniest differences about the food here compared to America is that you get little bitty plates and glasses. The glasses are about juice size, and the plates are between a saucer and a dessert plate. Dishes are brought out a bit at a time and put on a lazy susan. . . so you spin, pull some off onto your plate, eat it, then spin for more. We had more than enough to eat, just a little tiny bit at a time. The kids received workbooks, treasure boxes, silks for the 2 nice dinners, and panda t-shirts for the reserve.

Our eyes are bloodshot, our bodies are sore, but we are so happy to be here! Especially after reading Nanette's comment about the tornado near the airport. I hope everyone is okay in Nashville. Tomorrow is very busy, and I think we have stayed up as late as we can stand it. Enjoy getting posts from the future (it's 9:30 p.m. on Friday), and thanks for the comments!!

Off to the Airport!!!

Well, here we are, one week and one day from leaving.  We're down to the nitty gritty now.  What five outfits do we each want to wear for eleven days?  How many dvd players do 6 people need for 30 hours on planes?  How many little packets of kleenex will a family of 6 use in a country with no toilet paper?  Really want to be sure and get that last one correct.

The Mayernicks called about a month ago to see if Chris could get them a special toddler walker.  This led to his finding the United Cerebral Palsy trading center in Nashville.  First, they donated the walker for the Mayernicks' trip to Uganda.  They said the little girl was soon happily toddling all around the village.  The UCP people also kindly offered to donate some of their used chairs to the Hope Foster Home in Beijing.  Chris and I went downtown yesterday and loaded up.  Now we have to figure out what all to take.  According to Continental's book, every passenger can bring a wheelchair without cutting into baggage allowances.  It doesn't say anything about the passenger needing one personally.  So, theoretically, we could go with our 6 bags and 6 carry-ons, 6 suitcases for Hope, and 6 toddler wheelchairs.  Are you starting to get a mental picture here?  Can you see the looks on the faces of the Airport employees when we waltz in at 5:20 a.m.?  I'll let you know what Jethro ends up loading on the truck.  No decision yet on who gets to sit in the rocking chair on top.  

Getting Started

I am told that the year is 2009, and people aren't supposed to go to the other side of the world without setting up a blog. So, here goes!

We have less than three weeks until we leave. We will be traveling with Our Chinese Daughters Foundation, OCDF, and three other adoptive families. The kids will have workbooks to go through during the bus rides, and the tour is really focused on instilling confidence and pride in the children's heritage.

We start in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, flying kites in Tienamin Square, and such. Next we will take a sleeper train to Xian, home of the Teracotta Warriors. Our last stop is in Chengdu, the area that was hit so hard in the earthquake last year. This is the part Kinsey is most excited about, because all of the kids get to touch or hold a toddler panda. We fly back to Beijing for one night, then begin the long journey home.

We are all really getting excited about the trip, even Jesse, in spite of the fact that this will delay her getting her driver's license. She will turn 16 on the 4th day in China. As soon as she can keep her eyes open for a few hours straight, she will be at the testing center.

For you experienced bloggers, feel free to pass along any advice on what I'm supposed to do with this thing. Maybe while we are in China, the kids can do the blogging.

-Rebecca