HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM CHINA!!!

I never dreamed that I would spend a 4th of July in China!!!!  Needless to say, there were no parades or fireworks here today----for a different reason than no fireworks at home!!!  I dressed the girls in one of the 4th of July outfits I brought with me, though, so they looked quite festive!!

Happy 4th from Molly Kate and Callie Beth!

We started our day by going to the Guangzhou City Zoo.  It was very hot, and some of the animals were not out in the open, but the girls got to see a lot of animals anyway.  Molly Kate was more impressed by the steps and the water than she was the animals, but she enjoyed it.  Callie Beth had fun, too.  I'm not sure that she was able to see all of the animals, especially the ones that were far off, but she did see some of them.  I won't bore you with the pictures of took of the animals.  I WILL include some of the pictures I took of the girls while we were at the zoo, since they are OUR little monkeys!!!!  :)

Daddy and his girls.

What is that?

When we got back to the hotel, we had a little time before we had to leave to take Callie Beth back to the medical examination clinic to have her TB skin test read.  We knew it was fine, but it was one of those things we had to do.  The drive to the clinic was about 15 minutes.  It took all of one minute for them to look at her arm and tell us she was fine, and then we came back to the hotel.

I decided it would be good for the girls to take a nap, so I changed their clothes and put them in their beds.  It took Molly Kate a while to go to sleep, but she finally did.  An hour and a half later, Callie Beth was still screaming and crying.  I suppose she thought she didn't need to take a nap!!!  I hated to reinforce negative behavior, but I had to get her up to get dressed because we were scheduled to have our group pictures made at 4:00.  Once she was out of her bed, she was a happy camper.  Molly Kate, on the other hand, cried and cried when I got her up to get her dressed. 

In the past, all adoption groups have had the infamous "red couch" picture made at the White Swan hotel.  Because the White Swan is under renovation, we have been staying at the China Hotel Marriott, and sadly, there are no red couches here.  SO, we had our group picture made on the red steps.  I know I'm SO prejudiced, but Molly Kate and Callie Beth looked SOOOO cute in their Chinese outfits.  I am attaching pictures.

 

We ate dinner tonight at a Japanese restaurant that is here in the hotel, and then we took the girls to the outdoor playground that is on the 4th floor.  It was immediately obvious that our little Callie Beth has already come a LONG way!!!  Last Saturday at the airport in Guangzhou, she wouldn't get our of her stroller to play on the indoor playground there.  Today, she was sliding and swinging and climbing.  She and Molly Kate both had so much fun!!!
 

Fun on the slide.

Just a swingin'

We brought the girls back to the room and I dressed them in their PJ's.  We had intended to go for a long stroller walk, but Callie Beth started one of her episodes, so I decided it was best if she and Molly Kate both went to bed.  They had had a VERY long day, and were both exhausted.  It was NOT an uneventful going to bed time, but both girls finally fell asleep.

As our days in China are drawing to an end, I have to say I am VERY ready to be home, even though I dread the long flight.  It is a bittersweet moment, too, though.  It is so utterly amazing how God drew eight families together from different parts of the country to be a travel family these past two plus weeks.  None of us had ever met each other before or even seen each other, but we immediately shared a bond, because we were all here for the same special reason.  Three of our families adopted non-special needs babies, just like we did with Molly Kate.  The other five of us all adopted children with special needs----biliary atresia, cleft lip & palate, missing hands, & anal atresia.  ALL of these children are BEAUTIFUL children, so deserving of good homes, and that is exactly what they now have.  All of our babies have had and continue to have moments of grieving with crying and good old temper tantrums, but they have also all come SOOOO far from what they were when we got them 10 days ago.  Sometimes Callie Beth's crying and screaming gets old, but then when I see that sweet smile of hers and the cutest giggle and observe how much she really does need me and trust me, my heart just overflows with gratitude to God for allowing me to be her mother.  I know HE has the greatest confidence in Roger and me that we can give her what she needs and help her to overcome her frustrations with our language barrier.  She has certainly already enriched our lives, just in the short time we've had her.  I am so thankful for Molly Kate, too, and we are both proud beyond words of her for being almost PERFECT on this trip, and for being so sweet with Callie Beth.  Roger and I are truly amazed at how much it seems she has grown up on this trip---maturity wise.  There has virtually been NO fussing between the girls.  I couldn't ask for them to get along any better than they do.  It's obvious that they have already formed a bond with each other.  

Travel Families

The Girls

In the morning, the five special needs adoption families, us included, will be going to the U.S. Consulate to finalize our visas and take the oath of adoption.  Even though Callie Beth has been officially ours since June 25, this is the last step in finalizing our adoption!!!!  When we return to the hotel, we are planning on going back to Shamien Island and spending the afternoon.  Who knows, in celebration, I might find a few more pairs of squeaky shoes for the girls!!!!

HAPPY 4th of July to all of you at home!!!!

Vicki :)