we now have an American girl

We're still alive and well - sorry I haven't gotten around to blogging for a few days. It is now Monday lunchtime in China - G is just waking up from a nap (always wakes up happy!) and we are fixin' to have a cup o' noodle lunch. Shopping at the 7-eleven grocery department is so limiting. Pretty much noodles, noodles, noodles, candy bars, and shrink-wrapped meat-like things I don't recognize.

If you have followed anyone else's blog about adopting from China, you will know about the White Swan hotel. If not, let me tell you we have again landed in a pretty great spot. The room is nothing to write home about (and yet, I am) but the other amenities are great. There is a two-story waterfall in the main atrium, an inside pond filled with monster-size goldfish, a huge birdcage with little bright songbirds Grace likes to watch, lots of shops, and a terrific breakfast buffet. Still, we are both looking forward to getting home. What we miss the most are our boys.  Also the washer/dryer, kitchen, our bed, having more than one room to share, cool dry Colorado air . . . Yesterday we were missing the fellowship of our church and worshipping with our Christian family.

Sunday here was pretty quiet.  Jon went on a tour of a folk art museum, but Grace and I opted to stay "home" to watch the fish and birds then nap. Grace is a serious sleeper - two longish naps and ten or eleven hours at night.  I hope we can maintain this when we turn her body clock around in a few days. Last night we joined several other families and our guide for traditional Chinese food at a nearby restaurant.  "Not very fancy, but cheap," as our guide apologized.  Just like home, I told her. It was great and I am inspired to do new things with potatoes I had never imagined.

This morning was our all-important consulate appointment, which our guide told us about a dozen times to NOT MISS and to NOT BE LATE. We were trundled off to the American consulate where we off-loaded another heap of money, stood in various rooms and waited with other families, raised our right hands and swore to various things on behalf of our daughter, and signed some more papers. Grace is not quite a US citizen, but almost, and will be when she reaches US soil.  Or rather, the floor of O'Hare airport, our port of entry.

We have, so far, been impressed with how well this little girl travels.  Buses, planes, stroller - all good.  I am hoping this extends to the minivan. Generally, Jon and I are also good travelers. If we were here just to explore a new country, we would be loving these experiences. As it is, we are growing weary of trying to parent in hotels/restaurants/museums and are looking forward to being home. Just a few more days, and those consist mostly of free time. And there is a Starbucks here.

While I have been typing, Jon has been feeding Grace noodles.  She has eaten everything we have offered, but noodles are the biggest hit.  Jon drops them in like a mother bird dropping in worms, and she sucks them in like you wouldn't believe. She can't pick up Cheerios and get them to her mouth, but she can slurp up ramen noodles like a pro.

                                                                   shampoo time

                                                          on again off again with the hat

                                                                    slurpin' in noodles