We're Outta Here

Once again, a short list.

The week has been great and we are all ready to go home. We've explored all the parks, went to Shamian Isle last night for a dinner cruise, got to see a lot of Chinese life while strolling along. Tai qi, older folks exercising, dancing in the streets (cha cha, two-step, tango, but nothing resembling salsa FYI for my dancing friends).

JCG's gross motor skills are getting better every single day. It's been a great week for physical therapy - this kid will not get out of the pool - two hours yesterday. When we returned to the pool the second time, he started ripping his clothes and shoes off before we could get to the changing room! Also, he is walking and now running! I got him a little plastic ball, which helps immensely. He throws and now he's into kicking it, even better. At first he wanted to sit and throw, but I got him running up and down the halls kicking it. We went back to a park today that had a slow and steady incline along one path - he couldn't manage it 3 days ago. Today he walked up the whole thing. His thighs and calves are much better, it amazes me.

He is a stinker pants. He is talking more now, babbling most of the time. Today he is saying "meow" really clearly, also ma ma and ra ra (Sarah's name). He imitates our intonation constantly. Mary, our resident speech pathologist, says this is great and that he is moving right along. I don't think he was spoken to much at all before now.

Our travel group is ready to hit the road. We have activities every day, and little by little we are starting to selectively choose when to participate. The dinner cruise last night was trying for mommy. It was too late in the day for him, and not kid-friendly. Kind of reminded me of an informal prom night - fancy chairs, buffet, blah blah blah. I don't know why they booked this one for us. At times, the cynical part of me believes they wanted to keep us here another week just to spend money. Just had to put that out there. The other part of me is grateful for this week, because families are really starting to gel, and if we had hopped on a plane and returned to our lives, we would have been more distracted. And then again, it has gotten more and more difficult to take your kid to yet another unfamiliar restaurant or site, our schedule has been erratic, etc. etc.

I do have to say that the staff helping us here on the China side have been phenomenal, they have been working every minute to make sure our paperwork is ready, medical exams completed, etc. One more appt. this afternoon at the American Consulate, thank goodness. I am totally 'over it' with the bureaucracy. Yesterday apparently they had to check just one more time with the FBI to make sure we all aren't hardened criminals. We have a pair of lawyers on the trip and they, ironically, have been the family that needed to do some extra work with the paperwork. A couple more hours and we will be free to go home tomorrow, knock wood!

We leave Guangzhou 6:30 a.m. China time Friday a.m., arriving KC sometime late afternoon U.S. time (we gain an extra 12 hrs in there). Sarah is not worried one bit about the flight home based on how he's been doing. Mom's a little more nervous, especially that they might take the Benadryl away from me. We need it to survive! Just a quarter teaspoon does the trick! I tried it out on him night before last and he was out of it in 20 minutes.

O.k., love to you all, we will no doubt be wiped out the first couple of days, but after that I'm so excited to introduce you all to JCG! He loves people, can't wait to introduce him to his permanent family and friends!!! See you all soon, send good thoughts regarding the flight home...next blog will be Stateside, yes yes yes!!!