We met Eva at 9 am to fill out paperwork in the lobby. We have been joined by Gerry & Laura from Washington D.C. who brought their adopted daughter Sophie from Vietnam (she is about Violet’s age) and they are adopting John a two year old boy, who they call John John or Chairmen Mao when he starts being dictatorial. Brian & Ann from Grand Rapids were also there with their new daughter Elise who is about the same age is Penelope but reminds us so much of Violet at that age, they also have an older child, Tyler, who is about 4 but he is at home. Three families from our agency all with two children about the same ages, what are the odds, it makes for great conversations and they are all enjoyable to travel with and talk to, what a blessing.From there it was on to the kids’ medicals and visa photos, since we had such a large group, 15 with Eva, we decided to walk since it was only about 5 minutes away. From the Holiday Inn Shifu we walked four blocks south, thru the Qingping Market to Sha Mian Island. The Qingping Market is sensory overflow from mushrooms the size of end tables to herbs, spices, sea horses, snake skins, deer antlers, lizards on a stick, and flattened dried fish lungs. As well as all the dried things there are live as well: dogs, cats, fish, turtles, chipmunks, mice, and more.
After arriving at the store that also happens to take visa photos we lined up the kids for their photo; Penelope was not a happy camper about not being on my lap. After a photo of her screaming bloody murder, I asking if I could just put her on my knee and lean back so she would have a nice photo, they said it would be fine, it didn’t matter. I know that photo, it will be on many things so I kept asking and finally they let me retake it with her on my knee, ahhh much better, and a happy mamma. They were not thrilled but with me but I was happy she would have a decent photo to follow her around.
Then it was down the street to the medical, when we arrived there weren’t too many families in line and we only waited in the waiting room a couple minutes before we went into the 1st room where 3 women (nurses?) got her height & weight: Penelope not so happy and crying. In the 2nd room a doctor efficiently looked over her whole body to note anything atypical (birthmarks, abnormalities, etc?) he had us sign a paper saying she is a cleft child: Penelope very unhappy and screaming. The 3rd room was a doctor (ENT?) that looked in her ears, eyes and mouth, and then we were done: Penelope at meltdown stage. As we left we walked thru the sea of adoptive parents with their special needs children, the rows of families waiting was overwhelming as it snaked thru the clinic to the entrance, children from minor issues to major, it was very powerful to see so many people wanting to make a difference in a little ones life. Outside Penelope was so exhausted from screaming that when I settled her in the carrier she was out like a light and slept the entire walk back to the hotel.
We went back to the hotel to drop off the priceless adoption documents in the room’s safe and then exchange money. We expected Violet to have some regressive behavior and she has been very clingy. What we didn’t count on was her not wanting ANYTHING to do with the local Chinese people, she is considered very beautiful and because of her sparkly personality she is a magnet, there are many Chinese that ask to take her picture and she is not remotely interested, a sour look appears, she clings to the closest leg and hides. It is so incongruous to her normal behavior that we are all at a loss; we are trying to respect her wishes while at the same time letting her know being rude about it is unacceptable. At the hotel the kids had a great time. Violet and Sophie have become “new friends” and even though John John is only 2 he keeps up with those two girls. To give an example of how much fun Violet was having we needed to go back to the room and she stayed in the lobby with Laura and the kids, which was HUGE for a girl that has suddenly turned so clingy.We all walked back to Sha Mian Island to eat at Lucy’s Restaurant (an American favorite), from there we split up into the three families and played at the kids playground then walked along the promenade for a view of the Pearl River.
All over Sha Mian Island are cast bronze statues of people, we spent a lot of time taking photos of pretending to do the same as each statue or joining in on whatever act they were posed.
China has many exercise parks that I have dubbed “outdoor gyms,” they are a series of pieces of equipment that stretch different muscles, give aerobic exercise, or strengthen muscle groups. We stopped at the outdoor gym and had fun trying out each piece of exercise equipment. 
The plan was to walk back to the hotel and go swimming in the rooftop outdoor pool but it was TOO COLD. At the pool we met Brian, Steph & Hope from Pennsylvania (who remembered us from the Great Wall). Brian & Ann needed supplies from the grocery and we offered to walk them to the store so we asked Steph and Brian if they wanted to join in so with the six of them, the four of us and my mom we walked to the grocery. 
To get to the grocery (which happens to be on the second floor of a mall – no kidding) you get to walk down a pedestrian shopping corridor like none other. It was the crazy chaos that we remembered from our last trip and was so much fun. It is exciting to see other cultures and we are in a prime location. A disco/trance music thumping shopping district of clothes, shoes, clocks, umbrellas, food to the left of our hotel and a traditional Chinese herbal, animal market to the right of our hotel. It doesn’t get much better than this. I love Guangzhou!Well, we’ve had Penelope five days and today is the first day she has really walked, she was not happy and didn’t want to be set down but I was holding her hand and I just keep her going from one end of the hotel room to the other and as long as she was moving she stopped crying. Our next goal is to have her sit somewhere else other than my lap without crying and to have Todd hold her without crying, I pray it will be soon. My heart breaks for this little girl, who is having a rough time, we knew Violet transitioned easier but we had no idea how much easier. Love and miss you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment