Monday Photos

Discovering the pocket in my ladybug outfit - and liking it!

Giving a smirk and looking out of the corner of my eyes.

Big girl eating with a spoon!

Mmmm .... congee!

With officials when we completed the adoption paperwork Monday morning in Fuzhou. Government official (on the left) and the ladies from the orphanage (on the right).

Laughing at the Notary's Office (We went first and this was during Ray and Fiona's time.) Violet was teasing Tori and laughing about it. Tori was squatting on the floor in front of me, and Violet would put her foot out and tap it against Tori's chest, and then give a little push.

Gotcha!!

GOTCHA!!!

Wow! What a day we have had. Today we traveled from Beijing to Fuzhou, there is a lot to tell about our day – but most of it is inconsquential…because we have two daughters sleeping in our room right now!

Yes, Violet Anna-Mei joined our family today. There were some tears when I held her in my arms and off and on later on. But on the whole everything went smoothly. She fell asleep in my arms with no trouble at all. She opened her eyes when I laid her in her crib, but fell right back to sleep. Roger just adjusted her foot to be inside the crib, and she woke up but didn't cry. Just fell back to sleep.

I still can't believe it.

Our day started off with Tingting telling us that it was snowing out when she came to take us to the airport. It looked like rain to me, but then when we headed out on the highway I could see that she was right. Our trip to the airport was much faster than our trip to the hotel when we arrived in Beijing. We had no problem getting our boarding passes. Roger, Ray and Fiona were "frisked" coming through security, but Tori, Ainsleigh and I weren't. But my carry-on was searched.

When we got to our gate (Tingting was gone) we heard that our flight was delayed, but I thought that 8:35 am was the original departure time. So we weren't too concerned. We boarded around 8:35. Then we sat there on the plane, and sat there…and sat there!!!!

To say that our flight was delayed would be the understatement of the century. We sat there on the tarmac for over 7 hours before the flight actually took off! Yes. SEVEN HOURS!!! When I heard the announcement, "Crew be seated" I didn't think that I had ever heard 3 more beautiful words in all my life.

That meant that we didn't arrive in Fuzhou until around 6:30 pm. In my mind all thoughts of meeting Violet today were gone because of the time. Thankfully our guide in Fuzhou, Isabel, was there to meet us when we picked up our baggage. I have to admit that was another concern of ours. She and our driver had also spent 7 extra hours at the airport today.

She told us it would take about an hour to get to the hotel. Then she said she would take us through our itinerary of our week. "When you arrive at the hotel," she said, "You will meet your baby."

Both Fiona and I, in astonishment, said, "Tonight?" I started crying.

We checked in very quickly and then met Isabel and went to the meeting room. Logan and Violet were both there with people from their orphanages. Tonight we signed guardian papers, which means we have the right to have Violet in our care tonight. Tomorrow the real adoption paperwork happens. Violet was held by a lady from her orphanage and she was telling Violet, "This is your mama" Then someone told me to hold her. Of course, she cried. She had a doll and was not letting go of it for the world. (Which was not an issue, because we wanted her to feel safe.) It all happened very quickly and soon we were heading back to our room. Isabel came with us and showed us the homework we have to do tonight. She also explained that we should give Violet a bath tonight and check and see if there was any marks that we had questions about to ask the people from the orphanage tomorrow. She didn't want to let go of her doll, so she had her bath holding the doll. There are no pictures from her first bath, as I got in the tub with her. She seems to have attached herself to me, possibly because I was the first one to hold her? But her first smile was for Roger. (Got on video) Tori commented that perhaps Violet will be like she was and be a Momma's girl…which is fine with me!

She seemed very calm this evening. (We got back to our room around 9 pm and she was asleep by 10 pm.) She also would put her chin down and look up at us with those adorable eyes, and I can only imagine the thoughts going through her precious head.

I was overwhelmed with the gifts that the orphanage gave Violet. There is a CD with pictures on it from her time at the orphanage. They gave her a jade pendant depicting the year of the rat – year she was born. They gave her a framed picture with Violet and her caregiver. They gave her a doll. They gave her several clothes and a bag with snacks that she likes. It was more than I ever could have hoped for.

Our guide had been in contact with the orphanage and had asked them all the questions that we would probably like answered. She had typed all the answers out for us and presented us with them to read on the bus ride to the hotel. I was so appreciative.

Violet is tiny. I'm hoping the size 18 month clothes are not too big, but hey, if they are I like to shop! I meant to weigh her when we got out of the tub (the hotel has bathroom scales) but we forgot.

She seems to have a bit of a cold – stuffy and a runny nose. The orphanage director mentioned it us. He said it just started. So maybe it was from the changes she experienced today. A big trip for her, too!

Well, it is now 11:30 and I still need to go on-line and send this message. And I'm not sure when I'll be up in the night.

Oh, my heart is so happy! She is beautiful.

More to come tomorrow.

Fw: Gotcha!

Photos - First family photo in meeting room. (7307)
Getting ready for her bath (7313)
falling asleep on mommy's shoulder
settled in for the night

Awake in a Dream

Awake in a Dream

Tori asked me yesterday (Saturday, the 13^th) "Mom, is this really happening? It doesn't even feel real."

I knew exactly how she felt…it is like we are awake in a dream. Except I'm really awake because I haven't been able to sleep. Christmas has never, EVER made me this excited.

Last evening we went to a musical theatre about Kung Fu. I have to admit that as we were heading down to the lobby to meet Tingting, our guide, I was wishing we could just stay at the hotel and get our luggage sorted out and prepare for our flight in the morning.

You see, we decided to leave some luggage in Beijing at the Gloria Plaza hotel while we travel to Fuzhou. The reason for this is that the airline we are traveling is very strict about the weight restrictions and there is a large fee for overweight bags. So we left one big suitcase here with 5 changes of clothes, our dirty clothes from so far, gifts for our guide/driver here in Beijing, heavier clothes, etc. When we met with Tingting in the lobby and she told us the price for the show I swallowed a gulp and smiled…it was over $100 Canadian (but that was for all three of us). Then she said we would be taking 2 cabs to the theatre, since we wouldn't all fit in one. I thought that our driver would take us and we would go in the bus that we had been using. Then she said she would only be able to travel with one family and she had a cell phone that she gave to the other family in case the taxis got separated. Then she handed the phone to Roger. I swallowed another gulp. Yikes…we were going to be on our own in CHINA! Tingting spoke to our cab driver and we climbed in. The other cab led the way. And it was when we pulled out onto the street that I realized how much more secure I felt in a bus over a small car! Then we passed the lead taxi…Double Yikes and more gulps being swallowed! About two minutes later they passed us and waved and my heart slowed down a bit. It was about a 15 minute drive to the theatre, but part of the length can be contributed to the fact that a lot of the roads are access roads to the highway and are only one way. When we pulled out of the hotel we went a back route. Then about a minute later we passed in front of the hotel. About 5 minutes later we passed in front of our hotel again. This time traveling in the other direction. It was then that I was glad that our transportation was arranged for us and we didn't have to rent a vehicle and have Roger drive and me navigate. Because I know I would have a hard time navigating with my hands over my eyes!

We arrived at the theatre and Ray commented that for the first time since we arrived in Beijing we no longer looked like the minority (and he and Ainsleigh now looked like the minority). The audience was filled with tourists.

About 30 seconds into the show I completely lost all my regrets about not being at the hotel preparing for the next day. The show was phenomenal! The lights, props and music were amazing and the performers were out of this world. Before the show begin there was an announcement that these were professionals and not to try this at home. Don't worry, I would never attempt those moves. I would probably end up in a full body cast. To say that the show was impressive would be an understatement. As I sat there I thought, "Hmm, and you wanted to stay at the hotel and pack!"

About an hour into the hour and a half show my eyes begin to get very heavy, and I struggled to keep them open. I remember thinking, "Do something exciting to keep me awake!" And then they did and I didn't have any more trouble for the rest of the show. The show was about a boy who was learning Kung Fu and his struggles and how he overcame them to reach full enlightment. (Think about Kung Fu Panda.) Most of the talking was done in English with Chinese translation on a screen over the stage. But sometimes it was reversed (especially the singing – it was in Chinese). I highly recommend the show to anyone coming to Beijing. :D

We got back to the hotel a little after 9 pm. (Again no problem with us being without the guide.) In fact, it was a whole lot faster than our route there. And it only took us a little over 5 minutes. Which my bladder was thankful for!

The taxis charge $2 RMB for 1 kilometer of driving. That is a little less than 30 cents Canadian. So our trip to the theatre was $19 RMB and our trip back was $13 RMB. Pretty inexpensive, I thought. Roger told me later how inexpensive it really was. He gave our driver $100 RMB and the cab driver gave him back over $100 RMB in change…I wondered if Roger had made a mistake. But then he showed me and said he wondered if 2 $50 RMB were stuck together when the driver counted out the change. But when I did the calculations it still didn't add up to the right total. If I remember correctly Roger gave $100 and received back $188.

He wasn't sure of the mistake until after the cab driver had left.

Then later when he took our bags down to the concierge that we are leaving here at the hotel he settled up our bill for the internet usage. The rate I had was $2 RMB per minute to a maximum of $90 RMB per 24 hours. I also could have went with a flat rate of $60 RMB per 24 hours, but I decided to go the other route since I didn't know how long (or short) I would be on the computer. But when I had trouble accessing my blog and then facebook I ended up being on the internet a lot longer than I had expected. Thankfully I can still access my hotmail account and Janice has more than graciously agreed to update my blog for me.

I told Roger that the bill should be $90 RMB (About $15 Can.) The front desk confirmed the amount and Roger gave her $100 RMB. She almost gave him back $20 RMB. Roger said she had two 10's in her hand and was passing them to him and looked down and pulled one back. Roger wondered what was causing this strange behavior of receiving too much money with his change!

The current time as I type this note is 4:18 am, Sunday morning. We're expecting a wake-up at 5 am so we can be ready to check-out and eat breakfast by 6 am, as we leave for the airport at 6:15 am. I'm typing this now so that when we arrive at the hotel in Fuzhou it is all ready to send. I expect that I'll add to the note with details from our in-China flight experience.

But needless to say, once again it looks like I do not need a wake-up call. At the airport in Fredericton it struck me how much Mom resembled Gram Slipp. She told me that she is noticing it more and more herself. She says every time she looks in the mirror she sees more of her mother looking back at her. Well, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Here it is, 4 am, and I'm thinking that I'm turning into my mother. Another early morning. I can remember trips where Mom would wake up before everyone else and then go into the bathroom to turn on the light to read. Well, Patti, look in the mirror and who do you see? J

Note: Ray, Ainsleigh, and Fiona Chong are a family from Ontario travelling with us. They are adopting a little Chinese boy, Logan. (Ray and Ainsleigh have Chinese heritage.)

Fw: Forbidden City Excursion

Forbidden City Excursion

Photos: at the south gate of the Forbidden City
Roger and Tori with a crane in the background. It is an incense burner and the smoke comes out of it's beak.
The 3 of us at the Forbidden City

This morning we enjoyed a nice breakfast at our hotel and then we went to the Forbidden City. We learned a lot of amazing info about the Emporer's life there (24 emporers actually)It was 600 years old! We only lost Roger once. Thankfully, he found our group again.

Then we went to a silk factory and saw how silk is manufactured. Very interesting! I learned some things there.

Tori was happy to come home to the hotel as she was promised a swim in the pool. We were a little disappointed as we had to purchase swim caps...not the most flattering for me, but I told Tori that she should be a swimmer because she looked really good in it!

This evening the Chongs and us went to a local restuarant for supper. We ate for $55 (the 3 of us). Actually it converted to less than $10 Canadian. And we probably had over 1/2 of our food left. Next time Tori and I will share. We ate the meal with chop sticks, too!

In a few minutes we are leaving the hotel to go to a Kung Fu show.

We leave the hotel at 6:30 am tomorrow to go to the airport to head to Fuzhou and Violet!

Patti's March 12 evening post can be accessed by clicking the following link:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=29057879

Well, we have arrived in Beijing safe and sound. We've been here less than an hour, I've already had a shower and Tori is already fast asleep. We have opted not to go out looking for food tonight. I've been up for 29 hours straight and only had about 2 hours sleep the night before. YIKES! the bed is looking inviting even though it is smaller than our queen size bed at home. (Looks like a twin even though they called it a double.)

Our flights were uneventful. Tori made out fine on the flight from F'ton to Toronto. The gravol may have helped, but it was a smooth ride.

When we landed in Toronto we had time to stop for some breakfast before our next flight left. While we were at Tim Hortons (go figure, huh...) I saw a family and wondered if it might be the other family coming to Beijing with us.

We saw them again in Vancouver and that's where we introduced ourselves to them. We didn't have seats near them on the plane. But we've had lots of time to get to know each other at the Beijing airport.

We went through customs together and then collected our baggage together. And together we searched for missing luggage. Both of us had lost our strollers that we had checked. After about 45 minutes we were able to find them. Then it was out to meet our guide, Tingting. She was beginning to get worried that we had left the airport without her!

Tingting had a shuttle for us to take us to the hotel. It was about an hour's drive. The hotel is beautiful. (But I'm too tired to explore tonight.) Tomorrow we'll meet Tingting in the hotel lobby and do a little sightseeing.

Enjoy your day everyone. I'm going to enjoy my night. Love to all.