One Step Closer to Home...We're in Guangzhou!!
Today was a big day for us...we headed to Guangzhou to finish up all the paperwork and receive the documents required to take Carson out of China. That means we are one GIANT step closer to home! We were packed and ready to go by 9:30AM and Carson was BORED...all of his toys were in carry-ons. So we passed the time by...
Playing hide-and-seek behind the packed bags
Trying (to no avail) to catch a few more minutes of sleep
Expanding the hide-and-seek game to include the bed as a hiding place...Meggie found you!!
When we finally went downstairs to check out, Lisa told us Carson kept telling her he was excited to get on the airplane. Wow!! Wonder who told him THAT was coming?!?! We sure didn't...maybe Lisa had prepared him yesterday. Whatever....it worked!By the way, Meggie, are you glad we're one step closer to home??
I'll take that as a resounding "YES!!"
Before we left the hotel, we just HAD to let Carson say goodbye to his two annoying waitress girlfriends in the hotel restaurant. I snapped a few pictures...
...and, surprisingly, Carson wouldn't cooperate!! By the way, the one on the left (not looking at the camera) was the WORST offender...she offered the sugar shot and was the one who spoon fed him! Uggghhh. We are really NOT going to miss those chicks!
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare...and had no incidents this time at the security checks. I hugged Lisa goodbye and she asked us to keep in touch. She even offered to send pictures to the foster family if I e-mailed them to her (we had exchanged e-mail addresses in the van on the way to the airport). We paid her the traditional tip, but honestly that girl was worth her weight...heck, MY weight (she was tiny!)...in gold! When people say CCAI treats their families well in China, they are NOT exaggerating!!
Playing with his Leapster
It is truly amazing to me....Carson is a wild, rambunctious, typical four year old. However, the SECOND his bottom hits the seat of the stroller, he chills out! I don't know why -- heck, I don't even CARE why -- but it works. As much as we need him to run off some of his energy, when we really need him to behave himself, he's in the stroller. (Maybe strollers purchased in China give off some sort of magical....nahhhh.)
...and, surprisingly, Carson wouldn't cooperate!! By the way, the one on the left (not looking at the camera) was the WORST offender...she offered the sugar shot and was the one who spoon fed him! Uggghhh. We are really NOT going to miss those chicks!We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare...and had no incidents this time at the security checks. I hugged Lisa goodbye and she asked us to keep in touch. She even offered to send pictures to the foster family if I e-mailed them to her (we had exchanged e-mail addresses in the van on the way to the airport). We paid her the traditional tip, but honestly that girl was worth her weight...heck, MY weight (she was tiny!)...in gold! When people say CCAI treats their families well in China, they are NOT exaggerating!!
We had about an hour to wait for our flight...in an airport full of Chinese people who did not speak English and didn't appear to particularly like us. Carson -- thankfully -- was an ANGEL!
Chillin' with Meggie
Playing with his Leapster
It is truly amazing to me....Carson is a wild, rambunctious, typical four year old. However, the SECOND his bottom hits the seat of the stroller, he chills out! I don't know why -- heck, I don't even CARE why -- but it works. As much as we need him to run off some of his energy, when we really need him to behave himself, he's in the stroller. (Maybe strollers purchased in China give off some sort of magical....nahhhh.)A few pics from the airplane...
Walking onto the plane
Finding the perfect seat
That's right...after getting himself all psyched up for the airplane ride, within literal MINUTES of the airplane starting to move, he was out like a light! (In his defense, it WAS naptime!) He, unfortunately, slept through the in-flight meal. Kevin and I both saved him our desserts and when he woke (just AFTER they collected all the garbage from lunch), he was quite happy to munch on cookies and apple juice. All in all, a mostly pleasant flight for all.
At the airport in Guangzhou, while Daddy, Meggie and Carson were collecting our bags...
...I turned and saw our guide, Kathy, waiting for us just outside of the baggage claim area. What a welcomed sight!
Kathy is a bundle of energy and SO sweet!! She hugged us all as soon as she could get close enough and talked to us nearly the whole ride to the hotel. No awkward silences in the van with Kathy, no sir! When we arrived at the hotel, Jason was at the curb to meet us as well. There are sixteen CCAI families in Guangzhou this week to finalize their adoption paperwork, so there are a number of guides who are helping us through. Kathy and Jason are assigned to our small portion of that larger group and they are both so cute and enthusiastic...I honestly wanted to take a candid picture of them, but they were so busy swarming around us I couldn't get them to stay still long enough.
We checked into the Victory Hotel and got settled into the room pretty quickly. We have a suite (feels like a small apartment) and it is very nice! While we only have one king-sized bed (which means Carson will be sleeping with Mommy and Daddy and Meggie gladly took the couch), we do have two full bathrooms...yeah! I was dreading the thought of the four of us sharing one bathroom!
Guangzhou reminds me of a quaint little college town...cobblestone sidewalks, everything within walking distance...and it is so much cozier and inviting than Hefei was. We met a few of the CCAI families at 5:30PM for our first appointment...visa photos of the children. I actually got to meet Sherri from CCAI at this meeting (she arranged all of our travel), which was really fun!
After the small task of getting the children photographed was accomplished, a group of us went to dinner at Lucy's, a very popular local restaurant that caters to the non-Chinese palate. My guess is Lucy's is popular for the food...the service absolutely STUNK!! The food was brought out one plate at a time...so very few of us were actually eating at the same time. Also, Carson and Meggie both ordered the simplest thing on the menu...PB&J...and their food was nearly last to be brought out! Didn't even need to be cooked, for goodness sake!! Carson LOVED his sandwich...we are Americanizing his palate more and more every day!
It was so nice to have dinner with other people and enjoy some laughs!! It was also interesting to watch Carson. Instead of being the only cute little kid in an entire hotel, he was just another cute little kid at a table FULL of cute little kids. His behavior was amazingly improved! A few pictures from dinner...and then the run-around-like-crazy-a-thon that followed the meal...
Unfortunately, following dinner, Kevin and I both started having...ahem...urgent GI difficulties, so we had to cut the evening short. Back at the hotel, Meggie crashed onto the couch pretty quickly. When Carson got finished with his bath, he ran out to find her on the couch. Without prompting from anyone, he grabbed a pillow and decided this is where he wanted to sleep tonight...
...on the floor right next to the couch!! Isn't that so sweet??!! When I took him to bed, he cried and cried. Broke my heart!!
It looks like we'll be kept pretty busy the next few days, so we're hoping this leg of the trip flies by quickly. It's not that we aren't enjoying the experiences in China, it's just that we want to get back to real life...and real food, and real sleep on really soft beds!
Tomorrow I promised Meggie we would definitely head to Starbucks for a little pampering! (Sarah C., we'll drink one in your honor!!) One more picture...
...and I'm off to sleep...in my third different bed in a week. Whew...this is exhausting!
"Carson, aren't you excited?? Carson? Carson?"
That's right...after getting himself all psyched up for the airplane ride, within literal MINUTES of the airplane starting to move, he was out like a light! (In his defense, it WAS naptime!) He, unfortunately, slept through the in-flight meal. Kevin and I both saved him our desserts and when he woke (just AFTER they collected all the garbage from lunch), he was quite happy to munch on cookies and apple juice. All in all, a mostly pleasant flight for all.
At the airport in Guangzhou, while Daddy, Meggie and Carson were collecting our bags...
...I turned and saw our guide, Kathy, waiting for us just outside of the baggage claim area. What a welcomed sight!
Kathy is a bundle of energy and SO sweet!! She hugged us all as soon as she could get close enough and talked to us nearly the whole ride to the hotel. No awkward silences in the van with Kathy, no sir! When we arrived at the hotel, Jason was at the curb to meet us as well. There are sixteen CCAI families in Guangzhou this week to finalize their adoption paperwork, so there are a number of guides who are helping us through. Kathy and Jason are assigned to our small portion of that larger group and they are both so cute and enthusiastic...I honestly wanted to take a candid picture of them, but they were so busy swarming around us I couldn't get them to stay still long enough.We checked into the Victory Hotel and got settled into the room pretty quickly. We have a suite (feels like a small apartment) and it is very nice! While we only have one king-sized bed (which means Carson will be sleeping with Mommy and Daddy and Meggie gladly took the couch), we do have two full bathrooms...yeah! I was dreading the thought of the four of us sharing one bathroom!
Guangzhou reminds me of a quaint little college town...cobblestone sidewalks, everything within walking distance...and it is so much cozier and inviting than Hefei was. We met a few of the CCAI families at 5:30PM for our first appointment...visa photos of the children. I actually got to meet Sherri from CCAI at this meeting (she arranged all of our travel), which was really fun!
After the small task of getting the children photographed was accomplished, a group of us went to dinner at Lucy's, a very popular local restaurant that caters to the non-Chinese palate. My guess is Lucy's is popular for the food...the service absolutely STUNK!! The food was brought out one plate at a time...so very few of us were actually eating at the same time. Also, Carson and Meggie both ordered the simplest thing on the menu...PB&J...and their food was nearly last to be brought out! Didn't even need to be cooked, for goodness sake!! Carson LOVED his sandwich...we are Americanizing his palate more and more every day!
It was so nice to have dinner with other people and enjoy some laughs!! It was also interesting to watch Carson. Instead of being the only cute little kid in an entire hotel, he was just another cute little kid at a table FULL of cute little kids. His behavior was amazingly improved! A few pictures from dinner...and then the run-around-like-crazy-a-thon that followed the meal...
Unfortunately, following dinner, Kevin and I both started having...ahem...urgent GI difficulties, so we had to cut the evening short. Back at the hotel, Meggie crashed onto the couch pretty quickly. When Carson got finished with his bath, he ran out to find her on the couch. Without prompting from anyone, he grabbed a pillow and decided this is where he wanted to sleep tonight...
...on the floor right next to the couch!! Isn't that so sweet??!! When I took him to bed, he cried and cried. Broke my heart!!It looks like we'll be kept pretty busy the next few days, so we're hoping this leg of the trip flies by quickly. It's not that we aren't enjoying the experiences in China, it's just that we want to get back to real life...and real food, and real sleep on really soft beds!
Tomorrow I promised Meggie we would definitely head to Starbucks for a little pampering! (Sarah C., we'll drink one in your honor!!) One more picture...
...and I'm off to sleep...in my third different bed in a week. Whew...this is exhausting!
4 comments:
Another great post, Teresa, with awesome pictures! Glad you're on your last leg of the trip!!
Hooray, you're in Guangzhou! It is an exhausting adventure, isn't it?! But, soooooo worth it! Hang in there....you're almost home!! Enjoy your stay in Guangzhou!
Erin
Yahhhhhh Congrats. We enjoyed GZ and Lucy's has very good Sweet and Sout Chicken. hehe. Have a great time. Carson is just adorable.
TeresaQ
Just think, in a few hours you'll be much closer to Tim than we are! I know that might scare you a little. Ha! Tim says Kevin might want to pick a new team to root for since Navy broke their 40 year old streak of getting beat by Notre Dame. Those poor guys! Can wait to see you!
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