Tour de Guangzhou

After breakfast, we met our local guide to go over the paperwork needed for tomorrow's consulate appointment, and then we headed out to "tour the city"!

Speaking of breakfast.... this week RJZ has discovered a love for ketchup. He's still not big on trying American food, but he will eat ketchup on anything- including most of his Chinese food.

Before this adoption, I honestly had no idea that China was the pearl capital. I asked to go to the pearl market - where you can get top quality pearls much less expensive than the States.

The ENTIRE mall is pearl stores. 

It was pretty neat. We looked at several varieties of sizes, colors, shapes but left without buying any strands. Roman wants STUFF.  He doesn't care what it is, he wants it, and when I say no... I usually get a pouty face. If it's not something he actually cares about, he uses the face for his own amusement mostly and then goes on giggling. If it's something he did want, he may show it a few times until he's distracted by something else.

So, at the pearl market- Roman asked for a lovely $200 strand of pearls. I said no.
He cried FOR AN HOUR. Lol.

Like... alligator tears, slobbering, dragging his feet- for a solid sixty minutes. While our guide told us all about the city and we walked through herb markets and animal markets, he sobbed. I think he may have been a little tired! (Totally normal for him to tire easily due to the Thalassemia... not really sure where the pearls come in.)

Cale briefly had a similar reaction when I didn't let him use his souvenir money on a waterproof watch or new pair of Nikes. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

Back to the tour...


We walked from the pearl market to Shamian Island and we learned a lot!
This is the old city of GZ, with some of the buildings being built in the 1800s.

Cordelia explained each of the herbs and what they are used for in Chinese culture- teas, soups, ailments, etc. Interesting stuff.

Trees and bridges that have been here for several hundred years. Really beautiful.

We finally made it to the island to do some shopping and made friends with lots of store owners!
This is Helen- she just loved our little family! Such sweet words to take home with us, as well as some goodies.

At another store, Cale picked out a knife and sheath carved from ox bone as his souvenir. He was so sweet to the owner and I bought some great things to take back to our girls and Roman found a kaleidoscope he really wanted. (Whatdoyaknow, he stopped crying.) The owner gave me a jade bracelet as a thank you!

I was looking for something else, when we found a couple of handmade Chinese quilts. The lady said each silk square came from a different family, knowing that a lot of adoptive families shop here, so their children would always be wrapped in their heritage. She could have been absolutely blowing smoke for all I know, but Roman LOVED it. It seemed like just the right keepsake for him.

We also met a very kind man and watched him create his incredible pictures using only ink and his fingertips.

I see lots of adoptive families get this pic, so I thought I better get one too:

{I am so tired of recycling the same clothes over and over. You'd be surprised how many times you will wear something when you have to wash it in the bathtub and wait three days for it to dry... not a skill I'm likely to add to my resume.}

We planned to eat lunch out by the river, but Roman was just too tired. He slept in the van on the short drive back to the hotel. Cale was still hungry so we grabbed McDs- complete with green tea ice cream.

We rested in the room until time for dinner.... guess what he learned to do?!

He asked me last night to write it down for him and he's been practicing all afternoon! He can also write his numbers in English... at least until 22.

He also tried on the unders I got him today and left them on for a whole three minutes! Then he said, "Mommy, give them to Cale".

The last hour before dinner was rough.

I know you can tell that I'm weary. He's a lot, this is a lot... it's a lot for us and it's a lot for him. There are no breaks. It's all hands on deck ALL THE TIME. I know Nathan feels the same; he's not used to running home base! We are ready to have our family together. We are ready to find our new normal. And we are close- we are so close. Tomorrow is our appointment at the Consulate. His visa should be ready Thursday and then we leave for Hong Kong. That's 48 hours from now! WE ARE SO CLOSE.