Category: China

March 10, 2014. Swearing-in day at the Consulate.

The girls had a HORRIBLE night! They got us up a combined 10 times crying, thrashing or having bad dreams. We blame Pizza Hut! HA HA HA!! We all woke up late and scrambled to get ready for the consulate and scarf down some food on the buffet so we could meet up with our group on time. We loaded up in the van and stopped at the medical place across the street from the Consulate to get some needed copies. Then we walked across the street and went through security at the Consulate. The new building is really nice and super fancy! I started joking about our tax dollars being at work since it used to be inside another office building and it’s now on it’s own land with barricades. We have no photos to show except the one above because we couldn’t take in cameras or even our watches.

We took a number when we arrived at the correct floor and waited for the rest of the families that would be sworn in. We received our instructions and then we took the oath for the kids as one big group. Then we waited to be called to the window to take care of all the paperwork. Once that was finished we went back outside and met up with our guide to take us back to the hotel. We went back up to the room for a bit and changed Dani out of her dress. Later on we went over to Subway for lunch again, because we wanted something quick and familiar and Dani LOVES tuna subs loaded with veggies. She is such a great eater and I don’t want her to lose that once home.

The girls playing on the 4th floor of the Garden after our consulate appointment.

After nap time the girls played in the room and just relaxed after our long night. At dinner time I took Amelie with me for a walk and some mommy time. We saw “The Italian Restaurant” with a take out window just for pizza. I went ahead and order some for us and then took Amelie walking around the streets while we waited. She was so happy to be alone with me, just like Nadia was in Nanchang. After pizza we put on jammies and got our very tired girls to bed.

Dani appears totally comfortable with us now and has a lot of temper tantrums. Here are the reasons we have found that she has them:

• Pick her up, don’t pick her up.
• Put her down, don’t put her down.
• Give her a toy, don’t give her a toy.
• Wave at her, don’t wave at her.
• Kiss her, don’t kiss her.
• Plus 100 other things. You get the idea. It’s so unpredictable that I just laugh.

Here are the times she never has a tantrum:

• Giving her food or milk.
• Putting on her shoes.
• Going outside.

This was given to us at check-in, from the Garden Hotel. I think it’s a really nice touch, and the straw sippy cup has come in handy since Dani doesn’t like the ones we brought with us.

This sign just makes me giggle when I see it.

My Panda and Spidey… oh how I love them. 

After breakfast we went to Shamian Island, because it’s tradition and I wanted to look for some fingerprint paintings and a name chop for Dani. I also found some really COOL shoes for the girls, and I picked up a pink Jie Jie (big sister) shirt and super cool Panda Vest for Amelie. She has been wearing it non stop. The rain stopped and the girls had a chance to run around the island and we took a bunch of photos of the statues around the place. It looks so much like Louisiana on the Island. We had a quick lunch at Subway and then walked around some more until it was time to meet up with our group.

These paintings are awesome and I am glad I had a chance to buy more.

Dani is not a fan of group photos. Here she was just starting a massive tantrum that included some Rockette Kicks.

Amelie loves elephants.

Happy in the stroller with her new toy. Mike got all 3 girls some really cute frogs that are also musical instruments.

Eating makes this girl so happy.

After we left the island we headed back to the hotel and put the girls down for a nap. Once they woke up we headed downstairs to exchange some money and hunt down the indoor playroom. When we found it and opened the door Nadia squealed with delight and said, “I don’t care if it’s small!!!!” Her and Amelie were manic going around the room playing on stuff. They are so accustomed to playing outside for hours at a time creating their own made up worlds that all this hotel time has made them a little stir crazy.

After playtime and talking to another family in the playroom we met up with Jaime, Chris and Sawyer to head over to Pizza Hut for dinner. Mike and I decided that it was the worst service we had ever received in a sit down restaurant. And for China it was sort of a surprise since they usually have exemplary service. It got so extreme with us trying to flag down help that Jaime and I finally gave up and went to the 7-11 downstairs to buy drinks for the family. The staff didn’t seem to notice or care. Mike ordered a drink that never came and after I flagged down a few people we got a piece of cake to go for Jaime. I can’t help but laugh about it because it was like they had the most apathetic staff in China.

By the end of all that the girls were beat and we decided to skip showers and put them to bed since we had to be ready to roll early in the morning for the Consulate appointment.

Group photo before leaving Nanchang. No cooperation from Dani 🙂 

Nadia and Dani when they first woke up.

Play-Doh was a big hit for the big girls when we were trapped in the room due to rain.

The girls and our guide Maggie in Nanchang.

The girls got up at about 6:30 and we went down and had breakfast. Then we returned to the room to make sure everything was packed up for the airport and trip to Guangzhou. We got checked out and took some photos in the lobby and then loaded up into the van to go and get the babies’ passports. Then Maggie took us to the airport and helped us buy a lap ticket for Dani and it was time to go through security. They were super strict because of the train attack in Kumming last week and wouldn’t let us take the stroller to the gate or let Jaime take a milk box for Sawyer through security.

On the flight we got split from Amelie and Nadia. They were on the same row, but with other adults in between; Mike and I had the aisle (with Dani in Mike’s lap) and the girls had the window seats. There was an incredibly nice man sitting next to Amelie and he helped her open her water and even peeled her orange at meal time. On a side note, it’s just amazing that the Chinese airlines will give a drink and meal on an hour and ten minute flight. And as we have found on every flight in China, the Chinese eat really fast and they zoom through the cabin to collect the trash before I feel like I have even started.

Dani did well on the flight. We were totally expecting her to flip out because she doesn’t seem to like any sort of change at all. But she seemed okay while we were waiting to take off. When it was time to take off and she started to get fussy I pulled out some snack sticks and handed them to her one at a time. That distracted her enough to keep her from getting upset. By the time we landed, however, she had missed her nap and you could tell she was very sleepy.

They all fell asleep in the van on the way to the hotel.

Our guide, Lily, was waiting for us at the airport with a van and helped us all get checked in at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou. After we had taken our stuff to the room, Lily took us on a whirlwind tour of the neighborhood stores and restaurants. After that we were beat and so Mike and the girls stayed in the room and I ran over to Pizza Hut for take out. I love the Pizza Huts in China because they set them up like an Italian restaurant at home with a full menu of items. I also ran by 7-Eleven for some milk and cokes.

Playtime in the hotel room before bed.

After dinner we got our bags unpacked and the girls settled in for bed. We were all beat but so happy to be in Guangzhou for the final stretch!!