Guangzou Day 10 - It's shoe time!

Lois here.  David is out buying bottled water for our trip to the zoo tomorrow and instant noodles so that we can have lunch in the room after the zoo.  (We simply can't go to Old McDonalds again.)  So I get to start a post about today.  David will probably finish it.

It was another busy day.  Okay, so we are choosing to stay busy.  Busy children become tired children and tired children sleep.  It also keeps them from being bored.  Bored children moan and complain and find things to do that get them into trouble.  The kinds slept until 7:00 this morning!  We weren't scheduled to leave until 10:00; so, we took our time getting ready and going to breakfast this morning.  After breakfast, we walked through the garden outside the dining room.  There is a waterfall and large pond with lots of fish.  We walked through looking at the fish and watching a man cleaning the bottom of the pond.  David wants me to be sure to mention that Andrew wandered off the path and onto the grass and as he did he managed to find (and step in) the only pile of duck or goose (or some kind of fowl) droppings anywhere to be seen.  And yes, it was fowl because I had to find a way to clean it off.  Ahh, the joys of raising a boy have only just begun :>)


Here fishy, fishy, fishy ...



After getting everybody cleaned up and decent, we went to the shopping mall.  What was the first thing in our shopping list?  Shoes, of course.  We let each of the children pick up a pair of dress shoes.


Not quite as many shoes as 2 years ago

Then we went to the CD and DVD store.  We often here Andrew singing some songs that Molly told us were Chinese folk songs; so, we bought a CD of Chinese folk songs.  Then we let the kids pick out some movies.  Andrew got the first season of the TV series "Kung Fu Panda:  Legends of Awesomeness," and Hannah got "Tangled."  We also picked up "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cars."  Andrew was sad that we wouldn't let him watch "Kung Fu Panda" right away, and wouldn't let us put it in the bag.  He held onto it for quite a while and only lost interest after getting a happy meal toy. 

I'm sure that you have guessed by now that we had Old McDonald's for lunch again today.  We were desperate.  The children were beginning to melt down (Hannah crying and Andrew moaning), and although there were lots of places to eat around the mall, we weren't sure if the children would eat any of it; so, we went to the place that we knew would satisfy them both.  Andrew got a hamburger this time, and ate some of the patty, but only a bite or two of the bun.  We really enjoyed the French fries.  He has started feeding me and letting me feed him.  Last night it was roasted peanuts.  Today it was French fries and ketchup.  It was a nice little bonding experience, but I hope we don't have to eat McDonalds again for a while.  We shopped some more after lunch and bought some other items including Chinese outfits for the kids, Spider Man Pj's and a shirt for Andrew, and a few gifts before returning to the hotel.  After letting the kids have a short nap, we took them out to play in the kiddie pool.  Andrew was so excited, and when he is excited, (and he gets excited a lot over lots of little things) he squeals with delight, squinches his eyes together, balls up his fists in front of him and shakes all over.  It is really cute to watch.  He was squealing and shaking as we got to the pool.  They had fun, but the water was cold!  A couple of times I asked Andrew if he was cold.  He told me no even as he stood shivering.  Hannah, who has never willingly gotten in the water before, went in without any trouble.  The kids had a great time playing with Papa and others who joined us in the pool.  Although both kids got scared after slipping and going under a time or two, they stayed in and played until we made them get out.  We need to see about swimming lessons for both of them when we get home ...

After swimming, we got ready and went out to eat with three other families that are here with us.  It was a fun time of fellowship at a very nice Chinese restaurant.  Andrew ate and ate a lot.  Hannah just picked at her food (she said her tummy hurt, but she seems to be OK now).

It has been a delightful day, and looking back over it and thinking about my family makes me want to squeal with delight, squinch my eyes together, ball up my fists and shake all over!  Thank you God, for my family.  I am so blessed!  And thank you all for you prayers. 

Tomorrow we go back to the clinic to have Andrew's TB test checked (I can't even find where they injected him, which is a good thing :>), and then, we will go to the zoo.  Have a blessed day of worship!