Museum, park and a high priced shopping spree for our boy. Updated and embellished

I'm just too darn tired to say anything about anything right now. Our day was great. The sun came out. Kids don't have crotch coverings here. Split pants instead. They squat everywhere. Tiny penises and cooters peeking out everywhere.

In china, the grandparents take care of the grandchildren while the parents work or other. They figure they are retired, and now is 

As good a time as any to see their grandchildren grow and embrace every opportunity to be with them.  Grandparents also pay the rent of their children's family dwelling and the parents are responsible for providing financially for their children and living expenses.  So the park we visited was all grandparents and their grandchildren.  The grandparents do yoga, exercise and sing and socialize while the grandchildren play.  It was quite adorable to see the dynamic. 

Dance class/ aerobics

Long day for everyone. Not a good idea to skip a nap for Oliver. He was a crazed Maniac tonight. We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow night. 

Cooter in the breeze, out for a walk

Little girl playing ping png with her grandma

This grannie was super serious about her work out

Happy girl, she has always loved balloons 

Mike finally got a coke.... He was physched 

 Split pant butt shot. Pretty sure this concept could not work for sweet little Oli.  The boy poops about 11 times a day. All different forms, all different times.

Partial family. 

Day before kids day at the high priced mall.  I would not settle on the super lame ducky on the butt and trains everywhere kinda boy crap they sales lady insisted I needed.  Just because he is small doesn't mean Oliver needs queer ass clothes.  So I pushed on. Neha was thrilled they had slides in the store. Brilliant idea I thought. Trying to figure out how to work this concept into plant worlds new design. 

Neha knew Charlotte would love these. She sees elements of her sisters everywhere.  I'm sure she misses them deeply. She has had to grow the heck up on this trip. It's so good for her, no longer can she be the squeaky wheel. She has to rise to the occasion and she really has. She helps so much with the 9 step diaper changes, and there are many.  Yesterday, after we changed a diaper what happened, well another poop immediately.  She threw her hands up and says "urggggghhh , every time we change him just another poop and another poop, why he keep doing that, what we gonna do mom with poop all the time? " hilarious to see her get things that quite simply have never crossed her mind. 

So we had a shopping spree for Oliver, the quest was tiny pants , ones that might possibly stay up. The store was similar to a Macy's or Dillard's. a lady that spoke very broken English tried to help me.  She was nice enough. She tell me, "if you spend over 250 yuan you get a discount" being the discount girl I am I was like, ok let's do this.  She kept trying to sneak in lamo clothes, I was insistent that wouldn't fly.  It tools and hour or more to get about 7 things for him. Exhausting really.  Every item had to go to a different sales person in a different department to be written up.  Close to 13 different receipts. But that's not where you pay. And that not where things get bagged. So I was unclear if any of the things I painstakingly picked would actually arrive at the register.  Then we make out way to the only register. I ask to confirm our discount. Sales lady says, "oh today no discount." 

Me- really, hmmm. Ok we'll you said if we spent an amount we got a discount

She- smile, no words 

Me - ok 

Her - today you get a gift

Me- ok

Then we try to use out international travel chase credit card. 

Lady says "every item different company, need to buy all separate.

Me- ok, that's fine, we don't receive foreign transaction fees

Her - never mind, no credit card. Only cash

Mike- hope I have enough. 

Our guide-, I can help and you can pay me back

Mike-ok, wait, I have enough

Lady bundles our goods, seriously like 7 things. Total was 1,400 yuan- close to $270

I kindly ask for our gift

Lady smiles, - "emm no gift". Hands us ours bags

Museum - 4 dynasties

Bronze, jade, terrecotta, stone, bone, gold, jewels, porcelain, enamel, and metals. All rangings from 10,000 bc to current. Pretty bad ass. And Oliver loves the stroller. Couldn't have been better. 

 He also loved a ballon with a gigantic fly stuck inside. A gift from a gentleman.... Random.

Big sister keeps proving to be a great helper. I honestly think it takes a little of the crazy neehs out of her.  She has responsibilities now. Can't just gyratation station all the time any more. 

Last of zhenzgzhou, pronounced Jen-jow.  Or guide got Oliver's passport, and ignored my 4th plea and request to stop somewhere for us to get rice cereal. (Again the only thing Oliver will eat) drove us to the airport and dropped us off.  That my friends was the first time I really got pissed. That was when my annoyance temperance wall feel down, and I began to disgust the Chinese.  They just don't give a crap abut you, and that just about it.  

A stye in the eye and a day in the room

,

Seriously this is the only thing that kinda fits. As you can see from his sag bag not so well. 

So I woke up with a stye in my eye. Had to cancel tours. Couldn't go to far from a hot compress and my shades. It turned out to be a fabulous day. Something mellow. Just what we all craved . 

After 4 - 20 min hot compress stations we ventured out to try to find something for our boy to wear. No luck but good sights and a nice family walk. With many oh so many stare downs by the native peeps. They just can't wrap there minds around an American lady with a Chinese son. Then we smack em down with an American man with a Indian daughter. I'm not kidding, gawking is an understatement 

 Neha made me take this picture for Lucy, she knew "Lucy would love that dog momma"  and yes, so would her momma

 Random awesome rocking chair street side. 

 Mike noticed this . In a kids store.  What the ? 

Cute 

Oliver's pillow we ordered him in the foster home. Makes us miss our sweet girls at home so so much. 

We ordered him the panda and mommy too. He doesn't love it but we know some blondie at home that will. And yes, the wheelie bag I thought Oliver would love on the way home to keep his things. Well lets just say the only person rolling this will be me or neha.  Not tiny Oli. Just one of many things I was just a little off on. 

Kind of a boring day, but the 5 previous made up for it and we needed no commitments for 24 hrs. 

A day in pictures

My fave shot of the trip so far, mike tells me today, "I'm so happy, thanks for making me do this, 

I'm sorry I can't just leap of a cliff like you can, but I'm glad I did"    My reply, "thanks for coming to the cliff with me!"

 Daddy and  son

Sister and first brother 

Tiny Oli bracelet... Oooo so cute 

The monkey fish face

 The what the f#%k gag face

Adoption finalization. (Side note, all the people from the previous day with their newly adopted children were there. It was kind of a big deal. Oliver crapped himself for the 8 th time that day and was stinking up the place so I went out to the car to change him. His diaper rash was rampant. He scratches and destroys his skin during diaper changes with his digging thumbs so you have to hold both feet and both hands when you change him. I was sweating my ass off, stressing out, his butt bleeding and me crouched on the floor board of our car van thing. Get him changed and he immediately poops again ( standard procedure) .... Double time  etc... Our guide comes running out to get me. Seems urgent. We rush in and everyone is waiting for us , for the adoption ceremony. Mikes face was like oh my god you almost missed it, or you are holding up the whole shebang.  Well we made it and he kindly says to me "your upper lip is all sweaty, might wanna deal with that before the pictures)  true love at its best. 

The sleeping chest thing kills me. It's like crack. I almost can't lay him down in his crib because I can't get enough of the cuddle pup.

Our visit to his foster home. Truely the most amazing place. Anyone who is anyone needs to and must google Show hope foundation and donate to their amazing cause .  I could go on and on about how they have saved our sons life not twice but three times. Literally bringing him back to life once from dying on the operating table. He is a fighter, but they are his saviors. I didn't really believe it until we went there but I know it now.

 The nannies on palliative care floor where Oliver spent a portion of his life.  And for those of you that don't know what palliative care is, it is care for the dying. There mission statement there is love always, save often, remember always

The nanny care board , each nanny is assigned to specific children indefinitely so the children and nanny can bond appropriately. 

Oliver does walk. Crazy but true

 And he dribbles like Yao Ming. Seriously the boy can dribble. It was hilarious. Apparently this is his favorite toy at his foster home and he totally showed his skills and loved every moment

His bed at his foster home. The nannies told him, time to go to bed... He ran over to his bed and looked back at us like ok put me in

Another birthdate confusion. We really aren't sure how old he is. His birth dates range 3 years on all his records. 

The food tactic . I insisted I see how they fed my boy. And well, it was exactly what I needed to figure out his food issues.  It's warm for starters (hadn't been doing that) and its thick with rice, it's a lot, a whole bowl and they shovel it home faster than he can breathe. He downed his bowl in less than 3 min ... It blew my mind and has since solved the eating conundrum.... For now. 

 One of his nannies, she cried.  Boo ku ayi. (Don't cry nanny) 

Family photo at the home of miracles 

The special peeps

 

Little man ease dropping on big men

Nuclear power plant in the distance, ahhhhh breathe deep

I swear, I'm addicted. Even if it gives me a few chins

Well first night I accidently brushed my only electric toothbrush with it, so we shall see

Awesome coloring by neha . 

Yes he does fit in the tiny bathroom sink 

The only Thing that kinda fits.... Thank god I brought it. Thank god some nana bought it. 

And finally, a little bit o china..... We ordered 2-3 glasses of milk.... A lovely well dressed lady came to our room and bought us to 2 glasses ....... That is all.