LITTLE MISS SMARTY PANTS

Hi Everyone: tomorrow is Ericka's 14th "Chinese Birthday." Happy birthday Monkey Paw! We love you!! We bought her a teeny, tiny diamond tiara to wear tomorrow! Today was a free day so Ericka and I took it easy this morning, then went back to the walking mall. We spent over five hours walking and shopping with the locals. We are wiped out. It is so much fun to clothes shop here because none of the English words and phrases make sense. It's hilarious! On our walk back, we were in the middle of rush hour traffic. A nice cross walk signal man was talking to Abbie and blowing his whistle for her. People in China are very kind. I like that very much. Unfortunately, the sidewalks are not quite as kind. Wow, are they bumpy, lumpy and just end in the weirdest places! Not stroller friendly at all! Abbie's rash is gone and she is her usual wild self. Every once in a while she shows a glimpse of the sweet girl she will someday become :). Tonight, I was in the bathroom taking my hair out of a clip. The next thing I know she runs out of the bathroom and came back with a hairbrush for me. Very smart! Today we sang songs and played Pat-A-Cake and learned how to "High Five." We tried the swimming pool again and her bathing suit just hangs on her. She is just so tiny - but what a HUGE personality! The pool is not her favorite, but she did splash a little and tried to wash her hair. :) She loves to hold hands with Ericka and I and play the "123 Swing" game. She can't get enough of it! When we got back, she took a bath with me again. She really likes that. Food today consisted of Pizza Hut where they serve tuna pizza with wasabi sauce. Yuck! We just stuck with good old pepperoni and cheese! Unfortunately, when she is mad or doesn't like something, she throws it. She has broken several plates and almost impaled Ericka with a flying fork. Ugh. Don't even get me started about trying to get her down for naps. It's futile! Overall, it was a nice warm and breezy day - good for walking. Not sure what tomorrow will bring yet. We will just play it by ear! Here are some pictures from our day's adventures! With loves and kisses to you all!

GREETINGS FROM GUANGZHOU!

Howdy Friends and Family:

We had a nice free day with the Thompsons. First, we walked through the park where we saw couples taking dancing lessons; elderly folks playing Chinese instruments and singing (they beamed when we clapped for them); and lots of people playing a version of hacky sack. They tried to get us to play too! We then went to the walking mall via the medicinal and cooking herb market. Wow, very odd smells! The kids were hungry so we went to McDonald's. I accidentally ordered Ericka the Spicy Chicken Wings. Dan, you would have loved them! They also had fried green bean pies. GROSS! Abbie did not like her lunch at all and it all ended up on the floor, piece by piece, where a worker was promptly stationed to immediately clean up the princess's mess. We shopped for lots of treasures, including undies for Abbie and shorts for Ericka, but I quickly learned in the shoe market that they do not make sizes for our big American feet in China. I asked for a size 40 (Chinese measurement) and the worker responded "no big feet." The story of my life. I did find one pair of decent sandals and met the "Chicken Man", as you will see in the picture. Abbie had her first grape flavored ice cream cone and loved every sticky spoonful. We were ALL sticky! On the way back, we passed many men fishing for who knows what in the Pearl River and some people doing their laundry in the river. Abbie is feeling much better now and is more compliant. She is such a ball of energy! A Teochew (again, pronounced Chow Joe) woman taught me to say "Jim Jim" (spelling?), which means "Kiss Kiss." Abbie promptly puckers up and gives me big drooly jim jims. I love it! When we returned to our room, we were all hot and sticky. I decided to take a bath and took a chance by plopping Abbie in the tub with me. After watching me wash my hair, she sat down and washed and conditioned her own! It was so cute. She played with her bath toys and made a big splashy mess. She did really well today! We ate dinner at the Cow and Bridge Thai food restaurant. I had coconut rice with pieces of coconut, shrimp and vegetables. For dessert I had mango pudding in the shape of Hello Kitty. It was so darned cute! Abbie ate most of everyone's dinners. She had baby fruit, congee and beef, Pad Thai, Thai noodles, Hello Kitty's ears, rice, and my entire can of Sprite! I have no idea where that little one puts it all!! Ericka had shrimp cakes and steamed rice. We sat out by the pool for a while and enjoyed a nice tropical breeze. It really was a lovely day from many perspectives. Love and kisses always, Tracie, Ericka and Abbie the Wild Woman. XOXOXO

TIRED!

Hi Everyone!

Everyone is entitled to a day where they are pooped out and out of sorts - this was our day. All three of us were grumpy and tired. Abbie learned how to climb in her stroller and buckle herself in. Unfortunately, she can also unbuckle and climb out. She absolutely did not want shoes on or help with ANYTHING and was generally very crotchety today. Ugh. Do three year olds get PMS?? We went to the indoor pearl and jewelry market, then we spent only a half hour at the outdoor shopping mall on "Up and Down Street." Since tomorrow is a day of rest, we think we will go ahead and head back to the mall when we can take our time and not rush. It's also time to slum it at McDonald's! Mom and Dad, we found a really cute Chinese girlfriend for Itchy! He he! Dinner was a disaster. Abbie would not stay in her chair and covered us ALL with noodles. She is still really itchy and scratchy and generally miserable. I need to figure out what she is allergic to so we can all be happy again! :) Ericka is okay as long as I keep an endless supply of Mentos on hand. Oh well, hopefully, tomorrow will be a perkier day for all! Gracie, Lucy and Kyle - Love you and lots of kisses! XOXOXO

ABBIE THE WILD WOMAN!

Hi Everyone: After a little medicine, Abbie perked right up so we went down to play in the hotel "Swan Room" for kids. She had so much fun and interacted with the other kids very well! Every child in the room had a special need. Four had open cleft palates and it was wonderful to talk with all the parents. You could just feel the love for these children. After hours of play, we went to dinner at 8:00PM with the Wade, Mari, Andrew and Liam Thompson to a Chinese/French/ German/Italian and American restaurant. It was beautiful inside and they played live piano music. I enjoyed warm risotto with tropical fruit in sweet coconut milk. It was delicious! They gave Abbie and Liam balloons on the way in and she was an absolute squealing, jabbering and laughing wild woman!! She must have pooped herself out because she went to sleep on the stoller ride back and I transferred to her crib with no problems (or pajamas. Oh well.) Have a wonderful day everyone! Eight more days in China, then we head home. Love you all and lots of kisses and hugs!

TIME TO COME HOME YET?

Admittedly, it is hard to stay in Guangzhou the entire trip. It's a beautiful hotel in a fabulous setting, but you can only walk around the island in the extreme heat and humidity so many times. On a bummer note, Abbie is sick and I had to take her to the White Swan Medical Clinic. She was seen by a nice older Chinese male doctor and his nurse. He was concerned about her phlegm and I mentioned that it is just the sound she makes from her open palate. But, he was concerned anyway. He gave us a steroid ointment for her eczema, which is what I took her there for, an expectorant, something to decongest her and make the phlegm thinner, a vitamin packet and a powdered antibiotic (Ceclor). I mix it ALL into a cocktail and she drinks it down. She LOVES it! The clinic is open 24 hours and that makes me feel better. Fortunately, Abbie is running around non-stop, so I am not too worried. The entire CHI group went to the 1,000 year old Six Banyan Buddhist Temple today. The babies were blessed by a monk and we were told to hold our hands in prayer. Even Abbie did this and I was able to get a quick picture of her during her reverence. I took a picture of the girls in front of the statue of a famous scholar. He is said to bring good grades to students! I skipped over the statue of the goddess of fertility. As a matter of fact, I ran past that one. Ha ha! We lit incense sticks to send our prayers into the heavens and I learned a lot about the Buddhas of the past, present and future. The Chinese believe life is a big circle and it makes a lot of sense. In one picture, I am rubbing the head of a dragon. That is because I managed to toss a quarter into the opening at the top (very difficult). This guarantees me a life of wealth and prosperity. Hot dog!! After the temple, we went to a government jade market and then I took the girls to lunch at Lucy's Place (again!) We had our laundry done and I am embarrassed to admit I forgot to take out my ratty undies. Oh my, what they must think of me! He he! Tomorrow is a day of rest and I have no idea what we are going to do yet. Tuesday we will go to the pearl market and outdoor shopping mall. Hopefully, it will cool down a bit. Miss you all!! Pray for Abbie's health to improve and that we are home quickly!! Loves and kisses...

I WOKE UP AND BECAME A TYPICAL THREE YEAR OLD!

Okay, who took the real Abbie and left me with a wild woman??!! Ha ha! This little one is a non-stop ball of energy with crazy legs. When she runs, she is all over the place and it is hilarious! Today was our medical examination and she only weighs 20.2 lbs and 85.5 cm long at 33 months old. Teeny tiny, but don't let that fool you! The amazing little Miss Abbie is all about doing it herself and is now climbing on everything and in to everything. Drat! If you even try to help her, you get the evil eye. Ha ha! She babbles and talks non-stop and eats like a horse with bird legs. After passing our medical examination and taking her Visa picture, we went to a traditional Cantonese restaurant with the Thompsons and Connie. We ate squab (pigeon complete with head), green beans with chicken and sauce (delicious!), garlic broccoli, sweet and sour pineapple chicken, jelly fish (yep! jelly fish), a corn and shrimp dish, white rice and buns with sweet, warm evaporated style milk over them for dessert. They were yummy! At the end of every traditional Chinese meal, they serve fruit. We had watermelon (xi gua) and tomatoes. It is a sign that the meal has ended and that the restaurant staff thanks you for your patronage and desires you to return again. We were all amazed by Liam Thompson, who at only 26 months months of age can eat expertly with chopsticks! After lunch we went back to the room. Abbie colored with her crayons and coloring book and it appears we have a "south paw" on our hands. Ericka took the laundry and her homework and headed to Starbucks with Andrew to do some serious homework. I just put Abbie down for a nap, which she was not at all happy with, but eventually passed out. Now I am just enjoying the quiet! Tomorrow, we leave the hotel at 9:00 AM to have the babies blessed by the priest of the Six Banyan Buddhist Temple. The blessing is for a long, healthy and prosperous life. After the temple, we will head to the porcelain markets, then for a dim sum lunch in Guangzhou. On Tuesday, we are going to the pearl market, a long outdoor walking plaza and some of Connie's other favorite shopping areas. Shopping! Music to my ears! :) It is now very hot and humid here, so we will try swimming again tonight. Wish us luck! Here are some more pictures of our day! We love and miss you all very much! Kisses!!