Finally McDonalds!

Day 9

TB test reads negative!  Anna crosses another hurdle to coming home!

The big news of the day is that Anna passed her test today.  Overall, it was a nice day.  We were reunited with the other families from our travel group.  Charlie is still doing well, and we met Willow, Brian and Jeanne's new daughter.  She is a few months younger than Anna, but the difference in their size is staggering.  Willow has a full set of hair, eats solid foods, says mama, walks, and seems to have been from a good orphanage.  She is quiet and sweet.  She has attached to Jeanne though, and is giving her arms a real workout.  Brian can play with her, but certainly not hold her!  It will come with time.

Photos from day 9

(If you can't see the Flash slideshow above, click here.)


After the medical exam, we headed off on our own.  Wil NEEDED a McDonalds fix.  That meant a treck off our little island and into Guangzhou city.  WOW, the sights just across that little waterway!  Live scorpions in buckets, snakes, turtles, and snakeheads for sale for food.  Live chicken and ducks in cages, and huge bags filled with teas, pastas and spices.  After some aimless walking we finally found our way to the mall area with lots of upscale shops (and McDonalds!).  Wil had his happy meal, and we all enjoyed an ice cream cone.  As we left, we realized we were lost.  No idea which way to walk!  Taxi!  The taxi ride cost us a whopping $1.50.  Best money we ever spent.

Another stop at our favorite little gift shop, and we bought Chinese Chess game for 300 RMB.  Dong, the man in the shop, taught the boys how to play, and Christopher and Alex are addicted.  It is similar to the western version of Chess but has some really fun differences. Tif got a few silk outfits for Anna Mei and a few other little things.  Dong was very excited we were buying so much.  It seems like every where we go there are stores after stores after stores lined up and tons of people working always buzzing around.  Chris mentioned that if everyone seems to have a store, who is buying all this stuff?

The people aren't very friendly until you engage them then they usually give you a smile. We are getting a little annoyed with the lack of respect when holding doors, or giving personal space. I almost yelled at a driver the other day with no respect for the fact that he drove so very close to our stroller.  But overall, everyone is very friendly and amazed at the sheer size of our family.  One man said, "we have that much children, we in jail!"  I certainly think that was a joke, but it sticks in my mind.  Another man talked about this generation in China not knowing Uncles or Aunts.

No major changes here with our princess.  She is still happy, drinking tons of bottles, babbling, laughing…

The boys are happy too.  Everyone is actually enjoying the journals they are keeping, and lots of poker games are being played to pass the time in the hotel room.  My 6 year old was teaching me what a "push" is yesterday.  Is that wrong?