Day 8: museum

This morning started with – you guessed it – buffet breakfast J  We slept a little later today after staying up so late last night.  Sleeping in was fun, although if you really think about it, just over a week ago that same time would have been the time I go to bed.  Gosh, my body is thrown off!

Breakfast went well.  We are getting smarter when we go it.  You would think I never had a child before, let alone two.  Two days ago I brought nothing down to breakfast and we made a mess.  Yesterday I remembered wipes, but no bib.  Today I came prepared.  I was so prepared that a waitress laughed when she saw my open diaper bag because I had about nine diapers in there.  I laughed too – then quickly shut the bag when she walked away J

After breakfast we met Vivian and took a taxi to Henan’s Museum.  It was beautiful.  There was so much rich history here I could have spent an entire day walking around.  As much as I would have loved it, our time here is really about Christian.  We moved fairly quickly and took turns letting him walk while the other read information.  Several artifacts date to about 3,000 BC.  It was a well-organized museum with artifacts categorized into eight rooms in chronological order. 

Christian especially had fun running up and down the ramp in one room, and all I could picture was trying to take him in for stitches.  I don’t think I am normally as worried about my kids getting injured, although he is maybe a little more wild than AJ or Abby from what I can remember, but being overseas and not having my own doctor around and insurance totally clear makes me a bit paranoid.  Christian also enjoyed riding on the footrest of his stroller.  We forgot snacks (I was supposed to fill a cup in the breakfast room, but forgot), and he drank his juice on the way there, so we didn’t really have any options while there to keep him busy.  By 11:30 we were ready to go.  We came home to the hotel and laid Christian down (he had fallen asleep on the ride home).  Another day of eating snacks for lunch (breakfast is kind of like our main meal of the day) and laying low.  I have finally caught up on all of our adventures and am finally up to date J  Whoohoo to that!  We played in the room for a few hours.  Vivian dropped off more paperwork to look over so she can make any revisions tomorrow if needed before we fly out on Saturday morning to our next city.  Then we decided to try out a restaurant that serves turtle (kind of makes me sad thinking about it – I LOVE turtles, but we are running out of options of places to eat and we do want to try local cuisine). 

We thought the restaurant was left, then right.  Sounds easy, right?  We must have misunderstood the directions, because after about an hour of defying death walking around with a loaded diaper bag and a 20 month old on our hips, we ended up back at our hotel without finding it.  Right next to our hotel is a holiday inn, so we ate there to mix things up.  The food was great.  I had a warm smoothie (side note:  I have learned two things about liquids here in China – they do not drink during meals.  Instead they wait thirty minutes or so.  They do not drink cold liquids – even smoothies).  I tried talking Adam into the chicken feet that I saw in the menu, but he was not having it.  So, we went with the basics and enjoyed chicken wings (very different than what we are used to), a teriyaki chicken, rice, steamed egg (looked kind of like soup), and green beans. 

When Adam went to pay for dinner I walked around in the waiting area with Christian.  He saw a picture of a girl who looked very similar to one of the nannies at his orphanage.  He ran up to the picture and started saying, “mama!”  “Mama”.  This kind of equated to stabbing my heart with a knife.  I am so so happy and eternally thankful for the loving that was doted on our boy.  I wouldn’t trade that for anything.  It does make me sad though that when he is calling me “mama” he is really just saying, “woman” – It is common for kinds at orphanages to call all the women “mama”.  (side note:  the other day we asked our guide what yeah yeah means because we had heard him saying it when he was upset with us a few times and she said that means “grandfather”.  There was an older man at his orphanage that I have seen pictures of with Christian, and I am guessing that is what he called him).  Really, just very bittersweet. 

When we came home Christian splashed in the water, I mean had a bath, and then fell asleep taking his bottle.  He only napped for about half an hour today, so he was ready to snooze by around 7:00, which is why I was finally able to catch up on our adventures. 

As much as I am enjoying myself here, I am really missing the kids back home.  I have savored every minute we can skype together and am so grateful that we can do this for free because we spend a good half hour+ a day doing this.  What I love most is when they talk with their brother.  They can make him laugh even though they are around the world.  They are already such a good big brother and sister.  It sounds like school is really going well for them, which is awesome.  They both love it there and I couldn’t have been in a better situation having them attend the same school where I work.  School is like our second home and they are both not only really comfortable there, but I know they are loved on by their teachers and at home with my mom.  I still miss them though.  I think about them in the middle of the day and pray for them constantly.

As much as I miss the kids, I am so thankful for this time to bond with Christian and for Adam and I to spend so much time together.  It has been like a second honeymoon in a way – eating all these meals together, doing fun activities together, etc.  This past year has been so busy and full trying to prepare for this very moment that we have just not had much time to connect.  So, for that I am very thankful.  I am also so thankful for this chance for us to really bond with our son.  We are growing closer by the minute and I have a feeling that when we get home he will instantly connect with AJ and Abby.