Going to the Zoo….

Today we went to the Chongqing Zoo. Our guide Anita took us, and it was really neat. We got to see lots of pandas, kangaroos, elephants, tigers, and some cool hippos chilling in the water. It is amazing how many people live here. Chongqing itself has 30 million people. Nobody lives in houses, only apartments, and there are apartment buildings everywhere. The city is so huge and dense. Our kids enjoyed the zoo, and of course, were pointed at, stared at, and kept getting their pictures taken. Everyone got a stuffed panda, and Li Hao got a little noisy toy. She definitely likes the noisy toys..she likes to shake them.

We are so in love with this little creature. She amazes us every day, and we were so excited today when she put her fist up to sock me in the neck, but stopped halfway, and put her fist down. It was a big moment, because it showed us that she has been understanding us when we tell her that she can’t hit. She is so cuddly, but then every so often, she will whack us out of the blue. I know its a coping mechanism for her, and she has been through so much. We have talked to lots of other parents on our message boards who have said that it is a common behavior for some kids just getting adopted, and that it should subside after a while. Right now she is having a tickle fest wtih daddy on the bed. She loves to laugh, and she has been learning new words. She is a very smart girl, and can get around so nimbly, even with having vision problems. She is very quick with her hands, and loves to explore. It’s fun to watch her sit and play. she can entertain herself for hours with a little bottle of pepto bismol tablets! Our guide Anita has been really helpful to us, to say things to her in Chinese that we want her to know, and also to give us little lessons on how to say thinks like “Good girl” and “we love you”.

Everything in china is sooo different than back home. We are missing the smells of America, the food, the clean water.  We got McDonalds for lunch yesterday and KFC today, but both times, we were bummed becuase it has a differnt taste than back home. Everything has an asian twist to it. We are really craving the comforts of home, but are also having fun experiencing a whole new culture. Our kids have been doing great, and I think this has been the field trip of a lifetime!

On another note, there are two American families that are staying at our hotel. We see them every morning at breakfast, and they both just got their babies yesterday. One of the families is from South Carolina, and are pastors of a Pentecostal church. They adopted a little girl from China five years ago, and are here again to adopt a little girl with a cleft palate. They are such a neat family, and are so fun to see every day. The other family just adopted a five year old girl with cerebral Palsy. They have another daughter from China too, and the new sisters seem to be getting along great. They were so cute this morning in their matching outfits. It is extremely cute to hear the two older chinese girls speaking with a southern twang. Very cute indeed!

Well, we are just hanging in our room, and I’m getting ready to take a trip to the grocery store, where you will find the strangest things. I will be sure to get pictures this time… it’s to hard to describe.

We love you all and miss you lots!
Kim