all rise

I think they say, 'pictures speak louder than words.'  These pictures are REALLY loud.    The emperess has arrived.  In all of her 2 year old glory.  Yesterday she was so sick and so I carried her around all day and snuggled with her.  ALL DAY.  So the night came and she still wanted to be carried around.  I tried giving in and just holding her while we slept but I was not sleeping at all and she would wake up every 30 minutes and scream.  She needed to sleep in her own bed.  So we fought her for about 2 hours – her screaming and flailing and kicking in her bed.  Us listening for 3 of 4 minutes, holding her for a minute or so, and then putting her back down in her bed.  As soon as our finger would touch her, she would stop crying.  But if we weren't touching her, all hell would break lose.   And she was in rare two year old form.  Thankfully eric's compassion began when mine ended and he took over.  at some point around 1:00am she decided to give in and go to sleep (in her own bed!)  as I type, I am sitting at the starbucks in the hotel and I left eric with a screaming little girl.  As soon as you even get her pajamas out of the suitcase she starts into her fit.  Apparently china doesn't create an easier version of the two year old.   So the sun rose on a new morning here in Guangzhou and we needed to go finish our shopping.  We have not used a stroller while we have been here – I have a wrap thingy that she sits in and it was just too cold up north to put her in a stroller plus we weren't out that much to need one.  But today we borrowed one from the hotel since we new we would be walking around a lot.  Do you think that child would go in a stroller?  Uh………no.  she wanted to be carried.  And today, she wouldn't even walk.  Not one step.  She wanted to be carried everywhere.   At one point we got off the elevator in the hotel and she refused to walk to our room.  So I grabbed her little hand and started walking which she did obligingly for awhile.  Well, her legs were moving, but she was screaming to high heaven and her other little arm was flailing in anger.  Then at one point in the hallway she plopped down, kicking and screaming.  i bent down, looked her in the eye, and said, "stop right now.  You walk to the room."  Now I don't think she understood a word of what I said but tone of voice is universal.  She got up, and marched down the hallway with all the attitude she could muster.  Oh boy.   Tonight we had a lovely dinner with our guide, his wife and baby, and his mother-in-law.  And by lovely I mean that it was wonderful to get to meet his family.  This is the guide that we have kept in touch with over the years since we brought Lydia home.  His wife was beautiful and his baby was a doll – and he even introduced us as auntie Ashleigh and uncle eric which is a huge honor.   Lovely would not be my description of the food; however, eric and sarahjoy loved every bite.  I carefully took my spot next to sarahjoy so I would put something on my plate, sometimes (rarely) take a bite, and then cut it up and give it to her.  Excellent strategy if I do say so myself.  Thus my need for a trip down to starbucks this evening to get something in my stomach.  I love many things about china, especially their little girls, but the food is not something I will miss.  At all.   Tomorrow we begin our journey home!  We pick up sj's visa in the afternoon and then drive to hong kong – we should get there around 6:00 I think.  Hoping to at least get some fun pictures.  And then we spend the  night and leave for the states on Friday afternoon.  Yippee yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!  This trip has gone really quickly – much quicker than the first.  There are parts of me that are really sad to say good-bye.  After all, it is the heritage, the birthplace, the country of our daughters.   And I don't know that we'll ever be back.  Sort of a surreal feeling to have to say goodbye forever to something that plays such a big role in your family.  But I think that whole idea deserves its own blog post.  For now, we'll just be excited that we have suitcases full of presents for 4 special little kids and I am really close to wrapping my arms around those little people.  (and a whole lot more of you too)   Now to venture back up to the room and see what the emperess is up to.