Last Day

This didn't look like a park, but we followed the crowds anyway.

We're not sure what we're getting for a treat but there was a long line up and that usually means good food :)

It's amazing that she can nap anywhere, through any noise but we can't get her in a crib!

There is a park!

Simply spectacular.

This is the daily newspaper, each page us behind glass.

We found more Koi to feed to Lili and Fei's delight.

Even Jia feed some fish.

9 dragons scroll.

Jia's not afraid of cats.  There were lots of cats in the park.  We found wiskas packages around the park, so the locals are feeding them in there. 

Back out of the park, into old Beijing.

Yams, cooked over a fire, mmmm, Jia loved them.

We think he's a pet, he's on a whole salad!  Tiny little thing.

Another Mom letting us know how HUGE Jia is :)   Her little guy is over one year.

For our last day we followed Mr. Yangs directions and had an amazing day.  Our driver dropped us at an active huotong.  Old area where the locals live, eat, shop, excercise etc.  We were the only foreigners there.  We had no idea what we were in for, it was such a pleasant surprise, we just kept walking through the masses of people and eventually came to a ticket center and got ourselves into Beihai park which was spectacular.  We didn't go into the park before we bought snacks (pastries with some odd sugar, spices and yellow bean paste, they were delicious), Mom got a vest and Eric bought Jia dragon shoes.  The people were so welcoming and everytime they came to look at Jia (sleeping in her buggy) I'd say "isn't she lovely" and they all would nod and pat my shoulder.  A lot of the older ladies pet Lili on the hair and tell us that she is really beautiful, she's been getting a lot of that and she's starting to get used to it.  Then they tell me that Fei has a round face and she looks like me.  Ah, hem, we obviously aren't as lovely to them, but Fei and I disagree :)  Apparently Jia looks like Fei and I.  Clearly since she's so cute, Fei and I must be 'cute'.  Oh and we hear repeatedly that Jia looks like a boy and that she is huge.

We all agree that we couldn't have found a more perfect way to spend our last day.  At one point in the park we were surrounded by ladies admiring the girls and once we'd established who was Mama, Baba (Daddy), Waipo (Grandma), Jie Jie (older sister), Mei Mei (younger sister) and Bao Bao (baby) and where the girls were from and where we live they were all happy and walked with us in a big group.  You could feel the love, I turned to Eric and said "I'm walkin' with my peeps".  I was worried to be in China with three kids when the rule here is to have one (strictly enforced in Beijing) but so far everyone has been pleasantly great about that.  They are surprised that we have all girls but not that there are three of them.

We left the park and wandered through some more of the old streets by the palace museum until we were just too tired to walk any more.  We got a cab after a long struggle.  They don't like so many in the cab.  We went to the Pearl Market.  I easily exchanged the outfit I got for Jia that was supposed to be a size 2 but was actually a 12 with the one cut off.  We weren't there long, none of us were in the mood.  When we left a driver that rescued us in the rain the other night was there and he ran to get us.  He remembered which hotel we're in but we wanted dinner, we asked for Pizza Hut (there's one near our hotel) but he took us to 'the Pizza place'.  We gave up trying to explain the difference and just ate at 'the Pizza place'.  It was ok.  He came back for us in an hour :)  Gotta' love that.  We were home to the hotel by 6:30.  Tired and had a relaxing eveing in the room all cozied in. 

Our room is a disaster.  I should have taken pictures of that!  I don't really want to go home, we're having fun here.  I've had to remind myself often that we're on an adoption trip.  We leave the hotel at noon.  Eric got Jia's stroller packed back up into the box, everything else we'll just slam into the suitcases. 

Miss Jia has already figured out that she'd prefer sleeping with Mama and getting her into the crib is quite the chore.  Basically we wait until she's asleep on me and Eric attempts 'the move'.  Sometimes it takes several times of her waking up and then he puts her back on me and we try again.  Last night it didn't work and she just stayed with me but she flails and I get hurt so we tried harder tonight and she's been in the crib most of the night.  Yay.  We are certainly going to need a better routine at home! 

Jia has made such an amazingly easy adjustment to all of us.  We've been very blessed.  See you all soon!