stitchingtochina

This is going to be a quick post...I think. We're late getting to the computer, and really, need to go to bed. Fortunately, we already put a few pictures up...though there wasn't much as today was kind of a bum around town day. We went to a pedestrian mall. I couldn't figure out why it was so packed, and I mean packed, with working age people on a Monday morning. The guide assured me that they were tourists, as this was a "famous Chinese pedestrian mall". I guess. Didn't buy much as they don't market a lot of cloths to people my size in China.

It was pretty hot today, and terribly muggy. It was hard to think that Christmas was near, and hard to comprehend a "snow storm" back in Tennessee. Once we were ready to head home, Maggie was hungry...and when Maggie is hungry, you better feed her our your going to hear about it. We hit one of those roadside stands that serves mystery meat on a stick (it was chicken...but mystery meat sounds better). She woofed down two, and was mad that Graham and I ate the third and fourth that came with the order. They were greasy, and the grease was that orangey yellow kind of grease that is full of curry, or some similar spice and stains every thing it comes in contact with...and it came in contact with a lot when Maggie was eating it. Mix that with a slight glaze of sweat, and you've got a pretty rough looking kid.

After her nap, we took her to a little play area at the hotel. She and Graham ran around for about 30 to 45 minutes. It took about 5 for her hair to be drenched with sweat. She was all over the place. I think I said it last night, but she is just a kid that loves life, and loves to have fun. Sure, she's a little loud...but it's all fun. Probably, it was her first time on a slide. She hesitated a bit, but took to the little slide pretty quickly. Then, she went to the spiral slide. She hesitated slightly, and wanted my hand to get started...but then it was "game on". Not a lot of fear in this little one. She even tried to climb off the open side of the platform at the top of the slide...in China, they must not have lawyers like we have at home or else there would never be openings at the top of slides that sit 5 feet above a sharp rock ledge that little kids could bash heads on...I was quick to stop her, and she just couldn't figure out why it was a bad idea.

Once Stef and I determined the fun was over, we head to eat. She runs into the restaurant with a head full of wet hair, residual curry grease on her chin, a giant smile less one front tooth, a deep belly laugh, a lot of people staring at her but a lot of life and a couple parents who feel like their just on for a ride and a brother who thinks it's all GREAT. She has hot tea and teaches us how to eat noodles with chop sticks. I wish, I had the camera tonight at dinner. Sort of a duh statement, but she's so Chinese...she held the bowl of noodles to her mouth with one hand while the other wielded chopsticks that manically worked a steady stream of noodles from bowl to mouth. She was in her element...oh, and her eyes were on the center of the table where the rest of us were dishing out our portions of noodles, rice and beef. She was choking food down to make sure she got her fair share of the food on the table...even standing, pointing and talking wildly to make sure we knew that the last portion of fried rice was HERS.

I really think she's going to be great....and I mean this in a couple of ways. First, she's so much fun. She's rowdy, but sweet at the same time. I want to say innocent...but she's a bit of a pistol too, so I'm not sure that word fits. She will be sassy, but then turn around and give you a sly little laugh to show you that she's also kind of joking around...unless she thinks she can get away with it. Secondly, I think she seems like shes going to be pretty good mentally. For those of you with adopted kids, you know what I'm talking about. She was in foster care from the time she was a couple days old, and she really, really attached to these people. I think they were great parents and she really didn't go through some of the disruptions that so many other kids go through. Sure, she's grieving the loss, but that is such a good thing, in the long run. We sort of know the signs, and we aren't seeing them in her now...though we're not so naive to think that they won't poke to the surface at some point. I think she's going to attach to us just fine eventually...and I pray to God that this be the case.

Brook