Free Day in Changsha

Greetings!

Today was another one of our "Free Days". We spent most of our "Free Day" in the hotel, playing in the play room at the end of the hall. Let me say that there are not enough Clorox wipes on this Earth to do that room justice. I tried. Mom, thank you for the wipes. Know that they have brought many an adoptive parent peace in the playroom today.




You just would not believe the adopted kids and the adoptive parents here. Almost all of the kids have mild to moderate special needs, and they are so precious and doing so well! It seems that most of the kids have started to bond with one or both of their parents, and are making friends with other kids in the group. Every parent and their adopted kid has such a story to tell.

Around noon, cabin fever was setting in with all of us, so we decided to take a trip to the Wacko Food Store. We are all in agreement that we need something to have on hand for lunch and snacks so that we are not forced to spend $30 on lunch AND $30 on dinner in the hotel everyday - plus, how can you go wrong with a place called Wacko? Alas, there was not much of value, or even very wacky in the Wacko Food store - just what you find in EVERY other store in China, and I don't think I need to go into that again. Defeated, we left the Wacko store and went to another hotel for lunch. It was quite similiar to our hotel, but the change was nice until they turned off the airconditiong as a hint that maybe we should leave. I guess lunch was over, and they had to fry up some snake and donkey meat for the dinner buffet.

Have I mentioned that it smells funny here? When the adoption agency said that the adopted kids will find that everything smells different in the states, they were not fooling around. It is truly odd, and the best way I can describe it is stale with wafts of severe stinkiness.

OK, on to Lucy! She is doing great, and getting closer to us every day - actually, I do not think she can get much closer to Ed, but I am making progress! We used the baby carrier today (thank you Paige and Hank!), and she seemed to have a grand time. My back is out of alignment, and my thighs are burning from walking around and up stairs with this chubby baby on my hip, but it's all in the name of bonding with MOM! Her sores are better today, and we are figuring out her schedule. She is quite silly and VERY independent, and is doing well living up to her orphanage description, "Naughty Poppett".

Tomorrow we are off on some sightseeing. Should be interesting with all of the newly adopted little ones. Prior to the sightseeing, I am going to try and catch the ballroom dancing and sword dancing (I don't have any idea what that might be) that is said to occur at around 6:30 AM in our hotel parking lot. I can't imagine a better way to start my day.

We love you and miss you!
Ed and Mel

Say a little prayer for Lucy!

Cychowski grandkids, we struck out on our kite-finding mission in Shanghai. Will try again in Guangzhou. Keep your fingers crossed.

Pitching a hissie fit