December 28th - Guangzhou , Guangdong Province

It's a gray, rainy day here in Guangzhou, and that doesn't help with the feeling of wanting to be home. But the good news is that we've only got 4 more days until we fly out! We just miss our kids at home. Hope it's cool to say that, and that those feelings do not take away from the excitement of having little Mika with us. She is definitely a feisty little butterball! We love how she snuggles with us!

Yesterday, we all had to take our kids to get their medical examination - this is something the US government requires for anyone applying for a visa. We laughed at how there were several signs in the building saying "Quiet Please" while many children were screaming their heads off! The check up was fairly uneventful besides the fact that the doctor could not understand why Mika was on the special needs list. It will be very interesting to see what our pediatrician discovers once we are home.

We've learned several things while in China:

• there is no such thing as personal space in a city of 10 million people


• never serve your daughter noodles on a plane ride when she is wearing her cute "santa" dress with the fur collar - it did make a nice trough, though


• you will feel like a movie star wherever you go out due to your Chinese daughter and your blonde/brown hair


• Chinese women and some men feel free to tell you when you have not dressed your child properly - mostly that you have not dressed her warm enough or that some small slice of skin is showing. Funny how things get communicated when you don't speak the same language


• Chinese people are warm, gracious people

Tomorrow our guides take our paperwork to the US Consulate and then we get to go shopping - whoppe! I've got to hone my bartering skills by then! Funny how the thought of shopping makes one happy! Then on the 30th we will go to the consulate ourselves with Mika to make it all official.