Swearing in ceremony

Hello, Well today was our swearing in ceremony at the US Consulate. We spent a slow morning at the hotel, slept late, had breakfast (by the way, Jie out eats Nathan), went down stairs and played in the garden where the outside playground is and the koi pond and then went inside and played in "kiddie land" so named by the hotel. It is not a bad room where they can run and play. It has legos and a small basketball goal and balls, etc. Nathan built a tower taller than Daddy with Daddy help, of course. Jie played with the stacking rings - I don't think she had played with one before. It was interesting that once we showed Jie how to do it, she did it right each time but she also lined them up by size on the floor. We are working on colors and she has yellow down and blue and is working on the other basics. She has started playing more children's games, I guess you would say. When we got her in Urumqi she would play with a tissue for an hour - folding and unfolding it until nothing was left. She would also look at Chinese magazines for an hour at a time. Now that she has appropriate toys she is doing great. She loves books and will sit and look at them for the longest time. Anyway, we had an early lunch and tried to get them to lay down early. She naps between 1 - 1:30 and usually sleeps until 3 but today we had to be at the White Swan hotel at 2:00 for group pictures and the famous "red couch" photos.

Anyway, she finally went to sleep about 30 minutes before we had to leave and she did not want to get up. She is not a happy camper unless she wakes up on her own. Remind you of anyone we know? We went down stairs and took a taxi to the hotel. The White Swan is as beautiful as they say but I am sure they are loosing business since they have moved the US consulate so far away. We met in the lobby and took first, the kids on the "red couch" photo. I thought it was one big couch but there are red couches scattered all over this huge lobby and that is where everyone takes the pictures. Jie is the only one that smiled and waved at the camera's, the other either cried or sat there woodenly. Anyway, then we moved to a place with a huge waterfall as the backdrop and took a group photo. Everyone wanted one and so Connie, the guide had probably 6 camera's around her neck. Next she told everyone to meet at 2:45 for the ride over to the Consulate. We hung around the lobby and took pictures and then headed over to the spot she wanted us at. We were one of 56 families (57 babies) that went along on two big buses. It took us until 3:35 to get to the Consulate and even there we had to check the water bottles and also all camera's and cell phones. It is a brand new building, in fact over half of it is empty. We went up three up escalators and finally came to the security. Everything was checked and then we went into a large waiting room. Along one side was a large bank of windows and you had to walk up to the window and the clerk had to check that the paperwork that they had matched the pictures with the people in front of her. Then you wait. It didn't take as long as I expected and then a woman with a loud speaker came in and welcomed us to the Consulate. You welcome, happy to have you here, etc and then said that Guangzhou gives out more immigrant visas in that one room that anywhere else in the world. She said last year they gave out more than 7000. One of those was Nathan! Then we all stood up and raised our right hand and swore that what we had said on all of the those documents was true and that was it. Everyone kind of looked at each other and then hugged and congratulated each other. It is indeed final after all of the paperwork, waiting, anxiety, travel fatigue it is all now final. Great feeling! One thing that was unusual but nice is that at least one of the families was deaf and so one of their party got up and signed what she was saying. It was very neat.

Afterward we all trooped out to the bus again and headed back. For some reason it only took about 15 minutes to get back. Glenn and I had put off shopping except for a few small purchased until today. So, after all of that we went shopping on Shamian Island. We have looked for a little plastic horn with a rattle in it since theysicals. They had some of these horns that day and all of the kids liked them. Nathan particularly thought they were great. We have looked everywhere and couldn't find them. We had gone into one place called Jennifer's Place and found Jie a dress and finally a pair of dress shoes and as we were walking along Nathan saw one of the horns sitting on a childs outside seat. We asked the girl if she knew where to find one and of course, she had some in her shop! She went and we followed and she gave us two for free! A very good move on her part. Anyway, we bought several things there and then walked to "Lucy's Café" a regular for anyone that stays around the White Swan. We really haven't done the "tourist" thing so far but it sounded good and we went in. The menu had everything from hamburgers, to pizza to enchilada's. The food was pretty good and we left full. We are back in the hotel and bathed, and good night routine over. Nathan is sound asleep and Jie is still wide awake.

Tomorrow is our last day here and then we head for Hong Kong and then the next day home. What a sweet word! Take care everyone and we will see you soon. Love, Mama