Guilin Twins

2011-11-15T13:20:00.001-05:00

Photos from Guilin

2011-09-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

The girls are 7!

2011-08-19T15:37:00.004-04:00

Happy New Year

2011-05-07T18:47:00.002-04:00

Gang signs

2011-01-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

Holiday greetings from our trip to Epcot

2011-01-15T09:18:00.001-05:00

Birthday party

2010-11-25T19:55:00.012-05:00

The girls had a nice birthday party. There's was the first at the new location of The Little Gym on opening day! Many people worked late into the night to get the facility ready. A good time was had by all. Rae Rae happily ate her pork rinds and butter as she cannot partake of cake, ice cream or pizza while on her special diet (which has changed her life dramatically -- so no complaints). But perhaps next year she will get to indulge!

The girls are 6!

2010-08-19T15:32:00.004-04:00

"Proud to be an American"

2010-05-31T22:04:00.004-04:00

Sienna was thrilled to perform with her classmates in a patriotic choral program one evening earlier this month. Here she is enthusiastically singing about how she is "Proud to be an American." (She is at least equally proud to be Chinese, too.) She is in the front row, in the center (near the microphone) with a white shirt, red pants and a blue t-shirt with a flag on it wrapped around her waist. (That was her idea of style!)

Happy New Year!

2010-03-26T11:57:00.002-04:00

Happy holidays

2009-12-09T12:03:00.003-05:00

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! We just returned from our trip to Orlando. This photo was taken in front of the Christmas tree at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Spencer just had his haircut earlier in the week at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom. Everyone enjoyed riding "it's a small world" and the carousel in Fantasyland. We also participated in some of the taping for the Christmas parade and watched another parade later in the day. We also went to the Gaylord Palms to see a number of live shows including Luminesence featuring an aerialist and the "drummer in the sky."

Birthday photos

2009-08-14T12:09:00.005-04:00

Birthday party video

2009-08-02T05:39:00.003-04:00

Birthday party!

2009-08-02T05:32:00.002-04:00

The girls had a birthday party at the YMCA. There was a dance class, followed by painting, then eating, unwrapping so many wonderful presents and then playing in the Y with friends. We had a great turnout!

Birthday at Disney World

2009-08-02T05:29:00.002-04:00

The girls went to the Magic Kingdom on their birthday. They were there when the park opened and got to ride a lot of rides before a late afternoon rain sent them back to the hotel where some delicious birthday cake awaited them!

Dance recital

2009-08-02T05:22:00.005-04:00

Scarlett and Sienna performed in a dance recital in July. They really enjoyed taking dance classes together at the YMCA. They hope to continue their lessons in September. They had a wonderful instructor, and they presented her with some pink roses.

Moving up ceremony

2009-08-02T05:02:00.003-04:00

On June 7, Sienna had a moving up ceremony for her pre-school. (Scarlett's school had an event on June 5, but Baba forgot the camera!) Nevertheless, both Scarlett and Sienna are enrolled in this pre-school for the summer session! (Scarlett's regular school doesn't offer a summer program.) They really enjoy their schooling and are getting a lot out of it. Spencer aspires to attend this pre-school in a few years. Above is a photo of the girls leaving for school on a typical day.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-03-10T11:36:00.001-04:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T10:13:00.002-05:00

Another trip to Disneyland Paris

2008-08-26T13:30:00.003-04:00

Visiting Grandma

2008-07-17T15:02:00.003-04:00

Our trip to London

2008-07-17T14:35:00.002-04:00

Having fun at the moving up ceremony for Sienna's school

2008-07-16T21:52:00.002-04:00

Scarlett's school (which she loves)

2008-07-16T21:33:00.002-04:00

Having fun at home

2008-07-16T20:51:00.001-04:00

Living it up at the Yacht Club

2008-07-16T20:35:00.005-04:00

Angel's birthday party

2008-07-16T20:28:00.001-04:00

The "day after" party

2008-07-16T19:18:00.001-04:00

Sienna joins Samantha on the dance floor

2008-07-16T18:50:00.002-04:00

More partygoers

2008-07-16T13:56:00.002-04:00

Happy graduation!

2008-07-15T14:31:00.002-04:00

Sienna's big adventure

2008-07-15T14:20:00.003-04:00

Attending a birthday party at the zoo

2008-07-15T13:25:00.004-04:00

Scarlett's school photo

2008-06-09T08:30:00.002-04:00

Cheerleaders

2008-03-30T12:51:00.002-04:00

Another new pair of glasses for Scarlett

2008-03-30T12:15:00.005-04:00

The local YMCA closes

2008-03-30T12:06:00.007-04:00

Easter Sunday

2008-03-30T11:59:00.002-04:00

Neighborhood Easter egg hunt

2008-03-30T11:52:00.002-04:00

Misc.

2008-03-22T07:55:00.000-04:00

Sunday fun

2008-03-22T07:17:00.002-04:00

The "old" YMCA

2008-03-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Bedtime

2008-03-22T06:40:00.002-04:00

Posing in the front yard

2008-03-22T06:07:00.002-04:00

Official CNY party

2008-02-24T11:43:00.004-05:00

Chinese New Year celebration!

2008-02-24T11:29:00.005-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-24T11:24:00.002-05:00

Scarlett goes to school!

2008-02-24T11:11:00.004-05:00

Around our neighborhood ...

2008-02-24T11:05:00.004-05:00

Heading to church

2008-02-24T10:50:00.006-05:00

January excitement!

2008-01-19T20:59:00.001-05:00

Another party in New Stanton

2008-01-19T20:37:00.001-05:00

Back in Pennsylvania

2008-01-19T20:26:00.001-05:00

Another party at Aunty Mary's house

2008-01-19T20:18:00.001-05:00

More London photos

2008-01-19T20:12:00.001-05:00

Our trip to Disneyland Paris

2008-01-19T19:34:00.001-05:00

At the Fairways retirement home

2008-01-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

Our trip to London

2008-01-19T19:23:00.001-05:00

Oh, Canada

2008-01-19T19:19:00.002-05:00

Some thought The Vibrators would show up!

2008-01-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

More photos from the party

2008-01-19T18:59:00.001-05:00

It was a big party!

2008-01-19T18:54:00.001-05:00

New Stanton in September

2008-01-19T18:31:00.001-05:00

First photos of 2008

2008-01-17T21:20:00.001-05:00

New Year's with the Mouse

2008-01-17T21:14:00.001-05:00

Holiday photos

2008-01-17T21:01:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving in Orlando

2008-01-17T20:54:00.001-05:00

Halloween!

2007-11-07T14:05:00.000-05:00

Myrna's house on Sept. 3

2007-09-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Sept. 1 -- Epcot

2007-09-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

Sept. 1 -- Give Kids the World

2007-09-09T12:03:00.000-04:00

Aug. 25 -- Party at Bev's house

2007-09-09T11:57:00.000-04:00

Aug. 21 -- Returning home

2007-09-09T11:47:00.000-04:00

Aug. 20 at Janey's house

2007-09-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

Aug. 20 at Pop's house

2007-09-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Aug. 20 -- Pennsylvania

2007-09-09T10:38:00.000-04:00

Aug. 19 -- Disney's California Adventure (Anaheim)

2007-09-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

Aug. 18 photos -- Oahu

2007-09-01T00:45:00.000-04:00

More Aug. 17 photos (Hawaii)

2007-09-01T00:31:00.000-04:00

Aug. 17 photos

2007-09-01T00:24:00.000-04:00

More HK Disneyland photos

2007-09-01T00:10:00.000-04:00

Hong Kong Disneyland photos

2007-08-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

Aug. 16 photos

2007-08-31T23:54:00.000-04:00

Aug. 21

2007-08-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping to add more photos soon. (I'm having a few problems at the moment as I may have exceeded the size limitations for the blog.)

Peter woke me up at 7:30 a.m. (He had been awake since 4:45 a.m.) I wasn't ready to get up, though. He let me sleep a bit more. It really didn't help. But since I had slept for about eight hours, I told myself that I needed to get moving.

We bathed and got dressed and went down for breakfast. Again, the food was delicious! I particularly liked the toasted bagels with brie. After breakfast, I spent 10 minutes on the computer in the business center as I didn't feel like setting mine up in the room. Plus I knew I could use it later in the day for an unlimited amount of time!

We packed our bags -- we were now up to eight -- and wheeled them over to the terminal. After we checked them in, we went back to the room to get our seven carry-ons. Our flight was on time, and I slept most of the way. We didn't have much time in Atlanta before boarding our flight to Florida.

When we arrived in the late afternoon, we were greeted by some familiar faces from our local chapter of Families with Children from China. The group's president, Melissa, was there with her precious twins, Natalie and Neelee. Our dossier consultant and friend Pam was there with her adorable daughter, Delaney (whose sister, Kelli, will be coming home from China soon). And Bev, from Peter's office and also a good friend of mine from Chinese class, was there. We can't wait for our twins to meet her amazing daughter, Angel, who came home from China in May. The "fan club" presented the girls with beautiful balloons that said, "Welcome Home." It was such a sincere message, too.

The adults helped us with our carry-ons and shared their excitement with us as Peter collected our suitcases from the conveyor belt. We had a porter wheel our gear to a mini-van taxi. We said goodbye to everyone, knowing that we will be seeing a lot of each other at various events in the near future. It is so wonderful to have such a supportive community!

When we got home, Peter paid the cab driver while I went to the door to release our cats. The girls sat contentedly in the yard. We took our luggage inside and then carried the girls over the threshold. Our extremely reliable and helpful petsitters, Natasha and Roman, had created a mound of mail that looks like what a letter carrier would be delivering in a typical day's work for a typical mail route. Alas, it is all ours. Plus our helpful neighbors apparently have three days' worth of our mail, too. Natasha picked up Roman at the airport about an hour after we left, and they stopped by our house to meet the girls on their way home.

We thought we would have the energy to pick up Lucky, our kitten, but it wasn't meant to be. And from talking to Owen, his loving minder, it sounds like he may need another night to properly say goodbye. Because of this successful three-week placement, Owen said he is going to provide a home to one of the stray cats in his apartment complex. Peter said he felt fine when we got home, but after an hour, he said he felt so tired that he wouldn't be able to do anything put bathe the children and go to sleep. So that's what we did, while I hopped online to update the blog. The girls enjoyed walking around the house and touching everything within reach.

It seemed like waiting for the girls was so difficult, but the truth is, the hard work of parenting is just beginning. However, this is something we are really looking forward to ...

Aug. 20

2007-08-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Our flight arrived in Pittsburgh a bit early -- just prior to 6 a.m. EDT. We collected our bags and rented four carts. Three of the four carts had rusted, uncooperative wheels! Nevertheless, we were able to make it to the ultra-convenient Hyatt Hotel which is connected by a covered walkway to the airport.

As it was only 6:25 a.m. when Peter went to the front desk, the clerk asked him, "Are you checking in for today or yesterday?" Peter assured him we were checking in early for today. (Our arrival time was listed at 7 a.m., but we were a bit ahead of schedule.) Fortunately the hotel had a room available at that early hour.

We wheeled the luggage to the elevator and then to our room. I was amazed that all four luggage carts fit! Then we had to decide our next course of action. The weather was wet and rainy and there were a lot of rush-hour related traffic jams. We Peter, Mark and I fought over the complimentary copy of The New York Times. Brian said he has never known a family (Mark, my father and myself) who are so obsessed with reading the newspaper! Peter was primarily interested because he considers The New York Times to be one of the few newspapers worth reading.

Peter, the girls and I had baths/showers and changed clothes. Mark and Brian planned to do so when they got home (as they were "just visiting" our hotel room). Then we all enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast buffet and went back to the airport terminal to rent a mini-van. Again we used Thrifty and got nearly the same vehicle but in red rather than white. We liked this model because it had two built-in car seats for the twins.

It took about 90 minutes to get from the airport to my parents' house. Many family members were waiting to meet the girls: My parents (their Granny and Pap); my older brother, Bob, and his wife, Crystal, and their children, Kayla and Randy (who all live five miles down the road); and my aunt and uncle (Brian's parents) who live next door to my parents; and my little cousin Samantha, who is the granddaughter for my aunt and uncle (and Brian's niece). With all of the presents, it seemed nearly like Christmas! (But since we weren't at Epcot, it wasn't exactly like Christmas.) Brian and Mark (now dressed for work) were there, too. I spent a little time on my computer by leveraging the wireless connection in the kitchen.

After about 90 minutes, Peter and I put the girls into the van and we drove five miles down the road (in the opposite direction as my older brother) to see my grandfather. (Mark, however, showed his dedication to his job and went in to work.) Pop was eager to meet the girls even though it was almost time for his regularly scheduled nap. The twins played blocks with Samantha and posed for a few pictures. At some point, I laid on my side and had a quick nap.

About an hour later, we drove (with Samantha) to my cousin Janey's house. She lives about four miles north of my grandfather. Janey's parents (who live within easy walking distance of my grandfather) were there, too. My parents were there as well as Janey's friend, Heidi. We feasted on pizza, cake and ice cream, and other snacks. The girls were showered with more presents. They seemed to love all of the attention! Janey encouraged the twins and Sam to jump on the bed as if it were a trampoline. Of course, they loved it!

At about 5 p.m. we realized that we needed to think about leaving for the airport hotel. The weather was dark and rainy. We contemplated the possibility of spending the night with my parents and driving in for breakfast, packing and our midday flight. Janey suggested that we have a nap in her extra bedroom. That sounded perfect! They woke us up after an hour. The weather report said there was a severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 9 p.m., so we went to sleep until 9 p.m.! We felt badly to abandon the party and to force our hostess into overtime, but she was all for it. Janey had been really excited about the twins from the start, so we tried not to feel guilty.

Each girl had a nap, but not at the same time. This meant that there was always at least one child to overwhelm with attention. Mark left work at 7:30 p.m. and came in to see the girls again. I'm told that they were thrilled when he walked in! (Brian had an afternoon nap and then drove to his house in West Virginia. He was scheduled to start back to work the following day.)

At 9 p.m. we got our things together and said goodbye. It was sad to be leaving, but at the same time, we were anxious to be so close to finally ending our trip and getting home! We stopped only to buy gas and were back to the airport before 11 p.m. It rained the entire way and the girls slept the entire way. We got another cart and took the girls back to our room.

The girls had a bath and went to bed. It took about 15 minutes for them to fall asleep. Meanwhile, I read my complimentary copy of The New York Times for about 30 minutes and Peter read "Emma."

Aug. 19

2007-08-19T09:51:00.001-04:00

Our plane touched down in Los Angeles at 5 a.m. -- right on schedule. It took a while to get all of our belongings together. Then we collected our bags and got on the hotel shuttle for the Westin LAX.

All six of us are sharing a room. We aren't actually spending the night here. The girls just had a bath and may take a short nap. Brian had his nap in the lobby while Mark slept on the other bed. I took a few moments to go to the hot tub. Meanwhile, walked next door to rent a mini-van at Thrifty next to our hotel to drive us to Anaheim to go to the Disneyland Resort.

When Peter came back with the rental paperwork, we all walked over to Thrifty to get the van. We had only our cameras and a diaper bag to take with us. Peter got us to Anaheim without making any wrong turns. The first stop was Company D to do some quick shopping for the girls. Then we ate at El Pollo Loco (The Crazy Chicken). The girls had mashed potatoes with corn.

Our next stop was the Disneyland Resort. We decided to go to Disney's California Adventure because Brian had never been there and all of the adults wanted to ride California Screamin' (an awesome rollercoaster). However, our first stop was the new Monsters, Inc. ride. It frightened Sienna a bit because she thought it was real. Scarlett was fine though.

Then the boys went off to ride the Tower of Terror and California Screamin' (twice) while we went to ride the attractions in A Bug's Life children's section and to see Muppet*Vision 3D. About an hour later we met the boys outside of California Screamin' and I went on with them (using FastPasses). Peter took the girls on the King Triton's carousel which they enjoyed. Peter decided that he would like to go on the rollercoaster to see what all of the fuss was about. So Mark and Brian watched the girls so we could go on the single rider line (as we wanted to be quick). Peter said this was his favorite rollercoaster ride ever!

We all rode the Sun Wheel (in a non-swining gondola) and had a great time. Then Mark, Brian and I rode the Maliboomer and the Orange Stinger. Mark and Brian went off to ride Mulholland Madness while Peter, the twins and I sat down and had a rest and had a snack. Mark and Brian later joined us for milkshakes, a salad, tea and water.

At this point we realized that our time and energy were limited. So we went to see Golden Dreams, a long movie in a dark, air-conditioned theater. All six of us napped. Then Mark went off by himself to ride Grizzy River Rampage. Brian asked him why he would want to get wet prior to a long airplane ride, so Mark decided to wear my red Minnie Mouse/Disneyland sweatshirt that he had been chiding me for wear on hot days. The sweatshirt kept him nice and dry, and the splashes evaporated quickly in the warm California sun.

On the way out we watched the Block Party Bash. It featured performers who jumped and flipped on trampolines. All of the adults enjoyed it, but the girls never really woke up from falling asleep in Golden Dreams. Then we left the park. We were there about five hours. It was definitely worth it!

We drove back and stopped for gas at a station next to the airport. I asked for directions to the closest Jack-in-the-Box because none of us had ever gotten to eat there on our trip. Fortunately, there was a location just a few blocks away. Then we went back to Thrifty to drop off the van and walk back to the room.

We were a bit rushed in our packing, but we managed. We took the hotel shuttle and disembarked at the USAirways counter. It took a little time for six people with 11 suitcases (and nine carry-ons) to check in. Our flight to Pittsburgh was on time and we all a slept for most of the time.

Aug. 18 (revised and updated)

2007-08-18T23:56:00.000-04:00

It was hard to wake up at 9 a.m. in Honolulu. Mark and Brian were awake and were preparing to start the day. So we did our best to get moving, too.

We ate fresh pineapple and drank POG (passion, orange and guava juice) in our room for breakfast. Delicious!!!

Mark was determined to find a tour that would fit our schedule. He was able to find something that would go from 1:25 p.m. until 5:25 p.m. That sounded great! He told me he had already booked the tour for himself and Brian. I told him to book us as well. However, he was told there was only one seat left!

Meanwhile, Peter put my bike together and I went for a spin. I tried to find Lewer's restaurant. I learned that they built a hotel over it and now it is a dance club. The restaurant itself relocated into a hotel and it wouldn't open until 8 p.m. Oh, well. I went to an ABC Store (they are everywhere!) and got some souvenirs and lunch.

I called Mark's room again and asked him to call again about getting seats for the tour. This time he was successful! We checked out of the hotel and left our bags at the bell stand.

The bus came 15 minutes earlier than expected, but we were ready. Imagine our surprise when there were only about 15 people on the tour (and at least 45 empty seats on the bus!). We had plenty of space to spread out. Sienna instinctively went straight to the back and claimed the back row.

The tour took us to some scenic spots just outside of Waikiki. We saw some incredible scenery. It was an ideal way to spend our time. (There was no children's pool at our hotel. We live in Florida, not too far from the beach, so a beautiful day at the pool or beach is nothing unique.) We ate lunch on the bus. Both girls especially enjoyed eating mixed nuts.

After the tour, I came back to use the Internet while the other five walked around. Then Mark set off to pick up a free coffee (or tea) mug for our father by showing our $100+ worth of ABC Store receipts.

Peter arranged for our limo to take us to the airport. The driver was early, but by the time we packed the luggage, we left right on time. We changed clothes at the airport and went through security. Our flight to LA was scheduled to depart at 8:45 p.m. flight, but we left a few minutes late.

A lot of people were sitting in the wrong seats, but we were all still in the same general area at the back of the plane. Peter sat with Scarlett, sat with Sienna, and Mark and Brian sat together. We were served a snack that consistented entirely of junk food. The girls and Peter slept very well. I had a hard time falling asleep -- despite all of the USA TODAYs I had on my lap. Mark said he slept about an hour, and Brian said he slept 15 minutes.

Aug. 17 (revised and updated)

2007-08-18T03:08:00.000-04:00

We got the twins up around 7:30 a.m. so that we could meet our van at 9 a.m. to go to Hong Kong Disneyland. At 8 a.m. I called to confirm the van and they said it would come at 11 a.m. I told them that we had originally said 11 a.m., but then we changed it to 9 a.m. They said that it would take about 90 minutes to get the van. (Previously they told me that we would take the van in the hotel parking lot, but that wasn't true. The driver and his van were from Hong Kong.)
This gave us an extra hour to get ready. To be honest, we needed the extra time to pack efficiently. When the bellman came for our luggage, he told Peter "The van is here." What he meant to say was, "The van will be here." However, in Chinese, there are no verb tenses. So it is difficult for some Chinese to remember that verb tenses are critically important in English. He clarified himself by saying, "Yes, the van is not here." (In Chinese, he would literally use the words for "The van is here in the future.")

We packed the plush van full with all of our gear. This van wasn't as big as the one we took from Guangzhou, but it was more plush. The driver had us fill out separate cards for each person to exit China and also to enter Hong Kong. We had to go through two different checkpoints. It was extremely complicated and took an hour to get through. We were so relieved that we hadn't tried to go in the previous day because we never would have been able to go back to the hotel and get our stuff.

Our driver was quite humorous. He told us that in order to drive in Hong Kong that "You have to be crazy. I'm crazy, but I'm 'safety crazy.' " We asked him what the weather would be like and he said, "Oh, you're going to Disneyland. It will be sunny. After I drop you off, I will send an SMS (text message)." Peter asked, "To the clouds?" And he replied, "No, to the Jesus." We chuckled.

We made it to Disneyland and checked our bags. Finally it was time to enter the park. I had been to every Disney theme park in the world except for Hong Kong Disneyland. Now I've been to all 11 of them.

We wanted to get a double stroller for the s, but they didn't have any available. I guess since China has a "one child per family" rule there is no need for a double stroller. So we rented an -sized wheelchair that held them both. This was much simpler than two strollers.

The park -- which is much smaller than the Magic Kingdom in Orlando -- was extremely crowded. Our first order of business was to eat lunch. Mark got a hamburger and fries to go from one restaurant and joined the rest of us at a noodle restaurant. (The quick-service restaurants were adjacent to each other in Tomorrowland.) The twins loved the noodles with s I ordered. Sienna loved them so much that she had a complete meltdown when her daddy wouldn't let her feed herself. (Each noodle was about two feet long, so they were difficult to eat.) There were no forks at this restaurant -- just chopsticks and soup spoons.

After lunch, we walked around Tomorrowland. I took the twins to the Baby Care Center to use the bathroom (Sienna) and change a diaper (Scarlett).

We determined that we should "ease into" the concept of a theme park by starting slowly (rather than jumping on Buzz Lightyear). So Mark and Brian went off with their Space Mountain FastPasses. Peter and I took the s to a character greeting area where they met Minnie Mouse. They really enjoyed the experience. I was relieved. I had this fear that our children might be the only two in the world who didn't love Disney theme parks.

Then we went over to the carousel. The line was long, so Peter suggested I run over to Space Mountain with my FastPass. I did just that. The ride was excellent! It was fast and smooth -- much like the new, improved Space Mountain at Disneyland ("The Original" in Anaheim).

By the time I ran back from Space Mountain, Peter and the s were just getting off the carousel. He said the s both loved it! They each had their own horse, and both were the kind that go up and down.

We continued to do as many attractions as we could during our limited time. We did the Jungle Cruise (which had a pirate theme), the tea cups, the train and the carousel a second time. And we ate noodles again at the same quick-service restaurant. We also got to hear the Main Street barbership quartet. They were excellent! They had a California surfing theme. Then I did some shopping at the Emporium.

We all met at the Mickey statue at the Disneyland Hotel and got two cabs to take us to the Hong Kong airport. It was about a 15-minute ride. We changed clothes and prepared our carry-ons for the trip.

Our first flight -- to Guam -- was just over four hours. We all slept soundly. When we arrived, we had to go through Customs (even though we were just transferring to another flight). At this point, the s received stamps in their passports which conferred American citizenship. We all had to go through another x-ray screening before getting back to our gate.

At this point it became Aug. 18, but our next flight took us back to Aug. 17. (We wondered what our tombstones would say if we died on Aug. 17 in Hawaii, but had actually lived to see Aug. 18 in Guam.)

Our next flight -- to Honolulu -- lasted about seven hours or so. Peter and the s slept well. Mark, Brian and I slept intermittently. We were served breakfast, ice cream and a snack. Peter and I received vegetarian meals, the s received kids meals, and the boys had "regular" meals.

We arrived into Honolulu at 5:30 p.m. local time. It took a while to get all of our bags. Then it was time to rent our mini-van. However, Peter couldn't locate the paperwork I gave him that provided him with the name of the rental company, so I told him to go around to each both and ask. But I also recommended that he ask how much it would be for a big cab to take us to Waikiki Beach. We were told it would be about $35 plus 50 cents per bag. We agreed it would be easier and probably cheaper to take a cab.

The next "cab" that pulled up was a stretch limo! We happily boarded with all of our stuff. It was a pleasant nine-mile ride to our hotel, the Sheraton Princess.

We checked in to our rooms. Mark and Brian were two floors above us, but we both had ocean-facing rooms. Better yet, the balconies overlooked the evening entertainment which consisted of cultural Hawaiian singing. It was a great background for unwinding in our room. We "freshened up" and had some dinner on the balcony. Then we went downstairs to use the Internet. (There didn't seem to be an Ethernet connection in the room.)

After the professional entertainment ended, some locals began to sing spirited (off-key) karaoke. At this point, we put the s in borrowed strollers and all six of us went for a walk. It was quite different to be walking the streets of Honolulu at night. On my previous visit, I had jetlag and went to bed between 3:30 and 5 p.m. each night. We went into a few shops and bought a couple of souvenirs and food for breakfast. Mark and Brian stayed out a bit later and went to Planet Hollywood to look around. It was unreal to think that on the morning of Aug. 17 we were in Shenzhen, China, went to Hong Kong Disneyland, flew to Guam where the s became U.S. citizens and then flew to Hawaii where we went shopping.

The s had a bath and put on their pajamas. However, they didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't feel tired either, but I knew if I stacked a week's worth of USA TODAYs on my lap that I would go to sleep within five to 10 minutes (and I did). After about 15 rounds of Patty Cake, the s started to settle down somewhat. Peter read "Emma" for a little while and we fell asleep around 12:30 a.m.

Our hotel in Shenzhen

2007-08-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

White Swan breakfast

2007-08-16T19:15:00.000-04:00

Aug. 16

2007-08-16T18:22:00.001-04:00

Mark called our room at 8:39 a.m. to say he was ready to eat and that Brian was in the shower. I had been awake for three hours, but the rest of the family was still asleep. However, within five minutes of his call, everyone was up.

For the first time on this trip, we ate breakfast in our room instead of having a buffet in the restaurant. This was much quicker and easier -- although we did have some terrific breakfasts at the various hotels. Mark and Brian came to our room, too. We had bananas, yogurt, milk, Cheerios and peanut butter sandwiches.

Mark, Brian and I prepared ourselves to go into Hong Kong. First we planned to see the city and then we were to go to Disneyland to do a few of the attractions and see the fireworks. Our mission was to figure out the best way to get to Disneyland the following day with all six people and our luggage.

We attempted to get a cab to take us across the border into Hong Kong to get information about the bus to Disneyland, but the bellman wasn't sure what to tell the driver. He recommended that we speak to the concierge. This concierge was more knowledgable about how to get to Disneyland. He recommended that we take the hotel's van to get there. He said that we wouldn't need to transfer to a different vehicle at the border. That sounded fantastic! It would be a bit pricey, but worth it. So we booked the van for the following day at 11 a.m.

With the resolved, we thought we would take the metro to get around Hong Kong before taking it to Disneyland. But the bellman still didn't know where to tell the cab to take us. He told us to just walk five minutes to get to the border. We inquired about the visas we would need to get back onto the mainland (as our original visas were for ONE entry), and he summoned his manager.

The manager said he would give us the address of where we would apply for the visas in Hong Kong. He said if we could apply before noon (which was doubtful) that the visas would be ready in the afternoon of the following day. We looked at each other and determined that our plan wasn't going to work. Once we leave Shenzhen, we basically need to have all of our stuff and be prepared to leave from Hong Kong.

So we took a few minutes to decide what to do instead. Mark and Brian suggested shopping at Lo Wu which is the place they wanted to go the previous night, but they ended up shopping somewhere else that had been recommended to them (and which they enjoyed). That sounded good to me. We agreed to retire early so that we could leave for Disneyland at 9 a.m. the following day (and we changed our van reservation accordingly).

We went upstairs and the twins were glad to see us. It had been a difficult 30 minutes without extra helping hands, so Peter was probably even more happy to use than the twins were.

We all went downstairs and got in a cab for Lo Wu. It took about 15 minutes to get there. It was a long walk to get from the cab area to the stores, and the girls refused to walk. Our hotel didn't have strollers for rent or for sale either.

The stores were teeming with items and salespeople were begging us to stop at their stalls. "Look here, Missy" was the typical phrase they used to get my attention. Also, men would say, "DVD, DVD" and try to get us interested in purchasing what must have been bootlegged DVDs (because many of the movies they were selling hadn't been released yet on DVD). We were not interested in DVDs, but we did get some underwear for Sienna, two shirts for each of the girls and two t-shirts for me. The most popular items were sale included handbags, clothing and DVDs. There were a lot of salons that would do manicures, pedicures and foot massages, too.

Peter went into a tea store for a sample. The woman went through an elaborate ritual to make the green tea. She kept pouring water from cup to cup. She often poured water onto a wooden frog's back. This water wasn't put into the tea though. Meanwhile, the girls were hungry, so I opened a jar of carrots. They loved it, but the orange coloring got on my pants and both of their shirts. Then Peter put a bottle of water on the floor and Sienna kicked it over (accidentally). We helped clean up the mess and decided it was time to get back to the hotel.

The one time the girls would stand on their own was on the escalators, so we opted out of the elevator for all five floors. We were about to leave the building, but it was pouring with rain. Instead, Peter watched the girls while I tried some different models of a folding bike. These bikes had a much different design than any of the folding bikes I had seen before. They didn't seem like they would do well on anything but a flat surface, but they folded into a more compact shape and were lighter than other folding bikes. I wanted to get a couple of them, but I knew I couldn't. But it was nice to give them a try in case I want to order them online in the future. (I think they would work well in London.) The brand name was "A Bicycle."I think I could have purchased one for about $50.

We walked through the mall a bit more. I finally saw a kiosk with toys. However, they didn't have the plastic triangular snake-like toy that we were looking for. (Since we didn't take the train to Shenzhen, we missed out on a potential opportunity to buy them en route.)

We walked toward a different exit and ran into Mark and Brian. They were in a store were a man kept trying to sell them iPods. However, they already have iPods. We decided we would all leave together because we were very hungry.

As we left the building, I purchased an ice cream bar for us to share. It had a picture of corn on the cob on it, so our curiosity was piqued. The novelty had an outer coating that was sort of like a cone but shaped like an ear of corn. Inside there was ice cream that tasted like corn. Sienna took the first bite and seemed to love it. All six of us -- including Scarlett -- had a few bites of it. It was different!

We got in line for a cab. It was still raining, but the cab stand area was enclosed. The driver had a hard time understanding where our hotel is located. (We were told that our hotel is only one year old, so that might account for some of the confusion.) Brian provided the driver with a hotel card and map that explained everything in Chinese. Finally he said the name of the road where the hotel was located. I was so happy that he figured out that I burst out with "Si." Everyone laughed because they knew I was trying to say "yes" in Chinese, but Spanish came out instead. (I was actually repressing my urge to say "hai" which is Japanese for yes.)

We decided that we were hungry for pizza, but we didn't know how to order from Papa John's. I thought it might be faster and easier to order from room service. I picked up the phone and ordered a vegetarian pizza and a pepperoni pizza. I asked how big the pizzas were and they said each would be enough for "one persons." That turned out to be a good description because there was enough pizza in each pie for two people, but a really hungry person might want to eat the whole thing. The girls ate hot noodles and yogurt.

After our late lunch, we decided the girls should have a nap. (The boys went upstairs and rested, too.) The girls didn't want to nap, but after about 30 minutes of play, they slept for three hours! Meanwhile, I went to a Hatha yoga class at the fitness center. I met a nice woman in the class who spoke English very well. She was Chinese, but she was originally from Toronto. There were seven students in the class.

I don't mind doing a little yoga as part of a class that includes aerobics, but an hour of yoga always seemed boring to me. But now that I am the mother of twins, I saw it a bit differently. During this hour, there would be no loud sounds, no crying, no talking (except some instructions from the teacher). For the last 15 minutes, we simply laid on our mats in a warm room with a towel covering me. While I may have thought that an hour of Zumba was what I needed, I think yoga was really a better option.

After the class I put on my swimsuit and went into the hot tub. This time I was able to turn the bubbles on. It felt fantastic!

While I was at yoga, the girls' pajamas were returned from the laundry. It cost about $13.25 to have them washed and folded. The pajamas were returned in a picnic box and looked wonderful!

The girls were still asleep went I got back. Peter asked me to go out for some groceries. It was raining, so I had to walk. I invited the boys to come with me and they agreed.

We went to several stores before we actually bought anything. (I knew what I needed, but I didn't want to carry it around.) We got some interesting ice cream bars in a drug store. Mark and Brian took them back to their room and put them in the refrigerator (on high). I then went to the market to get bananas, corn milk, regular milk, Pringles (hot and spicy), two yogurts and some candy (for presents).

When I returned, the girls were still asleep! About 30 minutes later they got up and we made them hot noodles. I made some for myself as well. (I just took the small pieces of meat out of my flavor packet.) The boys were to come down, too, but Mark was napping. Brian came down and got some noodles while Peter took the girls downstairs for a walk.

I was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep for the night. When Mark finally got up, we had him come to our room to watch the girls so I could sleep and so Peter could go to the fitness center. Mark brought my flavored ice bar with him. It had a gummy worm in it. Sienna loved it! Both girls ate bits of the flavored ice, too.

I was able to sleep until 5:20 a.m. So in two weeks, I never did get over my jet lag! (I had a friend who moved from Virginia to Australia and after three weeks, he still had jet lag.)

Aug. 14-15 at the White Swan

2007-08-15T22:51:00.000-04:00

Aug. 15

2007-08-15T18:08:00.000-04:00

Our first important agenda item was to call our guide, Lea, to find out when our van would come to take us to the Guangzhou train station. Just as we were about to dial her number, the phone rang. Lea was calling to find out what time we wanted to be picked up. Meanwhile I had Mark on the other line (Vonage) as I had called him to get Lea's phone number. Peter instead took Lea's call. He inquired about the possibility of having the van take us all the way to our hotel Shenzhen.

Lea checked into this option and called us back right away. She said that this could be accomplished quite easily. Since she hadn't purchased the train tickets yet, that money could be applied toward the van and there would be an extra charge of approximately $100. This sounded like a bargain. We were told that no porters were allowed onto the platform at the Guangzhou train station, and we have tons of luggage! Also, we'd need to get a couple of cabs in Shenzhen. This would add time and inconvenience, of course. Peter arranged for the van to come to the White Swan at noon and depart at 12:15 p.m. Lea would see us off, but then we would be on our own with the driver.

So I called the boys at the Marriott and asked them to arrive at our hotel between 10 and 10:30 a.m. so that they could watch the girls outside the room while we packed. I wanted to spend a lot of time organizing our things so that we can easily access what we need in Shenzhen, Honolulu, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh without rifling through all of the bags.

Now that the transportation was settled, we went down for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. It was less crowded at this time. I picked up everyone's favorite foods while Peter fed Scarlett on his lap. Sienna won't allow anyone to feed her at all. Even if you put something on a spoon or fork for her and then hand her the utensil, she will remove whatever was on it.

Today was a special day for Peter because I ordered him a custom-made omlette. I had to point to all of the vegetables I wanted in it, and then the chef added the cheese at the end. Peter was pleased with it.

For some reason I put my diaper bag on a chair instead of on the floor today. This made the waitresses uneasy. They kept coming over to our table and offering to cover my bag. Finally I relented. At first I thought it was just a napkin they drapped on the bag, but later I realized that it was a special covering designed to protect bags/purses. (It was like a covering for a giant toaster.) I noticed that other women had their bags covered, too.

After breakfast, we went back to the room and I took a second bath (so I could wash my hair). When I got out, I decided to put on some of the brand new underwear and socks that my mother sent me. It was like a slice of heaven.

Mark and Brian arrived just prior to 10:30 a.m. as promised. We put the girls in their strollers and the boys took them to a video store where they purchased a few DVDs in flat full-color packaging (rather than in a thick case). After that, they went over to Stella's and bought a few more items. They gave the strollers back, too.

Back in the room, the packing continued. We designated several bags that would contain items that we would not need to access during the rest of the trip. And then we put all of the girls' items together, all of Peter's items together and all of my items together. I organized my newspapers and books. I also used the computer to get the address, phone number and hotel directions for the Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen. I even copied down the map provided.

Mark and Brian brought the twins up to the room. The girls were in red (Scarlett) and brown (Sienna) t-shirts with jeans shorts. Some people in the elevator greeted them by name. They told Mark and Brian that these are the "famous twins." So apparently we have a well-read blog! :)

At about 11:45 a.m., Peter, assisted by a bellhop, went downstairs with most of the luggage. He took Scarlett with him as well. I continued to pack the remaining "loose ends," and then Mark and Brian helped me carry everything downstairs. Sienna wanted to carry a bag that was too big for her, so Mark let her hold one of the handles (while he bore all of the weight in the other handle).

Lea spoke to our van driver about the location of the hotel. She referred to my directions and the hand-drawn map. The driver also phoned the hotel to get more information. We thanked Lea for all of her help and gave her a cash tip and a bag of American goodies (Mickey Mouse items, Post-Its and chocolate bars). Peter pre-paid (and tipped) the driver.

We pulled out of the parking lot at 12:16 p.m. We had nine bags and quite a few carry-ons. The van's seating area was spacious. I started out with a row of seats to myself. Peter had both girls on his row, and Mark and Brian sat in the back. Within five minutes Sienna fell asleep, so we laid her on my row and I sat on the end. About 10 minutes later, Scarlett fell asleep and stayed with Peter. Both girls slept the entire way.

We enjoyed looking out the windows and seeing more of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). We were impressed with how large the city it. Peter said that the population is similar to that of New York City.

The boys hadn't eaten anything all day, so I got out some pizza and chicken that I had for them. I served them a cold Capri Sun in a sippy cup (minus the lid) and they supplemented it with a can of Coke that wasn't very cold. I finished the basil and cheese pasta and broccoli from Lucy's. Peter said he would eat something later.

The roads we took to Shenzhen were populated the entire way. It wasn't as crowded at some points, but it certainly wasn't rural either. Shenzhen is within Guangdong Province (which is the same province that Guangzhou is in), but it has been designated as a "Special Economic Zone." This means that you need to have a special visa if you want to go into (and out of) neighboring Hong Kong. There is a proposal to combine Shenzhen in with Hong Kong so that it was be an global economic powerhouse on par with New York and London.

We were 99% of the way there when the driver made a cell phone call to get directions. It turned out that he hadn't made any wrong turns, but he was uncertain where to go next. Within a couple of minutes, we were at the hotel. It took about 2.5 hours for the journey which is longer than we expected since the express train can do it in one hour, and the regular train can do it in two hours. (However, our hotel is about 20 minutes by cab from the train station.) But without all of the transfers, I'm sure we still saved time. And we definitely saved anguish! It was like riding in "upper class" (that's the upstairs first class cabin on a plane) vs. "steerage."

We put our luggage on two big carts. Brian noticed a bag in the van and he told Mark to grab it. It turned out that it was the driver's lunch! Fortunately the driver noticed the honest mistake. We gave the driver a bag of American goodies and thanked him for driving us.

We checked into the hotel. Our rooms were not on the same floor, but they are in the same tower (since there is only one). We had to have both luggage carts come to our room so we could take off the proper items, and then the remaining suitcases went up to the boys' room.

By this time, the twins were hungry. I got out some yogurts and Cheerios. That kept Sienna busy. I fed some of it to Scarlett, too. Then I opened some chicken and rice baby food. Scarlett loved it. Sienna demanded that she have some, too, and I acquiesed. As a result, I had to open a second big jar. They were really hungry!

I made Peter a vegetable sandwich to go with his tea. He was able to make calls to his family in England using the Vonage. (I had made a test call to my mother to see if it would work, and she answered right away. Then I realized that it was 3:15 a.m. on her side of the world. I told her everything was fine, that we made it to Shenzhen okay, and that we would call her at another time.)

I went up to the boys' room to discuss our plans for Shenzhen. Mark and Brian mentioned that they wanted to do some shopping in Shenzhen that evening. We also discussed that perhaps Mark, Brian and I should go to Hong Kong on Thursday and even to Hong Kong Disneyland (for the latter part of the day, which could include fireworks). We couldn't get assurance that the girls could go into Hong Kong and come back out, so Peter agreed to stay in Shenzhen with them. He went to Hong Kong in 1985, so he is willing to let us see it, too. Also, we won't be able to stay for the fireworks at Disneyland on Friday, so we thought the three of us could do that on Thursday.

Mark and Brian asked me to look at the other hotel amenities (particularly the restaurants) and give them a report. So I took some time to walk around. All of the restaurants were formal except for a gourmet coffee shop in the ground floor. I also discovered the fantastic fitness center. It has state-of-the art equipment plus a hot tub, cold tub, sauna and steamroom. Also, there would be a "dancing" class at 6:30 p.m. I was sold!

The boys came down to our room and we decided on the final plan for the evening. Mark and Brian would take a cab to the shopping area they wanted to see. They would take a Hong Kong guidebook with them in case they got confused. And they would take a hotel business card (with Chinese characters) with them so they could show the returning cab driver where to go. Peter would take the girls on a walk around the hotel. (No strollers were available though.) And I would ride on my ride to a grocery store to get the necessary provisions (e.g., water, milk, instant noodles in a bowl, fruit, Sprite). And that is what we did.

It turned out that there was a convenience store within walking distance of the hotel, so Peter was able to get a few items there. I didn't know this, so I still got a full order at a medium-sized supermarket. I purchased six bags of groceries for less than $7. (Water is only about 15 cents per bottle.) On the way back, it looked like it would rain, but I made it back without getting wet.

I put the groceries away and talked to Peter about my plans for the night. He agreed to watch the girls while I went to the gym. I told him I would be gone about an hour and 45 minutes (which I was).

When I got to the gym, they told me that the class wasn't just "dancing," but more precisely "belly dancing." I wasn't discouraged though. In fact, it was exciting since I had never had a belly dancing class before.

The fitness center featured a locker room with special changing areas. They gave me a bracelet with a magnet on it that would open locker 140. Inside the locked was a pair of flip flops. I also picked up a bathrobe and plush towel.

The class started about seven minutes early and ended about seven minutes late, so I got more than my money's worth ($10). There were nine women in the class. Three of the women (in the front row) and the teacher wore skirts with jangling coins on top of their work out clothes. No one used castinettes -- although that would have been easier to create (by taping coins to ones fingers) than a special skirt. (Later I saw that the skirts were for sale at the front desk of the fitness center.)

The class was conducted entirely in Chinese. The only words the teacher said that I understood were those for the numbers one through eight. But I was able to understand the song lyrics (some were instrumental but those with lyrics were in English). We learned a number of steps that later were combined to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" (which is in Spanish and English).

It was a low-impact aerobic workout designed to increase the heart rate not of the participant, but of the participant's audience. In that respect, the class seemed particularly vocational rather than merely recreational.

I really enjoy taking group exercise classes while traveling -- especially in another country, and especially in another language. I took some classes in Japan. Interestingly one of the classes was Chinese tai chi. Then in China, I took Middle Eastern belly dancing. So if I visit Morocco or Turkey, I bet I will take Japanese sumo wrestling! I've also Jazzercised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and I joined LA Fitness in London for a week in June. And I've gone to numerous gyms stateside.

After the class, I changed into my swimsuit. I stood in the steam room for a minute and then got in the hot tub. I didn't know how to make the bubbles come out stronger. The water was extremely hot. I felt like I was the main ingredient for soup! After that, I sat in the sauna for a few minutes to dry off.

I went upstairs and told Peter all about my experience. I think the only words he heard were "steam room." He simply loves to sit in a steam room. There is a steam room in the Four Points by Sheraton Panama where we often stay, and he loves it! I can barely go in. But I like knowing that there actually is a limit to the amount of heat and humidity that I can tolerate.

Peter had fed the girls hot noodles for dinner while I was at the gym. Sienna also ate a banana. The girls were just beginning their bath when I got back from the gym. I put the girls in their pajamas. Peter brushed their teeth with the new, child-size toothbrushes that Granny had sent. This made a big difference! The plan was to put the girls in bed with me and for us to fall asleep together. Meanwhile, Peter would go to the fitness center.

Sienna was a little worried when Baba left the room and didn't immediately come back. She kept asking for him. I tried to reassure her. The best way to do that, I found, was to distract her by playing with her kitchen set on the bed. Neither girl seemed ready to retire. After all, it was only 9 p.m. and each of them had napped for more than two hours.

Eventually I started to turn off the various lights. I was ready for bed! I'm not sure what time Peter came back from the gym. He put the sleeping girls in the other bed. (Instead of using cribs, they are sharing a full-size bed.) And he curled up with me in our bed. I believe Peter said he spoke with Mark and Brian and that they had a good time on their shopping trip.

I slept soundly until 5:40 a.m. I'll likely sleep until 6 a.m. tomorrow which means that I was have recovered from jetlag just as we are leaving China.

Aug. 14 photos

2007-08-14T19:37:00.001-04:00

Aug. 13 photos

2007-08-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

Aug. 14

2007-08-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

I went to bed with a splitting headache. I slept well, but I still have the headache. So I will write what I can.

We went down to breakfast around 7:45 a.m. I'm not sure how we were able to go down so early on a morning when I slept in until 5:30 a.m.

We had our usual foods. Scarlett doesn't like oatmeal by itself, but if it is mixed with yogurt and congee, she eats it without complaint. Sienna again fixated on her two new favorite breakfast foods: baked beans (popular in England, especially if served on toast) and scrambled eggs.

After breakfast, I tried to call Brian, but his cell phone line was busy. I tried again and it still was busy. I called his mother and her line was busy, so I knew the boys were awake. I called my mother and spoke to her briefly because we were in a hurry. I tried to reach Brian again and got his voice mail. I left a message stating that we would be at their hotel between 9:20 and 9:30 a.m. As soon as I left the message I tried him again, but his voice mail picked up.

Just then our guide for the day, Daniel, knocked on our door. Peter told him we would need five more minutes. We scrambled to get ready. All of the other adoptive families in our group were going on a bus to the Guangzhou Zoo. However, the six of us were slated to go to White Cloud Mountain. We would have been happy with the zoo, but no one gave us the option. (The travel agent simply selected our activities.) Going on our own worked out, though, because it meant that our van could go and pick up Mark and Brian at their hotel. They stayed at "A China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel." It is 12 minutes away by cab ($2). They said that since they requested a non-smoking room they were upgraded to a "deluxe room" that was quite spacious.

We got to their hotel and they weren't in the lobby. Peter called their room and learned that Brian was in the shower. They hadn't gotten my message about the pick up time. I was under the impression that we had set the pick up time the night before and that my call was a wake up call for them. But apparently they hadn't understood that. It took them 30 minutes to come out to the van. Fortunately we didn't have other families waiting. The girls didn't seem to mind sitting in the van with me either. The boys ate some breakfast items I brought with me on our ride.

White Cloud Mountain wasn't very far from the city center. When we arrived, the guide purchased our tickets and we boarded aeriel trams to take us up the mountain. I was a bit nervous because the mountain is more than 8,000 high (and my body doesn't tolerate high altitudes well), but we didn't go to the extreme top. Plus 8,000 feet is a lot lower than the Andes Mountains of Peru where last summer I did have some problems with the altitude (at 14,000 feet).

There were rules posted on the aerial tram which we read on our long journey to the top. They were a bit funny to read -- particularly the rule about not riding the tram if you have "bibulosity." We honestly didn't know what the translator was trying to convey, and we laughed heartily all morning about it. (I have since Googled the term and now believe they were trying to say that you shouldn't ride the tram if you have been drinking heavily.) Our guide pointed out the tallest building in Guangzhou (near the U.S. consulate), and Peter asked him what the tallest building was in Beijing. The guide replied, "The tallest building in Beijing is in Shanghai." We found this to be funny, too! Again, we knew we shouldn't laugh because we know very little Chinese and shouldn't judge, but it still seemed humorous.

Even though there were a lot of steps to go up and down, I was glad we had the girls in their strollers. It is easier to carry a girl in a stroller up and down steps than it is to carry just a girl. And the strollers also restrain the girls from running off or getting into (most but not all forms of) mischief.

Mark and Brian have been a big help. They helped with the strollers and would entertain the girls. They help us keep an eye on the twins. We have been sticking with the red and brown colors to help them quickly distinguish between the girls from all angles.

We looked out at the city which was far below us. We weren't sure if it was really a "white cloud" that we were seeing or if "white cloud" were a euphemistic term spun by a public relations guru in lieu of "smog."

Before going down the mountain, I took Sienna to the restroom. The only available stalls had squat toilets and she refused to use them. Finally a woman emerged from the one stall with a Western toilet. Sienna was happy to use it. However, there was no sink in the restroom for us to wash our hands. Right outside the restroom there was one sink for both men and women to use, but it wasn't working! I felt so unclean.

We all rode back to the White Swan. Peter insisted on stopping to see the koi at the waterfall, but we stayed for only a moment. My hands felt so unclean that I couldn't stand it. I just hand to wash them.

So we went up to the room. By now it was time for lunch. We ate sandwiches and muffins in the room. Scarlett ate one of the big jars of turkey and rice baby food sent by her Granny. She again ate every bite -- although this jar was twice the size of the one she had the day before. Sienna's version of a sandwich is merely a slice of bread. She refuses to have anything on it.

Brian took a few moments on the computer to download a photo with all six of us so that he could put it on his MySpace page. Meanwhile, Mark and I went down to pick up our laundry and to get some water at 7-11. We noticed that they sell chicken feet in a package (similar to a beef jerky package), and you could see the actual claws and everything. I went back to the room to get ready for our next event, and Mark stayed down for 15 more minutes to see some of the other vendors' wares.

We all had to get on the bus at 2:30 p.m. so that we could go to the U.S. consulate to get the girls' visas (in their Chinese passports). Sienna always heads straight for the back of the bus since that is were we sat the first time when we came from the airport. Each bus is a little different, but they all have five seats across the back. One time a little boy from another family insisted on sitting back there with us. We had no problem with that and neither did his parents.

The girls also sat in seats with Mark and Brian. They have no problem being with their new uncle and cousin -- even if Peter and I aren't in sight. It has been helpful to have "extra hands," too. That will be particularly important as we enter into the final phase of our trip when we no longer have a guide with us.

On the way to the consulate, the twins took an interest in the Lay's Stax potato chips I had gotten at 7-11. They were lime flavored. There were hardly any chips in the tall canister. Sienna liked to play with them and eat one every now and then. Scarlett like the can itself. She also accepted quite a few bites of the chips. Even though chips are "junk food," I was pleased that she would BITE into something so dry. All of the other foods she has accepted have been soft and watery and require minimal chewing. So this seemed like progress.

There were many adoptive families going to the U.S. consulate at the same time. It was an excellent opportunity for photos -- except that cameras aren't allowed in the building. I would estimate that there were about 40 adoptive families there (which amounted to about 100 people). The parents had to stand and take an oath that affirmed that all of the information provided to complete the documents was "true to the best of our abilities and beliefs."

We were given some additional paperwork as well. We will need to come through the Non-U.S. Citizens line when we land in Hononlulu. (We change planes in Guam, but we won't go through U.S. Customs until we get to Hawaii.) We will present the paperwork and the girls' Chinese passports. Once their passports are stamped, they will officially become U.S. citizens. It will take 45 days to get the paperwork in the mail though. If we want to get them U.S. passports (to travel to England), we learned that we can take their stamped passports to a passport agency in the States and request an expedited passport. It was cost about $300 each which is perhaps three times the normal price.

After we left the consulate, some of the people in our group boarded a van that took them to the airport to fly back to the U.S. The rest of us got on our regular bus and went back to the White Swan for one more night before going our separate ways. Some people are going to fly home from Guangzhou and some will spend time in Hong Kong and fly out from there. (We are heading to Shenzhen and Hong Kong and will fly out of Hong Kong in three days.)

When we got back to the room, Peter made some tea and the rest of us had some sort of snack. We had been planning to take turns riding the bike, but the weather was now very windy and somewhat rainy.

Eventually the five of us (all but Peter) went down to the gift shop/laundry to see Stella. We were able to get squeaky shoes for the girls in the same color and style. However, the shoes are too small for Sienna already. But the sandals cost only $3 a pair, and she didn't seem to mind the fit. She can just wear them as a demonstration for everyone who has never seen or heard squeaky shoes. At first Scarlett's shoes didn't squeak when she walked, but she quickly figured out how to do it. After a while, the squeaking becomes annoying. I think that is why the shoes only come in small sizes (because smaller children walk less than older ones, so there is less squeaking to deal with). Brian and Mark selected a few items, too.

The boys took the girls over to a video store while I went up to the room to get Peter for dinner. We still wanted to get the food "to go," but he wanted to come along. We went to Lucy's which had a Westernized menu. We ordered basil and cheese pasta, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Mark and Brian both ordered cheeseburgers and fries.

Sienna was misbehaving in the restaurant and refused to sit in her stroller, so Peter and I took the girls back to the room after we ordered. Mark and Brian went to 7-11 to get drinks (Mark got Coke and Brian got mint-flavored Sprite which another customer in the store told him is unique to China). Then they brought the food to our room (in POURING rain).

Meanwhile, Peter had made a big pot of instant noodles for the girls. They were hungry and couldn't wait. When the food arrived, I cut the broccoli in pieces and mixed it in with the mashed potatoes, and Scarlett loved it! They had had their fill of noodles, so Peter and I got to enjoy them ourselves. Mark and Brian said their hamburger meat was different than in the States, but they gave it high marks. Brian said the mint-flavored Sprite was unusual. He drank the whole bottle, but he said he prefers regular Sprite. (I wonder which flavor the Buddha prefers as an offering?)

After dinner, Mark and Brian went downstairs to get a cab. I hope they didn't have a long wait like they did last time. They said there was a big line of people waiting for taxis the previous night and not many cabs were coming in. Since the weather was again rainy, it seemed likely that it might take a while to get a ride.

Peter gave the girls a bath while I laid on the bed with a splitting headache. I helped dry off the girls and put them into their pajamas. They cuddled with me in my bed as the three of us fell asleep. Peter then put the girls in their respective cribs. Sienna seems like she would like to have her own "big girl" bed, while Scarlett will probably need a crib at home -- at least to begin with.

It's almost time to get the girls up, but first I will have a bath. Thank goodness my headache is nearly gone as today will be a big day with a lot of packing and logistics to worry about.

Aug. 13

2007-08-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

When will Uncle Mark and Cousin Brian arrive? That was the big question. We knew that their flight from LA had been delayed significantly due to a computer glitch that affected more than 20,000 people. We had reason to believe that their flight which was scheduled to depart at 11:50 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 11 actually departed at 7:07 a.m. on Sun., Aug. 12. We believed the flight would still last 16.5 hours. But the airline was telling us the flight would arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. That didn't make sense.

Meanwhile, we had to worry about our U.S. consulate appointment. Although we didn't actually have to go to the appointment (our guide Lee handles the paperwork), we did need to be in the room from 10 a.m. to noon in case there were questions, in which case she would call. So we got the girls up around 7:45 a.m. for breakfast.

Scarlett enjoyed congee, oatmeal, yogurt with bananas and rolled oats, and milk. Sienna started off with yogurt with banana, some Chinese noodles and a piece of french bread, but she quickly turned her focus to two new foods: baked beans and scrambled eggs. Peter and I had our usual breakfast favorites, too.

We made it back to our room by 10 a.m. I traded e-mail messages with my mother and aunt to get the latest information on the plane delay. Then I realized that I had never tried to use my Vonage V-phone from the White Swan. (It hadn't worked in any of the other hotels.) I put the small stick into my computer and the software popped up. I dialed my mother's phone number, it rang about two times and the next thing you know, I was speaking to her! Not only that, but I was using a local Pennsylvania phone number, so the call was completely free (rather than a penny per minute if I had used our Florida phone number).

My mother finally had a chance to hear the twins blabbing in the background. Sienna even put the earpieces in so she could hear my mother. She repeated some basic words for her, too, such as Baba, Mama, Shu Shu, hello and ni hao. We then called my aunt, and she spoke to her as well.

We determined that if the boys didn't get in until 4:30 p.m. that it would be too late for them to do the river cruise and that they should instead take a cab directly to their hotel. But if they arrived at 1 p.m. (which it seemed that they should), that they should take a cab directly to the White Swan. My aunt said my cousin would be calling her on his cell phone when they landed, and that she would give them my hotel phone number, room number and Vonage phone number.

Peter and I had to vacate the room around 12:30 p.m. so that the housekeeper could come in. We took the girls for a stroll around Shamian Island. And, of course, we dropped off more laundry. We tried desperately to find "squeaky shoes" for the girls, but apparently they don't come in a size big enough to fit a three-year-old.

We came back to the room and the housekeeper wasn't finished yet. So we went downstairs to the Swan Room which is a big playroom filled with toys. Both girls enjoyed playing there, but it was obvious that Scarlett was a bit more tired than her sister. After about 20 minutes, I took Scarlett upstairs with me. I needed to get back on the computer so I could see if a phone call was coming in from my brother and cousin.

The housekeeper was still cleaning the room, but I explained that Scarlett and I needed to come in anyway. She was almost done. She emptied a waste basket and gave us more toiletries and left. I noticed on my "call history" that Brian had called twice (and left messages).

Rather than listen to the messages, I quickly dialed his cell phone number and he answered. He passed me to my brother. Mark informed me that the two of them were in a cab and heading for the White Swan. He said they had yuan and could pay for the cab, but he asked me to stay at the computer in case they called again.

Then Peter and Sienna arrived at the room. Before Peter could go down to the lobby to meet the boys, they knocked on the door. It was about 3:30 p.m. when they arrived at our room. They had all of their luggage with me. My brother had a heavy duffle bag filled with items I had "ordered" from Target (via my mother) plus old copies of USA TODAY.

I made sandwiches and other foods for the boys and gave them Sprite. They weren't sure if they were hungry or tired. They just said their bodies and minds felt confused. We opened one of the jars of baby food my mother had sent. It was pureed turkey. Scarlett loved it and wolfed it down!

Interestingly, the boys new less about the cause and nature of the plane delay (from their personal experiences) than I knew about it from reading an online account by the LA Times. They said they had to sleep on the floor and that there were people everywhere. There were security guards monitoring the longline at McDonald's. Ham and cheese sandwiches and cans of Coca-Cola were distributed to the stranded passengers.

When they finally boarded the flight, they waited 90 minutes before they took off. And to make matters worse, my brothers personal in-flight entertainment system didn't work, while Brian's worked "intermittently." After all the anguish I had gone through to finalize the purchase of their tickets (a simple transaction you would think, but it wasn't), it really didn't surprise me that they had to endure all of this additional bother.

After catching up, we got ready for the Pearl River cruise. We all went downstairs and boarded the bus shortly after 5:30 p.m. While we were on the bus, I realized that I hadn't brought any diapers or wipes for Scarlett. Fortunately there was a 7-11 across from the boat dock, so I ran over to get the necessary supplies. She already was in need of a change before we even boarded the boat.

Even though this was to be a "river cruise," the Pearl River apparently mixes with the ocean. I'm told the water is salty. I could see the boat bobbing up and down, so I decided to take a Dramamine because the pills take 30-45 minutes to take effect.

The medicine definitely worked. I could tell as we boarded that I would have had a horrible time if I hadn't taken the pill. Fortunately the other five people in our party were handling the small "waves" with no problems. I selected a table in the center of the boat (to minimize the rocking sensation) even though it was reserved for another group. However, that group probably was excited to instead have our window view.

Peter was about to take Sienna to the restroom when he discovered that she had had a big, wet accident that affected her panties and shorts. (She absolutely refused to use the bathroom back at the hotel and the one at the boat dock was unsuitable.) So he put her in a diaper which didn't fit at all. Oh, well.

As soon as the boat left the dock, the buffet dinner was ready. Peter got food for the girls and me, and Mark and Brian were able to easily find items they liked (including Pepsi). Sienna enjoyed eating rice and noodles. Scarlett didn't eat much because she had had her fill of the turkey dinner before the boat ride. Peter had a hearty meal of vegetables, rice and noodles. I had some noodles and vegetables. The celery was particularly good. We then had watermelon for dessert.

We kept going down the river and we weren't sure if we were going to turn around or else meet the bus at a different dock. Peter asked our guide how much more of the trip remained. (We were just passing our hotel, and I was about ready to swim to shore.) She said that we were "three-thirds of the way back." Peter quickly replied, "So we're there." Brian and I looked at each other and burst out laughing uncontrollably. (I think she meant three-fourths of the way there. I felt guitly for laughing because I wish we could speak Chinese half as well as our guide speaks English.) Soon the boat turned around and the pace picked up considerably.

After a 90-minute ride, we were back at the dock and ready to disembark. But now it was raining very hard. We ran into the terminal and waited for the bus. The rain poured even harder. We shared umbrellas and got to the bus.

Back at the hotel, the boys phoned home (as it was now a more reasonable hour to make calls to the States). They had to answer the most common question of "What time is it there?" This is a question that answers itself. At this time of year, whatever the time is on the East Coast (9 a.m.) it is exactly 12 hours later here in China (9 p.m.). And we are 12 hours ahead rather than behind.

Peter went downstairs with the boys and their luggage to help them catch a cab. The girls had had a bath and were in their pajamas and ready for bed. No one had had a nap today, so we were exhausted! It took 30 minutes for them to get a cab to take the boys to their hotel.

Peter stopped by the gift shop/laundry and apologized that we hadn't come in for noodles. He dropped off some more items to be cleaned and came back to the room. Scarlett and I were asleep, but Sienna was still awake. He put them in their respective cribs and went to bed.

I slept until 5:25 a.m.! That is a new record for me on this trip! I felt refreshed!!!

Eating noodles on Aug. 12

2007-08-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

More Aug. 12 photos

2007-08-12T18:21:00.000-04:00

Aug. 12 photos

2007-08-12T18:00:00.000-04:00