Ni hao from Shanghai!

Today just did not lend itself to photos, so I'll share some cute ones from previous days:

Reading on a bus ride:

Medora upside down:

We had an absurdly early morning wake up call today to catch our flight to Shanghai.  UGH.  We had the kids sleep in their clothes, which helped with rolling them out of bed early.  The flight was tough.  We had 2 seats in row 35, and 3 seats in row 39.  So not close enough to easily share food and toys.  I sat with Xin Yi in row 35, and Eric sat with the big girls in row 39.  Xin Yi was doing pretty well and even let me put the seat belt on her without much fuss ... until we sat on the tarmac for 60 minutes.  All electronics had to be off, seat belts on, can't get up.  It was not so pretty.  A helpful Chinese older woman seated behind us talked with Xin Yi while she was melting down and that helped ... I wish I knew what she said.   It was very kind of her. The businessman seated next to us will likely never ever have a child after dealing with XinYi for 3 hours.  Then an hour taxi ride to the hotel.  But we made it!

The hotel in Shanghai has a very nice pool and hot tub.  We stayed here in 2009 and requested it again, since aquatics is a popular activity with the whole family.

Tomorrow we have the day to ourselves; we'll hit the crazy YuYuan market to get a scrapbook for XinYi - we have gotten scrapbooks for both Medora & Lian there.  And we are meeting friends for dinner at their favorite local place, which should be really cool.   They are expats living in Shanghai who just adopted a little boy.

Monday we visit Kunshan Social Welfare Institute, where Lian spent her first 4 years.  We didn't visit it in 2009, and I am really looking forward to seeing it.

Tuesday we visit Shanghai Children's Welfare Institute, where Medora spent her first 3 years.  We did visit in 2008, but Medora is looking forward to seeing it as a 7 year old - she doesn't remember much.

And on Wednesday, with a healthy dose of dread as well as pleasure, we start the journey home.  Our flight departs Shanghai at noon and arrives in Denver at 5 PM.  Sounds so simple!   **shudder**

Sorry no great photos today - just surviving the flight and handling munchkins.  A few more cute ones from previous days that I haven't shared:

XinYi and her best friend AiNian.  Turns out AiNian is going home to Colorado too!  We'll get together this summer.

Rocking the swimming goggles and subway map: