Growing Snowflowers

Good Morning Guangzhou!

Well, it's Sunday night and we arrived in Guangzhou
yesterday afternoon after a hellish flight from
Nanchang! To be honest with you we were relieved to
be back on Shaiman Island, I know it's not the
international adventure we had hoped for, but the
comfort and security of the familiar was indeed a
relief.

CCAI's Guangzhou guides met us at the airport, and I
have to say, seeing Jason's smiling face was the best
welcome we could have hoped for! Jason(our guide in
2005) and Kathy(his co-guide)are just wonderful!! We
adore them!

Paisley has finally started to drop her guard, she is
eating and drinking at about 65-70% right now, a vast
improvement from just a few days ago. She sneaks a
smile out here and there, and is slowly becoming
adjusted to being in such a stimulating environment.
We think the first week was like going from mono AM
radio to Dolby 7.1 THX surround sound!! So much
stimulation!

Our biggest struggle however is not Paisley, the shift
has been quite dramatic in the last few days as Piper
battles with her demons...she is rebelling against her
parents and the world with a passion! Both her
withered parents are at our wits end...so tomorrow,
instead of going on the city tour to the Chen family
museum and the Buddhist temple for a blessing Mummy &
Piper will stay on the Island and let Daddy take
Paisley for the day. I think it's time for an
extended nap and a run around on the playground for
Piper. We hope this transition will become easier as
time passes, but in the meantime...pray for us and
send holy water!!!(just enough energy left to crack a
joke!)

We are so tired we can barely function, but we have
had wonderful support from our guides and a few of our
fellow travelers. We are really enjoying spending
time with several of the couples in our travel group.

Today we took the famous photo on the RED COUCH,
thirteen of the most beautiful babies you have ever
laid eyes on!! They did surprisingly well, and the
photos turned out great!

But..do you want to know the very very best thing of
all about being on Shaiman Island?...STARBUCKS! They
built a freaking Starbucks on the Island and we are
not just happy but ECSTATIC about it! Forget squeaky
shoes and souvenirs, I'm talking caramel macchiatos
baby!! Hallelujah!!

By the way...I did pick up just a couple of pairs of
squeaky shoes...Paisley is nowhere near walking but
they are just too darn cute to pass up! Piper even
scored a pair!

We don't have too much more to get, just a couple of
peasant paintings for Paisley's bedroom..this time we
are just too exhausted to do much more than survive!

Tomorrow we have Paisleys medical exam...that'll be a
hoot I'm sure. It's not really what I'd describe as
a 'real' physical, it's more of a...how do you say
'for show' medical...a legal thing. They'll weigh
Paisley, measure her, do a hearing test(shake rattle
in front of her to see if she flinches)...etc.
fun times...good times.

We leave Guangzhou on Thursday afternoon, fly to Hong
Kong and leave for San Fransisco late in the
evening...we'll be home on the 28th...to be honest, I
cannot wait.

Pictures are coming, promise!