Bottle Caps and Shopping

Ally and Alaina have decided that it's fun to collect bottle caps (from water, cokes, etc) and each have a substantial collection. I don't know that either of them really cares about them, but they are very quick to let us know if one has more than the other! Anyway...

Today we went to the Chenn Family Academy/Temple. It was nice to walk around in the plesant weather, as opposed to the sweltering heat of July! We enjoyed talking with the other families in our group and just relaxing. I sure do wish everyone lived close by, so we could continue to see each other. Everyone is so friendly and gets along great! One family (Cole's mom) does live in Lilburn, so they are fairly close! I hope we can keep in touch - maybe Frannie can have a boyfriend!

From there we went to the market and got some pearls for Alaina. We also got a few more DVDs and pearl earrings for the girls. Lauren got a special gift from one of the other dads - pearl earrings. Lauren had helped him out by playing with his little boy, Garrett, during our paperwork meeting. Garrett's dad is travelling alone and Lauren's playing with Garrett allowed his dad to focus on the paperwork! She was so surprised and excited! We joined most of the other families at Pizza Hut and had a pepperoni and a cheese pizza - it was SO good, except for the Pepsi, no Coke issue!!! S and L took on the challenge of the fruit bar (thanks Jodi for the picture).

When we got back, we ran out with Ann (a personal shopper?) and she took us to the wholesale area (where the shops buy their stuff) and we got a few things. If you have ever been to the Apparel Mart in Atlanta, it's like that, only on sterroids! Serious sterroids! SO many people - more than I could ever imagine without seeing it first hand...

We ate dinner at the deli beside the White Swan - every time I get a cold Coke Light, I just love it! By this time, A and A were tired, so I took them back to the hotel. Ally was asleep before we got upstairs, so Alaina and I had some time together, while Doug took S and L out for more shopping. Alaina got a bath and we organized the things we had bought today and she helped me with my counting skills.

Alaina had a little bit of a rough day. I think she was still feeling a little bad from her shots. She was a bit clingy to me, as was Ally, which caused a few tears (but not from me - ha!). If I was carrying Ally, Alaina wanted me to hold her hand with the hand I was holding Ally with... Also, we have a battle over the elevator buttons (isn't this so common among siblings close in age?). So, Ally gets the outside button and Alaina gets the inside button - end of story! Not really, they still run to get there and try to tackle each other to get to that button!

A good day, but we are all really tired. I have enjoyed the trip so much this time. The weather is a huge factor; when we were here in July 2007, it was just too hot to even enjoy being outside. I think I am more relaxed about the idea of being in China. Last time I was so consumed with what we ate and touched and where we went. We now have our bearings and are comfortable with getting around Shamin Island. I am still a hand sanitizer fanatic and try to keep everyone from touching anything. Since Ally is now potty trained, we have used lots of squattie potties. Alaina is a pro and can do it all by herself, but Ally has not idea and says that they are "broken potties". I agree. The rest of us have avoided them (I'm sure you are glad to hear that much detail).

Just a few more days - we are really enjoying this trip so much! The dry air in the hotel is getting to me. I have almost lost my voice. Believe me, it's hard to keep quiet when corralling all these girls!