Ni Hao!

If you are fluent in Chinese like we are, thanks to Kai Lan, then you know where we "went" today!

CHINA!

As the day dawned at oh bright 6:00 a.m. with Allye's sweet voice calling me out of my deep slumber, excitement filled my veins.  After a nice warm bottle and a little rock back to sleep I was off to conquer the day.  Ok, I actually slumped back to my room turned on the heater in the bathroom and sat in the shower with hot water pouring over me and praying, "Dear Lord.  Please let this be a success.   Let my girls love this and let us be happy together."  TAP, TAP on the shower door.  "Mommy, my tummy doesn't feel good."  I look up, like, "Hello, were you listening to me?  I was talking to you."  I put on my smile and the day begins.

My rambunctious Olivia had a tummy ache.  To bed she went with remote in hand.  Followed minutes later by sleepy Addison.  I, however, am  now perky and ready for the day.  Fast forward an hour.  Breakfast begins.  Olivia is not allowed anything but toast, which she accepts then rejects.  Addison orders eggs.  Addison eats her eggs.  Addison throws her hand over her mouth after the last bite of two scrambled eggs and does NOT make it to the bathroom.  People, I can't make this up.  Now you know I have been a mother for quite some time when I run hold her hair over the toilet and on my way back to get the cleaner I take a couple bites of breakfast.  Addison is down.  Ok, 2 down, 1 to go.  Really?  Really?  This is the moment that you are like "I paid for this vacation and we are doing it no matter what.  Put your trash cans in the car."  So, I let some time pass.  Maybe 15.243 minutes and they were in the kitchen and ready to "do something".  "Fabulous!" I say.  Here we GO!

First I teach them about about these special stamps that the Chinese have that are like signatures, sometimes called Chops.  They are beautifully and intricately made.  I happen to own one.  Which happens when your step-brother lives in Hong Kong for two years.  I so forgot the picture of this.  Perhaps because I was protecting it with my life.  One of a kind things...minor details.  I tell them we are going to make one...just not the intricate kind.  They love this!  So, we take our pre-cut foam pieces (thank you Man)

Then we "carve", with a ball point pen, their initials on the bottom...in reverse...and then we test them out!

Of course, we needed something official to "sign" so we painted the flag of China!

Next we read about the ants that dance with Kai Lan!  Of course, we colored her too!

 Then we got dinner in the crock pot, packed our stuff, and headed out to lunch.  Where else?  The Chinese Buffet!

I was told that this was an official visit so they had to eat with chopsticks.  Oh my!  I really thought we would be there all day while I learned to yield rice on a stick and feed them.  WRONG!  They did it all by themselves and never turned to the fork.  Ok, I was impressed!

Apparently it was a little too long for Allye.  She r.e.a.l.l.y let us know that as Addison was trying to cram her fortune cookie down amongst the ever increasing cries.

Therefore, we did not stop, we did not collect $200, we drove straight home...in fear.  Fear that she might make us deaf.  And then there was silence...for two and a half hours!  

And after a little rest for the girls they were ready again!  So, I laid this out...

And this is what they saw!

The Chinese Zodiac signs!  We studied these the night before!  I just love when they say, "WOW, How did you do that?"

We played more then once, matter-of-fact I think I could pass on Memory for a few years days now.

Then Daddy came home...yeah...they couldn't figure that out either.  And he got the last project of the day.... It started something like this...

And turned into this!

PANDAS!  

After slaving over the stove crock pot all day I served up vegetable fried rice and Asian Pork with Mushrooms and it looked something like this...

 

It was awesome!  Then I pulled out all the stops and we brought out this...

And they did this...

While Allye got a bath...

Hey! Wait a second here...

We were caught!

Red handed!

We settled in for the first part of a Dr. Seuss documentary told using his stories and then we were off to bed to read...Dr. Seuss of course.  What else?  

We hope you enjoyed traveling through China with us!

P.S. Addison informed me at bedtime that she will NOT be having eggs this the morning.