Settling in

Peyton seems to like her new home! She runs around with the other children like she has been here all her life. The only issue is sleeping. She doesn't particularly want to do that! Things are improving, but she is still waking up every few hours and stays awake for several hours during the night. We are all battling jet lag, and hers is compounded by excitement, fear and who knows what else. I can't even imagine what all must be going on in that little head!

She is really catching on to our routines and understands that Dad and the older kids leave for work and school in the mornings . . . and that they come back! Tyler has been staying home with us to help her get used to everything. They have really hit it off, and we are hoping that will help when she starts transitioning to preschool since she will be in the same class with him.

When we were in China, she always wanted a jacket. Now that we are home, she wants several! Her usual attire is a layer of clothes, a bathrobe, a coat, her boots and sometimes a pair of gloves -- and that's when we're INSIDE! We're expecting a big snowstorm tonight, and it will be interesting to see what she thinks of that. Hopefully we can find enough layers to keep her warm so she can go check it out!

HOME!!!

30 hours after leaving the hotel in Hong Kong, we made it h0me! Peyton was amazing! She loved the planes, wore the seatbelt with no problem, and was a terrific traveler all around -- not a tear in sight. Now she is busy checking out every inch of the house and getting to know her brothers and sister. She only slept about 6 hours during the trip, so I'm hoping she will be ready to go to bed soon. I certainly am!

Look out, America! Here she comes!

We've made our last minute purchases and managed to cram everything into our suitcases.   Just a couple of hours until we'll be on our way.  Next post will be from home!!   I am adding more pictures to the Shutterfly site just in case you haven't seen enough!

Family photo

Our agency took all of the families over to the White Swan hotel for a group photo the other day and also took pictures of each family individually.  Too bad Peyton didn't want to smile!   We had our oath-taking ceremony this afternoon, and everything went well.  Peyton will officially be a US citizen when we land in Chicago.  The final step in a long process.    Tomorrow we leave for Hong Kong where we will spend the night before beginning what will quite possibly be one of the longest days of our lives!  We leave Hong Kong at 10:20 in the morning, stop in Tokyo for a few hours, land in Chicago at 3:50 local time then finally make it back to Arkansas around 8:00 pm where we will pick up the truck and drive another 2 hours.  Take into account the various time zones, and we will be traveling for over 24 hours . . . with a four-year-old . . . a four-year-old who is never still . . . or quiet . . . a four-year-old who doesn't understand what we are saying.  Anyone want to join us??  I'm sure it will be a blast!

Sorry -- wrong video!

Message from Mary:

That's what happens when I try to post at bedtime. That one was cute too though, don't you think? Here's the right one.

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Kung Fu Peyton

Message from Mary:

I'm having trouble posting new pictures, so we'll share a video instead. Peyton tied her ribbon around her head then started showing off all sorts of moves!

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The downhill slide

We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip, but we're starting to get more than a little stir crazy.  The island is not very big, and there is a limit as to how many times you can entertain yourself going into the same stores.  We have definitely done our part to stimulate the local economy!  Tomorrow is our last full day, and part of that will be spent at the US Consulate for the "swearing ceremony" which is the final step of this process.     Yesterday, the boys spent the entire day at the Safari Park.  As you could see from the pictures posted yesterday, they took it all in!   As you might have guessed, the girls went shopping!  Today, we spent a quiet morning around the island.  While Peyton was napping this afternoon, Madison and I walked over to the pedestrian mall about 15 minutes away to check out the pearl market.  We really found some bargains there!     During our downtime, Peyton has entertained us with her ribbon tying skills.  We have all been victims and had our hands and feet tied to various things.  Conner, you are going to love playing with her!  She continues to amaze us with her language acquisition and her happy, playful personality.  Today she was singing parts of the ABC song -- not sure where she learned that!  She doesn't always like what we tell her, but she usually listens  and has never thrown a fit.  She is extremely active, but she seems to understand that she has to play by the rules.  Good thing because she is about to be introduced to a lot more rules!

White Cloud Mountain

We took advantage of our free time this morning and slept a little later than normal then had a late breakfast -- partly because Allen was busy watching the NFL playoffs!  We spent a couple of hours bargaining for some souvenirs before heading back to the hotel for an early nap so we could meet our agency group at 2:30 for some pictures at the White Swan and a trip to White Cloud Mountain.  It is a botanical garden of sorts and was absolutely beautiful!  MM and WW, you would have loved it!  Most of today's pictures were taken there.  After the garden, we all went to the Thai restaurant around the corner from the hotel for a delicious dinner.  Now that we know what they have there, I think we'll be back often!  Peyton particularly enjoyed the chicken wings.  Conner, you would have been proud of the way she cleaned them off!!   On the way to the garden, our guide was talking to Peyton and asking her various things.  When she asked her English name, she quickly said "Peyton" -- which we weren't aware she knew!  She has already learned quite a few phrases and is also starting to loosen her grip on Madison.  Apparently she has decided that the rest of us are okay too!    Tomorrow is a free day, so Allen and Carson are planning to go to the Safari Park while the girls join the group for some shopping in the afternoon.  We've already bought a new suitcase to haul our goodies home!!  Now we just need someone to lug it through the airport.

Comments

I keep forgetting to mention that the "comment" feature on the blog is not working like it should, and we are not getting those messages.  If you have posted a comment, we didn't get it!  Please use the yahoo email instead.

Sunday in Guangzhou

At least I think it's Sunday.  All the days kind of run together.  Whatever day it is, we have had a good one!  We met the other three families with our agency this morning and took a tour of the Chen Clan Academy then visited the zoo before enjoying a delicious lunch.  The entrance to the restaurant featured tanks full of fish and snakes and a chef very carefully skinning the snakes then chopping them to pieces!  We were glad our guides chose chicken and beef for our meal!  We visited the Academy on our last trip, but it was still very impressive the second time.  Carson went there earlier in the week with MM and WW while the rest of us were busy with something else, and he enjoyed his third trip just as much as the first two!  Many of the new pictures are from there.  After we got back to the hotel, we got in touch with some friends from home who are also adopting and arrived in Guangzhou last night.  We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening showing them around the island and enjoying getting to know their new baby.  She is a doll!  Peyton was surprisingly nice to her -- she has a tendency to be very rough!    Right now Peyton is prancing around the room in her fancy red dress, counting in English, and eating bread sticks . . . and forcing Madison and me to eat them too.  She is VERY persuasive!   The rest of us are counting the minutes until bedtime!!

Fun in the park

Message from Mary:

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Another great day!

We had a tear-free day yesterday, and we haven't seen any today either.  She even takes a nap without complaint.  Of course, that could change at any moment!  This morning we went back to the medical clinic to have her TB test read (all was well), then we have had the rest of the day on our own.  We had another picnic lunch from the White Swan deli, then the boys headed to the zoo.  The girls took naps then went for a walk and did a little more shopping.  The construction on the island makes getting around pretty difficult, so we decided that we deserved some french fries and milkshakes at Lucy's!  I don't know whether Peyton is used to things like that, but she certainly seems to like them!    Several other families with our agency arrived last night and today, and we will meet all of them tomorrow for some touring and lunch.  There have been very few families here the last few days, so it is nice to see some more activity.  I know the shopkeepers are happy to see them too!    Peyton is picking up some English already and will repeat most anything we say to her.  She is very good at "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Go!"  We're starting to learn some of her words too.  Communication has really not been a problem.  It's amazing what you can get across with pointing and gestures!    We have been talking to the other children over the webcam every day, and they seem to be doing well and are very excited about meeting their new sister.  It's wonderful to be able to see them even though it makes us miss them even more!  Can't wait to have all six at home together!!  I could do without the cooking and laundry that will come with that though.  We're getting really spoiled here!

Reagan has met her match!

The pictures says it all.

Better and better

We had a great day yesterday and no tears at bedtime!  In fact, the only tears all day were when she got her shots and TB test.  Even then, she sat very still and let the nurses do what they had to do, and she got over it very quickly -- with the help of a sucker!  She woke up happy this morning and has been having a great time playing with the boys.  Allen may not consider it playing since it involved chasing him around and spanking him then tying him to a chair!  There is nothing gentle about this girl!!  She is definitely a girly girl though and loves to pick out her clothes and have her hair done.  I painted her nails this morning, and she is VERY proud of that!    We don't have anything scheduled for today, so we're hoping to just play in the park and enjoy a little down time.  Unfortunately, we have to say good bye to MM and WW.  We have really enjoyed having them with us, and I think they have had a great time too.  Today they fly to Tokyo where they will spend the night before catching their flight to the good old USA tomorrow.  We will miss them!    Thanks to everyone who has sent us emails.  It's great to hear from home!    Time to go eat breakfast.  We're going to miss this buffet when we get home -- may be hard going from this huge spread back to Pop Tarts!   Peyton keeps pushing buttons, so I better go before she deletes this.  I'll add more pictures soon, so check the shutterfly site.

Peyton in action

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Trying something new. Sorry if it didn't work!

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Peyton goes shopping

She is definitely a girl who will fit in with our family -- she loves to shop!  So far, she has "talked" her Daddy into a fancy red dress, a bracelet, a pair of boots, a sweater and more  suckers than I can count!  Oh yeah, don't forget the light-up sword at the circus.  Had to have that too!     Yesterday we had the medical exam and applied for Peyton's passport.  MM, WW and Carson did some touring while we were at the doctor's office -- much more interesting than a medical exam!  We ventured out a little and went to a local restaurant to try our hands at ordering without a guide around.  They had an English menu, but you still never know what you might get.  Apparently Allen did a good job of choosing our dishes because everything was delicious . . . and recognizable!  After the passport appointment, the driver took us to McDonald's to kill a little time before the International Circus.  Peyton had a great time in the play area and quickly made a new friend.  The two of them climbed and played and giggled and would run out and grab Carson and motion for him to come inside and help them get to one of the higher steps.  Peyton is already seeing the benefits of having older brothers!  They told us the first day that she was a little scared of him because the boys at the orphanage were "very naughty" and she didn't like to play with them.  She is obviously over that now!    The princess just woke up -- more later!

New pictures

Pictures have been added to the Shutterfly site, but I haven't had time to post an update here.  All is well, and Peyton is getting more and more comfortable with us.  She is crazy about Madison!  She had her medical exam yesterday and is the first child we've had who didn't scream through the whole thing.  She did everything the doctors asked then told them "bye bye" and blew them kisses!  I'm afraid we won't have the same result when she goes back today for 6 shots.    We would love to hear from everyone!  Just send a message to ammcneal2000@ yahoo.com (no spaces).   More later when we have more time.

Officially a family of eight

After crying (or screaming would be more appropriate!) herself to sleep last night, Peyton woke up ready to play and has been very happy all day.  She is really latching on to her big sister, and Madison is being a great sport about it and carrying her around and pretty much doing whatever Peyton wants.  She seems very comfortable with all of us, and readily calls us "Mama", "Baba" (Chinese for Daddy), "Guh Guh" (Chinese for big brother) and "Jie Jie" (Chinese for big sister).  She is sitting in my lap right now playing with a phone and a water bottle and proudly sporting a hoodie she found in her bag.  She seems to be a girly girl and really likes her clothes and her hair clips!  She dances and skips and makes all sorts of silly faces, including one that is exactly like Tyler's standard silly face.  Those two are going to be quite the pair!    Today we went back to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the paperwork, conduct the '"interview" (which consisted of an official asking our names and ages and whether we are "satisfied with the baby") and finalize the adoption.  Peyton was very wound up!  We were the first ones at the office, so we got finished quickly; and our guide then took us to the local supermarket.  As you can see from the pictures ( http://chinatrip2010.shutterfly.com/28), that was quite an experience!  We stuck to the more tame choices but did end up with some turkey flavored Cheetos (Carson's choice)!  After that, we explored the wholesale markets before enjoying a fantastic lunch.  The pictures of the seafood in tanks were made at the restaurant, including the one of the live alligator!  Again, we stuck with the more tame choices -- although one dish did have some odd looking tentacles in it.  After lunch, we toured the Tomb of the Nanyue King -- got to be sure the kids get a little education since they are missing school!  We were able to go into the actual tomb which is right in the middle of the city and was unearthed about 25 years ago when construction began on an apartment complex.  Judging from the items found in the tomb, the Nanyue King was quite wealthy and important!   Tonight we are going on a cruise on the Pearl River.  Should be fun!  We should be worn out by the time that's over and will hopefully get a good night's sleep.  We are still waking up in the wee hours of the morning and having trouble getting back to sleep.  A full 8 hours would be wonderful!

She is here!!

And she is adorable . . . and spunky!  We were waiting at the Civil Affairs Office when she literally jumped into the room.  She warmed up to us quickly and was feeding us M&M's in no time and posing for pictures.  It wasn't until we were wrapping things up with the paperwork and getting ready to leave that she started to cry.  She tried to be brave, but it was all just too much for her.  She sobbed all the way back to the hotel, but our guide was able to calm her down after we got to our room.  The tears started again about 30 minutes later, and she tried her hardest to open the door and make her escape.  She finally gave up and decided maybe it would be fun to put stickers all over us.  Apparently it was since she started laughing hysterically!  For the past two hours she has been absolutely wild -- dancing, taking pictures, trying on all of her new clothes, tickling everyone, pushing us down on the beds, climbing on the furniture, making crazy faces, shining a flashlight in our eyes and grinning and laughing.  I think she might make Tyler and Reagan seem calm!  Oh my!!   New pictures have been added to the Shutterfly site -- http://chinatrip2010.shutterfly.com/28

Detour for pictures

We can't access the blog from here, so I've been posting by email; but I'm having trouble with pictures.  So, I'm going to try this -- http://chinatrip2010.shutterfly.com/28   Hopefully we can upload pictures to that site and everyone can get to them that way.   I will post links here when we add pictures.   It's 10:45 Monday morning, and we leave at 2:00 pm to meet Peyton!!

Guangzhou at last!

After our unexpected trip to Arkansas, everything else ran pretty smoothly.  We discovered that XNA is a very nice airport; and if you are ever in that area, we highly recommend the Wingate hotel!  We arrived in Chicago a little before eight, and Mama Martha and Will Will (my parents who are traveling with us) got there from Memphis shortly after that.  The flight to Shanghai boarded on time, but we sat on the runway for almost an hour (which meant we were on the plane for close to 16 hours, but who's counting?), so we were late arriving and missed our connecting flight to Hong Kong.  American had already re-booked us for a later flight by the time we got off the plane, and we arrived in Hong Kong around 9:15 -- exhausted but happy to be there!  We were also able to change Peyton's return ticket when we checked in for our first flight.  Yes, my first big "oops" as a mother of six was forgetting to bring our child home with us!  In my rush to get our tickets changed on Thursday night, I forgot that her ticket was booked separately from the rest of ours; so hers wasn't changed.  She was coming home with us -- just going to a different airport by herself!  Probably not good for the bonding process.  The very nice staff at the check-in counter at XNA got that resolved for us, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief!   Today we explored the mall beside the hotel in Hong Kong then took the train to Guangzhou.  We are staying at the same hotel where we stayed on our last trip, so we are in familiar territory now.  Unfortunately, there is construction going on all over the island, so many shops are closed and things are just very different.  We walked around a bit this afternoon then walked over to the Qing Ping market and the pedestrian mall to show MM and WW what China is really like -- scorpions, tentacles on a stick, and all!    Haven't heard from our guide yet, so we don't know any details; but we are scheduled to meet Peyton tomorrow!  Hoping to get settled in and get a good night's sleep so we'll be ready.

Back on track

We made it to Chicago, and our flight is scheduled to leave in an hour. 14.5 hours of fun!

Off to a rocky start

Our flight to Chicago has been cancelled, so I have spent hours on the phone rearranging our schedules. We are leaving now driving to Arkansas where we will catch a flight to Chicago in the morning and (hopefully!) still make our connection to Shanghai. All prayers for an uneventful journey from this point are more than welcome!

Let the countdown begin

The tickets have been bought, the rooms have been reserved, and packing has begun!  We will leave on Friday the 8th (6 days from now!!), arrive in Hong Kong on the 9th, take a bus to Guangzhou on the 10th, and meet Peyton on the 11th!  Much to do between now and then.   Obviously, this picture has nothing to do with our trip.  I'm just practicing posting by email and seeing how the pictures work.