Day 3 in Changsha

I went back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to post more than just this photo today. Well, as you can see this is the only one today. The families that are there in Changsha now visited a kindergarten today.  Lane took many photos of the children but I decided I wanted to protect their innocence and not make spectacles of them on my blog.  The photos were taken to show Emi what life is like in her homeland when she gets older.  Emi was too busy looking at my mom so her face is turned away from the camera. The beautiful lady in the photo with them is the director of the school.   

Here's what Lane had to say about it:

It was a smaller school, serving a more upper middle class section of town.  It was quite fun, watching them sing and dance.  We were quite the curiosity.  In one class they eventually crowded around asking their teachers questions like where we were from, did we speak English.  In this school, they taught the kids some English, so there were a few English words on posters around the school, and the kids all said hello and goodbye.

They are so ready to leave Changsha.  They are in a huge business district and there is very little to do.  There are no parks nearby to take Emi to or places to walk around really.  It doesn't help that it has been raining almost constantly so they are confined to their hotel room. Not one of them is enjoying it at all.  There is a playroom just 1 floor below them but that gets old. So here is hoping that they have a better day today!  Lane said originally they were supposed to visit the provincial museum today but the street where it is located is closed as they are getting the city ready for some sort of celebration.  I think they were heading to a local university to check out the campus but we'll see if that's possible with all the rain!

Lane also was a day behind in giving me his daily travel log.  I asked him to write down what happened that day so I could record it in Emilija's scrapbook that I will put together when they return.  Anyhow, there was something he wrote that I really wanted to share.  When I read it, I shed some tears.

"After we received Emi Monday, we had a 24 hour (or so) waiting period for us to get to know each other.  During that time, the “harmonious period” we were her guardians, but after Tuesday we became her parents.  We went back to the adoption center offices where we received Emi for all the paperwork.  We had to have the adoption recorded, so we saw the registration official where I placed my thumbprint over my signature, and Emi got  her right foot print placed on the paperwork.  We had a family photograph taken, and we had to fill out some paperwork by the local notary.  After that, it was all done – the end of a more than 3 year journey.  And the start of another lifetime one."

I asked Lane to take more photos of Emi today.  I got a nice message from my SIL on Face.book that my nieces (her daughters obviously) were clamoring for more pictures of their new cousin. So when I get some I'll give everyone some more Emi goodness to look at.

Oh and one more cute thing to share.  We talked to them via Sky.pe this evening (Thurs morning Changsha time) and Eriks and Emi were a hoot together.  She was mimicking him.  It was too funny!!  He clapped his hands and she clapped hers.  He rubbed the top of his head, she did the same.  This went on for a few minutes and when we all started laughing at the "Monkey See, Monkey Do" moments, Emi got a huge grin on her face and was having a good 'ol time!

Just one more week and they'll be home!