Update #8

Last night it was difficult for Emmy to fall asleep.  She was grumpy and restless and I'm sure not feeling great. This morning she woke up full of it and ready to party.  Steve and I, on the other hand, have caught her cold and were tired and praying for the energy we needed to be the parents we wanted to be today. 

We went to breakfast and were seated at a table next to another American family adopting a six year old boy.  What a gift that was to hear their story and meet their precious little guy!  It was energizing to be around people having a similar experience. And it was interesting to watch Emmy watch the other American families. You could almost see her processing those western faces in families with the Chinese faces. Talking with the family and hearing their story made me tear up and I spent much of the morning crying at various things like the kind boy at the park who gave Emmy a little fish toy, the groups of people doing tai chi and playing basketball and table tennis and hacky-sack, the huge amphitheater of people doing aerobics together that Emmy and I joined, the small groups playing music with interesting instruments, the beauty of the park and how being human on a Sunday looks the same wherever you are...spending time with people you love doing things you like to do.  I wish you all could have been there.  We miss you.  

We then discovered a new tiny restaurant and ate some delicious noodles and rice and mutton. Then we were back to the hotel for a nap, a snack, playing with the new toys from the park, some swinging and playing with a new friend (playing is a stretch...mostly Emmy told him the swings and slide were hers...stinker!).  Dinner was chicken curry (yum!) from room service.  We stayed in because Emmy's cough is getting worse and is causing her to vomit a lot.  We are supposed to go to the safari park tomorrow but I think we won't because she's just not feeling well (and, as you know, animals aren't her favorite anyway). We can stay here and maybe walk to the park and keep working on using "please" and "thank you" and play with instruments and snuggle.  Counting down the days until we're home...5!