She Passes Her First Test!!

We studied before the exam. Rattled a toy on her right side, making sure she turned to the right. Rattled a toy on her left side, making sure she turned to her left. She DID NOT like the throat and ear exam and she let the doctor know!! She's got the grip of steel! Her weight measured in at 22 lbs, but that was with her new shoes and fully clothed. I had to laugh when we walked into the Medical Examination Office for Visa's and there are multiple signs stating, "Keep Quiet". I showed MaryAlice the sign, but she paid no mind and verbalized her dislike of the whole affair. She was treated to a warm bottle and stroller ride with Aunt Marcia, while I completed multiple Visa application forms in our guide's room. By the way, her Visa photo is just the cutest...like another mugshot.

We had lunch at Lucy's and another salad with success. MaryAlice has demonstrated her latest skill...biting her spoon when I'm trying to feed her. In the last update in the Half The Sky journal that I received, it says that she has been a "naughty girl, taking the other children's toys and biting her spoon!" I've gotten better about getting the spoon in and out quickly, but sometimes my aim is bad and it ends up all over her face! She's napping right now after making ten laps around the 9th floor of The White Swan Hotel (in the stroller that is...I'm not that tough...yet!)

After lunch at Lucy's we finally made it to Jordan's shop and shop we did! Monica and I both tried our best haggling, but we could only get him to come down 20%. And that was with him not even being there. It was his sister and she kept having to call him to see if he would take our price because we were buying so much. We laughed afterwards because what Monica bought only came to about $30! I spent a little more but was able to buy about 8 pair of shoes for her ($5-6/pair) and some other things to give her each year when we celebrate "Family Day" on September First, when we became a family. This may also coincide with her birthday, which is tomorrow. I bought things like a Wedding box, tea set, traditional silk dresses, a couple of folk art paintings and other odds and ends. Our travel group is going to go out to dinner together for Dim Sum and have a cake to celebrate. I'm hoping to get a picture of her in her birthday hat, but it make take some work, as she HATES having anything on her head.

Marcia and Monica survived their shopping trip yesterday and that is a whole other post. Marcia bought me back a suitcase that she paid $15 for to tote back my purchases. They had quite an adventure and feel like they've experienced "real China". Tomorrow morning we're meeting Ann to take us to the pearl and jade markets and hope that she can negotiate some good prices for us.

That's it for today's post. Marcia and Monica went back to the Chinese Medicine Shop for another $10 massage. I'm not sure MaryAlice would sit there for an hour and besides she needed a nap.