Zoo and Acrobat Show

Went to the zoo, zoo, zoo, how about you, you, you....is the Raffi song we've been singing all morning. Amazing how you automatically know all these kiddie songs after 11 years to please or make your child smile. I was scared I wouldn't know what to do with a toddler after so many years, but to be honest, the first few days (packing diaper bag for outings, remember important payments in your hotel room safe, packing an extra diaper, etc) we felt a little peanut ate crackers, yogurt covered raises, craisans and some baby cookies for lunch) but it's all coming back to us!!!

Parenting 'on the go' is very different...one of the things I most look forward to about coming home. Every morning, it's get up, get ready, get to breakfast buffet and off we go for a day of events. Sometimes we have 1hour or so back at the hotel room, but then we have to find something to eat quickly, or give lil' Miss a quick power nap, or wash some laundry...but then off we go. We were talking to some of the other parents and i think this is one of the things we most look for is ROUTINE.

Monday we went to the Beijing Zoo. It was good....it was a ZOO. Don't get me wrong, we loved the Panda's and the other animals but we had just spent almost 3 hours at the Zoo in Chongqing, so we were all a little 'zoo'ed out'! We just took our time walking and exploring.

Faith LOVES to walk on any type of curb or retaining wall....anything that is like a balance beam. It's like she gravitates towards them....is so proud of herself when she's walking on them. Looks like we are going to have to get her into gymnastics.

Monday evening we went to an Acrobat show. Wasn't really sure what to expect of 1. the show and 2. how Faith would sit still after not having a nap all day. Well, sitting still before the show was quite interesting...nothing a cookie wouldn't fix!!! As a pre-show, there was a clown that came into the audience making balloons. She didn't know what to think...became very 'straight faced' and didn't move a muscle...very stiff, just staring at this clown. As the show began, well Faith became MY show. She was SOOOO into it, wiggling back and forth to the music, clapping her hands, yelling 'Yay, Yay, Yay', swaying her arms back and forth, moving her hands in the motion of a conductor, etc. Many of the families that sat near us commented on HOW INTO THE SHOW she was....it was SO cute. I only wished I would have took my camera out to video her. This is just more proof that we need to get her into some sort of dance or gymnastics...wonder how old they are when they start???

Today is a big shopping day....YAY!! The Silk Factory and the Pearl Market (which is not just pearls) - lots of CHEAP shopping. That said, I had to go withdraw more money - yikes - to make sure we had enough to play with!! Looking forward to this today, though I am sure Jacques is NOT....lol Jacques and Faith may even stay back at the hotel and hopefully Noah will want to come with me today!!!

Tonight is a 'Goodbye China' Party for all the families....looking forward to this. As homesick as I am and as much as I want to come home, I'm feeling kinda sad about leaving Faith's country....ANOTHER BIG change for her to have to go through, temperature, smells, food, surroundings, etc. I know she will do just fine, just a momma's heart breaking for her little peanut!