Consulate Appt Day!

When you see Ke Xin stop and lean onto the bed or chair and be very still, you know that she is performing a download. And she'll just kinda stay in that position until you pick her up and move her to change her.

After breakfast I took Olivia and Ke Xin to the playroom. There were several families there so the kids had someone to play with. But we all cleared out at 10:25am. Everyone had to be in their rooms from 10:30 on, because our guides had taken our paperwork to the Consulate for the celebrated and long-awaited "Consulate Appointment" (CA)!!!!!!! Whoo! Hoo! The last hurdle in the adoption. You have to be in your rooms so that they can contact you immediately if there's a problem with your paperwork. Our guide, Grace, called at 10:45 and told me everything was great and we could officially "leave the room". We were clear to bring Ke Xin home! It was nice, in that we didn't have to do anything. And it was sort of anti-climactic because we only kept busy for 15 minutes and then the whole thing was done with a phone call. No one else had any problems, either, so we could all sigh with relief. Even the family who ran into a problem yesterday was approved, so they took the oath today and will fly home tomorrow. I am jealous!!

So, we left the room and shopped. Debbi bought a Polo suitcase, I got some t-shirts so I didn't have to do any more laundry, Olivia got another dress and both girls got a pair of Chinese-style bedroom slippers. Once again, Ke Xin went ape as soon as she saw shoes. 

Since it was Hot, we didn't stay out too long. We headed back to the room and tried to put Ke Xin's hair up. She LOVES having boo-boos in her hair, but she can't leave them alone, so they don't stay for long.

Eric knocked on the door to take a McDonald's order! Yeah! (You have to take  taxi down past the Pearl Market for Micky D's.) The girls got hamburgers, I got a Big Mac & Debbi got the chicken sandwich. The chicken turned out to be more than she expected, since it was quite spicy! Just a warning to those who follow... What a great lunch!! Real french fries!!!

Then it was time for Ke Xin's haircut! I decided I wanted to see her eyes and I wanted her to have an authentic Chinese cut. So we made an appt with the White Swan Hair Salon. She really did well. She was worried at first and very watchful, but then she started to enjoy it. They only trimmed the back and bangs, but it made such a cute difference. And she was so happy with the results. Yes - she is a girly-girl.  

After that we headed for the pool and then planned to eat Italian, but halfway to the restaurant, Ke Xin fell asleep and Olivia declared she was tired.  Debbi and I knew better than to try to take 2 tired kids into a nice restaurant, so we got some sandwiches at the deli and had a picnic in our room. Ke Xin slept thru everything and Olivia never made it to dessert.

I've included a pic of Ke Xin in her crib. Notice the pillow over her face. Her sister, father and paternal grandmother all sleep this way, so I think she was destined to be a Myers!

Tomorrow we pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I get my yuan changed back into US dollars. We go to the Consulate to take the Oath in the afternoon. We go to bed early since we have to have our bags out in the hallway the next morning (Fri) at 5AM. Yes - 5AM. Then we, and the Michaels family, head to the airport for a ridiculously early flight to Hong Kong. We spend one day and night there before flying out the next morning for HOME. We have a lay-over in Newark and then on to Atlanta. I will be SOOOO glad to get home!!! I miss my man!!! I even miss the dogs!!!! Ke Xin probably thinks we live in hotels. The poor kid! I'm wondering what we'll do once we land in Hong Kong. I know we can leave the bags at the hotel, but I doubt we can check in so early. We'll be pitiful Americans wandering the streets of Hong Kong like homeless people. 

Oh - is the Michael Jackson funeral the only thing that happened in America today???