Whoop

My luck usually does not work this way, but when we got to the hotel, the ESPN affiliate in China was showing the Aggie football game.  I got to see the end of the first half and the whole second half.  The coolest part is that there were no breaks.  There were about 4-5 commercials the whole time and the timeouts were edited out and the game was compressed.  It was basically live, but tape delayed by a few minutes.  And the Ags won, so it’s all good!

 

This morning we woke up at 2:30am because our internal clocks are still messed up.  I was able to watch a whole English Premier League soccer match.  Mia sat on the bed beside me and watched most of it, which was pretty cool.  She liked the blue team (Portsmouth) because they scored a lot (4-1).  She said “We’re going to be the blue team today.  Okay, daddy?”

 

The photo is completely unrelated.  Mia wanted her picture taken, so I did it.  I thought you guys may want to see it.

 

Brand Awareness

I thought that there was no way that I would find a Coke Zero in China, but I scored big today.  We walked all over Walmart for a bunch of random things that we needed, and we found the soft drink aisle.  I didn’t see the peppermint flavored Sprite from our last trip to Guangzhou, but the Coke Zero was an awesome alternative.  It’s not a sweet as the USA version, which is interesting, when you consider the artificial sweetener.

 

You’ll notice the foam in the bottle.  I did that about one second after I told Mia to be careful and not knock the bottle over.  It’s hard to parent your way around that one.

 

I also bought a bag of cucumber-flavored Lay’s chips.  They are unusual, but very tasty.  I told Mia that it if she wanted to eat a cucumber and eat some chips that it would save her some time, because it tastes exactly like a cucumber sitting on a chip.  She didn’t like them at first, but then she wouldn’t stop diving into the bag.  Annie was not really a fan.  Maybe next time we go to Walmart I’ll get the numb and spicy hot pot chips…

 

Comments, please

We think that we have a back door to our blog that will let us see comments. We published three today.

Thanks for the tip, Sue B.

Travel Day

Well, we made it!  It was a long trip, but we are in the hotel in Kennedy’s home town.  All of us are very grumpy.  We have been awake for more hours than I can count, and are attempting to stay awake until at least 7 or 8 p.m. China time.  It is only nearing 2 p.m. at the moment, so wish us luck.  We figure this will be the best way to possibly get on China time sooner than we did the first trip.  We shall see.

 

My new friend, Ambien CR did NOT do a great job on the plane.  I tried it at home the weekend before we left and it worked like a charm.  I took one after take-off and slept about one hour before they decided to serve dinner.  At nearly midnight…which was 2 a.m. to us.  GEEZ!  I was basically wide awake.  I ate what I could…not tasty, then ended up taking a SECOND little friend.  I still only slept off and on over a 6 hour period.  Better than nothing, but feeling it over here!  Mia slept about 8 and a half hours, also not enough.  Charles slept about the same as Mia, and napped throughout the forever long flight.  However, he is having some bad pain that he thinks might be a hernia.  Awesome.

 

Our guide is super nice.  His name is Richard and his English is awesome.  He was waiting for us right outside of baggage claim with a sign with our names on it.  He was full of great info about Kennedy’s city.  Charles will have to blog about that some time.  I have already forgotten.  Sad, but this level of exhaustion plays tricks with your memory.  Or is that my age?  Anyway, he said we will meet Kennedy on Sunday as originally planned.  It is probably for the best because we are all snapping each other’s heads off.  Cannot WAIT til we can SLEEP!  I can’t believe we are in the same city with her at last!!!

 

Apparently, we are not in the room we will be staying in the rest of the week.  It was not available.  We have to move tomorrow.  Our room is great, but I feel like I am smoking in here!  We are requesting a non-smoking room for the rest of the stay, but not sure if those exist here.  Mia is totally freaked out about how people smoke inside and basically everywhere we go.  Since we cannot unpack really until we switch rooms, we are not venturing out of the hotel at all today.  We will eat in the hotel restaurant tonight.  We are across the street from a super Walmart, and that will be tomorrow’s adventure.  Thankfully, there is an underground access!  I would not let Mia cross the street here.  People will truly just run right over you.  It is crazy!  I forgot a few things, and we need to get some bottled water, snacks and a suitcase for Kennedy.  REST is the main order for the day, though.

 

I am pretty sure I had some interesting things to post, but I honestly just can’t remember any of them at the moment.  We just wanted to let everyone know we made it here safely and will soon be a family of 4! 

 

Charles attached some pictures.  I actually don’t know of what, so hopefully they are good ones!  He may post more than me while we are here.  I tend to get distracted when I become a mommy!

Waiting to board flight to China

Here are 3 exhausted Mannings, waiting to begin the LONG flight to Kennedy and Mia's homeland.  We still have 2 hours until we board at 9:30, then it does not even take off until 10:30.  (Corrie...I am in the orchard, girl!)  To those of you who do not know that story, let's just say I am about to hit my wall.  The waiting around is getting to me.  Please pray Mia sleeps her usual 11 hours on the flight and that my new friend Ambien CR does its job!  When we traveled to adopt Mia, I could not sleep at all on the flight, or for the first 2 or 3 days.  I got really sick.  I do NOT plan to repeat that, so I talked to my doc last week about taking something for sleep on this flight.  I HATE taking medicine, but sleep is critical on this kind of trip! 

Let's just say Miss Mia is pretty much done.  She is holding up better than I thought, actually, but to us..it is not 7:52 at this moment, it is 9:52...WELL after her bed time, and hours to go before she can sleep.  This, too, shall pass....right?

Good night, all.  See you in China.

LA, LA, Baby!

We are about to leave for the airport.  Mia looked out our window, and what do ya know!!?  We can clearly see the giant LAX white letters you always see on movies and TV to let you know the setting!  Cool!  Oh, I forgot...when we were landing here today, Mia broke out singing LA, LA, baby!  From the Jonas Brothers show.  Anyway, she said, Jonas Brothers,  Mommy!  I can't see them down there!!  She looked so disappointed!

Money well spent!

Well, I can't say it is a super nice hotel, but it is clean and it is not LAX airport!  My sweet husband walked down a kind of scary Los Angeles block to get Subway sandwiches for a late lunch/early dinner for us in the room.  Then I took the longest, hottest shower I could!  Can I just say even though I slept only about 2 hours last night and did not nap on the flight from Houston to L.A...unlike my husband and daughter...a shower just revived me!  I am super tired, but fresh and clean for the 15 and a half hour flight we will begin at 10:30 tonight...12:30 for y'all back home!  Mia took a shower after me, and Charles just finished.  We will pick up the hotel shuttle to the airport in an hour and be back on our way!

BTW...Mom...if you have time to look into nicer hotels for our overnight layover on the way back...maybe you can book a room for the 4 of us, and one next to us for you and Dad if you are able to meet us here when we arrive in the U.S.  You can just reserve it with your card, and we can pay for it with ours wen we get here.  Don't think I actually want to sleep at this one on the way back.   Let me know if you do that so I can cancel the room we have booked here on the 10th.

I was texting with my friend Angie who adopted Kennedy's best friend in December.  She has a feeling we MAY meet Kennedy before Sunday...stay tuned...

I was just thinking about Kennedy...imagine that...while I was drying my hair.  I realized that it is already Thursday in China.  If we meet as planned on Sunday, she only has 3 more "sleeps" in the orphanage!!!!!  If we meet her on the day we arrive instead, Friday, that is tomorrow for her and THIS could be her last night to sleep there!  Either way, that chapter in her life is nearly over.

Well, I may post once more before we board the plane tonight, but not again after that until we are settled in the room in China.  My easy phone posting will no longer be an option, so I will not bore you as much with random posts!!  We want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!  We will be flying while everyone is eating turkey and watching football, so please have seconds of mashed potatoes and gravy for me!!  Man, I LOVE mashed potatoes and gravy...

Killin' time!

We are at the hotel in LA for a few hours before our international flight.  Charles and Mia are burning off energy and time by playing frisbee in the hall!  I am sure the other guests appreciate the squeals of joy!

Just landed in L.A.

It is 3:23 back home, and 1:23 in L.A.  we just landed safely and are waiting to pull up to the jet way.  We will collect our luggage...hopefully...and catch a shuttle to a hotel until about 7 p.m.  we have to check in by 7:30 tomight for our 10:30 flight to China.  Mia passed out for half of this flight!

Flat Stanley Goes to China!

Here are Mia and her travel buddy, Flat Stanley.  Her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Montagne, sent him with Mia, along with a special journal to chronicle his big adventure!  We will take pictures of him from here to Los Angeles, then throughout beautiful China.  When Mia returns to school, she will get to share her journal and awesome pictures with her class!  Thanks, Mrs. Montagne!  This will be something fun to do during a long journey!  REALLY LONG!

Get ready for lots of boring posts today.  I have nothing better to do while hanging out in airports! ;)