Enjoying Xi'an

Outside the hotel Bell Tower

City Wall

Nap time!Bedtime!

We are now a week into our trip and so much has happened. Kylee seems to be adjusting well and has done a great job of communicating with us, or at least making it pretty clear what she needs/wants. Mia is thrilled to have a younger sister and they seem to enjoy each other’s company quite well. We are all starting to get some sleep but are still all up at 4:00 a.m. which makes for a long day since breakfast is not served until 6:00 and we usually don’t do anything until 9:30 a.m. Thank heavens for Leapsters, coloring books and good old Playdoh – they seem to keep the girls entertained.

Things we have discovered about Kylee:

• Kylee is lefthanded
• She LOVES to brush her teeth! She brushes her teeth 4 times a day, but would probably brush them more often if we let her.
  She is obsessed with washing her hands but now has discovered liquid soap so the bars will no longer do!
  She hates to go to sleep and will fight it for over an hour!
  She is going to be our little “tomboy” – she enjoys running, climbing and just about anything that will make us hold our breath!
• She is a healthy eater and seems to prefer fruit and vegetables. She can eat the spiciest foods you can possibly imagine and not even flinch!
  Kylee seems to be afraid of animals but mostly dogs, that will be a challenge to get her acquainted with Spot and Yoda!

Some of the pictures above are from the City Wall, built around 600 AD. The Bell Tower (behind the family picture) was built in 1384:

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and we are really looking forward to seeing what some would consider the eighth Wonder of the World.

Friday we will visit the Drum Tower while we wait for Kylee’s Chinese passport so we can fly to Guangzhou and finalize the adoption. We leave Xi'an at 7:00 p.m. and will not be back at the White Swan Hotel until midnight -- it will be a long day!

It has been a good trip, everyone seems well adjusted, but I am anxious to get home. We miss our home; we miss everyone and are anxious to get back to a normal routine. Our hotel room, which by most standards is a good size, is still a confined space and after 7 nights we will be ready to leave. The weather in Guangzhou is much warmer and there is a lot more for the kids to do -- we are looking forward to leaving on Friday. If all goes well we will be on a plane (well many) Wednesday first thing in the morning and home by evening!