Weeeeeeeee! Off we go, to start Willow's excellent adventure.Today's posts will be a hodgepodge of our day spent Willowing (and poking around Shamian Island stores, looking for a traditional Chinese outfit for Willow's "red couch" photo). This search is a little tricky, as we purchased a very old silk hat for the photo-shoot ... and thus we must find something that is complementary to the hat, but doesn't overwhelm it). Well, the hat is multi-colored, and the silk base is an unusual, time-weathered shade of red). Anyway, none of the outfits we saw matched; they were all "too bright" or "too complex" (i.e., composed of too many colors that didn't match the hat). There are a few shops with tailors (specifically elderly Chinese seamstresses), so we picked out simple fabric with poems (symbols) embroidered on it (the buttons--called frogs--will be the only other color). You'll get to see it on a later blog.
Willow did not nap successfully today, so she was a mix of hysterical fun and hysterical crying. She's outrageously interesting and full of surprises. She made quite a few random runs at Chris today, screaming with glee and begging to be picked up and swooped into the air. Over and over again. BUT, today she only wanted me to hold her (and my hip was really hurting again). This basically grounded us at the hotel room. That said, she often wants to be running around by herself in the room, but is FREQUENTLY running back for a security-hug or to be picked up for a quick kiss. Then it's a request to be put down on the floor again, for another run, giggle, and spin around the room. She's delightful, even during her overtired meltdowns. We try to keep her on a schedule, which is gentle and slow (i.e., not get her overstimulated, compared to life in the orphanage), but she's also coming into her own and wants to explore and have fun (so we are walking a tightrope, trying to hit the sweet spot in the middle, to achieve maxium security, love, and exploration).
Enough of my blathering. Here are today's photos :)
Sitting inside the large lobby of the White Swan hotel (down the street), at the Koi area. If you double-click, you can see Willow making the sign for "fish" (I am doing the same). She loves animals and being outside (and breaks down crying when I try to take her into any store; that is, unless we provide a teething biscuit or some other yummy).
Waving to Daddy!
Willow did not nap successfully today, so she was a mix of hysterical fun and hysterical crying. She's outrageously interesting and full of surprises. She made quite a few random runs at Chris today, screaming with glee and begging to be picked up and swooped into the air. Over and over again. BUT, today she only wanted me to hold her (and my hip was really hurting again). This basically grounded us at the hotel room. That said, she often wants to be running around by herself in the room, but is FREQUENTLY running back for a security-hug or to be picked up for a quick kiss. Then it's a request to be put down on the floor again, for another run, giggle, and spin around the room. She's delightful, even during her overtired meltdowns. We try to keep her on a schedule, which is gentle and slow (i.e., not get her overstimulated, compared to life in the orphanage), but she's also coming into her own and wants to explore and have fun (so we are walking a tightrope, trying to hit the sweet spot in the middle, to achieve maxium security, love, and exploration).
Enough of my blathering. Here are today's photos :)
Sitting inside the large lobby of the White Swan hotel (down the street), at the Koi area. If you double-click, you can see Willow making the sign for "fish" (I am doing the same). She loves animals and being outside (and breaks down crying when I try to take her into any store; that is, unless we provide a teething biscuit or some other yummy).
Waving to Daddy! 
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