Day 2 with Asher

Today is Christmas Eve and we are REALLY REALLY missing home....brings tears to my eyes to think about it too much. I am trying to brain wash myself into thinking that it will be Christmas Eve when we return because Christmas will really come alive at our house that day and Santa will have come.
Anyway, I wanted to let you all know of our events yesterday. We woke up in the morning at about 6:30....Asher is like a time clock, very routined and scheduled. At 6:30 the past two days he has pretty much sat straight up in bed and just looked around. He is very slow waking up, not like Sydney ready to run as soon as she gets up. After he awoke, we all started to get ready with showers and such for mom and dad. As soon as he seen us packing up and putting on shoes, he started to cry. We had collected his bag with toys in it that we had sent to him while he was in the orphanage....I think he thought he was making another major move he was scared. I picked him up and kept telling him "hala hala (it's ok) and E ma (going to eat) he started to calm down and seemed to understand and was very happy at breakfast. He eats very different than Americans.....rice and veggies...not quite my cup of tea but if it makes him happy then that is good. They are very big in China for not giving children anything cold, everything must be hot or warm including milk and drinks.
After breakfast we met our guide, Helen, to go to the Civil Affairs office to complete our adoption paperwork and take our promise to love and give him a happy home and education. When we entered the building, he got very very quiet and sad. Then we all loaded in the elevator and came out into the same level that we met him in the day before. That really freaked him out and as soon as he realized where we were the instant tears and anxiety started coming on. I took him to our guide to explain what was happening and he calmed down some but still very scared. They took us into a room to get our family picture and then he perked right up, as soon as they said "Cheese" he totally changed. Little Ham!!! It is so funny, anytime you say "cheese" (obviously a universal language word), all the kids put up the "peace" sign. They had to tell him to put his hand down, which he followed direction and the photo was taken and all was well after that. We had to answer questions with two different individuals and swear to care for him to two different people and sign some papers and then we were told "He is officially your son and you are a family" then sent on our way.
After we left the building, we loaded back into the bus and went to the grocery store and very small department store to pick up some clothes that fit (everything we brought is too big), some snacks, and some toys. We took him to the clothes department where they had a whole two different pairs of pants to choose from in which we got one of each and he seemed to like them. We then went to the toy area and we looked to see if he had any interests there and he seen some lego blocks and gave us "the eyes". I held up two different kinds as if to ask him if he would like one and he picked the yellow bag and threw it into the cart.....seems all kids no matter what language understand that. We also picked up him up a pair of tennis that were really cheap that we later discovered light up (he wants them on all the time, really thinks they are neat). He was SO proud of his new toy....we ran across one of the other groups and he just talked and talked to the little girl "Dan Dan" and held up his toy so proudly and happily to show her what he had with the biggest smile ever on his face. That was pretty priceless to see such a small toy that most kids would bock at to be so happy over. He was showing his toy to everyone we passed. Then we went to the food isle and he pointed to exactly what he liked with "the eyes" as if asking can I have that, and of course we obliged. He was the happiest that we have seen him yet leaving that store and all it took was some drinkable yogurt, rice cookies, jello with fruit in it, and legos.
Sydney had spent the day, by invitation, with a couple from our agency that are a few days steps ahead of us. They have 5 daughters, 3 of which are from China. They are here picking up their third one, Meiana 7 and are being accompanied by their first daughter from here, Grace 8. They spent the day at the park and had just a wonderful day. Sydney really was due a day of running and playing with girls her age without any drama of this process. I was so thrilled they invited her....such sweet sweet people.
On our return, we came back to the room and Keith went to retrieve Syd and our laundry. Asher and I spent some quiet time in the room and then the door opened and he just went wild with excitement to see his "Jie Jie" (big sister) and took her immediately to see his blocks. He is soooo thrilled with those things. It was really cute to see him so excited to see her....he just squealed Jie Jie. She has been very tough through this but he has been a little obstinate with her so that moment was true medicine for her spirit.
We then walked a few blocks for the infamous pizza place for lunch. It was his nap time, but we were all so hungry and needed to eat. So, we went anyway. He did ok at lunch even though he was tired. We discovered that he hates pizza......not for sure how he will survive at our house, tee hee. We could tell he was getting ready to crash....so we packed up and headed walking back to the hotel for a nap. Keith carried him because we had not yet gotten a stroller and he seemed to not know how to just lay his head down on his shoulder and go to sleep. So, Keith pushed his cheek against Asher's cheek and that was all it took and he was dead to the world out. I had to move his head from Keith's cheek to his shoulder. We got back to the room and we all laid down together and slept for 2 1/2 hours.
When we awoke, it was about dinner time and we were suppose to meet our group for a big dinner at the Chinese restaurant. So we ventured on our way. I am so ready for McD's and American food....even the "Western" food here is not normal tasting. He was very rested at dinner and a ball of energy...likes to show off in front of a group. Once again, little ornery. I think that Griffen and him will be very good buddies. We were able to borrow a stroller on the way to dinner that he loves to ride in. Sydney loves to push him in it. She really plays the big sister role well and seems to love it so far. He likes feeding her things....and she eats them, funny I have been trying to feed her these type of things for 9 years now and she would not eat them but let her little brother feed them to her and she actually eats them.
After dinner we went for an ice cream cone. Asher has never had ice cream before. I got him strawberry in a cup because he likes the drinkable strawberry yogurt. And I got myself a chocolate cone. I gave him a bite of his and he shook his head no and then I traded him my cone and he took to it right away but then would sneak a bite of the strawberry every now and then too. To say the least he liked the ice cream....the Chinese people look at us like we are crazy....there is no way they would give a child ice cream, too cold.
We came back to the room and he started stripping down, no the slight bit modest, and headed for the bathtub. He loves the water....washes his hands once every ten minutes it seems. He even pretends that he has to go potty just so he can wash his hands. I told you very ornery. He splashed like crazy and loves to soak Sydney...he laughs constantly. Then we all crawled back in bed for night night time. He is really good at his routine. Knows it well and gives you no trouble over it at all. Most of the time he listens when you tell him something but for some reason when I tell him no "Bou Yau" he thinks it is funny. He has the point that daddy means business but mommy is just silly I guess. Keith keeps telling me I better talk control and I am really trying but he isn't quite getting it from me yet....keep working on it. I have resorted to a very mild time out on the bed with me right there with him, which he cries for a minute and then seems to apologize then I tell him I love him "Wo I nee" and he smiles and repeats me then I put him down to go about his merry way and he doesn't really repeat the offense again....so maybe there is hope for my pushoverness.