Adoption Official

This morning we revisited the same official government office from the day before to make our adoptions official.  Again all the families waited for about an hour in the heat until at long last a rather casual official gave a short speech and handed us a nicely bound certificate with mini family photo.  Then back to the hotel for a day of play.

Finnian is showing off his curious and mischievous side.  While Eliza was relaxing with a bit of Barney and Jane was off to the local Walmart, Finn, unzipped the CD case and proceeded to empty its contents.  He enjoys handing Jane and I the hotel phone receiver, especially since it has an extra long chord, and he can get it to us no matter where we are in the room.  He is an intrepid climber:  stairs, bed, chairs, window sills, etc.  We are enjoying getting to know him.

 

Rewind:  visited the Great Wall of China a few days ago.  The ever present crowds, heat, and humidity made the steep climb difficult.  I witnessed several casualties along the way.  However, Eliza had been training back in Colorado, and she enthusiastically made amazing headway up the steep, uneven, and virtually never ending steps.  Also memorable were the Middle Eastern tourists making the climb in head to toe black garments (in July).  We were also awed at the many Chinese women, both younger and middle aged, who opted to make the ascent in bare feet because the nice dress shoes they had brought along couldn’t really do the job.