Park and dinner

On Wednesday we left our hotel and ventured out to a park with Kai. As soon as the camera was pulled out the fun began. We ended up just booking it through the park just to get out of there. We have some very interesting video that we will share with Kai when he is older. Spitting at us and screaming in public. Nothing seems to faze the Chinese people. Brooks and I are beyond caring anyway. We are just going with it. Aside from our fun at the park we had another positive day. Kai is really bonding with Brooks and he likes to watch videos of his Mei Mei and Jie Jie. At times he seems to understand us and he gets a little grin on his face and refuses to listen. Right now we are trying several different techniques to calm him. The latest, holding him tight and not letting him go. Brooks read about this technique on the internet. It is to reinforce that we are not going to leave him even when he acts out. Brooks even went to the extreme of wrapping him in a blanket, now termed “the burrito”.  Kai understands the terms “burrito” and shakes his head no when Brooks asks him if he wants “the burrito”. LOL!!!!!

It is now Thursday moringing and the boys are still sleeping. I am trying to post as quickly as possible before Kai wakes and sees that the computer is out. Last night we ate dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. It was our first positive dining out experience. We were able to sit and eat. Kai was patient when waiting for the food and he only got up a few times to show me that he wanted something to drink. First it was Red Bull (even the Chinese need their caffeine). Of course I said “no”, and then it was a coke he wanted. Again, “no”. He settled for orange juice. He only drank about 1/4^th of the bottle. The first day he was drinking a whole bottle of tea or an entire can of coke with his meal.

Today we are going to the museum. Our plan is if Kai starts acting up we will leave. No big deal. Our guide is on board with the plan. I keep wondering what she thinks of our situation. Of course, she will not just come out and say what she thinks. She did tell us most of the children from Xinjiang are younger than Kai so maybe she does not have that much experience with the older kids.

Today I am heading to the bazaar for the second time. Yesterday Lily took me there to find gifts. Unfortunately it was closed due to a Uyghur holiday. I managed to look in a few stores that were open. There are some really unique items that I would like to bring home.

Today is our last full day in Urumqi then we head off to Guangzhou tomorrow. We are praying for an uneventful flight, transfer and a second flight to get there. Hopefully Kai will be agreeable and we make our short connection in Chengdu.