Wed at the zoo

Hey there thought I'd be caught up!!!
Well yesterday we asked to have a driver take us to the zoo. A couple we met here had gone a day before and loved it. It sounded right up our alley, so asked to be driven. We did not need a guide.

So right after breakfast we had our driver pick us up at 9:30 AM and we drove out to the suburbs to the newest zoo and safari park. It is fairly new and a bit more expensive, but has good shows and a lot more animals. We got there in good time at 10:35 AM. Our guide told us it would take an hour, but we figured if we left around that time we would make good time.

It is interesting - we have definitely noticed a change in China. It is more and more commercialized and the zoo was not different. We could tell we were in the new suburbs, new apartment buildings, shopping malls with McDonalds or KFC...
Then as you drive up to the zoo with all its bill boards... you think your in San Diego at the Zoo there. It is huge and it is an all day event. Clean even for our standards and we have been to Chinese zoo's before - PETA would have a hayday.
But here well they still would, but it is so far better. So many animals in decent conditions, well staged to funnel you through all their gift shops... it was amazing.
But all in all, we just saw so many great animals and of course each area had food to buy so you could have some great experiences. We kind of fed a tiger and I will post photo's of the baby laying on Scott and the kids lap.

It was a long day and at the end saw 3 other foreigners. Probably too much for the adoption trips, so we felt we got a great deal which appealed to our kids and for Taylor wow, what an experience. We remember going to the Nanchang zoo with Reagan in freezing Feb. He was thrilled to see the animals.... the conditions were pretty bad.

This time Taylor was taking in all the firsts... She was thrilled. Of course it was very very humid and Scott and I were soaked by the end of the day and so were the kids. We were there about 3-1/2 hours, and we had to make sure the kids kept drinking. Then we had let Taylor out of the carrier at lunch time, it took only a few mins and she wanted to run and tripped and fell on her just healed sore. Poor thing she bumped her forehead too, she was bleeding bad. So called over a worker for a bandage since of course the one time I left them behind. She was quick and we got Taylor calmed down. Scott went to order lunch and I am sitting there with Taylor when suddenly a tram with staff workers appeared. Not thinking much of it all of a sudden they all come to our table with this medical kit and want to take us away to look at her. I convinced them with no Chinese and them having no English we were fine. Finally they left and we managed to have only a few minor spills with Kaitlyn and the best one was .... a large group of Chinese are sitting and we are all walking to see some baby tigers, Reagan looking at the cage proceeds forward and walks right into a pole, I am sure we gave quite the show to these on-lookers a white couple with three chinese kids in tow all banged up!

We definitely got starred at all day, we watched and laughed as you saw them see one, two and three kids and look at Scott and I. Many smiled and others tried to speak English to us. One College student stopped us to talk and we had a small crowd slowly gather to check us out.

Another comical moment was when Taylor let us know she had to go potty - well it was typical you can't find one. So I decided to do it Chinese style - pulled her over to some bushes, dropped her pants and let her do her business. Just as I was about to have her go, a worker comes and wonder's what I am doing, I point to Taylor and she nods it is ok.

When in Greece do as the Greek!

We saw twin Koala Bears and some Tiger's that were only weeks old. I have to say we were really impressed and will go again on a future visit. The trick is to rush to the back and work your way back - then you avoid the crowds.

We got back in time for dinner and decided we should do Lucy's :-)
We requested outside and it was busy, but the kids were great and we had our first real problem free dinner - YAH! we are making progress.

Got the kids to have a bath and bed and we were done. Well actually stopped quickly at one shop to get a couple small things. They had these paper dragon's which we got and Reagan loved it. The shop owner gave Reagan his for free and he walked that Dragon all over the place and was so cute and proud of this thing.

It was a good day and I even got to spend some time in the mirror with Taylor working on her speech. We feel more and more confident with her. She will probably need speech therapy, but is trying and the mirror helped since she thought it was fun. We worked on the T sound and she made some progress there.

We have learned it may not be the wisest thing to wake our newest one up.... she has a mean kick in the morning if woken and not completely finished with sleep. She did this in the van coming back from Dongguan. She suddenly awoke and went into a mean temper tantrum and was kicking like a Donkey. We did not know what set it off. Well now we have the puzzel put together and she just does not like to be woken up... so we'll work on our game plan for future events - the plan ride should be interesting!
Lavonne