Heading home!

Later today, we will begin our long trek home. I am more than ready, although have some dread over the travel to come. Don't get me wrong, I love China with all my heart. It is why I have come each year for the past 8 years to volunteer my skills as a pediatric OT in the orphanages of Guangxi. But the adoption trips are MUCH different. These trips are hard. It is labor. And the flight home can be torture.
I have strategically planned for an overnight flight (China time overnight). Instead of flying from Hong Kong as most families do (which leave around 10:00am), we leave from Shanghai. Our flight time is 5:00pm. We will head to Shanghai later today and stay overnight, with the flight back to the US tomorrow. I am just praying Mia sleeps. She has a real hard time falling asleep at night. Sometimes it takes an hour. Yesterday, even without a nap, it took 45 minutes. Luckily there are the personal TV's for each seat on the flight. Mia likes the TV to sleep to. When I turn it off, she climbs up to it to turn it on. None of us are used to falling asleep to a TV. She will be in for a shock when we get home and discovers there is not a TV in the bedroom. I will not back down on that one either.
Yesterday was an interesting adventure to the mall due to another rainy day. We discovered Papa Johns, which tastes just like it does in the US. There is something about giant sized objects here in China. Our waitress asked me if we wanted a "baby chair" for Mia. Yes. She comes back with the "baby chair" which my dad could fit in. Seriously, it was enormous. The only difference between it and an adult chair was that it was about 6 inches higher and had a wooden bar across the front. When Mia sat with her back against the back rest, she was 2 feet from the table. I wish I had my camera with me. It was the funniest high chair I have ever seen.
There was only one tantrum yesterday which was over.....candy. Lianna's candy. Which Mia wanted. It didn't matter that she finished hers and that Lianna offered her some of what she had. She wanted the whole package for herself. Um I said no. She shrieked. People's heads whipped around and everyone glared at what I was doing to this sweet, innocent, little one. A woman came over to speak to her. She continued to scream. Poor Lianna was ready to just give her the M&Ms to which I told her no way. Mia needs to unlearn that tantrums get her what she wants. We were told that she was often given what she wanted if she tantrummed when she was in the orphanage. She's learned this skill to get her needs met. But now it is time to unlearn this. So, we ignored her tantrum and the stares of everyone else in the mall. I picked here up and told her I know it is hard when she wants something. The tantrum stopped. Lianna shared some M&Ms and everyone was happy again.
So today we are preparing to leave our beloved China. It is time. We are ready. Let the adventure begin!