Market adventures

So, here in Nanning there is a market which my local friends refer to as the senior market. I have been there before many times, and in my silly confidence thought it would be something different to do with the girls. Um, forgot about the fact that my Mandarin skills are only at the toddler level, and I have a new little one who easily surpasses these skills. We get out of the cab, and Mia quickly spots a bagota. Mia loves food. It doesn't matter that she had two bags of M&Ms in the cab. And more food for breakfast than everyone else at the table combined. She knew that bagota meant food. We go over to it and she sees a vat of ramen noodles which she wants. Ok. We get the box. She then sees another one. I tell her bu yao (no), just one. She doesn't like that answer. Screaming starts. Peoples heads whip around. Kate and Lianna tell me "just get the second vat". In my mind, I thought I do not want her eating enough noodles for a family of 8 and tell them no way. Mia continues her screaming "wo yao" I want. People continue to wonder what things this crazy looking woman is doing to this adorable little child. Luckily her tantrums tend to be pretty short lived. She gave up on the second vat of noodles and asked for a lollipop. Sure. By now I know to pick my battles. Looking back I should have just bought the second vat, and given it secretly to someone else when she wasn't looking.
As we entered the market, we found a shoe stall. Next to food, Mia loves shoes. For $4.00 a pair, Mia picked out an adorable pink pair of shoes. Then a red one. Then a pair of sandles. Then a pair of "pleasant goat" baby shoes. Hmmm. Somehow we managed to get out of the shoe stall with only two pairs.
Next we stumble upon the book area. Lots of fun books. She sees the "pleasant goat" again. We buy a book. She asks for more but again I tell her only one in Mandarin. This time, no tantrum and one book.
As we make our way to the back of the market we hit a toy area which I didn't remember from previous years. We pick out one toy. She seems content. Until we pass a sticker stand. She screams "wo yao" (I want). I try to walk as fast as I can by it. Mia is too clever. She has object permanence skills and knows those stickers still existed behind us. I immediately think of all of the stickers we already have in our room. I think about the value of teaching her she cannot have everything she sees. Hmmm, the thought of this just makes me laugh. She has been with us for only 3 days. Next time, I think we will just get the stickers.
Despite these appropriate and expected meltdowns, Mia is doing very, very well. She has repeated her first english words "super" "halloweeen" (they have giant purple pumpkins around Nanning), "trick or treat", "go". This morning she said the girls' names. We are all smitten with this little one, whose favorite words are "wo yao", or "I want".