Day 9

We've heard from several folks how much you're enjoying our blog updates. I'm glad that we are able to keep everyone updated. We're having fun making memories, and glad you can all live vicariously through us. We really do value your support and find joy in the knowledge that so many people care about us.

Ruthie is totally living up to her middle name, Joy. She is so fun and full of joy. She laughs a lot and she is making us laugh. At dinner tonight, Anne said it is kind of like living with Boo, the little girl from Monsters, Inc. who talks in gibberish. She is very chatty, and doesn't seem particularly bothered by the fact that we can't understand or speak Chinese. That is not stopping her from telling us what is on her mind and ordering us around like the princess she is.

This morning, we had our guide help us send some of our clothes out to be laundered. The hotel laundry service is quite expensive, so they said they could get us a better deal with a local launderer. Knowing that, we only packed clothes for about a week. Last night, Anne washed some of our stuff in the bathtub, but as it dried, it was stretching out and getting crunchy (not good qualities in underwear), so we decided to have it done. Most of the things we've done in China have been pretty cheap (since 1 US Dollar = 6 Chinese RMB), but not laundry. It ended up costing us $70. But, it is worth it since we don't have to have crunchy underwear or carry an extra suitcase. 

Right before the guide was in our room sorting out the laundry issue, Anne and Ruthie had been coloring together. Ruthie kept drawing circles and saying the same word. She showed the guide, who told us that she was drawing apples. So smart! She was also able to recognize her shapes and colors. 

After we got the laundry sorted out, we went out to see the Nanjing City Wall. The wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty and was built in the 1300s. Many parts have been destroyed, and some have been rebuilt. The city gate we went to was very impressive. As we were walking up the steps, Ruthie was counting in Chinese along with our guide. Pretty smart 4 year old.

On the way back from visiting the wall, we stopped to do a little bit of shopping with the other American couple who is with us. We found a few souvenirs, and we stopped at a convenience store to get swim caps. The hotel staff at the pool said we needed them if we wanted to swim. All they had was 6 caps, so we bought the store out, strangely, they were the right size for us all.

After Ruthie's nap time we went down to the pool and swam for a bit. She's not fond of swimming, but she did get in the water with Anne's help. She still is pretty leery of Kris, but we're learning that is common for an orphan who has never been around men at all. We know she'll come around, because in her happier moments she is slightly comfortable with kissing Kris and holding his hand on the escalator and that sort of thing.

After swimming we relaxed for a while, and Ruthie watched TV. Mostly, she just likes flipping around the channels and being in charge of the remote. Anne had some fun with her and the remote control, which you can see in this video: 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21147169/IMG_2175.MOV

We ventured out for dinner in the mall (since we had eaten lunch from the marketplace in our room), and Ruthie had us in stitches. She's silly, expressive, and loves playing with the kids. Her personality has won us over, so we can see why the orphanage enjoyed her so much. We've had a lot of fun with her today, but we are ready to get her home and settling in. 

Side note: We love reading the comments you are all posting. When someone comments, we get an email, so we can read the comments, but we're not able to respond at this point. But, keep 'em coming, as it is encouraging to us to know so many folks are praying for us and wishing us well.