Bringing Kate Home

Well, we left at the crack of dawn to head home. I was kind of dreading this flight home, (what with getting airsick at the very end last time, and now with a 20 month old) but I was missing the boys so much, that was my focus. It was still dark, and very chilly and windy when we stepped outside the hotel. The weather had gotten cooler each day that we had been in Guangzhou. It was hard to believe it was the same place that was so balmy and warm 5 days earlier.

As we get to the airport, Leila walks us in, and gets us set up and pointed in the right direction, and we realize we’re going to be on our own when we get to Hong Kong, transferring flights. Leila reassures us that there will be many English speaking foreigners there, if we need help. “Have you ever been to Hong Kong Leila?” “No.”....Great...O.K. We’ll just figure it out. The first 45 min. flight leaving Guangzhou is uneventful…excellent. I start feeling more confident.

Two hour layover in Hong Kong…I’m gonna check out the bathrooms…(I promised my female friends I would report on the bathroom situation! :) This time I’m armed with my T.P.(most public restrooms don’t have tissue in there…it’s a BYOTP thing), and my camera…hidden in my pocket. I know, I’m a goober, but you know you want to see ‘em, just admit it! I open the stall door (which goes all the way to the floor), and there it is…the squat toilet. I close the door and turn off the flash so no one can hear me taking a picture, then I start laughing…there’s a pretty darn big hole that goes straight down, a good 10 or 12 feet, and I was visualizing having to tell Kevin I just dropped his digital camera down the pooper. LOL. O.K….there’s an art to this…and I only have one question, okay two actually,…how are you supposed to get back up without touching…….anything? (At this point I start giggling again, hoping that there is no one close enough to hear me laughing), and 2, you can make an automatic flush (which used a TON of water) but you can’t make a seat? Interesting.

The mountains in Hong Kong were SO BEAUTIFUL. I’m afraid my photos (taken through the airplane window), did not capture how incredible it looked. They’re steep rugged mountains, but instead of being jagged and pointy at the top like they are here, they’re rounded off. There was mist hanging in between the mountains, as if it was just waiting for someone to come with their camera or paints and easel, and capture it’s beauty. It was really, amazingly pretty. Like some movie about ancient China. I could not stop looking out the window, wondering, ‘why do their mountains look like this, and our mountains in California look so different?’ They are so beautiful. I’ll always have this vision of the misty mountains in my mind when I hear the name Hong Kong.

We learned some things, on our first flight with Kate a week ago…bring lots of Cheerios, snacks, and a bottle to suck during takeoff and landing. Do not attempt to lay her down if she falls asleep…better to be uncomfortable with a sleeping child. We all three emerge from the last of 3 planes approximately 22 hours after leaving our hotel, and it was still the same day! But now our boys are waiting for us, and I cannot get them in my arms fast enough! I think I heard Colton, our 8 yr. old, squeal with delight before I even saw them. My beautiful guys smiling at us…it was a very joyful moment. Finally, all my babies together.

My sister, who watched our 3 youngest boys, walks up with the 3 yr. old, Ryan. (She has had 7 little boys for 2 weeks.) Ryan latches on to Kevin with a vice grip, and the tears come. He starts sobbing uncontrollably, and has the saddest little look on his face, as if he had thought he would never see us again. He looked so relieved that we had come home, and he now had permission to be vulnerable. You try to prepare them for your absence in different ways, but with the little ones, you’re never really sure how much they understand. I felt bad that he had obviously worried, although my sister said he did not cry or seem upset while we were gone. Poor little guy. A stowed away new Herbie Volkswagen (his favorite thing) “from new sister Kate” helped pull him out of the tears, and paved the way for baby Kate to make friends.

The carseat was not a hit (she had never been in one before), nor was Murphy, our big male golden lab/chow mix dog, or our gray Kitty. (She undoubtedly had never seen a dog or cat before either). The boys, on the other hand, quickly became a comfort zone. She kept looking at Bryson’s blond hair, like, “why isn’t your hair black?” They all smiled at her, and put out their arms for her, and she would go to them. It did my heart good. Ryan more just watched her…although I did see him pat her on the head, and quickly, but gently stroke her hair. O.K., good, progress. No one bonked anyone else on the head with a bottle, or took their toy. I think we’re off to a good start.

Kate did not have an interest in getting down and exploring, especially if Murphy was around. As I was sitting on the couch with her, Murphy walked by and licked her head, as if welcoming a small cub into the wolfpack. It was very sweet. Kate did not agree. Then later, as I was holding her in the kitchen, Murphy “kissed” the bottom of her foot as he walked by. Again, not the response Murphy was undoubtedly going for. (shriek!!)

Her referral information stated that Kate had an incredible ability to adapt. They weren’t kidding. Within an hour, she was already doing little things that she had not done in China. The three of us collapse in bed that night, completely unaware off what time it was in China. Until…..2:30am…..”So what’s on the dinner menu? I would appreciate food now, please.” Kevin and I must have looked like something off a sitcom…he stumbles down to make her a bottle, and I am seriously falling asleep holding up a handful of Cheerios in bed, while Kate happily munches away. The morning brings a cheerful smile, a cute case of bedhead, and hungry little girl. “Well, good morning my little American citizen! Welcome to your first full day in America.”

Thoughts I had that let me know I had gotten a little too used to “the hotel life”!....
Where the heck was that bellboy when we came home with all this luggage?
I miss that petite Chinese housekeeper that could change the duvet cover and sheets on a kind size bed in 3 minutes flat. I really wanted to bring her home! She was small…I bet I could have put her in my suitcase and gotten her through customs.
What’s up with this lo-flo water conserving shower? A real shower should just blast the shampoo out of your hair!
Don’t these towels seem kinda small to you?
Oh, I could really go for some room service right now.
I have no idea – call the concierge.