Promoted to Caretaker!!!

I got a promotion today. Yesterday I was merely an annoying acquaintance, today I get to be a caretaker. Maelin let me help with her shoes, wash her hands, open her Play-Doh, and put on her jacket. I also get to play Play-Doh with her. (I make better things than mommy) She still won't let me hold her or hold her hand, but I will take whatever I can get. It was a huge day for our relationship. She loves her momma. She would not share her pretzels with me or our guide, but she would share with momma.(low protein pretzels we brought with us) She loves to eat! She loves rice, broccoli, congee, and fresh mandrine oranges. She is also a neat freak. I don't know how that will fit in with our family, but we need all the help we can get. She doesn't like to be dirty. She constantly wants to clean her hands and face. She picks up after herself. When she gets tired of playing with the Play-Doh, she puts it back in the containers. I have to put on the lids for her, which makes me feel like a million bucks, and then she puts the Play-Doh up.

We slept later than usual this morning. After we got ready, we went downstairs to the breakfast buffet. There was not a place to sit, and they were out of congee for Maelin. Plan B: We walked across the street to McDonalds. We had packed some low protein cereal for Maelin to eat as a snack later in the day, so she ate that and some of the hash browns. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a good western breakfast. Then we splurged and went next door to Starbucks. At 9:30 our guide met us in our hotel lobby to take us to West Lake. It is the largest fresh water lake in China. It is a beautiful place. We got to see koi, pigeons, a peacock, and beautiful flowers. I took a million pictures-some of which I posted below. It was so relaxing. The rest of the day was free time which we spent in the hotel room for bonding. Tonight we went to a seafood and duck restaurant. Kala wanted to get out and try something new. Well she did. She had the duck. The plate came out with some duck meat and the duck head on it. She ate the meat. Maelin had rice and broccoli. I drank a sprite.(I am glad I packed the beef jerky) Now we are in our room playing games on the bed. She is happiest right before bed time. She has laughed a lot this evening. We go to a local tea farm and museum tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures below. Until tomorrow, God bless! We love you all!

P.S. I wrote more about what happened yesterday. It is posted below all of this, so please read on.