New Hotel

Our travel service and agency did a great job helping us get a new hotel, so now we are at the Novotel Peace Hotel.  It costs an extra $70 per night and is worth every penny.  Our connecting rooms are NON smoking, and on the NON smoking floor, so we do not have smoke smell and we can keep the windows closed (keeping the temperature stable and the pollen out.  (chamomma, if you read this, we were at the hotel that you are scheduled for....I cannot access RQ from here!).  The buffet is awesome, and we slept the best we have slept in the last 3 days.  We are very thankful for our agency and CWTS for their willingness to help and provide support.  All is well!
We did see our friends Lindsay and Scott a bit last night and briefly this AM. They left for nanning today to get their precious daughter...exactly where we were 14 days ago.  It seems like we have had Florie so much longer than 14 days!  She is a BUNDLE of ENERGY!  She is LOUD, she is HAPPY, she is SMART!  She loves patty-cake, itsy bitsy spider, talking, imitating, her brothers, walking, yelling, eating, playing with her tea pot, being outside.  She does not love NAPS, but does go to sleep well, thankfully.  She does not like when the boys leave with William and it is just us in the room. She does not like us being all dressed and not leaving IMMEDIATELY.  So, when the shoes get on, it is time to GO!  She is a trooper and loves to go to all of the places that we go.  She has been to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, and Summer Palace.  She understands pretty much everything I ask her....she even just brought me a diaper to change her!  She does get annoyed with her brothers, but for the most part, she loves them!
The boys are doing well. I have been do impressed with them.  Even Jack tolerated thr Forbidden Citytour...3 hours long, missing lunch, about a gazillion degrees with huge crowds wanting to touch him.  They have learned a lot.  They have paid attention, showed extreme patience, and truly been a huge help and joy on this trip.  We have 3 nights left.....tomorrow we do the Hutong tour (no food though :()  and then Tuesday we are free.  We head home Wednesday and arrive Wednesday (lose 12 hours there!), and are ready for it.  I know it will be awhile before Florie really settles, but we are excited to get home. There is a lot about China that is different from when I was here in 2008.  I have a million thoughts about China, but will wait till we get home for that post.
I wish everyone a very Happy Mother's Day.....especially to my MOM and mother-in-law, and two sister-in-laws. I wish I could call you all in person!  Also to all my amazing MOM friends, Happy Mother's Day. I hope you all have a great day with your families.  As we have learned on this trip, FAMILY and HOME are wherever you are, as long as you are together!
Love,
Eve
xoxox