Almost time to go home

For the last two days, I've woken up and thought 'it's so nice to be home' but then open my eyes and realize that I'm still in the White Swan. Although we've been very comfortable here, we're ready to go home and start life together. It's been rainy and the pollution is intense.

Yesterday afternoon, Lucy, Lorna, Will and myself went to the US consulate to finalize her paperwork and take the oath. There were maybe 25 families and they called us up one by one to check our passports and have us double check the information for the millionth time. Then a consulate guy came out with a microphone and made it ceremonious - calling out birthdays, families who were doing this for the fifth time!!!, etc. Then we all raised our right hands and repeated after him. Lucy has a Chinese passport with a US visa, but will become a citizen when we clear customs in San Francisco.

When we got back from the consulate, Kai was again running a fever so I stayed back with him while the rest of the gang went to our favorite vegetarian Buddhist restaurant. We were all holding our breath because she's been so attached to me, but turned to me, said 'bye bye', and did great- really bonded more with daddy. Kai just laid on my chest all night and was fine in a few hours - so it all worked out the way it was supposed to...

Lucy is officially not a quiet kid any more. There's been lots of bed-bouncing and happy screams with Lorna and Lucy. Lorna saying over and over, "it's a Paradise family party!" Lucy tells us lots of things in Cantonese and I think I know how to say, "what's this?" Her English is coming along very easily and she loves to do somersaults. New likes are: french fries, birds, my iphone, dogs!, strolling, cheerios, kale, lollipops, 'go dog go', playing ball, being held upside down and hopefully tomorrow she will like airplanes.

Tomorrow bright and early we're heading for Hong Kong. We'll stay there for about 24 hours before heading to Denver via San Francisco.