I'd gladly pay you on Tuesday...

Howdy all,
Happy 18th of September! No idea what special has happened or will happen on that date in history, but hey, we'll just tell you what "normally" happened over here in the Middle Kingdom.
The day started off per usual. The highlight of every day (at least for Andrew) is breakfast. Not only the most important meal of the day, but here in Guangzhou, the most identifiable. The Eating Machine, which contary to all that we've said before, is the most literal translation of "Shan Le Yang" was as happy (as also per usual) as a pig in slop. (see picture in next post) Or a monkey in a banana tree. Drew, however, was not feeling his oats. He said that his eyes hurt and they were red and a li'l puffy. So whilst TEM and Wade went to the playroom after breakfast, Andrew went up to the room for a benedryl and some rest. We thought it was some sort of allergy. Andrew is known for his daily auditions for Fear Factor Guangzhou and will eat ANYTHING. So we thought that that was probably it.
Anyway, later in the morning, Mari, Wade, and Liam decided to give the new toddler backpack a try and exercise our urban land navigation skills and try to find the shopping district we went to the other day (by the Pearl Market). The backpack worked like a charm. (see picture in the following post) However, Wade's city-trailblazing skills were a tad rusty. Although, in his defense, lots of stuff rusts in heat and humidity like this. Long story short (and relatively short distance longer than it actually needed to be), our intrepid shoppers made it in the same three pieces in which they started. Littlest, however, took advantage of the 95 degree heat, the swaying motion, and Daddy's all too soft deltoids to rack out...leaving not only a nose dent in Dad's neck, but just a smidge of sweat. We did this exploration run with Tracie, Ericka, and Abby--the other CHI gals in our mini-group.
While on our "off the beaten path" excursion, we saw some areas that probably aren't frequented by your typical foreigners. Although only just a teensy bit off course (as in "No, Mari, I SWEAR that the pink buildings that we are looking for are just behind that next decrepit old structure thingie right there."), we got to see shops that don't have the prices posted anywhere...if'n you get my meaning. We saw folks spreading out thier mushrooms (and their seahorses...yes, I wrote seahorses) to dry on the sidewalk before slappin' them up for sale. We saw a couple of medical supply stores open to the general public. The cobalt blue lead vests for x-ray patients are quite stylish and go well with the matching rib spreaders, I must admit. Through these travels and travails, however, our fearless band had high spirits...and high steps over some of the more aromatic sewer grates. (And hey, navigation is ALWAYS easier from the air. Seriously.)
Up and down "Up and Down" street, we gladly exhanged different colored pieces of paper for cute baby outfits and other necessities. Feeling a bit peckish after our ever-so-slightly long cut, we decided to hit the McDonald's over looking the main shopping plaza. TEM was running on all cylinders as he devoured a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (and also, incidentally with cucumbers and some sort of spicy, um, mayonnaise/sauce/industrial lubricant) in no time flat. (see picture in following post) He is going to be the total All-American boy: diggin' his burgers and he is totally hooked on Coke in all it's insidious forms (Coca-Cola, Coke Light, Fanta, Sprite). Not crazy 'bout the fries, though. We'll see how he does on Tsing Tao soon, I guess.
After further adventures in swapping wampum for textiles, we picked up some McNuggets, fries, and a Fanta for Andrew and headed back on a MUCH shorter path...found by Wade by using some sort of instinctual homing mechanism, like the Capistrano swallows, or Chinook salmon, or maybe just remembering where the bus took us yesterday. When we got back Andrew was still the same, but Liam was REALLY happy to see him. So happy, amidst the giggles and squeals, that he decided that a nap would only cut into the joy of the day. The joy was only added to by eating all of Andrew's McNuggets (minus the breading, of course).
On an aside, we've been asking (as I'm sure you've read) since we checked in to have a room with one king size bed in addition to the crib and the rollaway. Up to now, however, we've been very Ozzie and Harriet in our slabs of twin beds. Management said, every morning and afternoon, that they were booked solid and, sorry, would not be able to move us. Today, though, Wade noticed that the next door room was being cleaned and, miracle of miracles, it had a king size bed. Quick as a bunny (assuming that a bunny could somehow hit the second floor button on the elevator), he was down at the reception desk. Even more miraculously, after checking with a few other people behind the desk, the clerk said that the room would be ours as soon as it was cleaned. Oh happy day! After the "it will be ready in about twelve minutes" stretched past the hour point, we did actually move.
Andrew, however, wasn't ready to do much moving at all. We had a dinner with a bunch of the other families scheduled at the Thai place (Cow and Bridge), but 'Roo wasn't feeling up to it. So we left him with instructions to finish his religion homework and maybe some other reading. Liam had a blast, eating most of Wade's noodle plate and a good chunk of Mari's. He fell into a deep post-bacchinal slumber on the stroller ride back to the hotel. When we got up to the room, Andrew was asleep still, now with a fever. We're sure that it is just some sort of virus, and with a motrin in him, hopefully the fever will break tonight. More to follow.
Although not any "important" day on the calendar, today Liam learned to say "please" for his cookies, had fun playing "take this to Andrew, take this to Mommy", and was surrounded by a family that love, love, loves him! A pretty great day in anyone's book. :0)