Our Own Suite Life

Surprise, surprise, today was filled with pretty much the same thing as the last few days...breakfast, playroom time, walking, a little shopping, lunch, nap, swimming, dinner and more walking. It is funny how acclimated Liam is to our hotel room and the elevators...A two year old knowing the guards and attendants, catching an elevator multiple times a day, having housekeeping come in several times a day... It be a great story if Disney didn't grab it first. That's okay, we're living our own "Suite Life" and sweet it is.

Andrew is feeling much better. His fever broke last night and he has taken it easy today. We have never seen ANYONE hug as hugely and genuinely as we did Liam for Andrew when we returned home from dinner last night and Andrew was at the door waiting for him. It is pure love!

After a day or two, everything in the hotel room becomes a toy. Liam not only helps me put things away, he finds new things to play with. One of the pictures is just that (yes, it is what you think it is...and no, I don't think Tampax had play toys in mind when they redesigned their packaging.) He quite likes to put things in the trash and has a grand time pulling everything out to play with at once, including food. Sounds like a typical two year old, doesn't he? It doesn't matter whether we're in a hotel room or house, the antics are classic across the world.

When we had Liam's health exam last week, the doctor looked in his ear and saw it was infected. We told her he was on meds and she cleaned it out and we went on our way. We didn't get our "real hearing exam", which I've heard consists of them ringing the bell near the child's head and seeing if they turn their head that way or not. We paid our money and went on our way, no big deal =) We figured his hearing is fine as he's figured out somewhere along the streets of Guangzhou, one of his shoes has lost it's "squeaker". He now has a lopsided squeak and it bothers him. They sound just fine, but only one squeak per full step as opposed to the two. This seems to perplex him as he'll try to go faster...nope. Still the same. He'll hold a foot up after taking a step...nope. Shoes still there. He then goes down on his knees after a step to see if that works. Of course it doesn't but it is so cute to see him try to figure out what's up with the squeaky. That is priceless. Guess what we're doing tomorrow? Yep, probably going to see if they have extra squeakers at the store. Who knows, we may be able to even get a good deal on them! =)

Today I got to swim with Liam. I actually went early to do my laps, which was an experience in itself. As I described the flocking at the walking street the other day, I realized it is just one of the cultural differences I won't understand. Another one is the personal space issue. Seems the pool doesn't have rules for personal space either, despite the lines that go along the bottom of the pool. I not only was the only female, I was the only one who swam strokes other than breaststroke and stayed in my lane. I got to thinking that maybe I am at fault and maybe their rules are when someone comes in your lane, you keep moving to the middle. That would have been fine except when I tried that, someone came in that lane, too. I don't mind sharing (there are no lane lines) but we are talking right next to me. I guess maybe somehow it could be considered a compliment and I should take it as that~which is what I did as I got out. It was a little hard to stay focused but I was grateful for the H2O time.

After I got out, my boys came down to the pool for Liam to swim with me and Andrew and Wade to go run on the treadmills. I thought maybe it would be hard to get him in the pool since my hair was slicked back from being wet and he doesn't seem to like that...but I was wrong. He and I went swimming, splashing and kicking and had a lovely time! I again began to fantasize of this little guy being "my swimmer" and us going to the pool each and every day back home...until Andrew came around from the gym and Little Man wanted NOTHING to do with me. He has the splashing concept down~right in my face. He only wanted Roo to swim with him. I stayed near and he kept a glaring eye on me, making sure I didn't get too close. It is so strange and yet so funny!

The pictures today are of our walking/shopping, a meal time or two (of course) and his inventive play toys. After this (and the fit that followed when I took them away), we went to a toy store and bought a few more little "real" toys for the room, one which "lost" its battery after only an hour! After dinner, Wade and Liam took a little walk and Liam discovered the light show on the sidewalk. The lights turn colors and he found that just fascinating...just as we do him! mct