Day One with Samuel

We awoke and had a wonderful breakfast. So many choices, including the beloved 火龍果/火龙果 (aka dragon fruit). Google pitaya and then wish you had some. After breakfast we spent a good while too long at the bank changing US dollars for Chinese yuan (RMB) for the orphanage donation.   That foiled our plan to go to the supermarket to buy some juice and snacks (aka bribes) before meeting Samuel.  When we got back to the hotel, Samuel was waiting for us in the lobby - a feverish, scared, runny nosed, little fellow clutching a tomato stick in one fist and a bag of medicine in the other! We did the paperwork right there in the lobby and then carried him crying bloody murder and kicking to our room.  He was pretty weepy at first but Susan fixed that in about ten minutes. A few hugs. A few toys. A bit to drink.   Dad was sent out on a mission to find food.  He returned victorious with ramen noodle cups!  A delicious picnic lunch of Mongolian noodles then took place. What else could a boy ask for?  He ate and ate.  The orphanage lady did warn us that he loves to eat and "must be controlled" or will eat himself sick.  Sounds about right for a Thompson boy! Another surprise: they have already repaired his cleft palate (you would think they would have mentioned that at some point) and it looks great.  Following lunch and a potty break (he is mostly toilet trained) the whole family settled down for nap time.  He started to protest, but was half-hearted about it and fell asleep within minutes.  Sophie also caved and accidentally fell asleep while we were "being quiet".  She could use a nap since we arrived here late last night and stayed up way too late.  She is handling the new status of big sister well and trying to help out with Samuel.  She has declared him "beautiful" and we agree!