Return

When Mom and Baba came back from Shanghai I assumed that Baba would be writing a post on Shanghai, which he did. However, I was definitely expecting a BIT more of the fun details of their two-day trip. As a result, I, Abby Lindner, am hear to deliver that information. However, as I did not accompany them for the appointment I cannot give first-hand experiences on the events. I will be, instead, telling them to you to the extent of my knowledge.

To start, Mom, Baba, and Matthew got home about nine, maybe nine thirty. Time plus me equals arch enemies (Time + me = arch enemies). I am not good with time. Remembering dates - forget it. I can, but if I don't have to, I won't. I remember the date though! ...Was it the seventh or the eighth? Darn, I hate dates, and that's one I should remember because it was just last week. Well, I know on date for certain (concerning this trip): They left Wednesday, March 6, 2013, noontime. I would ask them for specifics, but I'm too lazy. Do you see a trend here? I'm all bubbly and full of energy before I write a post, then I sit down and do it, and suddenly I don't want to do anything. Life is weird.

Anywho, this is in the Xi'an airport.

See how big I made it? Isn't it absolutely wonderful to be able to look at it without expanding its size (I usually put the pictures in a small/medium)? Isn't Matthew's smile adorable? Actually, that's just him "showing his teeth", a common way to get Matthew to "smile". We just say, "Matthew, show your teeth!" and he sets them in this attack, don't-take-my-picture-you-glassy-eyed-equipment smile.



Here's on the plane. Baba already put a picture, but I'm going to put another just because I want to. So, ha.

Look, this one's big, too. See that puzzled expression on Matthew's face? It's like, "Where am I? What is this? What's going on? Someone help me." And Mom's all cool and looking like she's thinking, "It's okay, Matthew, it's just a plane, we're going to Shanghai, isn't this fun? Rick, stop taking pictures and buckle up." Baba's probably smiling taking this picture and saying, "Matthew, look at me, Matthew, hey, Matthew, what's happening, hey, Matthew..." 

Just kidding. :D

Maybe...

By the way, in the plane picture Baba put, Matthew's watching a movie. The parents brought Matthew's favorite videos (like Karyn Henley's Playsongs series) for him to occupy himself with while on the plane. Alas, his poor sisters were at home, deprived of Mickey Mouse's [annoying] songs!

Here's in the hotel they were staying in...

 This is some sort of window seat where you drink tea. Matthew is happily enjoying his Barbie doll panda veterinarian set that I got Christmas 2010, our first Christmas here. As of recent he's taken an interest in Barbies, or at least their shoes. He likes shoes. :)

Speaking of shoes, he got some new ones in Shanghai. AND A GAP COAT!

There's that smile again. I can't find one where he'd wearing the coat AND the shoes, unfortunately, but you have the coat. Isn't it A-DOR-A-BLE!?!

I think Jen's jealous. She wants Gap, too. ;)

There's Matthew with his Karyn Henley, Mickey Mouse, and Winnie the Pooh again. Look at his little arms! Tucked behind him like that and all... I love little kid arms. They're so squishy and soft and perfect.

Ahem.

Now, there's a particular song in Karyn Henley's discs about stoplights. It goes like this:

Zoom zoom zoom

I'm driving in my car

Driving in my car

Driving in my car

Zoom zoom zoom

I'm driving in my car and

I come to a

Traffic

Light. 

I-i-it's green on the bottom and red on the top

The green say go and the red says stop, stop, stop. 

Matthew loves this song. So, while driving in the van to the hotel they passed numerous traffic lights (unlike in Xi'an). Every time he saw one he began singing this Red says "Stop". 

If I haven't emphasized it enough, he is so ADORABLE. The cutest little boy in China, according to us all (I like to think of this as a unbiased opinion). 

Matthew loves water (fountains and such, not drinking it - he prefers milk). Look at him, so bedazzled about this fountain...

Hooray! BIGGER WATER! If you could see Matthew's face, he probably look awestruck. A trip into his mind during this scene: "BIG WATER! AAAAHHH! YAAAAHHH!"

Do you see how every great picture features Matthew?

He makes everything so AWESOME (unbiased...?)!

Here's some more of that brilliance...

This kid knows how to eat ice cream and make it cool. I mean, some people can eat ice cream, get it all over their face, smile at you and it looks funky. When this kid does, it's like some sort of light just shined down from some mystical, happy place and you're making this "awww" sound that won't stop. 

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... You get the gist. That sing-songy voice adults put on when they think something's cute. 

I don't know much more from there. :\

Oh oh oh! Here are some pictures Baba took of nighttime Shanghai.

Ah, night, the most beautiful time of the day.
Well, this seems a somewhat appropriate place to stop. (You, know, night = end of day)

Good day to you.

~Abby