Celebratory Cheerios

At 2:15 today, we met our guide in the hotel, and boarded tour buses
with all of the other adoptive families that are staying at the White
Swan to go to the US Consulate. Three full tour buses full - 45 families
in all - made the trek across Guangzhou together. It was quite an
experience. We all waited in line to have our passports checked, go
through airport-style security (complete with taking off our shoes and
checking our electronics), and sit in a waiting area for them to call
our name. "Would the parents of Xi Xue Li please come to counter 21" was
rather exciting. We all had our passports checked again to make sure we
were all who we said we were, and waited some more. (side note - Mara
took a trip to the bathroom, which has signs reminding visitors to "put
your feet on the floor, not on the seat" - clearly, most Chinese are not
used to Western-style toilets - "squatty pottys" are far more the norm
here!) Around 4 pm, an consulate officer came out and talked to us a bit
about the US Consulate in Guangzhou, the rest of the process, and wished
happy birthday to the two children in our group with April birthdays.
Then Chris and I stood, raised our right hand, and took the oath of
citizenship on behalf of Hannah. It was a very special moment, marked
with celebratory Cheerios all around. :)

Hannah looked great in her special dress, though she was very happy to
be back in her play clothes when we got home. She is clearly her
mother's daughter. We also took the traditional pictures on the red
couch (a long-standing tradition of adoptive families). Hannah and Henry
looked so wonderful together in their outfits!

One more day in Guangzhou then we are homeward bound!!

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