Books !

Today we went on a bus with our travel group to the pearl and jade wholesale market. It is a 5 story building filled with little shops selling jewelry- mostly pearl and jade.  Since we have btdt and don't need and pearls or jade we left the group, and went shopping in the neighborhood.  I think, at least at first the boys were happy to get out of the jewelry store.

Jerry was willing to try on shoes (and buy the slip on canvas ones that I liked - under $10) because he determined that any time spent that way gave me less time to acquire other bargains on the street.

This is what our group looks like, getting off the bus and putting all their adorable 2ish year olds in strollers.  There are plenty more 2 year olds here in China if anyone is interested. Our friend Brittany's daughter was in a room with 45 children in beds under age 2 with 3 nannies. Whenever Peter sees me taking pictures , he co-operates by turning and smiling.  Will usually has to be teased into smiling.

Our second stop was to the Chen Family Temple.  The boys are obviously tired of looking at old Chinese stuff, but they don't complain.  After we got back to the hotel and found a new place to go out to lunch, we went by taxi to what used to be a 4 story bookstore. When we discovered it was closed we tried to figure out the Chinese directions to it's new location which took us through a crowded underground shopping area and past a big sports arena to find that the books are now all in huge tents. We are always so proud of ourselves when we have this kind of success.  

 William was surprised and, I think, delighted that we were buying more than one book for them.   Although we already have many books in Chinese and pinyin at home, we chose about 10 without pinyin, ranging from an usborne type book on cars that Will wanted, some books on the middle ages and renaissance (again usborne type, lots of pictures) to translations of Robinson Crusoe and Tom Sawyer. William has the best chance of all the kids of being able to continue to read in Chinese and his first months home he will be studying some things in Chinese and some in English. 

Since we have been back at the hotel, the boys have spent a couple of hours looking at the new books, but now it is time to continue their Lego education on Netflix. And I will begin a new book, the sixth since we left home.