Well China, ready or not, two more Fendricks have landed! Mike's parents arrived today and after they recover a bit from the wear and tear of travel, we are looking forward to showing them around a bit. All the things that seem (mostly) normal to us is all new to them - a driver, local shopping, restaurants, etc. On the way to the airport today it was like I was seeing things with new eyes - noticing things that I wouldn't normally notice and wondering what a visitor might think. This may or may not be a good thing because it may result in me being hypersensitive to things that I had previously grown accustomed to. It seemed that I was more aware of the driver's tendency to be 'all gas or all break'...I was more aware of the strange smells that come and go...I was more aware of the extremely bleak living conditions and the extremely bad driving. I guess time will tell if showing them around will mean I have to reintegrate myself to China life.
The girls have been so excited and did not leave Ma-maw's side until I made them go to bed. All I know is that they asked if they could brush their teeth twice because Ma-maw brought toothpaste that will "whiten teeth in 3 days!" (Erin said that after that, you don't have to brush your teeth anymore...) They also joined in on Ma-maw's four-step face cleaning regimen...once before dinner and once after...and they learned to say "Oh taaa!" when they see or hear something fancy or snooty. Ma-maw and I already concluded that they will need "Ma-maw detox" when she goes home in a couple of weeks!
For now, we are so happy they are here. In May it will be our year anniversary with China as our home. Even with all its oddities (that's a nice way to put it, don't ya think?), we really feel at home here and are so happy to share this amazing adventure with people we love. Sooo...who's next??
