Day 3 - July 16

Well today has been my most challenging day so far! We needed to check out at 7 am so that meant eating breakfast early, which was OK except I had to wake Marc up and he was not ready to wake up. I was lacking sleep because yesterday when I started to pack the boys would unpack as fast as I could put it in the suitcases. I could not get them to understand that we needed it in the suitcases, needless to say I decided to wait until they went to sleep, unfortunately that did not happen until I laid down with them and turned all the lights out! Well, you get the picture! I woke up at 2:30 am and realized I had not packed so got up and packed then and went back to sleep at 4:30 and got up when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM.

After breakfast the guide came by our room to help me take stuff down and check out. He has been very good and tends to look out for the boys and me. While he was waiting for me to finish up the last little bit he told the boys we were going to Dalian by train today! I was not ready for the reaction! Marc was fine but Max became hysterical saying he did not want to go back he wanted to go home with Mama!!!!! Our guide had to talk to him for quite a bit and I just sat down and held and rocked him and kissed him and told him Mama loves him and will not leave him and that we would stay together forever!!! That he would fly on a big plane to America with Mama to go home to Baba. He finally calmed down and then was his happy self.

The Shenyang Train Station is the building with the green dome!

Inside the train station.

The boys waiting for the train to come.

Max and Marc were both big helpers and carried their back packs and an extra bag each, and we were off to the train. Max made sure he was always holding my hand though and would not let go! Once we got on the train the ride was interesting! I really enjoyed all the scenery and took lots of pictures. About half way into the ride the guide told us that we had two more hours to Dalian, so we were about half way! Max started in again wailing and saying he wanted to go home (in mandarin) and he did not want to go to Dalian! Then Marc started in so here I am on a train with both my boys crying at the top of their lungs, sitting on my lap rocking them and holding them with Bishops sitting across the Isle and nothing they can do, the guide talking to them in Mandarin and everyone in our train car with their heads turned watching us trying to figure out what is going on. I am terrified at this point that someone will think I am kidnapping them and feeling just helpless for their pain and agony! All I can do is sit there and rock them and keep telling them Mama loves them and they are going to America with Mama! (Not that they understood anything I said except maybe Mama loves you because I do know that in Mandarin) This went on for 20 minutes or more! They finally settled down some and Steven (the guide) took Marc to the bathroom and I kept rocking Max as he was still crying. Steven brought Marc back happy and Max had quit crying so life was much better!