HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKSON!!

December 8th was a good day. Of course, it was Jackson's birthday so we did our best to make a big deal out of it starting very early in the morning with some presents. I couldn't believe he was turning six! He is very independent, but emotionally he is younger (that's okay by me - - I want him to bond well). He really has the sweetest disposition.  We certainly kept him hopping  - - poor kid probably didn't know what hit him. The day before we completely failed as parents to get him to take a nap. We had about two hours to kill and we were an hour past his naptime. Tried as hard as we could, but he was too wound up and just wanted to beat Baba up with pillows (it was so funny). He made up for it later. He slept 10 hours that night!  He talked a bit in his sleep, but I couldn't tell you what he said.

Michael and I were both looking forward to moving out of Xi'an (and so were my lungs). I took to wearing the surgical masks I got from my doctor's office as did Jackson. Michael didn't want one. It helped quite a bit, but I still got so sick with bronchitis from the environment. We could really feel it the first day here - - we could smell the coal pollution the minute we stepped off the plane. Our guide won't go out anywhere without her mask. Some ambitious individual made a good Yuan getting creative and making "designer" version masks - - almost everyone wore one instead of scarves. Between H1N1 (which was really bad in Xi'an) and the coal pollution - - it was necessary. As we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda of Ci'en Temple, I had our guide take a photo of us - - I joked by saying "cheese" with the mask on - - as if anyone could tell I was smiling!

"Cheeeeeeese!"

That's not fog.  This photo was taken near mid day and yes...that's the sun trying to poke through the coal pollution!  Ugh!  It made breathing very difficult.

I just love this "father-son" photo!

It rained all day the previous day and the city was just filthy from the coal dust.  It covers everything!  It was like we were walking in mud all day. The streets and cars were just covered with soot. I would have thought that the rain would have made things clearer, but it really didn't clear up until late in the day. 

Our wonderful guide, Annie, took us to a Chinese restaurant for lunch (imagine that) to celebrate Jackson's birthday. She ordered a cake from a bakery and picked it up which was so nice. The food was very good (although the cigarette smoking just about killed me - - no such thing as a "non-smoking section"), but Jax was coming down with something, too.  He was a little lethargic (upper respiratory thing).  I was glad I brought some liquid Ibuprofen and Benedryl and children's aspirin because I had to use it!  He was really good about taking his medicine, too! (Not fighting it like most kids do - - he actually says "xie xie" every time!) Anyway...he ate a good portion of food and drank about three cups of warm water and then we broke out the birthday cake! It was lovely! A cute, small cake indicating his 6th birthday with elaborate flowers and a GOAT for our little "goat boy" (he was born in the Year of the Goat). Too cute. I told Annie I had birthday candles back in the room and I felt badly that I had forgotten them. She said, "I think my candles are better." She brought out this crazy lotus flower thingy and when she lit it up it played the "happy birthday" song, shot fire in the air and lit all the candles as the flower opened. It was really cool. Jackson cut himself a big piece of cake (which was hilarious to watch) and he really came alive as he ate it! Even though he was really tired, he finished the entire piece. We had 1/2 a cake leftover in the hotel room! They packed it in this elaborate box, gave a cute birthday card with his favorite cartoon character (a goat!) and put a lovely live rose on the box. As we walked back to the hotel, I asked Annie what we owed here and she said, "Nothing. It's my gift." OMG!  Could she have been sweeter to us?

Our son is a real pro with his chopsticks (Michael is jealous)!

Isn't this the cutest cake?  Our son was born in the Year of the Goat!

This is the coolest birthday candle ever!

Our little man didn't feel the greatest on his birthday, but who could tell? 

He was so happy to get his cake and celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!