Emotional Roller Coaster

Yesterday was kind of a microcosm of the whole trip. One minute you're having no trouble at all subscribing to the doctrine of original sin, and the next you're experiencing pure joy. OK, maybe not minute-by-minute, but it goes back and forth quite frequently. I keep telling myself that any 4-year-old has bad habits, and the parenting has just begun - in fact some would say it doesn't truly begin until we get home. But we had a bit of a break-through yesterday when Seth showed some remorse after one of his transgressions.

I took the kids to the pool yesterday so Kathleen could have an afternoon to herself. Previous trips to the pool have been fun, with Seth hanging on one of the 3 of us with his swimmies on. Yesterday he did that for a while, and jumped off the side into Josie's or my arms. By the end though, he was floating around on his own, and paddling all over the pool without any assistance.

So we're understanding better every day why people say these trips are hard work. We collapse into bed each night very soon after we put the kids down, exhausted. Even the "slow" days wear you out. Each day sees joy and frustration; what day doesn't?, I suppose, but the swings seem more pronounced right now.

We're all packed and waiting for our bus here in the lobby of the Beijing hotel. We can see the finish line from here.