Today was a perfect day.

This morning, I got up to bright, blue skies with but only a scattering of clouds. This seems to happen so rarely these days that I fight with myself to remember that actually I don't live in a smog ridden city. They are really just rain clouds. Teasing rain clouds that taunt me when I'm hanging out my washing or going for my power walk through the park. Or like last Saturday, cancel all my World Cup English lesson plans and force me to come up with other ideas on the fly. Which is not my forte these days. But today's weather was perfect.

Bittersweet actually.

Perfect for a water fight.

Not so perfect for saying goodbyes.

Perfect for decorating tiny, little patty cakes and eating them too.

Not so perfect traffic (a 20 minute bus ride took 1 hour...granted a regular occurrence but still annoying).

Perfect smiling faces while playing.

Perfect faces turning sombre and sad while waving good bye.

(This is the good bye gift they made us and each signed their own names.)

They know why we have to leave. They know we'll be back and that we'll bring them a new little brother or sister to love. They may not have the same loving families that we all know are so necessary to life, but these children have life, and love, and character. Every week I'm so stoked to be with them. This is a part of China that I will miss while I'm not here.

Other parts, not so much, but them -- well, they're not my kids because I'm not with them everyday but they are my very special xǐao mèimeiis and dìdi's (little brothers and sisters).

And they LOVE their Gāo shūshu (Uncle Tall)!

They're a little disappointed they didn't get to feel the baby move (the baby is always asleep in the mornings while I'm there) and today a little four year old with cerebral palsy (not severe but definitely not mild either!) asked with her big brown eyes if she might hold the baby when we bring it back so long as she's very careful?...oh dear...how do you say no to that?!

Disclaimer: I would like to post more photos of the kids but due to security situations in China for us and for the orphanage, I can't. I'm already pushing it with what I have up. Please don't post these anywhere else, and understand, we simply volunteer here and appreciate what a privilege that is for us.