Fun and Not So

We stayed on this Island in 2008, and yet never realized there was a nice river walk area with a playground right behind Lucy's restaurant.  How did we miss that?  I have no idea.  I guess because we weren't looking for things an active 4 year old can do.  We had a non-walking 2 year old. 

This time?  We definitely need something for the active 4 year old boy!  So, we spent yesterday afternoon at the playground.  Until Asher got so wound up, we had to remove him from the sensory overload for a while. 

He had a lot of fun!  Then to wind him down a little, we went for a walk on the river.  It's not Charleston, but compared to Tianjin, Guangzhou is paradise.  And right now, it's like paradise in spring! Warm, not hot, with flowers blooming everywhere and everything is green.  This must be the prefect time to be here.

Today was the visa medical.  I'm sure Asher would have rather been at the park!  Although, I wouldn't actually classify the visa "medical exam" as anything all that intrusive.....or thorough for that matter. 

Here we waited with our group from Madison for our turn to go in. 



And here Asher is trying hard to get away from Daddy so he can get into some kind of trouble!

They took his temperature, his weight and his height in room one. 

The ENT visit consisted of looking in his ears and then using toys to make noises to see if the child responds.  Yes, that would be the hearing exam. 

The medical/surgical room involved having him take off his socks and shoes so the doctor could inspect his feet.  He lifted Asher's shirt and looked at his back and trunk. 

He did a quick listen with a stethoscope and pulled down his pants (Asher's not the doctor's!) and did a quick check there and that was that.......except.  Well, there is the issue that Asher's file says he has cerebral palsy.  And, Asher?  Well, he doesn't actually seem to.  So, the doctor was concerned.  Really? 

Yes, he decided that Asher needed another opinion and he drug us all off to another room that was full of other doctors, all sitting at computers.  They all took a turn to talk to Asher, they had him walk across the room and in the end they decided.......drum roll...........he's perfectly fine! And, none of them understand why he has that diagnosis. 

Lastly, we had to have the TB test.  Asher saw children coming out of this room crying and he no intention of going in there......so he tried to make a break for it, in classic Asher style!  But, Paul corralled him and he was subjected to the horrid TB test. 

Then it was over!  Passed with flying colors.  Now we go back in two days to see how the TB test turns out.