Where have you been???

Well, it's been a while. Time flies when you're having fun!

• I've had two colds in two weeks (I'm just happy it's not MONO! Where I was at this time last year....) But the last two weeks have gone like this: A cold for a week, stomach bug over the weekend, two days of good health and then WHAM....another cold. It was like a sucky cold sandwich, but once again, NOT mono, so I can't complain. Well, I could complain, but I bet you would stop reading. If you haven't already.

• Charlie's US Passport came in the mail last week! Yipppeeee! He is so proud of his "blue book". You have to send pretty much  EVERY single important original document you have to obtain said passport (original adoption decree, original birth certificate, original citizenship certificate, Russian passport). And hope and pray that they make their way home. Though the Post Office. Yikes. Post Office does not scream confidence in the whole dependability department to me. I guess I've had too many smashed boxes, lost parcels, etc. for my liking. I literally had nightmares about these things getting lost in the mail. But we got the passport in the mail on Tuesday and his original documents were returned on Friday. Not too bad. Sorry I said bad things about you post office. 

• We got Jack's birth certificate in the mail! Yeah! The next day, I went down to the Social Security office. You can read about Charlie's social security office experience HERE. Well this time around it was A TON easier. I guess everyone is more comfortable with a US born adoptee as opposed to a Russian born one. No two hour wait, no supervisor's supervisor. In, out. DONE! I called this time and they said I didn't even need to bring Jack since he was a baby. After his social security card comes in the mail then we can amend our income taxes and actually claim him for 2011. Which brings me to my next bag o' fun....

• Charlie's adoption tax credit. We got a check in the mail for our return MINUS the adoption tax credit. Oi. Then three days later a letter saying "don't send anything at this time, but your tax return is "under review" Yikes. Apparently if I haven't heard from then in 45 days I need to call a 1-800 number and then in 45 days they'll call me back, then in another 45 days.....Do you see a trend here people? I LOVE that our country says "Ohhhh YES!!! Adoption Tax Credit" and then makes you jump through hoops to get it. I mean, I can see if it's a $40,000 credit, but it's not. It's $13,360. Really, if you made two (maybe 3 trips to Russia) I can GUARANTEE that $13k is chump change. Five airline tickets, three visas, room, board, drivers and mandatory medical exams cost more than that! That's not even counting agency fees, home studies, blah, blah, blah. So, I am getting ready for a fun time with our own government. Yeah....

• Jack has not one, but TWO teeth poking through! Wow. It seems like it happened overnight. I mean, he's been drooling and chewing on everything in site for two months. But the teeth just "pooped" up overnight I swear. He's been eating "real" food everyday and LOVES it. I mean LOVES it. I've made him carrots, sweet potatoes, applesauce, peas, beets, acorn squash, purple sweet potatoes. Another boy that LOVES Mama's cooking. He's also eaten these dissolving rice rusk biscuits. They are called "Mum Mums" and he gets so mad after he's eaten them all gone. Like I am withholding food from him! "Where are my mum mums? What have you done with my mum mums???" He is also sleeping from 8:30pm- 7:00am WITHOUT waking up. Praise the Lord. I feel like a new person. Sleep is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Did I mention he's sitting up by himself too??? Where is my baby going???

• We went to the park today and Charlie took the initiative to climb up to the monkey bars. Now, we've monkey barred a few times last summer by holding him up, but this time he was playing with some friends as we watched from a distance. He climbs up and ROCKS the monkey bars all by himself. All the way across. I was literally cheering from the "mommy bench". The other mommies on the playground probably thought I was crazy. But if you could have seen him. He is so strong and so tall and so....well all boy. Big Boy. Then he proceeded to lay down in the mulch and make a mulch angel, which explains all the mulch in his pockets and underwear when he comes home from preschool. We are still going to speech therapy once a week and he's gotten a little better sitting still. He is still so stubborn, so I can't really say at this point if it's making any difference. I think the kid's going to college saying "pood" instead of "food". 

• I am starting a new "fun" blog about what I've been passionate about lately- making my own soaps, cleaners, food. Trying to live more frugally, and "green" even though I hate using that word since I pretty much kill the earth on a daily basis. It's not ready yet, but be on the lookout for it's BIG debut soon!

•  And I think that's about it in a nutshell. We have been so busy, getting geared up for summer. Praying that it's a good one....