Trying to catch up

I haven't blogged in a long time for a variety of reasons, no pictures to share, internet acting up, a billion things going on. I will try to catch you up a little.
1. Melody (the doll) finally has one article of clothing. I haven't made her a skirt yet. 2. I am having a small screw replacement surgery on the 9th of February. A screw from a surgery I had done almost 9 years ago has worked through until it is pressing on a nerve and causing periodic pains. So the doctor is going to take that one out and put in a new one in a slightly different place. Mom is coming to help out for about a week, and Holly and the kids for the weekend.
3. We have filed our I-600A form with Customs and Immigration, and we had to go to Portland yesterday to get our fingerprints scanned. Mine may get rejected by the computer when it analyzes them due to small wrinkle lines in my fingerprints. This is usually caused by age, or occurs in people who work with their hands a lot. I think in my case it is caused by the CMT. I may have to go up and get my fingerprints taken again. I am not sure what will happen then, because those lines are not going away, hopefully we will get a technician to look at it and put it through. Irritating.
4. We are trying some intensive potty training again. Penny is coming up to help keep me sane while we keep Alexa in panties and a t-shirt and rush her to the potty periodically. I started yesterday when we got home from Portland, and between 1 pm and 8 pm she did not pee or poo...apparently she knows how to hold it, or she is dehydrated..I did start pushing water on her at about 4 pm. Anyway, wish me luck and offer any advice you may have!

Pigtails

I put Alexa's hair in pigtails yesterday, and they were so cute. We had some sun for once, and the light in the house was beautiful, and Alexa was willing, so I tried to get some pictures. They are fairly cute because of the subject matter of course, but it is hard to avoid reflections in her glasses. We have been busy. We all got sick last week, and David and Alexa were too sick to go to Eugene special meeting, so I went by myself. So strange to sit quietly through the whole thing!

Last week I took Alexa to the Social Security office to get a new Social Security card for her, because the one we had was still in her birth name. (yes, I have avoided this project for 3 years) Anyway, I took books for her to keep her entertained while we waited, and her "leash" and the whole file of Alexa's adoption documents. I was so prepared. Alexa did great for a while. She was happy and occupied, and I thought we were going to be fine. Then she started running around the waiting area meeting people, and I let her as long as she maintained a little appropriate distance. She started running faster and faster, and then she tripped over the gaurd's feet and face planted into the carpet. She hit so hard she had carpet burn on her forehead, and her glasses mashed her nose and eye so hard her nose started bleeding profusely. She was crying, and I was trying to mop up the blood with Kleenex, and just then, they called our number to come up to the desk. I told them to skip us and come back to us, and sang to Alexa to calm her down, and slowed the blood flow a bit. Then when they were ready for us, we had to go get another number, because apparently they can't help you until you hand them a number, so I am trying to hold onto Alexa, who won't hold still and trying to find documents in the expanding file folder, and continuing to mop blood off her face. They want all sorts of things, and in the end, I didn't have the amended birth certificate, so I had to go back later. It was so bad the social security employee apologized! I nearly had a meltdown myself I was so frustrated.

Here is Alexa and Daddy sleeping yesterday morning. They sleep really soundly when I get out of the bed and leave them to it.

Just a little bit goofy

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't taken pictures. I also couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't a complaint. But we did have a fun time yesterday when Tayler came up for a riding lesson with Alexa. After they had their individual rides, Lynn put them both up on Babe for a little bit. I unfortunately didn't get a picture of their faces at this point, maybe I can get one from Carleen. And here is Alexa who put her swimsuit around her neck for fun, or maybe she thinks it is decorative. When I get out the camera and tell her to smile, this is the pose she strikes. Kind of funny.

We discovered last week that we had mice. They had gotten into my baking drawer and eaten my nuts and coconut. There was mouse poop all over under my sink, and I had to throw most of the stuff in that drawer away. We sprayed this foam stuff around the pipes where they come through the wall and set traps, and we caught one. But there are more. They chewed through the foam stuff, and got into the chocolate we left in that drawer to lure them, but failed to get trapped. I now have to go get steel wool to pack in around the pipes, and secure my baking stuff in tins or hard plastic.

We went to Portland Special meeting on Sunday, and Alexa was a squirming wiggling terror. We should never have put her in the car for 2 hours drive, and then expected her to sit still for two separate two hour meetings. She was good at Lebanon special meeting, but she had already gotten to go to school and play that day (Wednesday special meeting), and the drive there is only 30 minutes or so. I am sort of dreading this coming Sunday..we are trying to figure out how we are going to get her some physical playtime in before and between meetings.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I had some fun taking pictures yesterday before meeting. Alexa really enjoys her train lately. We had a calm New Year's Eve. We went to bed early. New Year's Day we spent at home chillin' out..David worked on fixing the light in Alexa's room, the wires corroded so we had no ceiling light in there for a couple of weeks.

Friday night we had Curt and Renee for supper and a rousing game of Banagrams..a very fun word game!

Saturday David finished fixing Alexa's light, and we got some other little stuff done. We didn't go to Will and Shelley's get together, I'm sorry I missed seeing you all who were there, but we needed time to recover from holiday traveling and get ready for upcoming busyness..

Sunday we had lunch with Tony and Martha and Josh and Zach at the Chinese restaurant. We had a fun visit with them.

I took Alexa swimming again in the afternoon, she loves it so much, but it is kind of exhausting for me to get her into and out of her swimsuit and swim diaper and showered and dressed, and to do all of those things for myself too, while she is wandering around the dressing room pointing at people. Most of the time it is okay for Alexa to be excessively friendly to strangers, but not when we are all undressed..then it is a little awkward.