What's Wrong With This Picture?

Spring has got to get the message that it's time to send the snow away for good! Ah well, soon we will be sweating and missing it, right?

Happy belated Easter to everyone!

3 Letters: I - E - P

Where have I gone, you may wonder? Julie's annual IEP meeting is on Tuesday and it is honestly consuming my time. I have so much to learn about advocating for my daughter, and I will admit that it doesn't come naturally to me. By nature, I hate confrontation, but I'm finding there's no way around it when it comes to IEP's. Even when everybody is 100% committed to a child and her needs, there will still be disagreements and negotiations and "issues." I just spent a few hours crafting an email that I hope strikes the right balance to get what we feel Julie needs without alienating the very people who will provide it. More work needs to be done tomorrow too. Right now I need to go to bed. Good night!

Another First

Look at Melody's hair!!

Firsts

Julie has experienced a few firsts recently. Can you guess what they are from the pictures?







In case you need some help...
1) She got glasses and is now officially "just like Mommy!"
2) She started riding the bus to preschool as of today! She's been asking me every day for months, so I finally made the arrangements and off she went. She was really sad when she got home because she had to leave the bus behind. I was a little sad to let go of my baby a little bit more by sending her on the bus, but it helped to see how much she loved it. Plus, Melody I got about 45 minutes of time back that we used to spend in the car. All in all a good deal.
3) This isn't a Julie first, but today was the first time Melody wore hard-soled shoes instead of her Robeez! Yesterday her Robeez turned her socks red after we went outside on the damp ground, so I figured it was time to try the Stride Rites we had tucked away in the attic. Success!

My girls are growing so so fast...

Have Backpack, Will Travel!

(Larry just got an email regarding his interview. He is not among the finalists for the position. Onward we go...)

Lots to Report

I have been so busy! Ever since Julie gave up napping, I have almost no time to myself until after the kids go to bed at night. The last 3 nights I've had meetings, so no time then. Last night I got home at midnight! I can't believe how hard it is to get even an hour to myself. Hence, no recent blog posts. Sorry! Let me try to catch up...

Larry had a phone interview on Monday for a job that sounds really interesting. They talked for 1.5 hours! The interviewer said he'd call Friday to let Larry know if he'll be moving on in the process. I'm both excited and nervous about it. I would be very happy for Larry to have such a great opportunity, but moving scares the socks off of me. One thing at a time...

Today is a special day in another way, at least in my mind. Today is the day that Melody is the exact age Julie was when we received her. The contrast is mind blowing. Julie was a 15 pound baby at this age; one who had to be taught how to drink from a bottle; one who hadn't had surgery yet; one who wouldn't walk for 6 more months; one who didn't babble. Melody is a full-blown toddler who is trying to say 2-syllable words, must walk wherever we go, and insists on wearing her little backpack and carrying my keys every time we leave the house. It just goes to show the effects of neglect and lack of proper medical care. It also shows just how far Julie has come in two years. I am so grateful to God for both of my girls, and that they are each here with me now.

Juice and other Cuteness

Melody Has Been Served

Last week we went into Chicago to stand before a judge regarding our petition to "re-adopt" Melody. Her adoption was final in China, but we have the option of "confirming" the adoption in the state of IL, thereby generating a state birth certificate that is easily accessible whenever it may be needed in the future. Before we could go before the judge, however, Melody had to be served with a summons informing her of our petition to re-adopt her and asking her to respond within 30 days. The deputy sheriff who served her said "hopefully for the first and only time in your life, you've been served!" After that, we went before the judge to present our case. Next, our local homestudy agency will generate a report and send it to Melody's court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, who will respond to the court on her behalf. On April 15th, our adoption decree will be entered and Larry will go downtown to get copies on the 16th.

If all of this sounds complicated, it is! Now I have to brag on Larry a bit. For Julie's re-adoption we used a lawyer for everything. This time, Larry did the research and did everything himself! He filled out all the right forms, got everything notarized, made an initial trip downtown to file everything, used all the right language, and represented us before a judge in a courtroom. Wow! Way to go Larry!! By doing all of this, he saved us half the money a lawyer would have cost (well, we have yet to figure in the atrocious cost of parking in Chicago, but still...). We also saved money by traveling into Cook County rather than staying in DuPage. Cook has a whole courtroom just for adoptions, along with a family playroom with computers to play on. Thank you, Larry, for all your hard work.

The deputy filling out paperwork:

Serving Melody:

Playing as we wait:

They gave the girls lollipops on our way out of the courtroom. Melody's first! (What a MESS!)

Is There a Mouse in the House?

And might that mouse just happened to be named JULIE??

There was another half-eaten cone in the box as well, but I didn't discover it until I had thrown the others away or else it would have been in the picture too. Silly girl!

And here's our little 80's rocker girl. Gotta love the hair and star sticker!