Feeding Frenzy (Part II)

I think I did a post on Johanna eating once before so this will be part two. We have five one year olds in our daycare that feed themselves. For some reason, Johanna is the only one that makes a huge mess. Perhaps it is because she enjoys eating so much (just like her Mommy.) Below are pictures of Johanna eating mashed potatoes.

Bumpity Bump

After lunch today I was in the kitchen making Johanna a bottle. She was playing with her toys in the dining room. Or so I thought. As I came through the kitchen gate I could hear her crying. I called to her and told her I had her bottle. The crying sounded far away so I thought she had crawled down the hall to the playroom. I then noticed the sliding door to the patio was standing open. (The daycare kids had all gone outside.) I rushed to the door and there was Johanna. Down the two steps, sitting up and crying. I picked her up and noticed the bump on her forward.

She didn't like me putting the frozen sponge on it at all. She wanted to play with the sponge. She finally quit crying but I didn't. I felt so awful!! I guess I should realize that she is going to get bumps and bruises and she will live through them. However, I did show her bump to the daycare kids and told them to BE SURE TO CLOSE THE BACK DOOR!!!!!!!





In her stroller and ready to walk to Aunt Brenda's. I added this picture from this evening to show that she is just fine.

Big Bawl Baby

No, this post isn't about Johanna. It's actually about her mommy. It was one month ago today that I held Johanna for the first time. That's some background for this post.

Today I took Johanna and some of the daycare kids to the library for Wee Readers. The theme was "People All Over the World" or something like that. We sang a few songs in Spanish and I thought that was neat. During one of the songs the children get to play little instruments. Johanna was playing a tiny maraca. The song was "It's a Small World." I just couldn't handle it. I started bawling!!! On the way home I had to explain to my daycare children that they were HAPPY TEARS.

Living in a Daycare

Johanna loves living in a daycare home. There are lots of toys to play with and lots of kids. I do however, think her favorite time is evening when all the kids go home and she has Mommy and Grandma to herself.










This is from today's local newspaper.

FFF- COME ON PINK!!!

This is my very first contribution to "Favorite Foto Friday". Today most of the daycare kids, my mom, my niece Rachel and I are all wearing PINK for Johanna. The little boy in the front has PINK stripes on his plaid shirt. Thanks to all the moms for supporting me and Johanna in this way.

Fave Foto Friday

This is my first time to do a "Fave Foto Friday." This "foto" doesn't really have anything to do with my adoption but it is something that will be in Johanna's future. This picture is of four of our smallest daycare kiddos in their Halloween costumes. They got to wear them to the library yesterday when we went for "Wee Readers." They are from left to right: Reagan - KU Cheerleader, Caleb - Hobo Clown, Cole - Cowboy, and Mariah - Frog.

Under 300

I want to send out a big shout for my "Loser" friend Jez. As of tonight's show, Jez is under 300 pounds. That is so wonderful!!! I did not even recognize Jez when I first saw him on the show tonight. He looks so different already.

I was disappointed the black team didn't win the challenge tonight. I wanted Jez to get video from home. Three of our little daycare girls did a cheer for Jez that his mother videoed and had sent to him. I was really wanting to see it on tonight's show. Maybe next time.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK JEZ!!

The Biggest Loser - TONIGHT

Go Jez!!!
My friend Jez is going to be on "The Biggest Loser" this season. We have been making plans to watch it every week and have been looking forward to this season. Two little girls in our daycare call Jez their "big brother." I guess they have adopted him. Some of the girls in our daycare even did a cheer for Jez and sent it to the show. I hope it gets aired sometime.
BE SURE TO WATCH AND CHEER FOR JEZ!!!!!!!!!!!

Fellow Guatemama

This is so neat!! Today I took one of my little daycare boys to his swim lessons. There was a little boy in the same class that didn't look like his mama. I was pretty sure he was adopted so I asked his mom. And He is from GUATEMALA!!! I am so excited to meet someone from my own town with a Guatemalan child. She said they are adopting a second little boy and got a referral in March. She seemed about as excited as I was. She also knows of one other family in our town with two children adopted from Guatemala. Maybe we can all get together sometime when we both have our new babies home!!

The Weekend Is Over

"What does that mean?" you might ask. It means I get to start anxiously waiting for the mailman every day until my I-171H comes. He is usually here around 11:30 which is when I am finishing making lunch and getting ready to serve it to the daycare kiddos. It's difficult to get to the mailbox at that time but I am sure I will manage EACH AND EVERY DAY.

What Am I Doing?

This is a two year old in my daycare that has heard a lot about my adoption and coming baby. Can you tell?

Moving Along . . . .Finally!!

My social worker called this morning. My home study is finished and he will mail it out this week!!!! YEA!!! I made an appointment for Mom and I to get fingerprinted at the USCIS Office in Kansas City on April 6. (There is an office in Wichita which is closer but they don't do fingerprints.) We will have to close daycare for a day but . . . oh well. I am sooooooo EXCITED!!!! Now I have to print off my dossier paperwork and have Jeanine notarize it. It will then be sent to Topeka for apostilles. I am moving along again and getting so much closer to MY JOHANNA FAITH!!!

Paperwork! Paperwork! Paperwork!

That is the theme for the week. I am going out of town next week and want to get my dossier to the state to get appostilles before I leave so I am trying to get everything finished this week. I have to buy health and life insurance and that is no small decision to make. I work for my mother in home daycare and have to have a letter from her stating my employment. It has to be done on "company letterhead." I had to design a letterhead this morning and next I will have to type the letter for Mom to sign. I had to go to the county appraiser's office to get the specs. on our house and lot for one form. Can I take all the mileage off on my taxes?
In between this I have painted a three shelf bookshelf for Johanna's nursery and am now painting a little rocking chair. I am still looking for a good used dresser that I can paint too. Thankfully, I work in my home so I have lots of time to do all these things. Adoption is a LOT OF WORK!!!!

Fund Rasing Opportunity

I have been invited to have a booth at the Annual "Women's Day Out" that Miles of Smiles puts on for fund raising. Miles of Smiles is a therapuetic horseback riding program in my town. Anyway, these is a pretty big event here and a lot of women attend. I will have to pay $75 for the booth but then can use it for fund raising for my adoption. I have been searching the internet for ideas of things to sell and I haven't really decided on one thing yet. I may take orders for a few different things and have just a little to sell on stock. Some ideas I have come up with are gourmet popcorn from Popcorn Palace and/or personalized luggage tags. I don't remember the name of the company but there a lots of different neat-looking (and bright) tags to choose from. I collect the info from buyers and the company puts the personal info on the tags. With summer coming up, these might go over very well. I pay $2.50 for a set and each set sells for $10. That's a pretty good profit if I can sell a lot. I can also take orders elsewhere, like church, daycare, neighborhood, etc. I found out the the "Mountain Man" lady wasn't going to be at the "Women's Day Out" this year and was hoping I could do that but that has reps and isn't just for anyone to sell.

If you have any great ideas and want to let me know, feel welcome. I can't sell food that would be sold at a concession stand. The building where the event is held has a concession so that kind of stuff is off-limits. Oh, I have to register by March 15 (not sure if I have to have my idea then or not) and the event takes place April 21 or 28.

So Easy!!

Well, my first home study visit is over and it was sooooooooo easy. Brent Cain, my social worker, got to my home just before 11:00 this morning. He drove five hours this morning from Topeka. He was so laid-back and so easy to talk to. We talked about a lot more than just my adoption. One of our main topics was KDHE and licensing. We just got our daycare licence in order and he knows what it is like having to work with the KDHE surveyors. I took everyones' advice and didn't super-clean the house. It was presentable. I didn't even get out of bed this morning until almost 9:00. I was very relaxed in my nylon jogging pants, t-shirt and stocking feet. Brent took a very quick walk-through of the house. He asked a few questions of me and a few of my mother. He gave a lot more information than he asked for. My next appointment with him is next Saturday at his office in Topeka. I will be there for a wedding later that day so it worked out just great. I hope we can get this all finished real quick. The most difficult part of the visit today was turning over the $1000 check. OUCH!!!