Nice To Be Where It's WARM!

This post is specifically for anyone in Nebraska or anywhere where it's cold/cool right now and is specifically meant to make you jealous.

We made it to Orlando yesterday with NO problems whatsoever!  It was probably the least stressful travel I've done in a long time considering we did not have to change planes!  Meighan did very well considering her age!  It's so nice and warm down here and SUNNY!  It's actually VERY BRIGHT.

Last night we were walking around the resort and found that the pool didn't close until midnight so we changed and went swimming for a while!  Meighan did fine.  She went under the water for a couple seconds and got scared so I inflated the floaty thing I had brought.  Her smile came back immediately and she loves being in it.  I'm more comfortable with her in it, too, since I don't swim.

I-800A Form Mailed

(The following post was written in a notebook but not actually posted on the blog until we received our referral because we didn’t tell our family that we were in process. We waited until we had the referral for our son before we published on the blog because we wanted to do this “covertly” and have it be a surprise to as many people as possible.)

Tony mailed our I-800A form certified mail and they expected it to get there Monday.

I-800A Form

(The following post was written in a notebook but not actually posted on the blog until we received our referral because we didn’t tell our family that we were in process. We waited until we had the referral for our son before we published on the blog because we wanted to do this “covertly” and have it be a surprise to as many people as possible.)

Today we got the USCIS I-800A form and documents and money order ready to send off to Texas. Baker’s would not do a money order for over $500 so they gave us two to equal the amount we needed. I hope that’s OK! It IS the US government after all!

I Play Snow!

Meighan has been asking to go "play snow" for several days.  Last night when it was snowing she asked again.  I told her we could go out and play for a little while after it stopped snowing.  So... today we did.

We got bundled up for the 10 degree weather (even though the sun was shining--brightly!) and Tony cleaned up a sled he had and put a rope on it and we played in the 6" of new snow.  Here are some pictures.  We all had a good time!

 Making a snow angel.

I'm ready for Florida!

Our New Normal

So...I started a new job right after Christmas.  Tony had the week off so was able to be with Meighan for three full days.  The following week we were both working so I took Meighan to daycare which was out by our church.  All that week I visited 4 different daycares that were closer to our house and the preschool she was enrolled in.  We had decided that if she stayed at the original daycare, once she started preschool she'd be riding around Omaha for 2 hours every day.  We did not want that for her.

So we finally decided on a daycare in the 72nd & Sorenson area.  If you know Omaha and where we live, you know that's more "on the way" to work for me and is so convenient.  That location will save me 16 miles per day or 80 miles per week!  Plus, I can easily be home by 5:30 if I don't need to make any stops.

The transportation department for preschool wanted to wait to set up Meighan's transportation until we got the daycare decided.  She stayed at daycare only for a week and finally started preschool on January 18!  I took her on the first day and made sure everything was OK.  The bus took her back to daycare and the daycare provider called me when she got there to let me know all was well.  Meighan loves to ride the bus.  She plays well with the kids in preschool and daycare and has made good progress with her potty training!  I emailed the teachers after her first day and asked how she did.  This was the response:

"Meighan had a great first day.  She really seemed to enjoy everything.  She played Duck, Duck, Goose in the gym and understood exactly what to do.  During learning labs, she played in the house area.  We were doing pretend winter play.  She went ice fishing, sled riding and sock snowball fight.  She was not shy about asking bigger kids to give her a ride on the sled.  She was a joy to have in the room.  She used short phrases to talk or repeated short sentences that she heard."

Makes a mama proud!  I had no doubts she would be OK and I know she will absolutely THRIVE in preschool.  She's jabbering a LOT!  Some of it we understand, some we don't.  Some of the things she says right now are:

I play JoJo - means I play with Jerri (the daycare provider)

Ride bus

Mama play ball

Play snow (play in the snow)

Brush teeth

I want apple juice please (and we're finally getting a "p" sound instead of a "t" sound when she says "please")

As far as Tony and I go, we are keeping busy.  Things didn't change much for Tony, but I have a LOT less time at home now.  Laundry day changed from Friday to Saturday and I also use Saturdays to get groceries and other shopping done.  Evenings are also spent trying to get things done as well as watch the TV we enjoy (i.e. relax!).  Although I had shopping and laundry to do today, this was the first Saturday since starting my job that I was able to "sleep in."  Yeah!

Last Saturday night we actually had a "date night"!  We signed up to participate in Trivia Night at church.  The childcare provided pizza for the kids and we ate soup and salad before playing Trivia.  Our team came in DEAD LAST, however, we DID answer more than half the questions correctly!  We had a really good time and we even won a prize for last place!

Happy New Year! ... and ... Woo Hoo! I Got A Job!

Happy New Year!  Hope everyone had a good Christmas season and didn't get too stressed out.  I tried (HARD!) to not get stressed out.  We stayed healthy and made it where we needed to be.  My favorite part of Christmas is actually the Christmas music, so I enjoy going to church to hear all the good music our talented members provide.  Yes, I could help make some of it but I helped for so many years I just enjoy listening for now!

The best Christmas "present" I received was a job!  I had an interview (set up by Celebrity Staff) on December 22.  I got the job offer and accepted on the 23rd!  That was quite quick!  I had to go take a drug test and get a background check that day yet, so I did!  I went in for paperwork and a tour of the building on the 28th for a couple of hours and then I started on the 29th!  I am the new Administrative Assistant to the Controller at a long-established car dealership here in Omaha.  Basically it sounds like I will be doing something different every day, unlike my last job where I just sat at my desk all day and did basically the same thing all day.  I will have a big variety of things that I will be doing.

Looking forward to 2011, we have a couple of trips planned so will get to see different parts of the country that we either haven't seen in a while or haven't ever seen.  Keep watching the blog to see where we go!  I also have decided that I will be an iPad owner someday.  Maybe sometime in 2011 will be that time.  We'll see!

She's 3!

Today our little girl turned 3 years old!  She understands a little more this year about presents, etc. but she didn't quite know what to think about everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her the other night.  She got three presents to open tonight from us (no we're NOT going to give her 4 presents next year, 5 the next, etc.  It just worked out that way this time.)

And this is her the other night blowing out her candles on her rainbow birthday cake.  She did it several times and she's quite good at it!

She can now finally bounce/hop on something that's MEANT to be hopped on!

The other night we made pfefferneusse (a Danish recipe of a kind of cookie we make for Christmas).  Meighan and Daddy put the pieces on the cookie sheets after I got them rolled out and cut up.  It really didn't take too long.  It takes MUCH longer with one person doing it all!