tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371782752012-02-16T06:27:00.194-06:00Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.comBlogger1381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-23482878057727383412010-01-30T09:28:00.002-06:002010-01-30T10:01:41.856-06:00

To the thief who stole my laptop computer in the Las Vegas Airport: I know you can read this, because you have already hacked in to everything else that is personal on my computer. I just want you to know that there is a mechanism that tracks this computer, we know where you are, we know what you are doing and in another couple of days, if you do not return it, a bacterium will spew from my

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-45082940319647978822009-12-31T10:35:00.002-06:002009-12-31T10:39:45.779-06:00

The kids had a great Christmas despite a lot of medical drama going on in our family right now. We got some unexpected visitors for Christmas eve and Christmas day and the kids had so much fun. They are having cousin withdrawal right now. Here's some pics of our Christmas: Chase and his cousin Jack in Chase's new sleeping bag.  (who knew a sleeping bag and flashlight could bring so much joy to a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-91716424144284537602009-12-24T08:35:00.000-06:002009-12-24T08:35:48.686-06:00

Some pictures of our date with Santa.  Most of these were taken at the Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas.  They have this very cool interactive display in their storefront windows and the kids were able to be part of the display.  Caroline had her list ready to go, Chase just froze when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he ended up asking him for pants and shoes!  You can take the kid

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-51211198701466064752009-12-01T20:53:00.000-06:002009-12-01T20:53:11.059-06:00

Finally we will have a visit from the Tooth Fairy! Caroline has been waiting for what seemed like forever for her first tooth to fall out and it finally happened today at school. Only for her to lose it before I picked her up! Oh well, she ended up writing the Tooth Fairy a letter letting her know that indeed her tooth did fall out, but she lost it and could not find it. What's the going rate

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-24314487246381561122009-11-26T14:41:00.003-06:002009-11-26T14:52:06.753-06:00

I met these two little turkeys! Lots to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you...

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-30621521240877996592009-11-09T13:27:00.007-06:002009-11-09T15:18:44.155-06:00

Well, clearly a lot of these places are more exciting than others, but since I'm working, usually all I get to see is the airport, the hospital and the hotel.Wow, has it really been since July? I have been buuussssyyyy! Since last I left you, we have moved back to Dallas, the kids are back in their old school, Chase started Kindergarten, Caroline is in the first grade, I think they have both

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-23502004359218200902009-07-27T20:19:00.005-05:002009-07-27T20:38:42.289-05:00

It's been one week since my sister whisked my kids away to Chicago and I miss them terribly. I should be rejoicing in all the time I have to myself, instead I'm pining away for them. I started my new job last Monday and so far, I am loving it! Just learning and absorbing lots and ready to take on the new challenges. I have a beautiful view out the window of my office, I am on the 53rd floor of

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-27906563939763838472009-07-16T13:25:00.012-05:002009-07-16T15:55:30.917-05:00

After spending a week in the Dominican Republic, my children now think they are trilingual; English, Russian and now Spanish. Although they look at me like I have two heads when I speak any Russian to them and they know about 10 words of Spanish, they have both pretty much become proficient in English.We had a great time in Punta Cana, despite getting there one day later than planned; the Punta

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-47853534422013587812009-06-23T11:27:00.006-05:002009-06-23T12:29:32.437-05:00

Lots of exciting and fantastic changes happening in our household! Not quite ready to share them until everything is signed, sealed and delivered. But these are all for the good and I have been waiting a long, long time for them to happen. In the meantime, we are getting so excited about our trip to Punta Cana; we leave two weeks from today! It's all I can do to work, what I really want to do

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-52256660052115874032009-06-08T18:48:00.003-05:002010-12-08T23:06:31.891-06:00

On May 30th, my beloved brother in law Larry passed away. Although he had been ill for some time, we are all so very sad about his passing. He was so much more than just a BIL to me, I had known him for over thirty years and he was so much fun, he was one of the kindest people I know and had the most loving spirit. I am so disappointed that my children did not get to know him as the Larry that we

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-54714947236231695252009-05-26T13:06:00.002-05:002009-05-26T13:12:19.121-05:00

I promise you, they beg me to do this:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-51625772217796983222009-05-06T07:54:00.003-05:002009-05-06T08:27:26.700-05:00

Okay, at least for a while!I finally pulled it together and got some things done so I don't have so much to whine about.I booked a trip for the summer, yeah! We are going to the Dominican Republic for a week in July! I had a ton of airline points that are about to expire so I took advantage of that and we are staying at a beautiful resort in Punta Cana. We stopped there on a cruise a few years

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-15966640908604853062009-05-01T16:39:00.007-05:002009-05-01T18:09:19.868-05:00

Today, this little kindergarten girl:who just one and a half years ago hardly smiled and didn't speak a word of English: And slept and lived on the other side of the world: Stood in front of the entire student body of over 1000 kids in her elementary school and recited the Pledge of Allegiance! I was so proud I thought I was going to cry!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-44418708572258411612009-04-23T08:55:00.011-05:002009-04-23T13:23:29.190-05:00

I have been is such a funk lately and just can't seem to find anything worthy of a blog post, so I am just going to vent about all the trials and tribulations of what's going on:. This economy sucks! Yes, I know we're in a recession and all, but I just feel paralyzed to do anything, I want to plan a summer vacation, but feel so uncertain of my job situation that I just can't do it. We are so due

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-91357153712635309722009-04-17T08:08:00.012-05:002010-12-08T23:03:41.214-06:00

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to finalize our Easter plans. At the last moment, I decided to take Caroline and Chase up to Chicago to visit their Aunt and Uncle and their cousins Steve and CeCe. My BIL's health makes it impossible for him to travel and given the depressive situation that's going on in their house, I decided to liven things up with 2 kids and 3 dogs! Just what the

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-5331724456657042962009-04-04T13:44:00.004-05:002009-04-04T14:16:08.943-05:00

Caroline and Chase have started playing soccer this season, this is the first time either of them have played in any kind of team sport. Now Caroline, God bless her, is not the most athletic of kids, whereas Chase seems to have much more coordination and speed, but Caroline gets an "A" for effort and getting out there and trying. This morning was their second game of the season; there are about

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-32161876713917726002009-03-25T18:07:00.004-05:002009-03-25T18:17:00.187-05:00

Chase: "Mama, we had to go into the hallway and curl up in a ball and put our hands on our heads today." Me: "You had to do what????"Chase: Repeats himself, then adds: "We had a Potato Drill"Me: Laughing, "You mean you had a Tornado Drill" Chase: "Oh yeah, that's what I meant" I had visions of swirling potatoes in the air! Maybe that's what they do in Idaho! p.s. If you looked out my

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-84724470446340512182009-03-25T14:57:00.006-05:002009-03-25T16:03:09.412-05:00

Caroline has a really neat project going on at school. They are learning about geography and where places are. Back in mid February the kids sent out letters/valentines to a few select family members in different parts of the country and asked them to send back small tokens to pass out to their classmates representing where they live. When the packages come in, they put a little flag on their

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-70381635921271282602009-03-21T20:48:00.017-05:002009-03-21T21:58:25.250-05:00

I feel like we have been on the Texas tour of Theme Parks for the past few weeks. It started out with our birthday trip to San Antonio to see Shamu which included a great surprise when Caroline and Chase's Toycha Gail flew in to help us celebrate! We had so much fun and the kids had a blast too. We got to sip margarita's by the pool while the kids played, ate great Mexican food and just kicked

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-493803781848089732009-03-04T13:19:00.006-06:002009-03-04T14:18:39.151-06:00

Yesterday, Caroline turned seven years old. As soon as she got out of bed, she instructed Chase and I to only refer to her as "the birthday girl". And she in turn only referred to herself as "the birthday girl". The entire day we got to hear her say "the birthday girl would like to eat sausage and eggs for breakfast", "the birthday girl has decided she does not have to make her bed on her

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-49737555845094660432009-03-02T12:23:00.005-06:002009-03-02T13:11:42.240-06:00

Me: "Caroline, this is the last day of your 6th year."Caroline: "Mommy, this has been the best year ever!" Me: "Well, why do you say that?"Caroline: "I never had a birthday at the Detsky Dom, and now I have a BIG family who loves me and I love them. I have 3 doggies who love me and I get to eat a lot of sausage; oh and I know I will get lots of presents!"This girl just oozes sweetness. She

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-81069962659102523172009-02-20T09:32:00.004-06:002009-02-20T09:42:44.428-06:00

I realized I have had too many picture-less posts, so here is one of my little man doing what he loves, being "Cooker Man"! Chase came running out of school yesterday with both thumbs up yelling "Mama, I had an awesome day!" Yeah! He gets lots of rewards when he has a great day and one of them was he got to cook spaghetti with me for dinner.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-16275757607842802302009-02-19T16:12:00.001-06:002009-02-19T16:12:57.050-06:00

He is being moved to a different classroom! WhoooooHooooooo

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-48537254959523889112009-02-18T16:47:00.003-06:002009-02-18T19:29:01.553-06:00

I had my meeting with Cruella, aka: Chase's teacher and the principal of the school and we still have not come to a resolution as far as placing Chase into another classroom with another teacher. The principal acted as a mediator between Cruella and myself and I really felt like I came up on top. I think the principal was very unimpressed with Cruella's behavior during the meeting. Cruella

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-49879579376421383642009-02-13T08:00:00.003-06:002009-02-13T08:17:49.364-06:00

This woman took 4 days to get back with me to set up a meeting with her and the principal. We are meeting next Wednesday morning with her, the principal and myself. I just don't think she gets it. She seems to think this is a meeting to discuss Chase; when in actuality we are meeting to discuss her! I just want her out of our lives, she sends me an e-mail this week chastising me for sending

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-27742452897758033232009-02-10T10:10:00.003-06:002009-02-10T10:21:49.812-06:00

This is what is left of the Valentine candy that I had got for my kid's valentine surprises! Nothing! I had it in my bedroom closet on top of a mid size dresser and apparently one of the dogs got into the closet, dragged it onto the floor and all three of them went to town! All of this happened while I was writing my last blog post. I am just sick over this, as are they! I've already called the

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-26799837767965169622009-02-10T08:22:00.002-06:002009-02-10T08:48:36.593-06:00

I met with the principal of Chase's school yesterday and it went about as I expected. I outlined all of the issues we have had since starting there about 6 weeks ago and detailed some of the more ridiculous incidents. She listened and took lots of notes. She indicated to me that while she does believe that Mrs. C is a good teacher, she does have some issues with "warming up" to parents. I

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-38310277091111018622009-02-07T08:44:00.007-06:002009-02-07T09:19:00.191-06:00

I have reached the end of my rope with Chase's pre K teacher. I think this woman is certifiable! Chase has had a really hard time with the transition to his new pre K class and his teacher has done nothing to help facilitate it. She still does nothing when we get to her classroom, Chase is clinging to my leg or else he is completely "squirrelly" and all over the place and she just sits at her

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-21097224771985746232009-01-13T08:24:00.003-06:002009-01-13T12:46:36.642-06:00

We are alive for anyone who was wondering! Just trying to unbury myself from all the boxes. Every time I move, I always say I will never do this again, but it always happens again. This time was no different. Moving right before Christmas was so stressful; I had great movers, but the move into our house in Austin was so difficult. Since we are just doing a short term lease until we decide

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-36915805042210769602008-12-13T18:13:00.006-06:002008-12-13T18:39:08.164-06:00

This saying goodbye thing is so hard. It's not like we are moving across the country, just 3 1/2 hours away, but it's still hard to say goodbye to such good friends. Today we were invited to a luncheon at the Zodiac Room in the downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus with some friends and had just a wonderful time. The kids did great considering there were numerous forks, knives and utensils for them to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-59440462079844462402008-12-04T14:34:00.002-06:002008-12-04T14:46:44.272-06:00

I really should be packing, but it's hard to get motivated when the task seems so daunting!This morning, as I'm trying the hurry my kids off to school, I tell Caroline that she has 5 minutes to finish her breakfast, she looks at the clock and it says 7:17, she wants to know what time it will be in 5 minutes. I ask her what is 17 + 5 ? She thinks about it and looks kind of lost, so I ask her what

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-10849608925069324672008-11-29T08:24:00.009-06:002008-11-29T09:33:52.333-06:00

My kids had such a great Thanksgiving, it just amazes me how far they have come in the past year. They absolutely get holidays this year and what family and tradition means. We spent Thanksgiving day at their Aunt and Uncle's with their cousins from Austin and Arkansas. They played and ate, played and ate and then ate some more! Friday we all went to Six Flags for Holiday in the Park! This was

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-52270788120623072392008-11-02T10:16:00.005-06:002008-11-02T10:53:06.346-06:00

Halloween was so much fun this year. My kids totally "get it". Last year was okay, but they were not really into it as much as this year. I can only imagine what Christmas will be like! Caroline was a cat and Chase was a fireman. Caroline has a little parade at school and Chase had a party at his new day school (yes, another child care provider. That needs an entire new post all together!).

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-65163979813934343732008-10-26T07:36:00.005-05:002008-10-26T08:22:01.109-05:00

Caroline is going to be a Лгырф (Cat) for halloween and she couldn't wait to try on her costume yesterday. Here's my pretty kitty and her favorite pal:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-28463248471590131642008-10-25T19:12:00.005-05:002008-10-25T19:23:31.378-05:00

I'm a little late coming to this party, but Chase turned 5 years old two weeks ago! This year has been so much fun, both kids totally get birthdays now. Last year, they just didn't have a clue. For weeks leading up to his birthday, he was so excited, walking around the house singing "Happy Birthday to me"! It started with bringing spiderman cookies to his class on the Friday before his

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-38617955376810496472008-10-02T19:44:00.005-05:002008-10-02T20:19:33.941-05:00

Both kids are settling into school really well. Caroline is back in Kindergarten and doing extremely well. The school she attends has some "multi-age" classrooms and they are thinking of going ahead and putting her into the multi-age 1st grade since she has made so much progress over the summer. They will test her probably next month and then decide what to do. Caroline has developed a little

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-83325393967960864462008-09-07T09:59:00.006-05:002008-09-07T16:22:33.528-05:00

I can't believe we have been home as a family for one whole year! I have been meaning to post some memories of our time in Russia, but the past few weeks have just been too busy for posting. Caroline and Chase have now been little Americans for one full year and what a year it has been. I look at them now and can't even imagine life without them in it. I do have to be honest though and there

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-83389826686335483942008-08-16T17:47:00.004-05:002008-08-16T18:43:43.787-05:00

I really think I have an exceptional child! I know all parents think that, but Chase just amazes me with his swimming skills. He is not 5 years old yet, but he is diving, doing somersaults into the pool and swimming like a little fish! He has not had a single lesson and it just seems to come so naturally to him. Do I have another Michael Phelps in the making? Michael was raised by a single

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-35637201209661108982008-08-07T21:38:00.003-05:002008-08-07T22:09:00.410-05:00

My blogger friend Rachel has asked us (okay, bribed us with prizes) to post a link to her etsy store where she sells some of the cutest things with a "Russia" theme. If you look to the left side of my blog, you'll see the pictures of some of her things, click on that and it will take you to her etsy store. All of them are handmade by her and her sisters, it's a real family affair! The proceeds

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-9804911852376401942008-08-03T08:28:00.008-05:002008-11-13T03:54:47.527-06:00

It has been hot, hot, hot here in Dallas. We are in the middle of a Texas heat wave; today it is supposed to be 107 degrees! It's too hot to play outside, the pool feels like bath water; I've even investigated having ice delivered to cool down the pool, but it would take 4000 lbs. of ice to cool the pool 10 degrees! So we are trying to find things to do in the house to stay out of the heat.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-21587518651847995042008-07-12T19:45:00.005-05:002008-11-13T03:54:47.986-06:00

That's what Caroline and Chase said when they heard they could talk to you! We tried calling you tonight, but got your voicemail and I left you a message with our phone number. We can't wait to talk to you, call us when you get a chance. For everyone else, Tanya was our translator in Birobidzhan. She is the sweetest person ever and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. My children

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-35267637094931655772008-07-08T19:04:00.002-05:002008-07-08T19:27:16.201-05:00

Thank you so much for all your replies and e-mails. I am so overwhelmed by the support. I have done several of the suggestions already. I used craigslist before, and after weeding thru all the freaks and losers that responded I found our first babysitter who was great (unfortunately she only lasted two weeks). I did place another ad this past weekend and only got one reply and she wanted

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-11484834840166709432008-07-05T11:23:00.005-05:002008-07-05T12:34:41.283-05:00

The kids had so much fun yesterday with their first fourth of July. The day started out with our little neighborhood parade, which I have never been to! I had to mapquest the parade route as I didn't even know where it started or ended! It was such a great parade, totally old fashioned with all the local high school bands, cheerleaders, drill teams and boy scout troops. It started out with a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-52372496764961766852008-07-04T11:48:00.005-05:002008-11-13T03:54:48.630-06:00

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-75635932510715464492008-06-21T07:39:00.006-05:002008-11-13T03:54:48.783-06:00

This working full time and being a mom is hard stuff! I am back to work full time for two weeks now and I have also gone to babysitter H*&l! I had a post all ready to go about a week ago on what a great babysitter I had found (after two others had backed out), how she is from Russia originally and is this wonderful, outgoing, smart, beautiful 20 year old college student. I felt like I was

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-66469182002840392452008-06-06T12:37:00.001-05:002008-11-13T03:54:48.916-06:00

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-69485044030764940572008-06-05T10:14:00.003-05:002008-06-05T10:25:50.554-05:00

Caroline has learned so much this past year in Kindergarten, she has learned her ABC's, counting, reading, writing, math, how a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly, how to play with other children, English and a whole lot of other stuff. But one of the most important things she has learned from her friends in her class, how to speak Texan!The other day, she told me: "Mama, I love your big ol'

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-61419540169432627792008-06-04T15:33:00.006-05:002008-11-13T03:54:49.717-06:00

Today was kind of bittersweet. Both kids had their last day at school today, but for Caroline it will be short lived, she starts summer school on Monday. Her same Kindergarten teacher will be teaching it, but it will be at a different school. Caroline's actually really excited about it; she loves school, doesn't have a clue what summer vacation is and she loves her teacher, so it's a good

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-23453380034573595462008-06-02T15:56:00.004-05:002008-11-13T03:54:49.887-06:00

Caroline received a medal today at school for perfect attendance. She got to walk across the stage in their assembly hall and received her medal and then go to a reception and eat cake. I think she was more excited about the cake than the medal, but she was very proud of herself. I think the parents should get an award too! Caroline is not exactly a morning person and it takes a lot of effort

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-18942713038641056432008-05-26T09:53:00.008-05:002008-11-13T03:54:50.979-06:00

We've initiated the pool this weekend and the kids are having so much fun, I have two water babies! Within a matter of days they have gone from looking like the "Michelin Man" with so many floaties on, and clinging to Mama; to wearing only the arm floaties and floating around by themselves. It is just a matter of time before they will be swimming on their own! The best part is, they are so

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-17387447579581721672008-05-20T08:44:00.002-05:002008-05-20T08:56:31.629-05:00

We met with the child psychiatrist last week and it took him all of 30 minutes to listen to me and watch Chase and tell me: "Your son could probably benefit from some low dose medication"! Dear Lord, I have been saying this for 8.5 months and finally someone heard me and saw what I see every day! The doctor put him on a low dose of Focalin and gave me pretty liberal dosing instructions. I can

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-45948870407481834272008-05-06T19:41:00.002-05:002008-05-06T19:51:15.432-05:00

I think my kids are carriers of every kindergarten and preschool germ possible. They, thank goodness very rarely get sick and if they do, it is for a very short time. Me on the other hand has come down with every single cold, flu, stomach virus and now strep throat out there! I never used to get sick before I had kids; I've had medical catastrophes happen to me, but never this constant icky,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-88450063506307139142008-04-29T13:37:00.004-05:002008-04-29T17:39:44.607-05:00

Why is it so hard to get what you think is best for your child? I had the big follow up meeting on all the evaluations on Chase and basically they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. They would not come to the conclusion that he is ADHD. I don't understand why they couldn't see it. The kid moves constantly, has an attention span of a flea and cannot focus on anything for longer

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-64633202388892524902008-04-10T11:26:00.005-05:002008-11-13T03:54:51.609-06:00

I had thought that maybe, just maybe since Chase has been doing so well for the past couple of months that maybe he might be able to go to a "normal" preschool next year. But if the past few days are any indication that we were out of the woods, I am sadly mistaken. Chase has been such a little "pill" this past week and not only at home, but at school as well. The days of the teachers telling

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-1880805962306896422008-04-09T14:18:00.003-05:002008-11-13T03:54:51.757-06:00

This is so much fun to watch everyday, how many can one little bird lay????

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-18215028622646623282008-04-08T14:16:00.002-05:002008-11-13T03:54:51.830-06:00

Today there are three!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-78374185950289524592008-04-07T13:47:00.004-05:002008-11-13T03:54:51.915-06:00

I love spring, look what I found this morning:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-8916749935127551822008-04-06T13:52:00.014-05:002008-11-13T03:54:52.147-06:00

This is probably going to be just a random post about not much! It's been busy around here since spring has sprung! Working in the yard which is fun with two kids to help. Caroline and Chase are dying to get in the pool, but the water temp is only in the 50's. I know they are from Eastern Siberia, so this is probably bath water to them, but way too cold for me to go in! Here is what Chase and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-12285902210750213382008-03-23T19:56:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:52.260-06:00

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-48358853688308734252008-03-18T13:48:00.002-05:002008-03-18T14:01:23.426-05:00

If it wasn't for all the characters associated with holidays, my kids would probably be in a permanent time out. It is pouring down rain, we've already gotten over 6 inches today, so we are stranded at home, we had planed to go bowling, but with street flooding and high water rescues happening all around us, that is out of the question. It is spring break and we are staying local. I think I

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-48517225687431986162008-03-14T15:25:00.004-05:002008-11-13T03:54:52.537-06:00

Chase had another record breaking week with no time outs in school! I am almost afraid to write about it and jinx this streak. He just seems to have turned a corner and I'm trying to figure it out. I should probably just accept it and be grateful (which I am) but I just wish I knew what the magic answer was to this. He is so excited to tell me and any one else who will listen that he had no

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-71254309886495478672008-03-08T08:08:00.004-06:002008-03-08T13:55:11.956-06:00

Both my kids had a great week at school. Caroline came home with a "Bravo" which is I guess equivalent to having a good and productive week at school. There are not many weeks that she doesn't get them, but it's just recently that she appreciates the specialness of it. Before, she could of cared less, probably because she really didn't understand it, but now, she comes running up to me on

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-76447389971975418522008-03-03T12:13:00.008-06:002008-11-13T03:54:52.754-06:00

"Mama, I'm not five years old anymore" is the first thing she said when I woke her up this morning. She is having a great birthday celebration. Yesterday was the party that almost wasn't. Caroline was sick on Saturday and I really wasn't sure if she would be well enough for the party on Sunday, but after pumping her full of emetrol and pedialyte, she made a good enough recovery for Sunday.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-90688853226172076882008-02-28T08:48:00.004-06:002008-02-28T09:19:44.815-06:00

We have been battling the Kindergarten "mean girls"! Lately, Caroline has been saying "You're not my friend" when she gets angry with me. She also says, "I don't love you today, but I'll love you tomorrow"! I knew this was coming from school as this is not something I have ever taught her to say. I've tried to explain to her that everyone is her friend and sometimes people make you angry, but

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-612427075650857492008-02-25T13:50:00.007-06:002008-11-13T03:54:52.930-06:00

Six months ago, my sister Gail and I were sweating it out in the hitherlands of far east Russia counting the days, hours and minutes until we could leave that God forsaken place. Birobidzhan had two great things going for it: My children and a local beer called "T". Not too much else. The people who were involved in the adoption process there are all wonderful, but if I never see it again,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-84175942280997270952008-02-23T21:18:00.004-06:002008-02-23T22:20:51.472-06:00

Just because I have been such a slacker, I have gone ahead and given the site a new look, do you like it? I think it's still a work in progress, so I may make some changes to it. The pictures on my header are of Caroline and Chase shortly after we got home and I used them for their adoption announcements; I think they are such beautiful pictures, I thought I would share them with everyone. By

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-18368196791897046542008-01-13T15:03:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:53.509-06:00

Ever since Caroline has been home, I have always told her that she is pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, etc. It didn't take her long to start standing in front of her mirror saying: "Mama, I so pretty", "Mama, I gorgeous", which at first I thought was oh so cute, but now I tell her that we really don't say those things about ourselves but we say them about other people, that they are compliments and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-38758579467233771242008-01-10T11:27:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:53.886-06:00

Daisy did well with her surgery yesterday and is at home resting comfortably. The vet called about 11 am yesterday and told me the tumor had doubled in size since he first found it only 10 days ago. He removed it successfully and it has been sent to pathology for examination and we will get the results back tomorrow. Please pray it is benign as the vet thinks it is. Daisy was put in "puppy

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-26737955305419529962008-01-09T09:18:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:53.997-06:00

Whew, it's only Wednesday and I feel like it should be Friday of next week. Chase started his preschool on Monday. This is the preschool thru the school district for kids with delayed learning issues, although there is some controversy with putting children in this, I felt like this was the best place for Chase to learn to behave in a group setting, if he doesn't grasp this concept now, he's

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-34900353809707754032008-01-02T10:21:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:54.554-06:00

We're still here in Chicago and it is coooooold and snowy! As Caroline says, "It's Russia Cold". Caroline and Chase are having a ball. Here's some pictures from the week: Gail making my kids work for their supper: The "Royal Plunge"Happy New Year!We'll be back in Dallas tomorrow night. Love, Jane

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-72191057597629433302007-12-26T13:02:00.001-06:002007-12-26T13:52:50.497-06:00

Caroline and Chase are so lucky to have so many people who love and care about them, they have had a fantastic Christmas so far. We still have one more "Christmas" to attend to when we fly to Chicago tomorrow to see Troycha Gail and JaJa Miska and the other cousins, they are so excited. Here is a slide show of the pictures from our Holiday 2007:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-79909822211849205872007-12-16T19:02:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:54.810-06:00

In my quest to get a great picture of the kids for my Christmas cards, we had plenty of bloopers, here are two of them: by the way, I never did get the perfect picture, do you know how hard it is to get two kids to look at the camera and smile at the same time??? It's impossible!!!Happy Holidays,Jane

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-67044462559601487062007-12-12T08:13:00.000-06:002007-12-12T11:02:41.791-06:00

Yesterday, when I went to pick Caroline up from school, her teacher came walking out holding Caroline's hand, I knew immediately that something was wrong. The teacher told me that there is a boy in Caroline's class that has a "crush" on her and is constantly pestering her and sometimes Caroline just does not want to play with him. This boy has been reprimanded by the teacher on several

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-15210067797908338852007-12-10T08:20:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:55.481-06:00

I am milking this Santa business for all it's worth! The naughty and nice thing is the best thing ever invented! Chase and Caroline are totally buying into it. They are having so much fun getting ready for the "big guys" arrival. It looks like Santa threw up in my house; we have six trees up, there is Christmas stuff everywhere including the bathroom, just in case Santa has to peesit!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-40262381160579564352007-11-26T08:19:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:56.738-06:00

Here are the referral pictures that I receieved of "Katia and Pasha" and some recent pictures of "Caroline and Chase". It amazes me the diffence a year can make: Referral picture August 2006First meeting picture November 2006 (Katia would not smile the entire time we were there!) Now I can't get her to stop!Second trip picture August 2007Professional picture October 2007And here's Chase:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-29773956805999209582007-11-19T09:57:00.000-06:002007-11-19T10:41:44.078-06:00

At this time last year, Gail and I were sightseeing in Moscow and getting ready to leave for Birobidzhan to meet Katya and Pasha. It's hard to believe that a year has passed and my children have been home for over two months now. I have to say that everyone says that you forget all the waiting that you did for your adoption, well not for me. I still vividly remember the agonizing wait for a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-18636904626786111022007-11-05T19:57:00.000-06:002008-11-13T03:54:57.710-06:00

Caroline had off school today and it was a beautiful day so I took the kids to the Fort Worth Zoo. Here are some of their favorite pics:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-53550965550705276332007-11-01T08:36:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:58.312-06:00

In the essence of absolute truthfulness, I need to confess why I have been such a bad blogger over the past several weeks: I have been sick, sick, sick! And being that I am a self diagnoser and self medicator I thought surely I could cure myself, but that has not worked and I will actually be making a trip to the doctor tomorrow to finally get better, this has been going on over two weeks and I

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-11655007964825743512007-10-22T13:59:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:58.606-06:00

Caroline had to do a Kindergarten project this past week that involved doing a construction paper quilt square of her family. This is going to be displayed in the hallway of her school. It is hard to believe that just eight short weeks ago, that page would have been totally empty, not one family member to put on the paper; and today, we ran out of space there were so many pictures. We worked on

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-22551850862445975992007-10-15T10:46:00.000-05:002007-10-17T08:49:45.366-05:00

BubbleShare: Share photos - halloween photosChase turned 4 years old on Friday, October 12th. I don't think he has ever celebrated his birthday before. In the orphanage they would have a cake 1 day a month for all the birthdays that occurred in that particular month, but never has he alone been celebrated. He had a great birthday celebration, his cousin Chris came down from Chicago, they played

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-21726640624615152072007-10-05T10:46:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:58.847-06:00

Today, Caroline is going on her field trip to the Dallas Arboretum. I don't know if she even knows what an "Arboretum" is, but she was so excited to wear her new Halloween outfit and also to ride the "auto-bus". She is usually sooo slow in the morning to get dressed, but this morning, she jumped out of bed and had her clothes on in about 2 minutes flat! Here she is in her new outfit:

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-31077805829741395722007-10-02T11:37:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:59.394-06:00

Not too much is new in our "dom". Caroline and Chase both had dental appts. this morning and both did so well. No tantrums, meltdowns, fright or anything! Neither has any cavities, which I find unbelievable since they were eating candy like crazy when we were at the orphanage. Both kids were brushing their teeth when I got them, so that actually was a surprise as I really didn't think that

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-71908017040012684922007-09-20T19:32:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:54:59.634-06:00

We still call Pasha, "Pasha" as that is what he responds best to. We do add "Pasha-Chase" when we remember, but he still looks like a Pasha to me. Today he was very silly, he got under my desk in the kitchen with Rosie the dog and was pretending to be driving a car with Rosie as his passenger. This afternoon, he absolutely would not take a nap, so I just let him have the run of both of their

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-30445012597879595702007-09-19T19:48:00.000-05:002007-09-19T20:31:00.183-05:00

That's what I say about 10 times a day to Chase! What would possess a kid to eat dog food vs. very good table food for people? Does he have some vitamin deficiency? At least now the dog food is in the kitchen instead of being in my bedroom where the dogs were locked up for the past two weeks. That's right, all six of us (three people, three dogs) are living in one house with no locked doors,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-6844057748437547872007-09-19T14:16:00.000-05:002007-09-19T19:43:16.175-05:00

Thanks Becky, they absolutely love the shoes! They are a little too big, but with the way they are growing, they will fit into them in no time. Caroline especially likes hers - typical girl! Thanks again for all the surprises!Jane

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-71984472373088267512007-09-17T09:04:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:00.150-06:00

Well, it's 9:00 am and the school has not called yet with a "Caroline Meltdown"! So I am thinking it will hopefully be a good day for her. She has been so excited about school, that is all she talks about: "mama, skoll, mama, skoll"??? (that's how she pronounces it). Caroline was a little nervous this morning though, she hardly ate any breakfast, hopefully that will change tomorrow. Here are

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-20742538322911836362007-09-12T14:31:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:00.480-06:00

Caroline and Chase had their first visit to the pediatrician today and it went pretty well with the exception of Chase being an absolute terror. It is clear that this kid cannot stand any excessive stimulation whatsoever. The doctor is married to a Russian woman and he speaks some Russian, and also his wife will translate the medicals, so it works out well for us. Both kids checked out pretty

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-30362065037617579882007-09-08T20:25:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:00.999-06:00

Mama is sooooo tired! Sorry for no update sooner, but dear Lord this is hard! Gail left on Wednesday, so I have been on my own for a few days now. Caroline and Chase are starting to settle in better and better each day. They are now sleeping in their own beds, at first they slept together in Caroline's and screamed for about an hour or so; then last night Caroline slept in Chase's and Chase

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-83734080370091741452007-09-03T07:11:00.000-05:002007-09-03T08:23:17.009-05:00

We made it home Saturday night after a very long journey. We left Moscow early Saturday morning as I needed to go to the Delta ticket office and pay the difference in my fares for coming back early. Well, I was absolutely insistent that we get bulkhead seating because I did not want a repeat of the nightmare flight we had taken 3 days earlier and this flight would be even longer. My translator

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-59264923983156761822007-08-30T13:08:00.000-05:002007-08-30T13:58:05.297-05:00

Hi Everyone, We had a great day in Moscow today. We love the President Hotel, lots of great amenities and the room is good for kids. We have a suite, so there is lots of room. The breakfast buffet is wonderful and with the way these kids eat, it is perfect for them. Caroline is all about the fruit and pancakes and Chase, well Chase is just about anything that he can get in his mouth and eat!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-16064535561181086312007-08-30T08:15:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:01.585-06:00

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-21909828908810951062007-08-29T10:53:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:02.221-06:00

Well, we made it to Moscow barely! It was just about the worst flight you could have imagined. A nine hour flight, a five year old having meltdowns about every 30 minutes, a three year old who is a wild child, lots of pee, poop and puke, but we made it. Dalavia airlines is pitiful! Very unhelpful with children and seem totally put out by even having to serve them, it was just an absolute

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-4763297705299219872007-08-26T20:43:00.000-05:002007-08-26T20:45:09.762-05:00

Hello Again To Everyone:Still here in Biro. Going on 14 days and it is not a resort community. This is hard!!! but we will endure. Leaving here Wed. Morning and not soon enough. The only good thing about this are two little kids, Caroline and Chase. So far, they seem to be adjusting as well as expected. Last nite was the first time for both of them to be with us overnite in a 150 sq. ft.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-71419585053610866362007-08-26T20:24:00.000-05:002007-08-26T20:36:16.748-05:00

Okay, we are still here in Biro and I am sick of it!!!! I want my house, my pool, my dogs, my own food, my bed, my bathroom, my space!!!!!!! Everything!!! We now have Chase and Caroline with us which is great, although Chase is a handful! He and his sister are getting along fabulously, which makes me so happy. Caroline is a dream to take care of and Chase is having lots of typical orphange

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-88392979605416316242007-08-22T18:34:00.000-05:002007-08-22T18:50:43.386-05:00

Hi Everyone,Just a short note to let you all know we are doing great. Caroline is staying in the hotel with us and having a ball. She is really starting to open up and trust us, it is truely amazing the transformation from this incredibly shy little girl to one that is laughing, joking and playing. Chase is still at the orphanage and we are visiting daily and taking him out for short trips to get

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-23740853971768207842007-08-20T18:18:00.000-05:002007-08-20T18:41:30.255-05:00

Today, August 21,2007 the honorable judge in Birobidzhan, Russia told me I am the official Mama to, drum roll please: Caroline Ruth and Chase William!!!Court went just fine with only one little hitch, when I petitioned to waive the 10 days, one of the reasons was that there was a respitory virus going around the orphanages and I did not want the children to catch it, well the prosecutor insisted

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-29915788414508290802007-08-15T06:21:00.000-05:002007-08-15T06:34:07.750-05:00

Gail and I made it to Moscow in one piece barely! On our trip from DFW to Atlanta, we were about to land and all of the sudden we are headed up again. Apparently, there was a plane that had crossed the runway we were to land on and was not moving, so the pilot had to abort the landing and take off again! A little scary, but it's what I would call a "do over". We ended up landing without

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-56065948725268392272007-08-13T11:06:00.000-05:002007-08-13T11:21:58.477-05:00

Well, I can't believe the time is finally here to leave for Russia to pick up my children! It has been a whirlwind week with all the last minute things to do and packing, but I am ready!! Of course it wouldn't be Russia without some last minute hitches. The coordinator in Russia called last week to tell my agency that I needed an updated homestudy! Mine expires on August 23rd, my courtdate is

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-79100639970837854332007-08-07T20:28:00.001-05:002007-08-07T20:29:37.083-05:00

We will be on a plane to Moscow one week from today. I have been super busy tying up loose ends and will post more tomorrow. Jane

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37178275.post-76468432365828182822007-07-31T16:10:00.000-05:002008-11-13T03:55:02.957-06:00

Only 14 more days until we leave! Now the time is really starting to drag. I've got just about everything ready to go, all I need to do is pack. I got the car seats, ended up getting the Britax Marathon as those seemed to work the best with the kids sizes and also my car; now I just need to find someone to install them. I've alerted the bank to start gathering the fresh money, they always get a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17637067299139309251noreply@blogger.com3