Catching Up

 I really want to write more. I do. 

But I don’t/forget. 

So, now I have to play "catch-up."

**Art and I agreed to keep Christmas modest to keep the focus on Jesus. In the future, I’d like to try and stick with this motto for presents for Lexi, "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read and something for others to follow Jesus’ lead." By "something for others" I plan to have Lexi choose a toy to "sell" (we’ll donate it ) to raise money and then use that money to give through an organization or charity. 

But this year here’s what she’s getting from us (Grandma and Grandpa are another story!): 

Strawberry Shortcake Play do set 

National Geographic Big Book of Why

Tell Me About Heaven (book)

Strawberry Shortcake Doll Set

Melissa and Doug Horse Set (we got this at a consignment sale for $8)

Fisher Price Camping set for her doll house dolls (also a consignment sale find)

One of those magnetic note pad thingy’s where you draw with a magnet pen, then swipe a lever across to erase, Strawberry Shortcake themed. 

And then stocking stuffers: a cute travel cup with her name, wind-ups which she’s loved since she was 2, a plastic candy cane of skittles (her favorite candy), two little dolls for her doll house, a pez dispenser (tradition, every year she gets one) that is a replica of the truck for the grocery store where we shop-and YES, she actually asked for that! 

**In the adoption world, you are not told every time your profile goes out. You are only told when the agency wants to show you to a situation that is outside your stated preferences. Right now, we are being shown to two of those. 1. A baby girl due in March and 2. A three and a half year old girl in South Carolina. There’s a whole story to that one that I’ll tell in another entry IF we are chosen. 

And now I see why they don’t tell us whenever we are shown. It’s VERY hard knowing a birth mom is considering you to raise her child RIGHT NOW and waiting for the phone call or email. When we don’t know we are being shown, we kind of "forget" in a way and go about our daily life. Phone calls and emails are just run of the mill. But when we know we are being shown and waiting to hear…whew….every time I check email or the phone rings I get butterflies. 

**I’ve begun substitute teaching in the same district and school where I worked before Lexi. They asked me to come back that way and I get the courtesy of them calling me when a teacher is out before putting it out to all the other district subs. Also, if/when a position opens up in that building, I’ll be the first to know. If we are not placed with a child by next September I hope to go back to work full time so we can make some money. 

**Art’s been working a second job (in addition to his ebay business) doing roadside assistance and police towing. He likes the work, the hours? Not so much. He’s on call from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. next morning. He can be at home, sleep, whatever, but if he gets a call, he’s gotta go. Some nights its crazy and he’s out on calls the whole night, some nights he only gets one or two calls. He’s hoping, after he works for this company for awhile, he can get on a day shift. 

Right now he works on his ebay business during the day, comes home, and is on call. He is usually getting calls in the late afternoon. Which means he doesn’t really see Lexi except for the mornings. It’s been hard, but we know its just a season. Lexi says, "I miss daddy," so sweet! 

I guess that’s all for now!