Masterwork: The Snowman Hat and Adoption Update

I think this is my masterwork to date. :) I made a winter hat for David that looks like... a snowman wearing a hat. He wore it on the walk to school on Monday and to and from Jazzercise and got tons of attention. It turned out really well!

Also, just a quick adoption update... we turned in physicals for T and I and for Z, H, and G. T and I were fingerprinted and already got clearance for that. Now the next steps are:

• social worker updates homestudy we used for H's adoption last year
• subsidy negotiation with the state
• social worker submits our adoption packet to the state
• the state approves the adoption
• a court date is set
• adoption in court

I'm guessing we'll be done by June. The stuff that's left isn't hard at all. It could probably be done in a week per step (except for scheduling the court date, that can take a couple months). However, everyone involved is very busy, so it wouldn't surprise me if it stretches out to June. I'll keep you posted.

The Bed Project

So, the girls are getting dolls for Christmas. G picked out a ridiculously expensive bed that she really, really liked from the catalog. (Just $119, plus shipping and handling.) Yikes.

It is cute, though. So I did a little research and found this beauty at Walmart.com:

And it was $29.99 with free shipping if I was willing to pick it up at my neighborhood Walmart. (I was!). So I got two, one for H and one for G. Knowing I was going to trick them out to suit the girls' tastes.

Here is a picture of one of the beds put together, without the provided bedding. I also left off the arch that goes on the on the top of the bed.

I went to the craft store today and bought some beads for G's bed. I chose blue, red, and green, since that will match the blanket my mom is making. H's doll blanket will be more in the pinks and pastels, so I think I'm going to use the canopy and draping they provided, but I've got some really cute pink and white ribbon I could glue gun onto the side of the bed, and I think I'll add additional sliding curtains for the sides of the bed. I'm looking forward to this project that will be worked during the day while the kids are at school. :) I'm also finishing up some crochet projects, too, as well as trying to work in some Webkinz crochet requests. G got a new eagle. And informed me that it's a boy. So that's kind of a challenge to my creativity. :)

Happy Halloween!

H, our bride (for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row!); G, our cat (she was a gymnast at school, but changed her mind by supper); Z is a Ranger's Apprentice, a character from a series of books he's been reading. (Oh, and I made the ranger's cloak on 10/30 out of an old sheet - thankfully we had one in oak leaf green, like the rangers wear.)
Here's D! This picture wasn't actually taken on Halloween, but he wore this outfit a lot in October!

I've been enjoying my normal October activities - Christmas shopping. I like to have it all done before Thanksgiving, so I don't have to be in then stores during shopping season any more than I have to! I'm doing pretty good, and should meet my goal. :)

T travelled twice in the past 2 weeks, and I am SO glad that's over and we don't have any more trips scheduled in the near future. Even with all the kids in school, and even with T's parents here to help, it was exhausting to handle all 4 kids.

Next up... flu shots for the kids. D should have his on Tuesday and the rest a week from Monday. That will be quite an adventure. G has major issues with shots, and Z is nearly as bad, and H has issues with people crying because they are hurt. So it's a pretty messy combo, but I refuse to make 3 separate trips. :) I'll let you know how it goes...

D continues without IV meds. I may hear more about that on Tuesday.

Finally, on the adoption front, we got our fingerprints taken - and now wait 6 weeks to get results back, and we got our physicals done. Our homestudy will be updated, and then we move forward...