Her Mommy, Until I Really Am

I added a new ticker to the side bar...time since we met Ellie. It is helping me to keep some perspective. I think in my mind I had actually convinced myself we have been waiting for a court date forever. Not so. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I will willingly wait another 2.5 months...I will go kicking and screaming if that is the way of it...but alas, I will go one way or another.

So, after a minor attitude adjustment on my part, I am focused once again. I have begun to collect some additional copies of documents the court seems to be asking for from the families that have just or are about to receive their court dates. Among them are another copy of our marriage certificate (I just happened to have a certified copy of this because the last time I had to renew it, I got an extra one, just in case.) Also, a certified copy of the HS agencies licence from the year we did our original HS. I am also going to do another financial statement. We have already submitted this to region but since I don't know if it went to the court or the MOE, I am doing another one. I hope to have all of this by early next week. The only thing I am waiting for is a copy of the licence from 2005.

Our social worker has told me that the state will not issue a letter stating that their licence is good until the new one comes but she does think that they will send her the new one earlier rather than later. So, I am praying this is true. Ideally, I would like for it to come and be in Russia before it ever expires but my FC says that she does not think that this doc expiring will keep us from getting a court date.

I have resigned myself to a March court date. I am trying to decide what cake mix to take over for her birthday and I am finding it difficult to get myself psyched up for spending Easter away from these three and in Russia. To be truthful, I think I am starting to get anxious about being away for a month, any month.

All of Ellie's clothes are packed already. Although I did buy some new things, My friend Dinah gave me a bunch of stuff and a lot of it was Ruthie's from when she was little. So, she has a mix of new clothes and some treasures from the past.

I have gotten together most of what we need from our very comprehensive packing list...still to buy: a drain plug, clothes line and clothes pins. Also, I have to get some drugs together:0)

We have just a few more things to get accomplished in Ellie's room. I need to get a mattress for her trundle (in case one of us needs to sleep in there for a while), we need to put some shelving up in her closets and we have to hang some things on the wall. I would also like to buy a shelving unit to house these really cute baskets I bought that match her bedding. In the next few weeks I plan to go through the remaining clothes and toys we have on hand to see if we have enough clothing in her size to get us through the first few weeks at home. Our weather is just a wee bit different than the weather there (approximately 90 degrees different since it is -17 over there right now) so, she will need different clothing once we get home. These are things I enjoy doing right now...as if getting things ready for her is somehow being her mommy until the day when I really am.