better late than never.....

Happy Birthday Aidan!! He turned the big 4. He was pretty funny with his birthday. After making birthday treats for school, and having cake and birthday meal here, and birthday with cousins........he was totally into it. He would open his present up and say.....'no peaking at my present'...... He has such a humorous side to him.

His birthday is valentines day, and amazingly, it's just as hard as having the Christmas birthdays in the family. I made more a valentines dinner and had red and white stuff, and got all the kids some valentines candy and had that on their plates............so it was "hard" to focus on birthday, when it's so fun celebrating valentines with all the kids. Such is the hard life.......

As I am intentionally looking at pictures of Aidan over the last year, I realize HOW MUCH he has changed. Last year he was in complete shock, we barely celebrated his birthday. He had no comprehension of it when he first came home, and we just weren't handling groups, crowds of people or big excitement. I remember being "sad" for him last year just at the fact that he had no clue what was going on and that it was even his birthday. No comprehension of what it even meant. And now a year later..........he was so fun to watch. He knows EXACTLY what is going on. He wants every part of it and is like any other kid celebrating their birthday. full of excitement!

Seriously, I can't believe how this boy has changed. Often I don't realize it, because there are plenty of frustrations still........but that is for another post........but let me tell you how amazing he is.

A year ago:

said about 2 words total

stayed on our laps

sucked his thumb all the time

ONLY played on his own, in his own world

Today:

speech is still delayed..............but for the first time, and recently in the car for a second time---I felt like I wanted him to BE QUIET! (the first time he decides to sing and be loud was while I happen to stop and buy some new bras. So there I am in the store and just letting him belt it out because he had never done that before. I think everyone knew I was buying essentials!)

we were at a play area............and there he was, running around chasing with another boy who he had just met and started playing with. I about wanted to cry.

he interacts and plays regularly with other kids that are over

doesn't want to be all alone in a room

So, this was around Christmas. He was playing and singing around. I sneakily took the camera out, and was recording him. Just watch the progression as he realizes I'm taking a picture of him. At first he was just singing. Then he turns on his funny mode! Enjoy!

USA citizen

On Tuesday we had Aidan's citizenship appointment. All went well and he is officially a USA citizen!! I dare say........he is about 'complete' with paperwork. I don't know if I can even fathom this thought, but I think it's true!! I don't have to double reference him at medical offices, or anything else like that..........his name is all the same and we have proof of his existence and part of our family and....... oh such a good feeling!! Although..........just to completely finalize everything........we are getting a passport for him. But that is such minor paperwork, I will "whip" that out next week......LOL!!!!

So I do have to tell you. It is such a wonderful feeling. But it was such an anti-climactic ending. The pictures are wonderful and will be a fabulous memory. And it's all just such a good event.

But this is how the day REALLY happened..........we chose this day to have the appointment because all the kids had off of school. We debated about having all the kids along, but thought it would be so good to have the memories of family supporting him and pictures of everyone there for the big day. So it was a day off a school, and yet we were up before 7 to get ready. We were on the road by 8:30. It took us just over 3 hours to get to the area. We wanted to drive there, to make sure we knew were it was and would be on time. But then we stopped at McDonalds and got some pop to go with our picnic lunch. ( we had McDonalds the previous 2 days in a row, and 3 days just wasn't going to happen. ) So we ate our picnic and then let the kids run out on some sidewalk to get some energy out. From there we went to the gov't building and had to go through security. Found out no camera's were allowed, so had to leave that behind. At this point, our appointment was in the next 10 minutes, but they had just emplemented a new reciept system. So we had to pay prior to our appointment.............but no one knew how to generate a reciept. And we weren't allowed to procede to the appointment without a reciept. so for the next 1 1/2 hours we sat in the lobby..........waiting.

Are you catching that......waiting.......with 4 kids.

So then we did get in our appointment. The officer was nice, and it went fine. Paul and I had to answer some questions and go over the paperwork, and the kids sat against the wall and continued listening to the iphones and watching movies.

From the appointment, we waited more to get our certificate. So by this time we'd been in the building about 3 hours. And just like that the officer gave us our certificate and we were on our way..

That was it. No fireworks!! No congratulations. no whooping or hollering...........or letting out a scream of excitement. That was it. So ......uneventful. but done!

Somehow Paul has a way of smoozing people and we snatched a picture with the words in the background. I don't think the security guard was too happy with the receptionists...........but we at least have some GREAT pictures to remember what a great milestone this was. So then we went out to eat......On the Border. Chips and Salsa has to be Aidan's favorite food, so it was great! And I can't complain about the margarita's......a great way to celebrate :)

paperwork shmaperwork

I really just wanted to update on our paperwork status. Yes......even after a year, we are still messing with paperwork. There is nothing easy about having name changes, date of birth changes, wrong addresses with the government, hunting down info, adoptions that were or weren't finalized.........and trying to keep it all straight. For the most part of the year, it's this lumming area of papers in my house, that I know are important, and yet have no organization to them. i'm so afraid to purge anything, because at times I just take the whole file where I go, but I know there is probably 3 or 4 copies of everything. So hence.......when I do need something........it throws me in a tizzy because I need to locate something..... or frankly..........it just throws me in a tizzy when I'm trying to fill out a new government form and have no idea what the world they want...............

aaaaahhhhhhh! But at last, we are seeing SOME light. Some. We are checking off major things and getting that much closer to locking the safe.....and never opening it again... ha!ha! ha! ..

for Aidan we officially have a birth certificate, a social security number, and we have a citizenship day scheduled for next week!!!!!

and for Samara..........we officially have a birth certificate and we just processed her social security number. So things are rolling!!!!! Her citizenship will be a ways out yet, just because of the different stage of adoption we were at............but I feel like some big stuff was accomplished!

So 3 cheers to where we are at! And hopefully next week we have some great pictures to post of Aidan--and the family, of course!