Updates on Life

Nothing exciting going on this week. Just lots of "stuff."

The biggie right now is that we got a notice in the mail from USCIS to appear at our "local" office for a citizenship appointment. Our local office is 5 hours away (in good traffic conditions). If the twins had come home on visas, we would not need this appt. They would automatically be citizens. Their Haitian adoption was complete, but the visa hadn't been issued.


Along with the twins, we are to bring the I 485 along with $930 per child. It says $1,011, but then says that $80 is for fingerprinting, and they shouldn't need fingerprinted. We also have to take the I 864W. The wording is a little weird so I'm not sure if we need the $70 each child or not. I'm taking it to be on the safe side. It has to be cashiers checks or money orders.

On top of that, it requires a civil surgeon physical. Those range from $800 to $200 and they don't accept insurance. We only have one doctor within three hours and she was $150 per twin and saw them together for less than five minutes. So what was the use of that? They had a school physical already. It's not like she checked for any weird diseases or anything. She also refused to sign off on the paperwork unless we got them flu shots.




We are NOT in flu season. She is the only doctor in our area who has them right now. Walgreens say they do, but ours doesn't. Rick found one that did but couldn't give them to anyone under 18.

To avoid paying this lady another $40 each for the shots that should be waived since they can get them free from their ped in four weeks, Rick drove 1 1/2 hours each way to get them at a Walmart who would give children's shots.

So now it's a matter of getting the paperwork from the doctor, getting the forms together. I have them half filled out. I'm not sure how to fill them out and don't know if I use the name on the I 94 or the one on the adoption decree. I haven't signed them because I don't know whether to sign my name or theirs. I don't have original birth certificates or decrees because they were e-mailed to me. If they don't accept those, I guess we'll be driving another ten hour round trip later!

Besides getting all that ready, it's just a matter of juggling homework, church, dance, softball and other activities. I am getting 4-10 calls a week from the school about the twin's behaviors. The teachers are very limited on what they can do. Kaleb is a real stinker. He hits, spits and scratches both teachers and studnets, chokes children, tears up work he doesn't want to do, yells "No, you can't make me" and "I'm not happy with you" at his teachers etc. They can only put him in time out. If he doesn't go, they can't force him. I can! : )

And here we are practicing sitting time out so next time teacher says, "Go to time out" we know what to do. This one didn't count for me because of the legs and feet on the chair. He kept doing that to annoy me even though he was missing the movie the others were watching. I just got a book and sat there and read. He finally realized he was the one missing out and put his feet down.

Kayla seems to be doing better because she realizes she gets home center if she has a good day. Otherwise she goes to blocks or playdough. She loves home center and is very upset when she doesn't get it. The kids are supposed to rotate centers but the teacher always lets her have home center when she does well all day to reinforce the behavior.



Jasmine is holding her own in everything but math. They are out of place value now and into multiplication, but unfortunately there are still place value word problems in this unit too.



One of her spelling assigments was to hide the words in a picture. So Jessica is helping her draw a dragon.

I really, really want today to be over. I haven't slept much the last three nights so am dragging a bit. I am getting a perm this morning. My hair is neither straight nor curly. It actually grows kind of straight out, not down. So the perm makes it at least all curl the same way.


We have dance after school. Jasmine has ballet/jazz and Jessica has tumbling. Kayla is going to watch a hip hop class. If she continues to improve in her behaviors she can try it out next month. I wish I knew ahead how things would go. Once they order the recital costumes and start working on the recital she has to remain in the class. She has been warned that spitting on, grabbing or scratching another child or peeing in class will result in her being immediatley removed. If she tests me on that, I hope she does it before I pay for the recital costume!


After dance, Tyler and Jessica have explorers, and the little three have open house at their school. How to be in three classrooms at the same time.... Jasmine has softball practice at the same time as the openhouse. We could go late but I think we'll skip. It hasn't turned out to be the fun, positive activity we thought it would be : (



Anyway, that's my life for now. Just want to get through today mostly.