HOW HARD IS IT TO GET A PASSPORT PHOTO???

That is all my parents wanted to do!!! OH ya I was not cooperating at all!!This is the question mommy & daddy asked alot today!! Mommy decided that since the fees were going up today Jan 31 was the last day and we would drive to Walla Walla to get the applications and photos!! Daddy (he works in WW) said YES -he would take the afternoon off and we can get it done!!

Mommy had the brainstorm idea at 10:45 am and we were out of the house at 11:20 am! PRETTY QUICK FOR TRACKING DOWN ADOPTION PAPERWORK AND BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND TO RENEW OUR PASSPORTS --THREW SOME CLOTHES TOGETHER FOR JUST IN CASE ICY WEAHER!! POURED A COUPLE BOTTLES AND PUT G ON THE POTTYCHAIR! (you don't do spur of the moment with a two year old--they need explanation) Gave Gretchie her lunch in the car and took off----we had a one hour drive and met daddy at work he was just finishing up his lunch! Our first stop was Walmart to get photos--G walked in with us and I took my photo --daddy sat down for his photo and then oh my .........she no way was going to get hers done--crying and yelling!! So I paid for our two photos and we tried it again---OH worse--clinging crying!!! SO on the way out of WalMart we decided we would stop at Triple A and try again--we had this family talk--we showed G the photos of mommy and daddy and she says yes me tooo---I showed her the Guatemalan passport and told her she could go to Guatemala again if we took a picture!! She was great until we set her down in front of the camera---and started crying again!! Lee held her hand as she stood and I held puppy up by the cmera----NO WAY!!!! Good thing we did not pay ahead of time!! WHAT A SCENE WE CAUSED ALL FOR A PICTURE! --We then went to Nana and Papa's house--they were on their way to get pictures!! SOOOOO Mommy drove Nana and Papa back to Triple A----Gretchie said I will take my picture too--Walked in said Hi to the lady and Nana paid for their two photos--WE watched Nana smile we counted down 1 2 3 and then the lady showed her Nana' pic!!! Same with Papa!! Then she clung to me and said I WANT TO GO HOME NOW!!! She knew we were going to try her photo again--Nana even had treats in her pocket which we did not even try! The lady was soo nice and showed me how to take my own photos!!! ALl the regulations and how to cut it ----ugh! I asked Gretchie dont you want to take one picture!! No thank-you!! --she said . OK we tried!! It was like the child was being tortured taking a photo---not like she had not ever had her picture taken!!! HAHA !!!! Had it been two hours since mom had taken a photo)

They don't write owners manuels for taking passport photos with a two year old!! hehhe!

We came back to Nana's and mom snapped about 15 to 20 shots --she was pretty cooperative!!! I am posting some of the pic. we took and now I have to print them off!

Friday----I took my memory card for my camera into 60 min Photo and asked them to print me off some photos--our printer is not working---they printed them off and cut them and when I came back hour later ----YAHOO I had my Photo I needed and all for 78 cents and no crying!!! In fact angel bear just stood next to me and did not wander away or touch a thing in a scrapbook store!!!!! Lee and I paid ten dollars each for our passport photos at WalMart and they did not even cut them to legal passport size! So she cut our pictures tooo. So you can do your own ten dollar photos--but I probably would not reccommend it to get all the sizes correct photo paper--face in the middle dimensions in the center of your photo-----BUT IT WORKED!!!!!

CELEBRATE !!! READOPTION D AY!

YES!! SHE HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY GRETCHEN FAITH COLE for one year! We had a short sweet ceremony in Pendleton at the court house last year and had some special guests join us!!We finished the ceremony with lunch at Roosters ! This paperwork changed her name and got her an Americn birth certificate! Mommy made cupcakes last year but this year I got to help! The problem was I think I am a "pro" at cooking now and we had a few minor incidents of me trying to take charge!! One was I grabbed all three eggs that were laid out and gave mommy a scare as I held them all under my chin!!! She took two away and I held onto the third one---as she scooped me off my chair to help and took me nto wash my hands--I would not let go---until she told me the egg would WATCH me wash my hands! When "G" dumped the cake mix in the bowl the paper liner came out tooo it was funny because she yellls Oh no--look what happened! I said its ok Gretchie--sooo onto finishing the cupcakes---which I filled the cupcake pan way to full so after they were baked I had to trim the mushroom looking cupcakes! Then they dried out pretty fast! oh well.........The rest of the day we just played and in the morning we went to Baby Boogie and made a crown and then Storytime was about teddy bears and we made a bear---I did not want to leave I was really coloring my bear nicely!! We were the last to leave out of forty or more preschoolers!! I had to be coaxed into leaving today!

We had beef strognaff ,green beans and salad. I even put Smartie candy under the American flag napkins----she found the one under my napkin before dinner!! Twenty minutes later I see her little head and hear LOOK I FOUND MORE CANDIES!!! SO..there went the suprise! After dinner I got a bowl of snow with blueberry ice flavor on it!!! Yummy in my tummy! My tongue was blue--and then we took a bath!!!

Play dough, jumping stairs , dominos (Lazy Day at home)

OK--I have been taking so many photos-I have to delete them off the camera just to be "ready"!! I am addicted to taking pictures and then Gretchie is addicted to elephants--her favorite movie now is Babar (french elephant who lives in Paris with a rich lady) just an explanation for Cherilyn!! (and whoever else needs an update on cartoon characters).
Tuesday mommy was a little on the sore side from falling Saturay and the bruise from landing was HUGE!! I had overdid it shoveling ice/snow and sat on a heating pad off and on----Gretchie thought mommy was her built in playmate!! WOW--shes right here for me to play with!! GREAT!!
We did have loads of fun---nothing but dinner got done though! We played play dough, puzzles, jumping stairs, dominos, coloring book, and watched Babar (elephant video) I think we have seen it at least twice a day! Where is Heffalump??? (just kidding) The cute thing is she sets her two stuffed elephants up to watch tv!!! She asks them if they want to watch her video with her---because mommy does not!! HAHA!! OK-
I did something really bizzare to my right wrist---I thought it was from shoveling or the COLD!! I had hurt my wrist carrying Gretchie when she was nine months old and it hurt off and on for 3 months!! No--I did not go to the dr. it healed itself.(so I thought) This time the right wrist started throbbing Mon. eve when I was cutting G her dinner!! I mean bad hurting I even took IB profin immediately!! I figured I had been shoveling and it got cold! I lifted G into the tub and the left one started throbbing---yeah I know weird!
Lee cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen put G in her pj!! I made her walk upstairs for bed! By morning on Tuesday they were both so sore and hurting w0rse ---I wrapped the right one--could not decide which one to wrap---ouch!

I usually don't complain but this was strange---the left one started feeling better late afternoon by completely doing very little all day---Trying to put a puzzle piece in was torture!! Computer was out!! I did hold the phone (teeehehe) I did go back out and shovel later-- just to scoot the water away from the curb to create water to get to the drain down the street! (dumb in my condition but yes someone had to do it!) My neighbors were no help! Gretchie yelled from the porch I have to go peepee!! We had no accidents again today!! She woke up at 5:45 am and comes into my room and says MOMMY I AM READY TO GO SEE DADDY!! (clear and plain) How can she be wide awake when she was naughty and did not go to sleep until 10:30 pm!! She was AWESOME all morning with 7 hours and 15 min of sleep---not long enough!! She fell asleep in my lap at 11 am and still had training pants on--I put a pull up on over her Dora panties and carried her up to bed--yes with two bad hands---(dumb again I know but someone had to do it) The cat was no help! Gretchie slept from 11 to 1:30 pm!! Every time I fell asleep something would wake me up----ugh! I heard the door slam shut shortly after I put her to bed--I went to the landing and saw her door was still propped shut---little did I know G had gotten out of bed and closed the door and fell asleep in our doorway of our bedroom when she yelled Mommy at 12:20--she was in my doorway sitting! ahhh! We rocked in the recliner and she was asleep within seconds so was I but the wind outside crashed against the house a couple times---woke me up---then G would move--ugh!! I did not sleep for a nap---I had gone to bed at midnight the night before---5:45 am was early! LAZY DAY!!

Hermiston had two snow days for schools and daddy did continue to make the hour commute to Walla Walla Mon and Tuesday Wednesday! He ran errands after work Tuesday so I fed "G" dinner at 6 pm --She says MOMMY GO GET DADDY! I told her he was still working and she says OH IS HE TALKING TO HIS FRIENDS? I said no the roads were just snowy and icy---OH DADDY IS A GOOD GUY!! haha! This child is so concerned about others and if we need more food at dinner or a drink---etc! I am posting a couple pic. of my feet and Gretchie sharing her two favorite blankets with mommy then proceeds to ask me if I need a pillow and her bear!! Oh ya mommy here is puppy!! She then comes over and kisses my toes----ahhh!!!

For a day at home and not much to report this ended up to be very long!

Another BOX in the mail???

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Janny sent me a huge box of pop blocks and 120 piece set of legos on Monday-----I LOVE BLOCKS!!! As I was opening it I said I know mommy I know what it is? ITS BLOCKS!!! After 45 min of not a sound from my little communicator --I walked in and sat own on the carpet---I said Gretchie do you like your blocks? She looks at me and says THEY ARE SO FUN--We need to call Aunt Janny and say thank-you!!! ahhhh!!

So that is what we did-----of course Aunt Janny got way more information than a thank-you for the blocks!!! HA! She won't give the phone back an paces back and forth an SHOWS the person on the phone everything in our house!!!

Work Work and then Play!

We cleaned all Monday morning and then AFTER NAP ----we played in the snow!!The snow is harder to walk in than sand!!
Can you tell my mommy and daddy want another tropical vacation!!
PEEK A BOO!! HERE I AM!!!
ICICLES ARE COLD!!!
Play cach with me mom---put the camera and shovel down please!

MOTHER! It's a beach ball and there is snow? When she went to bed she asked if she could go to the beach?? Just had to a a spark to the FUN!!!
I think I am stuck--these new size ten boots are way toooo big!!
Look I can crawl---(funny thing is she never crawled as a baby!)
Here we go-----She crawled into the street an then yelled look how far I can crawl!! She has always been so good about not going in the road but had no idea she crawled off the curb with all the snow!! Scared mom-but she was this purple blob in the midle of Prickly Pear Drive!!!
I think I will rest a bit!!!

Getting the mail---I only have two keys on the chain but we had to try both keys in all 15 mailboxes!!! Good thing the sun was out--brrrrrrrrrr!
Today is cleaning day-----------------Can you tell!!!!!
I DID IT THE TABLECLOTH IS ON!!!
Just a view from our front porch of the beautiful SNOW!!!

LOOK MOMMY I FOUND CHEESE!!! I had a helper this morning!
I WILL PUT IT IN THE GARBAGE FOR YOU MOMMY!

OH THANK-YOU SO MUCH I WILL TAKE THE GARBAGE! Although she walked around and around and never went to the door---ha!!
OH NO THE VACCUUM CLEANER!!! Love this face!!
NOT AGAIN --I just heard it go off and then on again--Will she ever stop?
The special tablecloth for Readoption day on WED JAN. 30th! ALL BYSELF---I can do it!!!
Straighten and I will get the other corner and over here and smooth!!