Okay, so my new goal is to update the blog at least once a week. I'm finally starting to get myself in to a schedule (yeah, I've been a mom for three months now...you'd think the schedule would be the FIRST thing I had down...), and I want to add in 'update the blog' to the weekly schedule. We'll see how I do!
Anyway, life on the Dressel front has been chilly but good! It's been a cold winter and as I type today the temps are falling drastically outside as the wind has increased all afternoon and night. The actual temperature is easily well below zero outside...and with the strength of the wind, I don't even want to know what the wind chill is. BRRR!!! This is the time of winter that is cold, the snow isn't enjoyable (either too cold, or the snow is frozen solid, or it is mushy dirty slush!) when I find myself chanting the refrain in my head "Can't wait til winter's over" over and over again! Having been a Minnesota girl now for nearly 10 years (can it be that long?!), I know full well winter is here to stay for another couple months...so might as well hunker down!
Enough of the weather jibber jabber. On to the happenings of the family...
I (Holly) have been back at work full time for nearly a month now and it has been going well. I work in the office 3 days per week (M, Tu, W) and from home on Thurs. and Fri. That schedule really seems to be working out well for both work and home, though it has taken some getting used to on both fronts!
Being back to work the whole idea of a schedule went out the window and has been being re-created. I'm not quite there yet...but closer!
Robert continues the job hunt. There have been several he has applied for and is hoping for call backs on. In the meantime he has his resume posted online and continues to check job postings on a daily basis. Pray the right job comes along soon! In the meantime he's also been busy with school and real-estate. He's taking two classes this session of his MBA group to make up for a previously missed class. For Dressel Meadows he's been working with some buyers and sellers as well as a few clients interested in refinancing (he handles mortgage and re-fi's too) which he has loved doing.
John spent today being Helper #1 to me and Daddy. We spent the day taking down the Christmas decorations...yes, we are THOSE people who still have their decorations up past January! Wish we could blame it on the kids, but in all honesty, every year of our marriage we've kept the Christmas decorations up until February...we just like the cozy-ness that decor brings! :) But we got all the decorations down, rearranged the furniture and did some major deep cleaning! All the kids helped, but John was definitely Helper #1...he did a great job! (He also earned a bit 'o' allowance for his hard work). John is enjoying school and is coming along. Learning the language is the toughest part...but we can see great strides that have already happened in that department. He got his first report card, which was highly graded "on a curve", he had an overall good report, though the PE teacher mentioned that John needed to practice 'keeping his hands to himself'. Sounds about right for our 'class clown'! :)
Laura is as creative and carefree as ever. She reminds us of Mommy every day...whether it is spilling on herself during meals, or tripping over her own two feet, or her goofy, creative style, we love it (and it makes Mommy feel right at home!). Laura took a 6 week Hip Hop Dance class at the local Community Center over the past 6 weeks that culminated with a 'recital' today. It wasn't a fancy recital with costumes and an actual stage and girls that actually danced all the same steps at all the same time. It was all over the place, but it was fun! The best part was that our goal in signing Laura up for this class was for her to do something just for her, have a lot of fun and build confidence. I believe all three things happened and more! She is doing well at school, though catching up academically is hard work! We spend a couple hours on homework most nights - though her progress is very evident. She's been working hard!
Angie keeps us on our toes! She is a bundle of energy and joy - often smiling, laughing, and lately, dancing! She has increased her vocabulary -both in English and Spanish - a TON since she first came to us in November and is always talking up a storm in her new language - Spanglish! She loves to help cook and is usually willing to help clean. She works on 'homework' at the same time as the other two, has been very healthy and sleeps great! She loves her 'special times' with Mommy & Daddy when the other two are at school too.
We took all 3 to the International Adoption doctor earlier this week for a full checkup. We were at the doctor's office for over 4 hours! The appointment included a psychological & physical check-up of each child, a parent interview for each child as well as a tuberculosis test and blood work for each child. Whew! Somehow the kids kept it together fairly well, considering we were in a 10 by 10 foot room with 2 toys that whole time! Mommy was the one ready for a meltdown by the time it was down. But the appointment confirmed what we already knew. That our children are very healthy physically and seem to be adjusting extremely well. God's Blessings!
OK, so this is a LONG post! Have I lost you yet? I'll post some pictures too for those of you who just skimmed hoping for some pictures (I'm a picture girl too - so I know where you are coming from!). Enjoy!
The other day as Robert & Angie were getting ready to head out and do some errands, Angie got a great idea to try PJ's collar on for size...around her forehead! It fit - but she sure didn't like that fact that she couldn't get it off again!
Tonight Angie & Laura invented a story line of needing to head out in a downpour to buy hamburger buns. Not sure why the sudden importance for hamburger buns, but nonetheless they suited up in their rain gear (boots too!) and enjoyed playing around the house. (However if there was an actually rain storm outside ot would be ICE because it is SO COLD!)
