Looking for a pink, plush Carter's bear "My FIrst Bear"

We went a shopping today, looking for a back up bear for the 'My First Bear" that appears to have attained most favored status with Mary.

No luck in Carter's store or on ebay. Oh , well.

Everyday's a holiday with Mary !

Miss M. attends her first social event of the season!

Frustration, courtesy of our friends at the Social Security office & a photo of Monique & Mary

I went to soc sec. office today, to try to get a card for Mary. They said I needed more documentation, spec a US birth cert, and she kept saying I didnt have the final adoption decree, which I did.

I called my agency and Ad. coordinator told me which item it was, and that soc sec often gives people a hard time. so bottom line, have to register the adoption with the orphan's court in our county court house, and then they will issue a us birth cert with mary's english name and our names on it. current one has our names and her chinese name.and then i take that, once received , along with several other docs , back to the s.s. office! your tax dollars at work.

The S.S. girl just kept repeating the same statements, and when I asked her exactly what docs i did need, she said it's on the direction sheet that you can find online. I finally asked for the manager, and then the girl was a little more helpful, and elaborated about exactly what was needed.I was close to saying something sarcastic to her, but restrained myself, even when she said my attorney (the adopt agency owner ) obviously doesn't know what he is talking about.Very frustrating,

Mary was quite clingy and a bit out of sorts to day, prob because no reg. nap in late a.m. due to being at the soc sec office.and though she fell asleep for 15 mins in the car, once home, she would not fall asleep. She also didn't eat as much lunch, though she compensated for that at dinner. In between all that , she was cheerful, and walking and clapping and giggling, so who knows.

more photos from Sunday. Doesn't Aunt MoMo look great with Mary. I can't wait until she travels to and returns from Vietnam with her baby daughter, so we can take a similar photo of me holding the new little one!

November 26, 2006 Mary's Baptism