A watched pot never boils

We've been in Chicago for 3 days and arrived home tonight to a surprise. Our 171h (aka important paper from USCIS) was waiting in our mailbox. I guess things change in three years, but I was looking for this greenish, important looking paper. This was a low key, white paper with the statement: "...application has been forwarded to the American consulate at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and email sent 5/3/07, approved for two children"

I read that, then re-read. Then felt like an idiot because I didn't know what I was looking at, and only expected one document from USCIS, and this couldn't be it since it was NOT green nor fancy. Then at the lower left corner it said, "Form I-171H". I think I squealed, but then I realized that I don't have everything ready! ACK! Double ack! This realization was followed by Seth's constant pestering of me, "What is it? Is that IT? Do you (italics added for emphasis) have everything else ready? Where are we in this thing? What is that?" I have a hard time thinking while he's acting like a child. My mind already wasn't functioning at a high level. After 5 hours in the car with the kids and..ahem...Seth. Ella singing solos for the last hour--only song she knows goes like this: "I love Jesus! I love Jesus!" repeat that in a high pitched wail and you are singing an Ella original. Beauteous for the first verse or so, but honestly... So I was having a hard time processing, then my mind tripped to the fact that I don't have everything else ready.

We are leaving town again on Tuesday, so I'm going to race around Monday getting certifications and seals. One problem though, the previously mentioned document that went to Virginia is not back yet. So I'll race around Monday then probably wait around for another week...or more. Hurry up and wait-that is the name of the game.

I'm still pumped about getting this, even if I have to wait a while for the document from VA. We waited for about 3 or 4 MONTHS to get this when we were paperchasing for Ella. I was hoping for 3 weeks (since I've heard it's faster up here), but never dreamed we would get it in a week. Wowie, wow, wow!