Crazy Rainy Day

Or not! Wasn't sure what to call this post. Thought about it off and on all day. Should I call it Rain, Rain Go Away, Too Many Things To Do Today? Should I call it Holy Paperwork, Batman! or OMG I Can't Believe It's Not Finished! Once I blew through a few online forms and started checking off the list I thought I might call it I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR! But when I got a flat tire on the turnpike in the pouring rain and I decided to go with the above title. Whew! What a day. Crazy, busy day. Ran like mad, had to drive all over creation to get the right forms and get things rolling for the home study, but WOW do I feel great! Got so much accomplished and will sleep like a baby!

So for those of you that are dying to know what on earth we have to do with our home studies, here is what WE have to do. Every state is totally different so call your home study agency right away if you think you have to update. Our home study agent AH (Adoption Horizons) spoke with our placement agency (Wacap) last night and they figured it all out. Here is what the home study agent told me we needed to do. To my surprise, it really wasn't that bad. Not NEARLY as bad as the first go-round of paperwork.

1. New home visit. Scheduled a date when I get back in town (Jan. 29th).

2. New physicals for both. I scheduled us both for Jan 27th. (AH will mail us forms to take with us to get physical and have Dr. fill out. We will turn in these forms to them on 29th.

3. State Criminal Clearance. Now I don't know about all states, but I did these online and it was very easy. Cost $10 each and I was able to print them out. DONE! (If only it was all this easy!!)

4. PA Child Abuse Clearance. This was fun. These take 2-3 weeks to process so to avoid further delay in having them mailed, AH's found a center in our area (well, sort of close) that had forms I could pick up. So I drove about an hour to get them, stopped by a bank and got a money order ($20 for both of us), filled them out while scratching my head trying to remember every address we have ever had and the middle names of all of our family members.  Called the parents who came to the rescue with misc. info while I was driving in the pouring rain trying to find parking for Fed-X. I get to the Fed-X office and sign my form. I finish filling out Jeff's form and stuff the money order in with both and send to Jeff who's out of town on business. He will then sign and date his form and Fed-X the whole thing to the appropriate office. Whew! Thank God for technology, right? Where WOULD we be without phones, faxes, fed-x, computers and the like? My Garmin guided me to all my destinations today. Speaking of which...

5. New Fingerprints as per the new Adam Walsh law requiring a set to be taken for the state's records. The good news is you can register and pay for them online ($36 each). So I did that this morning and printed up both our confirmations and directions to the nearest locations to get fingerprinted. Well the closest one needed an appt and the 2nd closest was closed until the 11th...so I went to the 3rd closest which wasn't close at all! It was about an hour in the opposite direction of the office wear I got my forms and found a Fed-X. So me and my handy Garmin got the address queued and headed off for more rain, traffic, and excitement. I finally came screeching into the UPS Store parking lot at 20 min's of 5:00. They stop fingerprinting at 5 pm. Aaah, I had made it. The last task to complete. For the home study, that is.

I still have to pack and get ready for my 16 day trip to Detroit to work the auto show and get it all done by the time I leave Sat. And take the car in for a new tire. And call the plumber about the rain coming in the basement after they were supposed to have fixed the gutter problem. But that's another story...

Back to the home study....

 Once Jeff comes home and does his fingerprints we will have to wait 4-6 weeks for those to process. Our agency thinks it could be sooner. I hope so cause those fingerprint approvals are the only thing that could hold things up. Our local US CIS office is really great. Jeff talked to them and they are aware of the situation and will expedite it quick for us. So I think we will be good to go! Just a little more patience and we are home free! Having to do all this paperwork should have stressed me out to no end. But instead it made me really happy. We made it to crunch time! We are rushing to get it done because WE ARE THAT CLOSE!! Even our agencies feel it. This is good stuff here. So bring on the madness! With it comes baby!