No Preference

From now until I receive my referral (a photo and medical history on a child), there is not much to report on......except that I'm waiting. So, I thought I'd share some things that happened during my home study and dossier preparations.

Unless you've been there, you really have no idea the amount of paperwork that goes into an adoption. Now, I am Miss Organized and it still took me forever. If it was as easy as typing a document on your computer or standing at the copy machine, I would have been done in no time. However, it's more like.....
1) Fill out Form A
2) Fax to your agency to make sure it looks good
3) Agency says "fix this"
4) Ok, fixed....how does it look now?
5) Um....remove that bold type at the top
6) Done....refax....how's it look now?
7) Good...have it notarized
8) Drive across town to notary
9) Fax notarized document to agency. How's it look?
10) Well, the date at the top is the 15th, the date the notary signed is the 16th....redo it.
11) Grrr....ok, retype the form
12) Drive across town to notary again
13) Refax to agency.....YAY, it looks good. Now, we will need that in triplicate!!!
14) Make two more copies
15) Drive across town to notary
16) Yay...have it in triplicate!!! Awesome
17) Call the Secretay of State and tell them you need these 3 documents apostilled by the Secretary of State
18) Next day, go to Secretay of State office and pick up Apostille Pages. Yay, document #1 in triplicate is completed
19) Repeat step 1 - 18 for the other 765,822 documents
20) Take gifts to notary
21) Find a couple of other notaries b/c you're embarassed to ask for so many!!

See what I mean!!!! Whew!!

Now, let me give you insight to my filling out Form # 625, 626 and 627
They are questionnaires. They ask about the same thing on each form, but what Russia wants, Russia get. Since I'm really smart and know the above process of not putting any fancy typing or bold print, making sure notary dates and document dates are the same and I gotta get 'em in triplicate. I got this under control!!!!!

Only, while filling out the questionnaires, I start feeling like I'm catalog ordering a child. It's awful, but I guess it has to be done. There are two questions that ask for the desired hair color and eye color of the child you'd like to adopt. I'm a blonde, blue-eyed gal, so that's what I put. Makes sense doesn't it? I mean...THEY asked! So I fill those forms out, get them notarized in triplicate and send them off to be apostilled. Got it all....

Dear Agency, look how smart I am. I didn't need your help on this one!!!!!

Well, my case worker calls me the next day and says....."um, Lavonne....ya know. Would you take GREEN eyes? Cause, you know, asking for a blue-eyed blonde might cause delays." Uhh... OF COURSE I'd take green eyes. She says redo the forms. ArGGGGHHHHHH.

She says she'll make a note that I'd prefer a "fair" child and not a "gypsy"child..... WAIT A MINUTE!!! I'd Prefer??? I say a resounding "No..... I'll just put down No Preference"...... cause I'm secretly thinking "gypsy child" sounds fun and exotic.....although I know it's not exotic and fun to BE a gypsy child.....unless your a theatre gypsy child, which I am. But I don't think that's what they are talking about. So, I'm not choosing blue, green, brown, purple, red and yellow, black and white. I just choose to be mommy!!!!!

Peace!!!!