There is a possibility that we will be considered for two out-of-state babies this fall. Alabam*a has a policy that they won't release our home study to another state for six months after its' approval. For us that would be September 30th. We are concerned that the babies' SW may need to make a decision about their placement around that time and after all we've been through, we don't want to be tripped up by something like timing, for Heaven's sake.
So about three weeks ago, I contacted our SW Jackie in New, Good County and she was going to send us an unofficial copy of our study to get to the babies' SW. That way she'd know what the study said before the official copy was released.
Except that all Jackie had was the incomplete copy of our home study that the Old, Bad County had done, which did not reflect either our second or our third home study visit. Jackie figured that Old, Bad County must have completed it and sent it to the state at some point SINCE WE'D BEEN APPROVED AS ADOPTIVE PARENTS, and she'd just contact Mo*ntgo*mery to get a copy.
(It was at that point that every one of my sirens, bells, and whistles went off simultaneously.)
I e-mailed her every week to see if she'd received it and she hadn't.
On Wednesday, I contacted her again and said, "Jackie, I'm a little bit confused. We transferred from Bad, Old County because our home study was incomplete. I know they didn't finish it, and if you didn't finish it, it is still incomplete."
Guess what?
Our damned home study is still incomplete.
Let me repeat for those of you who simply cannot believe your eyes . . .
OUR DAMNED HOME STUDY IS STILL INCOMPLETE.
The state SW was waiting for A**B**I and F**B**I Clearances, C*A*N Clearances (a child abuse/neglect background check), and documentation of our two final home study visits. Apparently when she received the clearances, she approved us.
J didn't mention anything about us being temporarily un-approved (dis-approved?) and I didn't dare ask the question, so I'm assuming we're still fine. She said she'd simply type up the missing portions and send them to the state.
Uh huh . . . Mmmmkay.
Often when I'm in the midst of a particularly challenging situation, I'll sit back and try to understand the lesson that God's trying to teach me. As you can imagine in the 20 months since we completed our foster/adopt classes and have been trying to get our home study completed (20 freaking MONTHS!!!) I've done a lot of "trying to get the lesson". And this morning I got it . . .
God is trying to teach me patience in the face of total and complete INSANITY.
Okay God, I've got it. Can we move on now? Please?
P.S. If you know me and/or O in real life and hear about this most recent development, one little piece of advice. If you say something even remotely along the lines of "maybe (we) should talk to a supervisor or something", I will wring your neck.
Wring! Your! Neck!
So be warned.
