Woo Hoo!

Tonight was the night of my much anticipated home study.  The home study is when a social study comes to your home for several meetings to determine if you are ready for parenthood.  Even though the adoption books portray the home study as if it were a very difficult examination, I didn't get too worked up about it.  After receiving much well meaning advice about how to prepare for this event,  I decided not to do any of it.  I figured that I would be most comfortable being myself and if I failed this exam than adoption must not be God's will for me.  Not to mention the fact that I was gone all day and had no time to put even slice and bake cookies in the oven.  However, I put new batteries in the smoke detectors, made a first aid kit and displayed some cabinet locks and outlet covers to prove that I was a safety conscious parent.  I even made sure to put out the adoption books that I have been reading.

My social worker, Joann, was rather laid back about the whole event.  She obviously hadn't read the answers to the questions I carefully prepared and submitted, as she asked the exact same questions. Since I had made a couple stops in the office already, she said we only had to meet one more time and that we would use that time to proofread her work.  I thought to myself, surely this couldn't be all there is to it- surely she will ask to see my home or inquire about my first aid kit.  At the risk of sounding too cocky, I mentioned that it sounded like I had already passed the home study.  She said that Holt does such a thorough job screening, that anyone who gets this far is considered approved.  Now I am really glad that I didn't get too worked up about this whole thing!