already?

Yesterday brought an unexpected turn of events.  Let's review. 

11:00am I receive an email saying our Hague training was complete.  (Due to the country's requirements, we must complete 10 hours of parenting training that focuses on issues unique to adopted children.  What I thought of the training is another story that I will spare you.)  I forward our scores and certificates onto our social worker B and to J at the adoption agency.

3:00pm The kids are napping and I decide to call J to see if she needs anything else from us at this time.  I ask at what point will we talk with her about the specific children, and to my surprise, she says "Well, we can talk about that right now if you'd like to tell me which ones."  I hurry up and find my list and ask, "Do you want names or numbers?" since they are numbered 1 to 35 that correspond with the video of the children.  In my mind I'm praying Please, Lord, don't make me say numbers.  That seems so inhumane.  Thankfully J said she knows all the children and to tell her names.  I sigh with relief. 

I tell her the girl's name we are most interested in.  Immediately she says another family already asked questions about her.  It caught me off-guard that I seemed sad to hear that info...  I didn't realize I already had such love for this little girl I don't know except for a 30 second video!  J said the other family hadn't sent in an application yet, so she isn't sure whether they are still interested.  I list the other three names and J tells me all four children are still available.  As much as I like options, I sort of wish only one was still available to make our choice simple and since that would mean each child has a forever family waiting for them already. 

4:00pm K sends an email from work saying it's time to put in our request for where we'd like to move, with an expected move date between June and September 2010.  What?!?  I mean, I knew it was soon, but that soon?  I'm certainly not ready!

So, what does all this mean for the adoption?  We anticipated a possible move even before we began paperwork.  It is likely we will move, but there's also a chance we could stay a while longer. We won't know for a few more months.  We knew the Lord was telling us now was the time to begin the process, so we aren't confused about the timing.  Assuming we do move, we will have to complete an update to our homestudy so a social worker can inspect our new home to be sure it can still accomodate another child.  Plus, the address on our homestudy must be current in order to complete paperwork for our child to become a US citizen.  It would tack on another $2000 dollars, but we would be able to use that same homestudy to adopt another child within three years while we live there.  ...so we'll either pay to do the homestudy sooner or later when we begin the process again. 

8:00pm K and I sit down to watch the video of the children again so we can write down specific questions about the four kids.  J will forward them onto the social worker who works at the orphanage, who will answer them in reply.  Peanut comes over and asks, "Who are those kids?"  We explain a bit and she asks to watch with us.  We show her the four kids and tell her their names.  She then asks, "I like all of them!"  Sounds like a noble thought, but that many preschoolers at once under one roof might be a bit much.  I'm not ready to adopt myself into being the next Octomom.  With that, I'll conclude. 

Blessings tonight, angela