Adoption Adventures

Clean Carpets and Clean Dogs

We had the carpets cleaned Monday. The deck dudes arrived Tuesday to repair the damage to our deck from a tree that hit it last winter (yeah, we’re a little slow). Today Maid Brigade spent 3 hours doing all the house work I haven’t done and, I kid you not, the women were coughing from all the dust. A brigade of maids was definitely in order. The dogs went to get groomed for the first time ever today as well, even though we usually just bathe them ourselves.  While I think they look cute and fuzzy and smell so clean, I’m not so sure they appreciate the foo foo bows on their collars. Ah well, that can be their little sacrifice for this whole process.

Our home visit is on Monday.

I want to yell “yay!” and “yikes!” all at the same time. While I’m excited to be doing this next step, I think this is the part of the adoption process every prospective parent dreads. Even though logically I know our social worker isn’t going to walk in here with a white glove and check for dust on the top shelf (thanks to the brigade she wouldn’t find any even if she did) it’s still a bit nerve-wracking having someone come into your home with the purpose of making sure you’re parent material.

The reality is they just want to make sure we have a safe home and enough room for kids. She’s not coming here to find something to ding us for. Her goal is not to weed out as many potential parents as she can. She’s not going to look behind our TV, see a dust bunny and say, “That’s it! No kids for you!!” Bill and I both know that. Even so, we want to put our best foot forward.

That, and it was a good excuse to let someone else dust.

It’s strange to think about, though. When you want to get pregnant no one makes you fill out a stack of paperwork or inspect your house for the right number of smoke detectors. With adoption there’s the disconcerting fact that your decision to have a child is actually in someone else’s hands. It’s like getting ready for a job interview, only this is a job the majority of the world can take on without ever having to apply. For us, we’ve got to show our social worker and our agency that we’ve got what it takes. They have the power to hire us as parents or they can say “thanks, but no thanks”.

So yeah, we probably didn’t need to do all this stuff this week. But still, someone else gets to decide if we can have a child. Clean carpets and clean dogs may or may not help our cause, but I’m certain it won’t hurt. And I’ve got to admit, the bows on the dogs look pretty darn cute.

This entry also posted with the Seattle PI. Copyright © 2008 Susan Metters. All rights reserved.
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In addition to being a writer and aspiring mom, Susan Metters also carries the distinguished title of Cancer Survivor Extraordinaire. Some of her secret ambitions include meeting Dr. Phil, hosting Saturday Night Live, and rising to the top as a rock star. You can read more about Susan’s life adventures by visiting her blog with the Seattle P.I., Lemon Margaritas. If you have ideas, questions, rants, or ramblings feel free to email Susan at susan [at] seattlemomblogs [dot] com.